I left Koh Samui on day 1 of Songkran. The Internet is a big fat liar and the staff at the resort were of little help as to how to get to the Nathon Pier for my ferry transfer to Surat Thani. I decided to take my first stab at hailing a songthaew which is a modified pick up truck that operates as a public transit/taxi type thing. I strapped my big pack on my back, said farewell to my comfy little hut and off I went on the next leg of my journey.
When I got to the main road, I could immediately see I was doomed. The street was lined with people hurling buckets of water at any and all who pass by. Every pick-up truck that went by was packed with barrels of water and hoards of people tossing it out as they drove along. I frantically dashed into a bush to secure my electronics in my big pack. It was clear there was no escape. I chose a direction and faced my fate. I was lucky, actually. The first group I encountered saw me shy my way up to receive the soaking. I held out my day bag and let them have at it. They were so happy!! I watched as each songthaew passed me by, crammed with people shouting and soaking. A taxi van pulled up. I asked how much to the pier. He said 600B. NO! Just..NO! I didn’t want to pay more than 200 which was unreasonable for a trip that long in a private car but that’s why I wanted the songthaew. He laughed and said “madam, this is Songkran – the songthaews are busy” so we agreed on 400. The ride was a hoot!! Haha! As we snaked our way through Lamai in the bumper to bumper traffic, the energy was high. The driver was explaining how it was early and that after noon, it would be impassable. Good timing on my part, then. I laughed and giggled all the way to the pier as people of all ages stood roadside with buckets, squirt guns and hoses. No one is safe, not even the motorcycle cops who stopped to receive the soaking and get smeared with white paste. I was bummed I had to leave a day early. This seemed like it would be a lot of fun.
Onward to Bangkok! I took the overnight train. It was inexpensive for a sleeper so I went for it. How nice it would be to be rocked to sleep by the gentle chugging of the train. WRONG! I spent the first hour or so trapped in a train car with half a dozen small children tearing around like animals and climbing all the ladders and jumping seat to seat. Parents didn’t seem to notice. They don’t serve liquor on the train, FYI. The steward came around fairly soon to set up the beds. I was happy to cozy into my little fort for the night. But it was bumpy, shaky, noisy, bright….ack! Not what I had expected at all! The best part was the bathrooms. There was 2 on each car. They were like really old prison bathrooms. One had an ill-fitting seat which does you NO favours on a bumpy train ride, and the other was a squat toilet! That’s right, Ladies and Gentlemen – this was my first time encountering a squat toilet. I tried to avoid it but I think they locked the other one because it was ALWAYS occupied, at all hours of the night. I tried waiting but no one ever came out. So….squat toilet it is, then! As I stood there in the bouncing steel box I stared at the hole in the floor and thought “well, if I’ve learned anything from camping, this is it”. Again, the ride was so rough, it was a challenge. Other than stumbling and tearing my underwear mostly off, I think I did alright!
And then before I knew it, they were serving breakfast and we were almost at Bangkok Station.
I had socialized a bit with a couple of fellas from the bus to Surat Thani. (Yes, I socialized because we were all eating at the same food cart). They were staying in a nearby area to me in Bangkok so we agreed to meet after the train and share a taxi. I had read on the stupid lying internet that it costs about 400-500 baht so I was happy to split that. I think I got off at the wrong spot at the train station because I never did see them. I didn’t see anyone…it was weird. A taxi driver with no teeth offered me a ride for 200. AWESOME!
As he happily dug through his bag of flags so he could wave his Canada flag around and then place it on the dash of his car, I noticed there is a “standard taxi fare” chart on the back seat. Apparently, the ride should have been closer to 125 so I guess I did it wrong, but he did slow down at all the temples and places of royalty and told me about them. Good stuff – saves me a trip later!
As my trip goes on, I am trying to find ways to be a bit more social. The Khao San Road area of Bangkok is a popular haven for backpackers and partiers. I chose a guest house the next street over as the reviews said it was close enough to enjoy Khao San but then you go home to a quieter street. Perfect! Being a major holiday, I’m sure Khao San will be rockin’ but then I leave when I’m done. WRONG!
Nope….that’s not it at all! For Songkran, Khao San and Rambuttri are both blocked to vehicles and have security checkpoints at both ends, an alleyway connects them. I went out at 4pm and joined in the zombie walk to see where everyone was going. Nowhere. They were going nowhere. Once I got out the gates to the main street, I knew I had made a terrible mistake! Partiers shuffling in all directions, going a metre a minute…..the heat and steam coming off of all the people, I started to feel panic. But there is no way out. No one here will care if I start to cry to because I don’t like it. Someone behind me keeps squirting the back of my head. Someone reaches out with their hot hands and places them on my face, leaving behind two smears of some sort of white paste. My toes are cringing at the thought of being stepped on. I keep going.
After about 40 minutes in the zombie shuffle, I was through the security point at Khao San. They had tall stages with pounding music and pretty girls on top with hoses. On both streets, there were massive sound systems and booths set up to get your cheap beer and fill your water gun. As soon as I found the alley back to Rambuttri, I stayed over there. It was easier to move around and was close to my room so I felt better. I bought a beer and decided to “soak up some fun”..haha! It was a lot of fun. I had my waterproof camera out and was challenging people to throw water at me so I could get a good pic. Everyone running around with water guns, laughing like little children. So much music and dancing! This was absolutely one of the highlights of my trip.
I’ll tell you a secret, though. There is NO WAY IN HELL I would have walked into that crowd had I not been staying in the middle of it. So I’m really glad I made the decision to stay in a busier area because I would have missed out on the experience of a lifetime. I didn’t even talk to anyone and I still had a blast.
Today was clean up day. Most businesses remained closed as it is the last day of Songkran so there isn’t much to do. I spent the morning trying to sort out flight and accommodation for Chiang Mai tomorrow and then went exploring on foot. There really wasn’t much. I realize there are some temples nearby but it’s SO hot and nothing is open so the walk to get anywhere wasn’t interesting. I settled in at a little restaurant because they had large Chang beers for 80 baht. SOLD! I went on with planning my week in Chiang Mai and after a bit, the street was alive with water fights! It was a lot more calm – just tourists who hadn’t had enough yet. I wasn’t ready for this so I made it known I had my bag with my tablet & phone so they were mostly good about it. Apparently, they just go straight for your butt, then. Refreshing!
So off to Chiang Mai in the morning. I’m pretty excited for this. Mostly because it should be cooler in the north. Oh, and food. In Bangkok, the street food is ALL pad thai! I wanted a friggen pancake but could only find pad thai, fruit and scorpion-on-a-stick, which I would have tried, but there is no one here to dare me to do it. Haha! Also, I drank a lot of mystery water. Hopefully, my insides stay in.