Up early Monday morning (?), have to get a Train Ticket to Chiang Mai for the day after. I headed on the BTS to Siam Square and (through gritted teeth) went to Starbucks. I had a Coffee whilst I read the Bangkok Post cover to cover (had an article on Cloughie and Forests first league win) and did the crossword (easy not cryptic clues). I got into a taxi for Hua Lamphong Railway Station. I decided to get the ticket from what I knew was an english speaking travel agent on the mezzanine in the station. The journey is a 13hour overnight trip, so I got a second class AirCon Sleeper (Lower bunk as it's got the window and is wider).

As I haven't been around the area the station is in I decide to go for a walk. I thought I'd see a bit of China town, I thought I was in China town, everyone looked chinese, the food smelled better, but I'd headed south and China town is east. After a couple of hour walk I got back to the station and got a taxi back to Siam Centre. I ate in the Siam Centre Food Hall after asking a German tourist where do you pay? she explained you get tokens and use them at the dozen different stalls selling Curries, chinese foods and some stuff I didn't recognize. I got a three course meal of Wonton Soup, Pork Dumpling and Roast Duck with Noodles (and a glass of 'Lemon Glass') for 90 baht.

I went back to Sukhumvit and decided to go for a beer. I nipped into 'Bullys', good choice, Portsmouth v Everton had just started. I got talking to a scouser at the bar (Everton fan) usual stuff covered, football, Cloughie, more football. I asked him whereelse he drinks around here and he told me about the 'Robin Hood' bar, a bar a bit further from the centre than I'd so far gone. I'll try that next time I'm in Bangkok.

I checked out the following morning. The Guesthouse wasn't that bad at all, the girls ran the place whilst the owners (two of the elderly white gents mentioned earlier) ran it. A lot of the white blokes live in the area and use it just for the internet. I got into Siam Square on the BTS and headed for Starbucks again to kill a few hours reading the Bangkok Post whilst nursing a coffee (still haven't mastered nursing a beer). I headed out to try and finish my first roll of film, took half a dozen more shots and decided to go get some food. I was approached by a Thai couple 'Nice Sandals where did you get them?' 'Vas? Mien Zooslaag?' They left me alone (I know it's not proper German but It's just something I remember. To do with a train ticket?). I headed back to try something else at the food court. There was a western couple not sure what to do in there and so I thought i'd pass on what I knew and eventually spent lunch talking to them. They were on a two week holiday and heading up to Chiang Mai in a few days. Probably see them there...

At 5pm , an hour before the train I headed for the station. The Taxi driver I got tried very hard to agree a flat rate of 100 baht, as it had cost me 50 the day before I told him 'Meter'. Even with the traffic at the time it only cost me 60. I bought a few supplies for the trip (Crisps, Chocolate, Water) and when called headed onto the platform. There seemed to be 3 or 4 different type of official in differing militaristic uniforms (school kids have pseudomilitaristic uniforms, young boys are dressed like the scouts, whilst older have full on combats). After showing my ticket to half a dozen officials I was allowed to get on the train (where it was check a few more times). At 8pm a train attendant moved me off my seat to make it up into a bed, and at about 10pm I got into it, sleep wasn't easy (not even with earplugs). At 7am I arrived in Chiang Mai.