Route: Bangkok, Chang Mai, Pai Thailand, Siem Reap, Ankor Wat, Koh Phangan, Chaloklum) Bangkok! I am two times really thrilled about it: The moment I make my first step into the City and the moment I make my first step out of it!
Arrived in Bangkok
App. 7 pm Airport After five natives –one by one- tried with an effort to throw light on the fact, that there is no direct link to the famous Khao San Road, we abandoned the field and took the recommended bus. Since two Swedish girls and a Dutch followed us, we felt save, at least for the moment! After a ride of approximately 20 minutes we were invited to change bus; Bus number 171 seemed promising to us, so we did as told and waited for this certain bus number to come. Soon we found ourselves unaware, but composed under the Skytrain on a busy road, At least it was 9 am and whoever knows bangkok knows that they roll up the sidewalks at that time (besides the Khao San-neighborhood, but I wouldn`t call this area representative). Well then, time to relax. This is why we came. Just doing nothing, or at least doing everything a little bit more slowly. Or how do they say? Everything comes on its own to the one who can wait. When we got out of the bus it smelled like: BANGKOK! I tend to say that every big city has ist own odor. Bangkok definitely does. It smells like a mixture of fried Food, Smut, Heat (You can really smell that), Chemistries, Mosquito-Protection, Tarmac and Fruits. Back to my subject matter We sit for about an hour on this “road to nowhere and not even the Thais believe that a bus is still coming tonight. So Plan! Taxi! 5 Europeans take a Taxi (one is economically thinking). After sitting on the legs of my friend for about half an hour, I was at the arrival even more glad that I have two legs and that I can even move them! Straight to the Hostel (we booked a Hostel for the first night already in Germany). Check in, get bureaucracy done- I know my Passnumber by heart, what causes the desired effect at the hostel staff , as far as I could read the face: “Careful, knows the rules, do not try to pull a leg!” “Room number 202, 2nd Floor”, “yes sure”-up, having a look at the room and – shit – they did pull us a leg! Room with Window: yes! But we had to understand that a window can be right to the corridor. Has a lot of advantages, for example you always know when the Bath is open, but still – twitted! We had a Night with lots of Samsong and Icecream. The faster You get through the unconveniencies of the Food Change, the better – in my view … The next morning: Boat Trip! It s so much fun simply cruising up and down the river – an there is air-stream – an, of course, 25 degree Celsius – not to be scoffed at Going by boat is as easy as all the other means of transportation in Thailand. Made for Dummies! Every Boat-line has a different colour (white, orange, blue, red) corresponding to the stops and the different fees. And at once we are: professional boat-trippers And we do not even get branded. Whenever the Thaidoubt whether the tourists understand their really excellently developed and easy-understandably transport system, they mark the tourists with coloured points (according to destination) and sort them in small herds together, so that nothing can fail. I admit that after a 36-hour tour by coach, train and ship can very make sense straight through the country. Some guests are not able to think clearly by the influence of alcohol or simply their sleeping lack at the end of such a trip and would get into everything what looks comfortable! … Two days later after various touristic rounds in Bangkok (palace, Wats …) we got into the night train to Chang May. We had really got hold of a sleeping compartment in the second class and this shortly before suction crane. . Train driving in the sleeping compartment is the most comfortable way to travel in Thailand. Unfortunately, there are only two sleeping compartments in every train and only one of them is air-conditioned. Indeed, it is that cold that you can be sure that you will not age at laest that one day. In the train we got to know “Mum”. Mum is one of the various food and drinks shop assistants that accompany every train journey in Thailand. She told us that she works as a “ Freelancer” and from the very few that she earns she still has to deliver something to the “Employed” to keep her selling-license. Hence, she must work on the train 7 days the week, 365 days a year. She doesn`t have a flat. Why should she? Since 16 years her whole life has happened years in the night train from and to Chang. If one day you should meet her, honoured reader, be nice and tip her generously.
