06 April /2008 – 08:11
The Night Train
We arrived at the station around 4pm after a short trip in two comfortable mini buses through Bangkok. Armed with all our bags and an optimistic view for the next stage of going south to the rainforest, we were hoping that the holiday was really going to start from here. Bangkok we felt was a prelude to the real adventure.
Our train was waiting for us at the station, and although the platform was fairly busy, it didn’t seem particularly crowded. The station itself was a bit of a blur as we quickly made our way to our carriage, although most stations look reasonably similar – plenty of concrete, airy space filled with the sounds of hundreds of people rushing to and fro. The shiny metallic carriages with a blue stripe on their side spanned out of sight down the platform, and our carriage was about halfway down.
Although thankfully we all shared the same carriage, we weren’t alone. We soon found our rail accommodation to be far more packed (cramped) than we had envisaged. When we got inside, we found that the carriage was actually an open area with brown seats on either side – room enough for only one person each, although at a squeeze (and it was a squeeze) you could get two slim people sitting together, as long as you didn’t mind fighting for shoulder space!
Katie dished out (fairly randomly) the seat tickets and we quickly found our seating and stored our bags on the shelves close by. We noticed that several of us were split from the main party further down the carriage, separated by a number of Thai travellers and a Japanese family. Katie, Daniel, Stephen and Robert were all further down, and mixed with some people who contested the seating arrangements. There could have been an ugly scene, but they (Stephen particularly) seemed to dodge any unpleasantness, and while Katie tried to sort things out, joined us for the start of the journey.
As the train jolted and made its way from the station, we watched the Bangkok scenery quickly transform from inner city buildings to suburb slums, which seemed to stretch on endlessly. The train was clearly in no particular hurry, and within twenty minutes (and not clearing the outer reaches of Bangkok) stopped, to allow an express train hurtle past. I wasn’t counting, but we must have stopped quite a few times through the night to allow other trains past which was a little frustrating.
While on our way, the railway staff came round and from under each seat, pulled out a table for each set of chairs, which they clipped (precariously) into the floor and wall. These proved useful later for the food and playing cards on, although we accidently knocked at least two over during our evening.
Throughout the first part of the journey, vendors (some sponsored by the train company) walked up and down the carriages, attempting to sell fruit, drinks and food, some clearly looking less official than others. Hunger got the better of a many of us who ordered the cooked food, which turned out to be quite good. Others plumped for the safety of crisps and other junk food they’d found on or near the station.
While eating, I noticed that my “partner” seat was taken by a smartly dressed Thai lady, who looked more foreign to the grubby beige carriage than even we were, and I had dismissed her as someone who wasn’t going to stay on the train for long – particularly as she had no luggage. I was wrong. For by 8pm, she had organised her seats to be made into the lower bunk-bed. Leaving me somewhat stranded for somewhere to sit. My bed as part of the process was also made, but I didn’t fancy going to bed quite that early so I mingled with the other gang, and finally settling with Katarina and Felip for a game of Uno for an hour or so.
By 10pm all the beds were made for us, and we had no option to wind down our evening, although “lights out” wasn’t until 10:30 (lights didn’t actually go out!). The sleeping arrangement was simple and although not as private as I’d hoped, comfortable if a little cramped (particularly for anyone taller than 5’10). Unlike sleeper trains I’ve been on in Europe, the sleeping arrangements weren’t in cabins, but were open to the floor, parallel to the walkway, and only a curtain for privacy. The air conditioning was ok while awake, but when trying to sleep, most found the atmosphere too muggy for a comfortable night’s sleep.
By halfway through the night, I’d dismissed any modesty and slept with nothing on and only the thin sheet to protect me from the night.
The train although wasn’t especially noisy, had a consistent clatter and a fairly jerky motion from time to time which didn’t aid sleep that much, but eventually tiredness got the better of me and I fell asleep.
Our stop was supposed to be at about 4:30 in the morning, so none of us got a good night’s sleep, although I must have slept a few hours. I was awake first. Katie had promised to come round and wake us 20 mins before our stop, but 4:30 came and went, so I got out of bed and headed to the toilets first to relieve myself, and then to find Katie to see what was going on.
The Train toilet was a sight I shall never forget. I’ve seen train toilets before, and rarely are they a pleasant place to be, but this was a new low. Stainless (yeah right) steel throughout with a metal seat (I was never going to sit on it). There was a hose on the wall which presumably was for flushing not only the pan but the floor, which is good in principle, but when you enter the little room the floor is wet and smelly, and you doubt that the hose has been used much. As to look into the pan itself you realise that there is no bottom, for you see the rail tracks passing by below… nice. I didn’t linger.
After washing and cleaning teeth, I found Katie. She’d changed clothes, but hadn’t bothered to even go to sleep. I guess she’s done the journey plenty of times before, and knew how little sleep she’d get, so didn’t even try! Apparently we were nearly two hours late, so I went back to my bunk fully clothed for a snooze.
At 06:20 our train pulled up at our stop which was unremarkable in every way. Apart from the actual platform (little more than a block of concrete) we spied out a single street of dilapidated shops and a café – which turned out to be our breakfast stop.
I couldn’t face much food, but we all tucked into various combinations similar to scrambled eggs on toast with 7up to wash it down. We didn’t linger too long, but a few of us managed a whistle stop tour of the street, and took the chance to pop into a 7-Eleven to get some food or sweets before we went into the rainforest.
By about 07:30 we’d packed our bags into the two minibuses that would take us across into the hills and into the rainforest. We passed much jungle and rugged scenery en route, but thankfully the roads were pretty decent and were a comfortable ride. At 08:30 we’d reached our destination and our home for the next two nights, the “Tree Tops” resort in the Khao Sok National Park.