AIM House, Bangkok, Day 1

The day has come when we will finally endure our last bus journey on this trip. We have been on some lovely tripa with great views on beautiful country roads, and have sat through some rides where an hour feels like a week as someones bag crushes you on one side and a crate of chickens crushes you on the other.
We get up early and have a lovely breakfast at the hotel. The only is a friendly chap who gives us free orange juice and fruit as a gift. One of the fruits is the infamous jack fruit (also known as durian). It is widely eaten in Thailand, but not anywhere else in the world. It smells so bad that it is banned from most public transport. I try a bit as Amy has already tried some. Despite the fact she hated it, i quite liked it. It tasted like a smokey water melon. It wouldn't be my first choice, and the remaining three bits remained on the plate, but it wasn't as bad as first expected. With full bellies we wait for our lift. We are told the buses to Bangkok start at 9, so have arranged to go at half 8 to the station. Unfortunately, the owner has rather oddly decided to take a shower, which means it is nearer quarter to when his talc covered torso comes running out to settle our bill and his son picks us up in his car.
The station is rather small and despite all signs being in Thai, we manage to get tickets to Bangkok. Unfortunately due to being late we miss the 9 o clock bus and have to wait until 10.30. It is rather annoying when a half empty bus leaves at half 9, but we are just glad to be on our way. It is the final ride after all.
When the bus arrives at 10.45 it is very busy and a sleeping lady who we don't want to wake is occupying one of our seats. We end up sitting on two aisle seats, one behind the other. And we're off.
The bus journey is a long, arduous grind and apart from a brief stop where we get some dinner, it is a pretty constant slog. It is around 7 hours until we reach Bangkok. In that time I read a full Sue Grafton novel on my kindle and Amy watches the Terminal. It is hot, sweaty, and not the most fun way I can think to spend a day.
When we finally arrive in Bangkok, we are dropped at the dreaded Mo Chit bus station. I say dreades because there is always a lack of metred taxis and it always seems to be a struggle to get the 10km into town. Amazingly though, we are offered a metered taxi straight away. This seems odd, as it isn't at the official taxi rank, but we go with it and climb in. A metred taxi would probably cost around 200 baht, so when the guy turns round and tells us it isn't on je meter and will cost 1200, we quickly leave, annoyed at now being at the back of he official taxi queue. Welcome to Bangkok!
After waiting in the taxi queue for a while and getting nowhere, we decide to go for the sky train. It is around 5 o clock so will be busy and our big bags are going to be a nightmare, but we don't seem to have any choice. We get a tuk tuk to the station for 100 baht and climb onto a surprisingly empty carriage. Maybe it won't be so bad after all. We have to change at the central station and go on a different line, and it is clear as soon as we step out that this one won't be so kind. After not making it on the first one we are squeezed into the next. It is packed to the point not one more person can squeeze in. Amy cleverly manages to get her back against the wall so not to bang anyone, but I have to stop mine from bumping into everyone around me by holding tightly to the rail above as the train rattles on.
The stops roll by and for the first few it just keeps getting busier, but eventually it empties out slightly and after six stops we squeeze ourselves through the crowd and out into the lovely fresh air. We make the short walk to our hotel and relax. The taxi driver wanted 1200 baht, we got there for 188.
The room is amazing and just what we need. It is big, clean, and has a HDMI lead in the tele so we can plug a chromecast in. We put our bags down after the final journey. I now feel bonded to my bag, like a mountain hiker feels to his trusty pair of boots, or they way you feel to your car after a long journey. To know it has made it all the way to the final hotel makes me feel like a father watching his child graduate.
We head out for some grub and opt for a mix or pot noodle, bread, and some market food that is served to us in bags. We watch some tele before going to bed, thrilled to be in this room, and chuffed that we have no more long bus journeys left to do.Leer más