Back to Bangkok

4 buses, a boat, a train and a motorbike later and I am finally in Bangkok.

I wasn't planning on returning to Thailand for a few months but had to make a quick trip to apply for an Indian visa (not even sure I can get one here but crossing my fingers that it all works out, I have officially decided that visas are my least favorite thing about traveling).

Blue rice!

I left paradise yesterday and took a speed boat to Kuala Besut and then a local bus to Kota Bahru.  I met a few other travelers on the bus and we met up with some of their local friends for brunch in a market before me and one of the guys (an American!) got on another bus to Rantau Panjang, a town on the border of Malaysia and Thailand.  Here we had to cross the bridge into Sungai Kolok, Thailand by foot and then took a motorbike taxi to the train station (I forgot about the time change and was in a rush since there are only two trains a day).







This is the area where they've had some issues with terrorism, but our short stay was uneventful and the only noticeable change was that there were a bunch of military guys with machine guns on the train and in the station.

The train took about 21 hours but I figured this was preferable to being on a bus for 15 and I still think the sleeper cars are the most comfortable accommodation I've had.  The mattresses are foam and they have a curtain for privacy, and I was on the bottom this time so I could watch the scenery as it flew by.  And it's the only place that always has toilet paper and hand soap (although it is a bit weird to look down at the squat and see the tracks below).




Once in Bangkok I had two short bus rides before finally reaching Khao San Rd. All of the streets we passed were lined by vendors!  I'm not sure if it's just because it is Sunday or if it's always like this but I'm excited to go check it out.