Sleeper train in Bangkok

Sleeper Train
We got on to the sleeper train and were off the Bangkok by 5:55 pm. I ordered dinner at 6:10 and told the waiter that I wanted the food brought to my cabin at 7:15. These trains were very different than the ones in Vietnam. There were not cabin with locking doors. Each quarter was two booths facing each other. These booths turned into a large bed, while an upper bunk unfolded from the top. There were curtains that closed your quarters off from the train aisle. A nice looking girl sat across from me and I thought I was in heaven, but I soon discover she speaks no English. From what I am able to understand she has left Burma (now Myanmar) to come to Thailand, illegally. She says she's from India in order to play things safe though. My food comes and it's great, very spicy, just like I like it. The waiter is a jolly Thai man who is missing his two front teeth and has a nice round tummy. AJ says he works every day on the train and they don't pay him a salary or wage. He receives money from the commission and tips. He's also required to sleep on the train. AJ goes to scout the train and finds another tour, this one an Intrepid tour. Intrepid is the group in which I'm traveling when in India. He brings their tour leader back and we hang out. She's 25 and only tours in Thailand. We all go back to the end train carriage to the food cart and get some beers. We go to bed around 10:00 but none of us sleep well at all. It's loud and surprisingly bumpy. We arrive an hour and a half later in Bangkok at 7:30 am. We check-in to our hotel and I am on my own.

Bangkok

I am staying in the hotel booked for me tonight, but must find accommodations for the next three nights. I go out and get a map of the town. I just stepped inside an internet cafe and got myself a nice cold beer. I have been walking non-stop the streets of Bangkok for the last 3 hours and 15 minutes in the 94 degrees sunny heat. I am drenched. I've visited the standing buddah, the lucky buddah, two parks, the golden mount, and the independance monument. I tried to find the grand palace, but just got lost. I walked aimlessly for a good hour and found my way back. I typically use the sun and the time of day to navigate, but that's not as reliable since Bangkok is so close to the equator. When I was walking around I came across one ENTIRE street that was shops that sold firearms--all types. I am not sure how close I want to stay to Khaosan Road. It's a great place filled with western backpackers, but rooms are more expensive. I'll keep you posted when I figure out where the hell I'm going to stay tomorrow!

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