82: Could have been worse..
I took the night train fro vientiane (Laos) to Bangkok (Thailand) which is a 12h trip by train plus another 2h prior to the train to get and cross the border from Vientiane.
The trip was interesting in it’s own way and although I was glad to finally arrive in Bangkok I would do it again if needed. It could have been a worse exerience …
One complication was that I was suffering from an upset stomach (thanks to some peanuts I bought on the market or some dodgy tasting coke which I barely drank cos it tasted aweful)
Still the trip could have been worse had I not had some Immodium with me 🙂
What added to the experience was the fact that the wagon seemd to have no suspension at all and I was jumping up and down my seat like on a trampoline (not joing). Could have been worse though cos at least the seat was well cushioned:-)
Of course the wagon doors to the smelly wash & toilet area did not close and my seat was right next to that door – delight 😉 Could have been worse though like if I hadn’t had that Eucalyptus Essence Inhaler stick with me which so many people use in Thailand to numb their sense of the “city smell” ..
The fact that I was sitting right next to the door-not-closing wash area which was at the end of the wagon made sure I didn’t miss the typical yet much more ear-blasting than usual train noise of hard metal wheels hitting track joins.. rattaty-rat-rattaty-rat-rattaty-rat, amplified by the empty wash room and channelled right through that open door into my seat. Could have been worse though had I not remembered to put my magic ear plugs into my small bag, easily accessible when needed. This was definitely a NEEDED situation!
They also allowed me to sleep on and off for a few hours during the night despite the fact that my upper berth was a bit too short (no I didn’t book an upper but rather the lower berth which is a better size but when I got the ticket handed over at the Laos/Thai border they said “Sorry, Lower Full. here is ticket for upper berth”.. Could have been worse though like “Sorry. no berth left, seat only”..
I think I mostly woke up due to the heat rather than the noise. Windows got closed during the night and the fans in the wagon are generally ok but don’t do much good if you close the curtain in front of your berth.. Of course the upper berth gets extra toasty and stuffy due to the rising of warm air. The provided blanket was definitely not needed 🙂
Could have been worse though had I bought the air-con ticket since many people complain that it is seriously freezing cold in there.. I know that people here in SE Asia go mad with AirCon usualy turning them to “Mega-Freeze” and I think if in doubt I have it rather too hot that too cold..
So overall the trip was quite ok really and the night train arrangement was a good way to travel such a long distance. It got me from Vientiane in Laos back to Bangkok in Thailand in 12h for about 10 pounds rather than paying ~100 pounds for the flight, a bargain.
I have to admit though I was glad to get to my hotel, have a long shower and relax on the comfy bed watching some movie on TV. I had booked into a descent hotel for a change since I felt like I needed a bit of comfort to recharge my batteries. I stayed in too many cheap, low-budget places over the last few month and needed a bit of luxury (luxury being a more-than-average clean room, mould-free bathroom, comfy bed, air-con, SatTV and nice breakfast selection rather than a high-class 5* hotel; a backpackers version of luxury is 3* I guess 🙂
Tags: Bangkok, Thailand
saschas
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