Train in Vain

THE FOLLOWING IS BASED ON EXERTS OF A DIARY FOUND ON THE COAST OF THAILAND ON SEPTEMBER 30th 2009

Monday 28th 12.45 pm:

So I booked a "2nd class sleeper berth a/c" on the 1pm train out of Bangkok. I've turned up at the station to find out that this seems to equate to a rear facing seat.Not great if I'm here for 8 hours but there do seem to be one or two front facing seats which I may move to. I wonder what the Thai for "I suffer from motion sickness if I'm facing against the direction of travel" is?



Alternatively I could try and work out how to fold down what I had previously assumed to be a luggage rack, but may on closer inspection be my bed...



1pm - We've left on time!



3pm (my bunk) - So as the only white guy on the train I thought I was getting some funny looks. That was nothing compared to what I'm getting now I'm reclining on my bunk. Seems these people don't sleep on daytime trains...

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the woman opposite (now below) me who despite not speaking any English managed to alert the train guard ( who couldn't be bothered when I tried) to what I wanted and got me my bunk.

On our way to the bridge over the river kwai just now. Looks like we're delayed so I just hope there isn't a curfew on my hostel. Starving to death now, but my preordered dinner comes at 5 - just my luck today is the day my appetite comes back. Although this could be to do with the fact that the AC on the train means today is the first day I haven't been sweating like Iain Paisley at Parkhead.

Quite glad to be out of Bangkok if I'm honest. I loved the stuff I did and the people I met were amazing but the city itself was almost too much to cope with. If it were half as warm and a quarter as humid it could be the best city on the planet. I do love the haggling though and am VERY proud of getting my tuk tuk driver down from his 100B quote for a ride down to 35B (Two quid down to 70p). Overall, though its just a little too much for this fa reng. They were however selling deep fried mars bars in one fusion place I went - apparently they're "Scotland's national dish"

Also I won't miss being asked if I want to go to a ping pong shows - I thought it was the Chinese who had the obsession with table tennis....

My toilet trip has shown me the reason for the funny looks could be that my curtains are still open - all other bunks have closed theirs. I also noticed that the reason the toilet didn't have a flush was that it didn't need one. It is just sitting over a hole in the bottom of the train.

4.15pm - Just crossed the River Kwai - not what I expected if I'm honest it seemed a little unspectacular. Once again the train has been swarmed with vendors at the station - could be why we're an hour late but well worth the spectacle.

I still haven't worked out the pecking order among the guards (blue v brown uniform) but it was amusing to see a guy in what looks like a military uniform neatly making a bed for a 14 year old kid.