Lost in Laos - Day 5
The train ride was excellent. Even though it was just a 2nd class sleeper cabin, the beds were comfy, there were draw curtains for privacy and the whole cabin was just silent. It was already time for bed at 8pm when the sky outside went off and the people in the train switched off. I had intended to write some more in the evening but there's something in the air...makes you go drowsy and sleepyyy....or maybe it wasn't the air, nah...more like the beer....
yea....good night babes at 7pm!
too early to sleep
problem with sleeping early? u wake up damn early...at 4am to be precise..
I woke up too early but that's a blessing in disguise. I never felt more comfortable and fresh, pounding away at the keyboard of my netbook.
Getting out of the train soon!
22 Dec 2009, 1000hrs, Bangkok Train Station (Near Chatuchak)
Again, porters asked for more money. This time, 600 B for unloading the 3 bikes. By now, even I was getting irritated and patience was wearing thin. We were running out of baht due to these unforeseen expenses and still they clamored for more. It was either a waiting game or a quick unload but we weren’t going to let them go so easily and knowing that there was no advantage to them leaving the bikes on the cabin, earnest negotiations began. In the end, we just shoved 300B into the head porter’s hands and all 3 of us muttered a few words to wave him off. Well, if you can’t convince them, confuse them!
the babies waiting to get unloaded
the unloaded ones
finally loading the boxes up the bikes
I hate the pushing...
but weijie loves it...grrr
With the bikes down and the train an hour late in arriving at Bangkok, we quickly made our way out to the streets and decided to head out of the capital as soon as we can. Fortunately, it was easy enough to get out and we made haste after a quick lunch at the petrol station and bade Weijie farewell as he veered northwards while we headed to the Northeast. He was to head up to Phitsanoluk and decide what to do next. With numbers and emails exchanged on the train (www.rideupnorth.blogspot.com), we wished him luck and I think he‘s pretty happy to have many pictures of him taken on the roads! It is also possible that we may cross paths at Huayxai but we’ll see.
victory is mine!
Udon Thani’s next and probably another 6 to 7 hours away. The highways in Thailand are not sealed and U turning cars, crossing bicycles and pedestrians are common, so it’s better to be safe by not traveling as we do on the Malaysian North-South highway.
stopping along highway 2 - alongside Lam Takhong Dam
larry reads maps to get lost
interesting thangka?
The only interesting thing about the sights to Udon Thani are man made ones. After passing through a few kilometres of scarecrows lined up along the highway (presumably by folks specialising in making scarecrows), the next town would be one selling a variety of kites, with the stalls lining up the highway. Well, if I could even bring this up in this blog, just goes to show how boring the highways can be...sigh..at least we avoided the stretch from Hatyai to Bangkok...
Udon Thani is as dead a town as it can be by 8pm. The only attraction is an airforce base used by the US during WWII (to bomb laos but really, is THAT considered an attraction??), there was nothing to entice us with.
23 Dec 09, 0800hrs, Udon Thani
The only interesting thing we came across is the morning market with an amazing (not really amazing but exotic!) variety of local grubs, ranging from fried rats (it could be field mice fed with the finest grains but you never know), live crabs sold on sticks, crickets, grasshoppers.
snakeheads
hmmm..yummy..served on a banana leaf!
just dip in hot water and watch it turn red!
met my good friend over at Udon Thani..
Thai pho..tasty, fresh and most impt of all, homely
With breakfast over, we hurried back to our accommodation. After 3 days of traveling and endless problems, we finally get to cross into Laos. Fingers crossed and hope for the best.
bitched Vanwacoireion the Elven Adventurer at 12:53 AM
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