WELCOME TO THAILAND

It's taken 26 days of fun and adventure to get to Phuket. Our route took us east from KhonKaen, to Mukdahan, then followed the border with Laos alongside the Mekhong River, staying over at KhongChiam. We crossed into Laos at ChongMek and went south to the Laos / Cambodia border exploring around the 4000 island area for a few days. Having failed to cross into Cambodia via the Laos route, back to KhongChiam, then headed south west to the Thai/Cambodia border at Choam. We cut through the north west corner of Cambodia straight down to SiemReap and directly West again along highway 6. Then directly south along the border down to KohChang. After a few days of R&R, it was time to move again to catch the train in Bangkok, which would take us to SuratThani. From there a 5 hour ride to NaiYang beach on the island of Phuket. The coastroad from Koh Chang was easy and pleasant, stopping along the way at various beaches for eating and drinks. We found an enchanting boutique-by-the-sea for the night. Rose patterned curtains, complimentary gowns and towelling slippers, little positive messages of friendship, love and family stuck up on bathroom walls and up the stairs. The visitors' book was a pile of sketch pads, in which previous guests had drawn some meaningful pictures. Quite delightful. I photographed a few pages. Everybody seemed to glide around as they whispered and smiled at each other, and breakfast was included for the grand sum of £17. No need to pitch our pop-up tent in this place. It was spotless. We did still however fumigate the room with Baygon, before we went out for dinner. A delicious bowl of TomYam Prawn overlooking the sea. We had looked up the train timetable on the Internet and knew we wanted a 1st class cabin, so that the train in effect became accommodation for one night. A 1st class cabin costs about £20 and is a double bunk private compartment, with aircon and washbasin. There is a train every hour but only the 15h30, 17h30 and 19h30 had 1st class carriage. As our headlamps are still rubbish, we decided to give the 15h30 a miss as it arrives at SuratThani at 1 am. So we took it easy to arrive for the 17h30, 200kms, 5hours. A 9am start, easily done.. Unless you get caught in a cloud burst in the middle of Bangkok, with flooding, and oil slick roads turning into a skating rink. The cars were making waves and the water levels rose rapidly, blocked drains are a feature of Bangkok. We pulled up for cover conveniently at lunchtime outside a Chinese restaurant, motorbike parked in their reception area out of the torrential downpour. 2 hours later, the sun came out and dried up all the rain. Still easy does it after the 2 hour delay, we're almost there, Google maps says 21 minutes. But that's if you are a car and can go on the motorway. We had already been 'guided' by the highway patrol off a motorway at the Toll. We had seen a sign 60kms before the Toll, red circle with motorbike picture with red line through it. We chose to ignore it. So this 21 minutes, stretched to 3 hours as we wiggled through the backroads of Bangkok, getting stopped at all the Tolls, Definitely No Motorbikes. As a car, the navigator wanted us to get on the Toll road, so we changed to being a bicycle. And we landed up at a dead end in front of the very wide Chao Phraya River. A few puzzled words later we calmed down as motorbike after motorbike overtook us up the pavement and disappeared left. We followed. How lucky, a ferry boat to cross the river, 10 baht, 20p. Wow, we'll be at the train station soon. Oh no you won't. This river is like the Thames, it has a big loop, which means you need to cross it about 4 times. We had landed up inside the loop, the train station was outside the loop. It was a timewarp, we thought we had stepped back in time at least 100 years. Just like the country folk from yesteryear, chickens, pigs all over the road. In the near distance skyscrapers and sky train filled the horizon, yet here we were in the heart of Bangkok. As a bicycle the route took us away from the Tolls, but much longer. We got to the station at 17h00. Rush to ticket office, timetable has changed, there's now only one train leaving at 18h30, so we have a bit more time. "Two 1st class tickets, please.". "Sorry, no have 1st class, no have sleeper, only seat. Wait till Monday." As it's Saturday this isn't really an option. I ask at another counter, rephrasing my words. "One Sleeper, please". "Yes, ok". "Another sleeper,please". "No have, only seat ". That's OK; we now have one sleeper and one seat and a place for the bike. Is 6pm, we made it, just. A relaxing 12hour train journey followed, with B and I taking turns on the sleeper bed, until everybody was asleep, the conductors had checked tickets, then we squeezed in together. The sleeper carriage has rows of double bunks, plastic packaged clean sheets and pillows, all tucked behind shiny taffeta pleated curtains, gently blown by the overhead fans. Once you're behind the curtain it's private. Dawn arrived; we went back to the Seats carriage. The ride to Naiyang beach up and over the weird shaped mountains of PhagnNga was one we have done at least 7 times before. We spotted 3 black/white/red beaked king fishers perched on overhead cables, herons and a crane. We chose Naiyang beach as it is conveniently only 2kms from the international airport, it is beautiful and we are meeting friends arriving at the airport from the UK in 2 days. In one year since our last trip here, it had changed almost beyond recognition. The rows of sea side bars, restaurants, beach umbrellas and deck chairs ALL GONE. Just one big sweeping bay of white sand and blue sea. What had happened? In a bid to halt corruption and unlicensed businesses, and to protect the marine status of the coastline, under military rule the army had moved in and cleared the lot. We hoped our cheap 'room to rent' was still there in Boom Boom Alley. It was, under new management. Last year's owner, Boo, rode passed. Hello, we called. Greetings all round. " We have friends arriving tomorrow, we are looking for a quiet room, no boom boom. ". OK, she will look and ask around. Sure enough a few hours later, she returns to say her neighbour has a room, would we like to look. We follow her away from the beach to a lovely quiet rather posh Thai suburb, go up the stairs, and respectably greet the Thai way, called a 'nop'. And get a lovely surprise, it is the sister of a set of family with whom we had made friends in 2002, and kept in touch with by staying at their bamboo bungalows on the beach and dining at their restaurant over the last 10 years on repeat visits. What a wonderful reunion, as their place on the beach had too been flattened. She explained that her family had been on the beach for as many generations that she could remember, and you didn't get papers then. Her brother G had miraculously escaped the Tsunami by skimming 100 feet up a tree, he looks at the tree every day and wonders how he did it. The family has now bought land to re build their restaurant and they are using the surrounding 4 acres to grow all the vegetables, supplying both their own and others' tables. The Thai people in general are amazing at surviving and adapting. No-One can take this away now, they have the papers. We have a Boom Boom room for us, a quiet room for our friends, we've been re united with old friends, and now it's time to go to the airport. They are here, hugs and kisses. WELCOME TO THAILAND.