Phitsanulok & the start of our next adventure

After Sukhothai, we weren't sure what to do, so we thought we would head back down south on the train with a view to going even further south to the islands and beaches. We had booked a sleeper train from Phitsanulok to Bangkok which didn't leave until 10pm. We decided to make use of the day we had by going into New Sukhothai. This turned out to be quite a disappointment, there was very little here and the food wasn't so good. I'm glad we stayed in the old city.

So we ventured to Phitsanulok, the train station. We knew we'd be able to leave our luggage there and thought it might be nice to see another city in Thailand. We dropped our bags but the station was mainly operated by local-speaking staff which made communicating a little harder. So we ventured into the town, to find more non-English speaking locals. In a way this was really nice as it's one of the few places we'd been where we weren't hassled by the usual Thai conversation ("where you from?"/"Where you going?"). It did have its problems though - finding and ordering some food for a start. We'd read about one place in our guide book which was basically a pub and served Thai and Western food.

The problem with the guide books is that they only tell you the English names, and in the non-touristy areas of Thailand it is nearly impossible to find an English sign. None-the-less, we found the recommended pub, only to discover it had closed down. After a drink elsewhere, we ended up in a reasonably westernised guesthouse restaurant for dinner, and then later for a dessert. This was the highlight for me here. I don't like things to be too touristy, but with my lack of Thai language skills, I appreciate someone who can at least understand what I'm trying to ask for. Plus, the dessert was the best I've had since I've arrived in Thailand - a yummy chocolate cake!

So, despite the paragraphs I've just written, Phitsanulok wasn't really anything to write home about!

We headed to the train station and waited for our Sleeper train to Bangkok. we'd heard the trains are always late so I was a bit worried we'd be there all night with no clue what was going on because of the lack of English speakers, but as it turned out the train was reasonably on time and we had no real issues. Our biggest issue was the lack of sleep on the so-called Sleeper train. It was not a smooth journey at all, rocking from side to side and every other direction. The seats convert into an upper and lower bunk. There is less space on the upper bunk and therefore you pay less for it. I chose this one so Chris would have a bit leg room, thinking it would make him more comfortable.

Thanks to the rocky journey, the lights remaining on all night and the noisiness of the train, very little sleep was had. I was also particularly concerned when I attempted to go to the toilet. Most places in Thailand have phased out their squat loos in favour of more westernised-style loos. Everywhere except where you could do with the Westernised loo it seems! I don't like to get too technical, but the squat loo in this train was just a hole in the floor with a couple of foot pads either side of the hole (in order to squat more efficiently, one would presume). Firstly, you have to have a sense of balance and aim at the best of times. As I say, this train wasn't the smoothest journey, so I feared for my safety at several points, and as for the hygiene... I won't even go there!

None the less, it was all an experience. Unfortunately when we got to Bangkok, the trains for going south to the beaches were all booked up so we had to face another night in Bangkok and think of a new itinerary.