Planes, trains and automobiles

As great as it was to chill out on an island for a week, it was time for me to move along. Without question, I thoroughly explored the entire island. I could have easily drawn a detailed topographic map of Koh Chang.

Bye-bye Koh Chang

For me, there's nothing quite better than the feeling of being on the move..... of GOING! It's my style. I have a restless soul.
 I decided to make Chiang Mai my next stop. Even though it was a long jaunt, I opted to travel overland, rather than fly, for 3 reasons:
1. An overnight train means transportation and accommodation in one pop. Economical, albeit enduring.
2. I'm able to take in the scenery along the way, such as little villages with kids and chickens running around, which I wouldn't see if I chose to fly.

3. I wanted to minimize my carbon footprint. Whenever possible, I always choose a train before a plane. You should do the same.
Al Gore would be happy.
To get to Chiang Mai, I had to take a 2 hour boat ride to Ranong, then an 11 hour bus ride to Bangkok, and lastly a 14 hour train ride to Chiang Mai. I knew it was going to be a looooong haul, but I also knew it would probably be a memorable one.

After all, it's about the journey, not the destination.

The bus ride was long and drawn out, arriving late in true Thai fashion. It seems like there's always someone who gets sick on those long bus rides. A little boy puking on his moms lap, a girl barfing into a plastic bag as her boyfriend rubs her back. Lucky for me, I don't get motion sickness. Or even sea sickness. This quality makes me a good traveler. I was born to travel! Plus, I don't have a sympathetic boyfriend to rub my back. However, I curse my small bladder and often find myself quite dehydrated after long bus journeys, fearing the worst if I drink any large amounts of water, since bathroom breaks are only about every 2 hours.

On the bus I meet a quirky Russian man who tried to impress me by telling me he makes $50,000 a month from a black magic business he has going back in Moscow. I try not to let him see me rolling my eyes. I didn't ask him why he was staying in a $10/night hotel if he was so rich, or why he was taking the local bus when he could have just flown.... since he has so much money. Anyways, it's none of my business.

The characters you will meet when you're traveling....

I had a few hours to burn in Bangkok before I caught the overnight train. After I had way too much fun in the do-it-yourself passport photo booth, I wandered the lively streets of Bangkok. I pass by a sign advertising a 1 hour foot and back massage for $6. I stopped and contemplated for a whole 3 seconds. Eh, what the heck?

It was lovely. Don't be jealous.
 

Later that evening I'm at the train station, sauntering along the platform towards my assigned train car. I wonder: Who will I meet and what stories will evolve from this adventure? The suspense was killing me. Let's get this show on the road!

The train lurched forward, commencing it's journey exactly on time.

Soon, I discover my bunk mate above me is a lesbian from Scandinavia. Boring.

There is an Australian lady with her 30 year-old son on the other side of me. She takes his picture and they laugh together. They look like they're having so much fun. I chat with them shortly. Seeing them together makes me wish I had my mom here traveling with me, experiencing all these amazing things with me. If only I could convince her to travel overseas. She does plenty of traveling within the U.S, but she doesn't even own a passport. I always tease her that when she gets old and senile I'm going to bring her with me gallivanting around the world. Then she won't be able to refuse. Hehe.

I'm most excited about my monk bunk mates. A group of orange-robed Thai monks have decided to make this journey also. I watch as one of them climbs the ladder barefoot to his upper bunk. He turns to sit on the bed and our eyes meet. He looks at me as quizzically as I look at him. 2 people from 2 very different walks of life. The next morning we brush our teeth next to each other at the sinks. No big thang.
I've been around plenty of monks, but I still find them quite enigmatic. They're just so impressively religious and highly dedicated. How cool is it that I slept only a few feet away from a group of monks? Ha!

Train rides can be loads of fun. I have many fond memories on tracks all over the world. India is my favorite. I preferred to travel second class on the Indian trains, that's where the fun was at. I've shared my compartment with many amicable Indian families. They always kindly offered to share their highly aromatic meals with me, and they wouldn't take "no" for an answer!

I need to tell you this: after Indians eat, it gets really smelly. It's a mix of scents from the curry, belches and farts. It's great. I wish you all to have the pleasure of experiencing this at least once in your lifetime. They don't even try to conceal their burps, that's the funny part. I love it. Have you ever took a 16 hour flight, filled with Indians, from India to Chicago? Wow, that's some crude air in that plane once it lands at O'Hare.

Uff. Da.

Or have you ever tried to use the squat toilet on a jerky Indian train as you're being violently thrown around? That's fun, too.

I remember hanging off the train in India as it slowly passed by the slums of Mumbai and the sadness I felt by seeing these people live in such horrific, unimaginable conditions.
 

through the slums

I remember riding on the train in southern India, through the lush green landscapes of Kerala. The fresh tropical smells and hot humid air blowing on my face.

I remember chugging through Egypt on a train. Images of camels, donkeys and men in long gowns working in the golden fields along the Nile slid past the window.

I remember, not so long ago, my train ride through Tibet. Passing snow covered mountains, yaks and prayer flags on the highest train in the world.

I remember waking up early one morning on an overnight train to Norway. I was the only person in the entire car. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and was introduced to the beauty of Norway. It was so beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes.

Norway

 

I remember zig-zagging slowly through the majestic mountains of Switzerland. One of the most breathtaking train rides I've ever took.

So many train memories.....

I first became acquainted with locomotive travel while I was in Europe. Some of the best days of my life. I traveled around with a 3 month Eurail pass, which allowed unlimited train travel. It's a must if you are in Europe for any length of time. I had an absolute blast on those European trains! Sometimes even more than in the countries themselves! I met countless entertaining people and have endless stories just from train travel alone.

On the other hand, when there wasn't anyone interesting to talk to, I did a lot of thinking on those trains and answered many questions to life while gazing out the window as Europe passed before my eyes.

The next time you have a choice between a plane and a train, make sure you chose wisely, my friends.


There are so many memories awaiting you.....