Bangkok part 3
4/10/11 I am on Koh Chang island and trying to go back to Chiang Mai for the Songkran festival. I got a ticket the other day for pretty cheap and a free ferry ticket. I was supposed to leave at 8 but I decided this morning that I could afford to leave later. I walk to town at 10 and every taxi I hail they say wait 20 min. They are not going to the pier. So I wait for 30 and a packed songtheow ( a pick up with 2 rows of seats in the back) tells me to hop on. I race to get the 11 o'clock ferry but it doesn't push off until 11:30 anyway. I could paddle faster than this thing! I get to the other side at 12:40 and I see no mini bus in sight. I start walking to a building I see in the distance and a man on a motorbike stops near me and says Bangkok? Yes... Mo chit? Yes, how do you know? He says ticket please then tells me to get on his bike. Yes, I got on a random mans bike. You just have to trust your instinct with these things. He drives me to an empty mini bus and I hand my ticket to the fat man reclining in the driver seat. Get in he tells me. Only me? To Bangkok? More company he says. So I get in the empty van with the big guy and we take off. I'm wondering where we will go to pick up more people and even more worried about what time I will get to mo chit bus station. I should have remembered that nothing is on time here. At least I have another fast driver to get me there faster! I am kind of worried about where this man is taking me, but I sit in silence by myself and try to confince myself this man doesnt seem like a bad guy.
We pull into a small town and he parks and gets out of the car. I am sitting alone wondering what the hell is going on. Some other man opens the door and motions with his hand for me to come with him. I am transfered into another mini van, shoved into the back seat again. Good thing I only have a small backpack with me. It's uncomfortable and I couldn't sleep not only because of the seat, but people are packed in like sardines around me. In America we are spoiled with personal space; there is never a reason why a stranger should be close enough to touch you. I felt weird with the old man next to me brushing against my shoulder but I got over it quickly when I realized he was sprawling out while I was crammed against the window. 7 hours after leaving my guesthouse on Koh Chang I am dropped off at mo chit bus station in Bangkok.
I see a lot of busses but no ticket counter. I begin to follow a herd of people; I have no idea where they are going and there are several migrations happening all around in the huge maze of Mo Chit market. This might be worse than Indian stations. I'm weaving my way through stalls selling clothes and phones and watches. I have no idea where I am going. I've already begun to drip sweat. God Bangkok is hot. I was on a sunny island and I wasn't this hot. And there isn't even any sun here, it's all covered with a thick haze of smog!
Since I've been here before I recognize the ticket counter I need. Problem is there are many counters for each city. They are four different bus companies my friend told me but I have no idea which ones are good or not so I go to the first one. I was looking for a certain time so that my 12 hour bus ride wouldn't arrive too early in the morning. I got a cheap one for 8:30pm. It's 6:30 now. So I get a cup of noodles :) and look for a spot on the floor to sit where everyone else is. I must be lucky because I found an empty chair! Now I just wait. I can see there is wifi available but I don't want to get up and loose my seat to find out the password! When I get on the bus I am glad it is comfortable with reclining seats so I can sleep the whole way!
We pull into a small town and he parks and gets out of the car. I am sitting alone wondering what the hell is going on. Some other man opens the door and motions with his hand for me to come with him. I am transfered into another mini van, shoved into the back seat again. Good thing I only have a small backpack with me. It's uncomfortable and I couldn't sleep not only because of the seat, but people are packed in like sardines around me. In America we are spoiled with personal space; there is never a reason why a stranger should be close enough to touch you. I felt weird with the old man next to me brushing against my shoulder but I got over it quickly when I realized he was sprawling out while I was crammed against the window. 7 hours after leaving my guesthouse on Koh Chang I am dropped off at mo chit bus station in Bangkok.
I see a lot of busses but no ticket counter. I begin to follow a herd of people; I have no idea where they are going and there are several migrations happening all around in the huge maze of Mo Chit market. This might be worse than Indian stations. I'm weaving my way through stalls selling clothes and phones and watches. I have no idea where I am going. I've already begun to drip sweat. God Bangkok is hot. I was on a sunny island and I wasn't this hot. And there isn't even any sun here, it's all covered with a thick haze of smog!
Since I've been here before I recognize the ticket counter I need. Problem is there are many counters for each city. They are four different bus companies my friend told me but I have no idea which ones are good or not so I go to the first one. I was looking for a certain time so that my 12 hour bus ride wouldn't arrive too early in the morning. I got a cheap one for 8:30pm. It's 6:30 now. So I get a cup of noodles :) and look for a spot on the floor to sit where everyone else is. I must be lucky because I found an empty chair! Now I just wait. I can see there is wifi available but I don't want to get up and loose my seat to find out the password! When I get on the bus I am glad it is comfortable with reclining seats so I can sleep the whole way!
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