Getting to Chiang Mai

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Getting to Chiang Mai was always going to be an ordeal, sitting on a smelly, probably decrepit train in a carriage with 40 others for 12 hours had to be slightly uncomfortable... little did we know what we had in store for us!

We got to the main train station in Bangkok about 90 mins before our train left, thought this would give us enough time to grab some dinner and to get supplies for the epic journey. We were greeted by a station worker telling us that the station was closed; all trains were not going. At first we thought it was another con like the same ploy used at the temples to steer westerners away but then we looked around and saw tv cameras there and we asked a woman in the information booth who explained that we could get a refund and that the rail workers were striking and the nationwide strike was going to continue. Great!

A tourist information worker came up to us and explained that we could get the bus but wed have to book a ticket. She dragged us up a heaving flight of stairs which felt like everest with our 2 stone bags on our backs. We got there to find aabout 20 other backpackers crammed into a tiny office. We managed to get 2 seats on a bus leaving that hour but it was probably 3 times the cost it normally is due to everyone wanting to go at the same time. Soph, me and 2 other travellers got dragged out of the office and rushed out of the station. No one knew what was going on, and we got put into an empty internet cafe. 5 minutes later a different man came with a car and he put our backpacks into the boot with the lid not shut down, and told us to get into the car. I wondered what was going on, if wed ever see our bags again and that wed probably never get to Chiang Mai! The 4 of us sat in the car as bewildered as each other but made the best of it by chatting about our travels and where we came from.

Eventually we got taken to the buses and after much faffing we got onto the bus. We were handed packs containing water, a bottle of yakult and a weird roll which was filled with a thick gloopy custard like substance. At midnight the bus stopped at a service station and with our ticket we were entitled to food. The 'food' was by far the worst ive seen so far, even the Thais themselves were picking at it. After a visit to the fly infested squat bog we got back on the bus. They cranked up the aircon so high me and Soph spent the night shivering. At about 6am the bus stopped on a random street, Good Morning Chiang Mai!

We got a tuk tuk to our guest house and slept until lunch time. In the cold (or not so cold) harsh light of day we looked at our room and nearly cried! It was disgusting with a horrible strip light, mozzie infested wet room which sprayed the toilet when you showered and a weird plastic pig toilet roll dispenser which held 1 square of tissue. We decided that we werent going to stay there the next day and so had 1 final night there and moved on to a nicer slightly dearer guest house where we are now. Weve not done much other than walk around, eat and sleep!

Today (Thurs) We got a river cruise which has been one of the weirdest things to date. Soph and I were the only passengers and we got taken to a farmhouse about half an hour up the river. The boat was narrow and difficult to get into, we both made ungraceful exits off of the boat. As we got off the boat the guide led us up a scary rickety staircase, at this point I thought we were going to be mugged and or murdered.

We were shown around a herb garden and were given bits of plants to smell, I (Soph) didnt want to let go of the mozzie killer plant, after which we sat down and were given a quarter pineapple and melon to eat and this weird fruit juice which I cannot remember the name of. Lauren made friends with a cock (calm down ladies it was only a male chicken) we then were shown back onto the boat and made our way back to the guest house.

Stay tuned for further updates/complaints. We are off to Samui on Sunday ****BEACH AT LAST****

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