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Published: April 16th 2008
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We were all bit exhausted by all the fun and adventure of the last couple of days, so decide to just take it easy on our last day in Chiang Mai before leaving on the overnight train.
We were booked on two different trains - the first leaving at 4:30 and the second at 5:55 - because train tickets are hard to come by this time of year, even when booking months in advance. The guesthouse staff told us that it is usually a 15-minute taxi ride to the railway station, but because of the Songkran activity around the moat, it might take 2 hours to get there! So we planned for a 2:00 taxi pick-up and each decided how to while away some time until then.
Steve spent some time online and reading/writing email. He asked me if he had access to his work email and I assured him that neither of us could access our work email - I purposely never installed the program on the laptop.
My mom and Dylan began yet another game of Rummy, and Jaz and I decided to take a walk and seek a massage. With map in hand and a couple of recommendations from the guesthouse staff, we set off first in one direction (we found it, but it was closed for the holiday) and then in the other direction, where we found another place open but way out of our league - the
Oasis Spa was like any high-end spa at home, with prices to match. I felt a bit grungy just walking in the front door to see what they had to offer. Back out to circle around and try one more time - the School for the Blind offers massage a few blocks away, but they were closed too. Just not our lucky day for massage, but we had a good time walking and got a bit wet along the way. In fact, a few kids hit us with water guns, which was perfect for cooling down a bit without getting soaked, but I got the wettest when a grown woman with a hose smiled and motioned me to walk by with a gesture that I took to mean, “You’re safe, I won’t soak you.” I took it wrong apparently, because as soon as I got within a few feet of her, she blasted me with her hose!
As we walked, Jaz began her campaign to return next year for Songkran, negotiating what she could give up (birthday, Christmas, what else?) in order for us to afford to come back. I would come back without hesitation, but the airfare to get here is what puts it a bit out of reach. I’m sure her campaigning will continue though - she can be relentless, which is one of her many strengths. And I predict that we will certainly come back
someday.
By the time we got back to the hotel after our walk, we were pretty hot. (Goodness knows what the temperature was, but the prediction had been temps over 100 degrees.) We discovered that everyone back at the guesthouse was looking hotter than we were and decided that being even a little bit wet did wonders for cooling down, especially if you positioned yourself in front of the fans. And with that bit of knowledge, Jaz ended up back out front with the neighbors and the water buckets, and before we knew it she was drenched from head to toe.
The rest of us had some lunch - Dylan needs an almost daily serving of
Pad Thai - and were surprised when the taxi arrived a half hour early. He waited while we got ourselves together and then we were off to the train station. (For those who are interested in this sort of thing, our
Seven Suns bill for four rooms for three nights, all breakfasts, several dinners, countless beers and other beverages, and laundry: junst under $400.)
We were curious to see whether it would really take 2 hours to get there through the madness in the streets. Actually, it took about 15 minutes, which would have been fine except that it left us with hours to kill in an un-air-conditioned railway station. We passed the time getting a foot massage (me), a Thai massage (Jaz), reading (Steve), and playing even games of Rummy on the floor (mom and Dylan.) We eventually discovered that the 7-11 store across the street had icy cold a/c, so we took turns going for drinks and snacks. (The 7-11’s are
everywhere here - in Bangkok, it seems that there is literally one on every block. They always seem to be bright and clean and cool, and sell exactly what you’d expect - beer, soda, salty snacks, along with some more local products.)
We were lucky enough to be able to change the train tickets around so we were all on the same train, which made things seem simpler. Unfortunately, we all ended up on the later train, so we killed almost four hours altogether in the station before our train pulled out exactly on time at 5:55. We had three first-class sleeper compartments, a friendly man in a train uniform who said, “I care for you. Push button when you want me.” and a ladyboy server who took our orders for dinner and breakfast and brought our food. Natalie was the tallest Thai person I’ve seen, with a long sleek ponytail, a lovely shade of lipstick, garbled English, and a flamboyant air about her. She spoke in a high-pitched sing-songy voice, bursting with enthusiasm, and confided in me that she had spent too much time in the sun earlier today and now was aghast at how dark her arms were becoming.
This is one of those examples of how we all want what we don’t have. Pasty Westerners come to Thailand to get as dark as they can get under the sun, and Thai people cover themselves in long sleeves and buy skin-lightening cream so they can be as pale as possible.
We enjoyed the passing scenery while it was still light out, and the kids continued the never-ending Rummy match of the century. It’s really fun seeing the kids enjoy each other’s company so much. I know Jaz is having a better trip because Dylan is here and is quite entertaining - for all of us! I haven’t spent this much time with Dylan in many years, and I think I learn something new about him every day on this trip.
Eventually, we ate our lousy train food dinner, had our seats transformed into bunks, and everyone drifted off to the rhythm of the wheels on tracks.
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Mary Campbell
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I have a vocabulary question.
Ladyboy?