Travel Talk

24 Hour Trip to Krabi

sleeper overnight train to trang

Greetings,

Last night I had the displeasure of hanging out in a somewhat slummy and definitely seedy town called Chumphon, Thailand. All part of a roughly 24 hour trip from Koh Tao to Krabi.

We had hours and hours to kill so we chilled and chilled and chilled. Finally at 2am our “old but still working” train arrived. This thing didn’t smell so hot or look that clean. That said, it only cost me $12 or so, so who cares, right?

I had the top bunk which I highly recommend, funny how I was all freaked of bed bugs ~2 weeks ago and now I’m sleeping on trains that have had the same cushions since the mid 1940’s, when they were built. (Note: my friend who has traveled extensively says the train we were on was 5 star compared to India.)

I got into the top bunk, used my “valuables” backpack as a pillow and put my legs over my other one. So many people just leave their stuff in luggage tow, so many people have horror stories of getting ripped off. I’m a nice guy, I just don’t trust strangers, makes sense, yes?

We get into Trang and it’s POURING rain, I mean just really coming down, I mean coming down like “Zeus” himself was crying over his morbidly obese girlfriend leaving him, or something of that nature. I digress.

raining in trang thailand

We had a crew of 10 now as we met some french travelers going to the same destination. Turns out we get a bus for 200 baht each for the ~2.5 hour ride, not bad, yes? When I say “Crew”, I mean cool people traveling to the same place as yourself. When you will go your own way is uncertain but definitely in the cards. Kinda like cars driving on a high way, eventually everyone has their own “exit ramp”.

Got to Krabi and I was feeling tired and crabby, ok just tired. We got rooms for 300 baht a night, since I’ve been traveling with this guy from Canada for a while now, and I trust he won’t take my stuff, we split a room. 2 single beds, hot shower, fan, tv for 150 baht each. Deal, yes?

It’s weird how when I first got here, I “NEEDED AC!”. Now, I couldn’t care less. When I had AC I’d find myself waking up absolutely and positively freezing, I kinda like the fan actually.

We’re just killing time here until the weather passes, then I’ll go to some island or something. Supposedly there is a tour of where they filmed a James Bond movie. Seems cool so I may check that out.

Ran into a British lass at breakfast who is heading to Singapore today. Weird how stuff works out as I plan on going to Singapore having chosen to move south and vowing that “back tracking is for losers”. She filled me in some great information I didn’t have previously. The flight is ~30 or 60 pounds, not sure. I am thinking of flying to Kuala Lumpur and then taking what is supposed to be an incredibly scenic train to Singapore.  In Singapore I know a guy from school taking his MBA. Will be cool to say what’s up and hang for a bit before going through to Indonesia, I mean Bali is there and who doesn’t want to go Bali?

That said, I have no plans and whenever I make plans, I regret making plans. On that note, it’s freaking weird how many guys my age are married with kids, really? Your whole life planned out, written in stone. If I was in that situation, I’d probably have a nervous breakdown, then again if many of them were in my situation they’d probably have a nervous break down.

Good day,

P.S: I am enjoying antibiotics for a demon that has colonized in my stomach. Started a day before Full Moon Party with some dodgy curry. Antibiotics for 5 days cost me $6, we are getting seriously ripped off in North America. If you do have a horrid stomach and you have to travel, don’t eat anything, I didn’t and I’m glad. If you’re going to “Push the Envelop” wait until you’re stabilized, the toilets you find on the road are those of nightmares.

Phi Phi island near Krabi

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