We landed in Bangkok at around 7 pm, just hours after we’d booked our flight (who’d have thunk you can still book a flight the same day you fly). We headed straight to the backpacker paradise of Khao San Road. While heading directly to Farang central isn’t typically my method of choice, we knew we’d be able to find food and beds and that the Taxi driver would know exactly where it was – and after sitting in traffic for a few hours, we knew we’d made the right choice.
Bangkok, this time around, actually made a better impression on me. Maybe it was because we’d been there before and knew what to expect. Maybe it was because, 3 weeks into our travels, we were used to being surrounded by foreigners. Whatever it was, I enjoyed it. We spent the day buying train tickets north, exploring the grand palace (except that it was closed because of yet another holiday) and crossing the river to Wat Arun. We ended the day at Siam Square, the ritzy shopping center, hoping to catch a movie. We walked into the theater area, didn’t recognize a single movie, didn’t know how to use the fancy ticket machines, and quickly opted to hit the basement aquarium instead. It was really fun to explore the aquarium after we’d been scuba diving, because we could point out all the cool things we saw.
The next morning we headed back to the train station to catch our train to the northern-ish town of Phitsanulok. I love trains. Taking trains in Greece and from Germany to the Czech Republic really established rail travel as my top choice. You just get to see so much of the country that can’t be traveled by road. We chugged through Ayuthaya and its ruins, rode past Lopburi’s monkey temple, and saw innumerable ricefields.
We got to Phitsanulok and I ran through the city trying to find a hotel, while Rita waited in the shade. She’d come down with a flu-like something, and I wanted to get her to AC and a bed ASAP. Turns out the maps in Lonely Planet stink (surprise surprise) and we’d gone past it. I walked into a store and asked a few women where a hotel was. I explained that my friend was sick and needed to find a place soon. They jumped up and offered to take her to the hospital, but I politely declined. While waiting, Michelle met a guy that offered to drive us in his pickup truck, and we made it safely. Of course, when I went to move the fan in the lobby, it chopped part of my finger off (not really, just a nice slice), and both Rita and I were “mai sabai” for the night.
With Rita’s illness, we decided to stay there and recuperate for a day. I was itching for an adventure and some alone time. I’d seen a mosque on our way in, and decided to go check it out. Most of the deep south of Thailand is Muslim, which has resulted in a lot of violence there, so I was intrigued to see how it was perceived here in the north. Not to mention that traveling in Turkey and Egypt has inspired an interest in Islam for me. I walked over and took a few pictures, but didn’t venture inside because I didn’t know what the protocol was. It was then that I saw a woman in a hijab working at a pancake stand. I walked over and started chatting with her, telling her that I was interested in the mosque. She immediately closed her stand and took me inside with her. She took me to children’s Islam classes that we being held inside and I explained to them what I was doing there. She even snuck me into the main part of the mosque where women are usually not permitted. All of our conversing happened in Thai, and I really enjoyed this wonderful cultural exchange that we shared. That afternoon I walked along the riverfront to the biggest temple in town, where they were preparing for Songkran. It was a wonderful day of learning and experiencing.
The next day we bussed over to Sukhothai, where we would explore the ancient ruins there. The first afternoon in town, though, was reserved for relaxing and reading. I had seen a sign at our bungalow that a nearby hotel allowed guests access to their swimming pool. Of course, that was my destination to the afternoon. I left Michelle and Rita and went on another adventure. I was the only one in the pool for a while and enjoyed swimming laps. Then a Thai mother and daughter showed up. All the Thai people I know are deathly afraid of the water, so I immediately asked how they knew how to swim and what they did. I ended up having a wonderful conversation with a woman from a province near NKP. Her daughter learned how to swim at a private school as it was part of their gym classes. I spent about an hour talking and playing with the young girl – I even taught her how to flip! It was so nice to be back in the water and teaching swimming. I know that one thing I’ll miss most about home this summer is working at the pools.
These two small experiences sum up exactly what I love about Thailand. All the people are so friendly and you can just go up and start talking to them like it’s the most normal thing in the world. It’s also why I love being able to speak at least a little Thai. Had I been just another tourist, I wouldn’t have been able to communicate with these wonderful people.
We headed to Sukhothai Historical Park the next day, and it was serene and beautiful. We rented bikes and spent a few hours riding around the ruins and exploring them. I wish I’d studied up on Thai history before visiting, but it was still a wonderful experience.
Next stop on our Journey: Chiang Mai and the craziness that is Songkran!
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