Bangkok to Nong Khai
So, after an intensive five weeks of Basic Thai, it was time to get out of the Big Mango and into the countryside, with the arrival of Andy Baker, fresh from the States. This meant a trip to Nong Khai which is in the north eastern part of Thailand. Twelve hours on the overnight train from Bangkok. We had 2nd class tickets for what felt like an air-conditioned, flourescent-light human meat-locker. Despite this, overnight train travel on an out-dated system still has a lot of character and is lots of fun, especially when you realize that the toilet in the bathroom is basically a hole in the floor of the train and you can see the tracks through the same opening that you just deposited your business in.
A short ride from the train via tuk-tuk brings us to…
(Oh but before that I would like to add that the northeastern Thailand tuk-tuks are not like the ones I’ve seen in Bangkok. The driver sits higher up and there are massive engine guards—despite the fact that the engine is probably no bigger than 250cc. I forgot to photograph one from the side. Doh!)
…the lovely Mekong River, which separates the northern part of Thailand from Laos. Photo was taken from Thailand. What you see on the other side is Laos. This is the Mutmee Guesthouse. Super mellow, super friendly. You tally up all your expenses (food and drink) in a ledger yourself and pay at the end of your stay.