After having arrived in Chang May we went immediately to Pai (Thailand)
In Pai come I became a little bit fastidious, concerning the lodging. I wanted a bamboo hut with terrace. After Bangkok we had earned this – in my opinion! Meanwhile it was dark, but I knew about my last trip that below by the river new guest houses had been built. So I went straight this way. After I refused the first three huts that were shown to us – too expensive, too loudly, too expensive – and the lights became scantier and scantier, I stood all of a sudden before a bamboo bridge which one could call to seem very “windy”. Nevertheless, on the other shore a hut village stood out dimly. Thank God my friend decided that if we drowned, we drowned together into the floods. Result: Nice hut for a respectable price, Wlan, coffee for free!
Elephant riding in Pai
A few days later … Early in the morning on to elephant riding! I carried a immense hangover with me. The last Samsong must have been foul! When we reached the elephants, we hit on three petite cows and an extremely gigantic bull. The lady of the camp took our hand and led us immediately straight to the gigantic one – surely it didn´t even have a saddle! The Mahout of the bull looked like Jack Sparrow and showed us how one can mount such a bull – if one is able to. Afterwards he had of course a lot of fun to watch us trying to mount the elefant by ourselves. The poor animal! The elephant obviously felt sorry for us, and helped us as far as he was able to!. Now it went first of all along the street. I, my friend in my nape behind me me, my hangover and the balance problems! Turning left and up the mountain! Now the Mahout also tired of running, climbed filigree like an elf the head of the animal, slided quite close to me and asked: Are you married? OK – everything clear – help!!! The elephant had decided, in the meantime to use the excursion for a feeding pause. That is: Trunk in the bushes – trunk turn – lower head and then full speed up again. And me in the nape – without holding possibility. Unflustered – apparently it has never happened tat a tourist fell from the elephant – the Mahout asked: Children? Apparently one can pick up women with elephants pretty easily, but surely not when they sit in the nape of the animal and fight not to fall down. To underline the romantic mood, he started to let his mobile phone play Thai pop music. So we rode in a scorching heat before me the Mahout with music, I very scarcely behind it and behind ourselves my friend. After 5 minutes: position change! I, Mahout, my friend! Now, nevertheless, he seemed to worry that I could fall down, because now he lays his arm around my west-„to hold me“! My friend suggested that it could maybe help to put an end to this scenario if we told him that we were lesbians. But fearing that this lie could lead – and it is surely not the most unlikely assumption – to result that the guy slided from the animal und ran of, we rejected that plan and came to terms with the situation. Other 10 minutes later – position change! I, friend, Mahout! …..
Bus ride from Chang May to BKK and further to Siem Reap
In the middle of the night on the way to BKK the coach stopped in the nowhere. There was nothing except fields, trees and – another coach. A look out of the car on the ground showed me that all our luggage got unloaded. All passengers still slept. So first of all going where our luggage is “going”. Questions can be also answered afterwards. A look in the luggage space gave us the answer: The whole space was full of smuggled oscine birds. Night coaches are not controlled in the road blocks which you can find every 20 kilometers on the road. So simple strategy: going in the other coach and falling asleep again. After the arrival in BKK, around 6 o clock in the morning, we got directly a coach to the Cambodian border. In the coach two other “Fallangs”, a couple, which –as all the couples – was very cautious. Because we needed company to share a taxi to Siam after the border, we disturbed their togetherness. It turned out that the two were Germans. It appeared furthermore that he had planned the complete trip, minute by minute. All trains, coaches and lodgings were already book in Germany. „The book – in this case not lonley (:-)) Planet – was littered with coloured post-its on whom the places to be visited were noted. After I had had a good time lauphing – of course only innerly – his girlfriend broke the silence. When I had listened in her 5 minutes, I had to admit, that her holidays otherwise wouldn´t work out! Crossing of the border to Cambodia
oh! jetzt in der Hängematte vor der Bambushütte!4 Wochen Urlaub vor mir! Das wär was! *träum*
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