Day 4 Overnight train to Chiang Mai

Yesterday was spent at the Bangkok school campus. Reorganizing and repacking for the train trip north.  Several walks to the main street to hit the local bank to exchange dollars for baht, and the 7-11 for water and ice cream.

Good food.  Typically two or three kinds or rice, different vegetables and pineapple, mango and watermelon for dessert.  The school is grade 1 through 12 with 1,200 students and climbing.  They just finished constructing two 6 story classroom buildings.  A sign at the entrance states that all students must speak English at all times!

We arrived at the train station at 6:30; left the station at 8PM.  A teeming mass of humanity waiting for trains leaving every 15 minutes for all points Thailand.  A mixture of locals, tourists and “checked out” world travelers.  Quite an eclectic mix.

 

Life aboard a sleeper train is like no other!  Two seats facing each other are converted into a double bunk.  A porter converts for you with a fresh sheet, pillow and blanket.  As that is taking place, ladies are coming through every few minutes wanting to sell you all sorts of food and drink.  All this is taking place in a 50+ year old car with way too much baggage for comfort.  I went to “bed” at 9:00 sleeping with my backpack at my feet, a water bottle, and my camera in one pocket and our passports/money in the other.  Thank heavens for pharmacology! 

(This is “daytime”)

Now, it is 12 noon and we still haven’t gotten to Chiang Mai!  It was discovered midmorning that the train was too heavy to “get up the hill” so we waited a couple of hours for another locomotive to help us ascend to our destination.  Last night we were told we would arrive in Chiang Mai at 9:30AM, now we are looking at 1PM.  “Thai time”.

(This is “nighttime”)

Long story short, we arrived in Chiang Mai 6 hours late! (3:00PM) One problem after another, we ended up being on the train for for 20 hours, rather then the 14 assumed.  Actually, the kids were great, not much food, but plenty of time to doze, read or play cards.

After arriving at ADRA headquarters, ((Adventist Development and Relief Agency) we had a late lunch, a bit of orientation, we then all piled onto 5 vans and two pickups for the trip into the hills.  3 hours later, after dark, we arrive at our destination!

The village was waiting for us with a banner and and an official greeting.  After introductions and dinner, we were all assigned different houses to sleep in and finally to bed, after 3 non-stop days of travel!