May 12, 2013

• The Road to Vientiane

  It starts simple enough in a line at the Hua Lampong station of the State Railway of Thailand, in Bangkok. It was a short line with a long wait as the guy in front of me asked his questions. My turn was not as long. 

  Me: Nong Khai.

  Ticket agent: Second class sleeper. Leaves at 8pm.

  Me: No third class coach?

  Ticket agent: No. 

  I pay 688 baht and a korp koum kap for my second train ride in second class. My first time in second class sleeper was not pleasant. I was awake over half the night unused to the jostling of the car as it shook its way to Ubon Ratchathani in May 2010, the night a general who supported the Red Shirt cause was shot. The delay that night was nearly two hours. Round two was delayed 40 minutes. 

  The other problem I have is that I am in the top bunk. The ladder is narrow, and I have a wide foot. Putting two feet on one rung is rather inconvenient when climbing into the bed. Climbing out of the bunk is also a hassle when needing to use the toilet. At least in third class coach I can lean against the window and use my arm as a pillow. It is comfortable, and the sway of the car does not bother me. The bunk comes with a blanket, thiugh, and Issan nights on the train can be cold enough for a jacket. I used the blanket around my shoulders and tried to sleep.

  When not able to sleep, I read Assassin's Creed Renaissance, a novel based on the popular video game series. It tells the story of Ezio Auditore's quest for revenge against those who killed his family, only to find that it is part of a bigger game of control being fought by the Knights Templar and the Order of Assassins. Maybe I should have gotten that Tom Clancy novel. 

  Up and down and up and down. I cannot sleep second class sleeper, and can't wait to have a real seat to sit in. I checked the time once during the night. It was 4:12 am. It was the third time I woke up during the trip. Then I remember one financial detail that would cost me dignity. The entrance fee at the Lao border is $35 or 1,500 baht. I'm an idiot. My budget is shot. I am thinking I will need 3,000 baht for my non-b immigration visa. Money gets tighter and tighter with every border hop.

  The sun is shining through a window. No idea what time it was. The steward tells me I can get out of the bunk and move to a seat. I grab the book, sit down, look out the window and try to guess which side of Udon Thani we are on. A guy named Ramsey from Chicago is across the aisle. We talk briefly, then return to our stuff. He's got his iPod. I got my book. The iPod Touch in my pouch is over two years old. The headphones for it work fine with the iPod Nano, but the audio from the Touch is bad. Regular speakers are clear, but the connection with the jack gives lousy audio. No podcasts this time around.

  We chug on. Breakfast is three cheese half sandwiches, coffee, orange juice, and a Coke. I pay up 210 baht for it. Might have ben worth it if there were two whole sandwiches hot off the grill. Could have used a second Coke, as well. Back to the book. Look out the window. Think. Book. Window. Think. Window. Book. I've had better sleep deprivation.

  Every tuk-tuk driver in town appears to welcome us to Nong Khai, home of the naga fireballs (like the Marfa lights, but these come out of the Mekong river). Ramsey and I share a tuk-tuk to the border. The line is short. There are no questions. The line is smooth. Over the Mae Khong we trade 'sawadee kap' and 'korp koum kap' for the 'saw bai dee' and the 'kawp jai' as we enter Lao People's Democratic Republic. 

  Off the bus and back into line. Arrival cards to fill in, baht to turn into kip, lines to wait in but are rapidly processed. Every cabbie in Vientiane is out to greet farang and offer them rides into Vientiane 20 minutes away by car or van. Ramsey gets us a deal on a cab, 300 baht for the one way trip. I tell the driver we are going to Talat Sol, the mall on Lane Xang Blvd., about half way between the Presidential Palace and Patuxay Park. I give Ramsey 150 baht. He needs to convert currency and connect to the Internet so he can contact his friends already in town. We part ways, and I leave for the Saylom Yen Guest House, where I plan to spend the next two days. Its Coronation day in Thailand, so the consulate is closed. Time to chill. 

   

  • 5:24 pm
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