#5: Departure in Bangkok and arrival in Hua Hin

20.01.2020

It's time to say goodbye for the first time! And it's best not to dawdle, as we have to reach the bus to Hua Hin on time by taxi across Bangkok. This time we let the hostel book the taxi for us at a fixed price. We pay 213 ฿ (about €6.50) for a distance of about 14 km and get a nice conversation via google translator with the driver for free. For this price, on our first day, thanks to clever negotiation, we have traveled about 2.5 km and that without a nice conversation.

We arrive at the bus station in the north of Bangkok on time for check-in. After receiving our round-trip tickets, we have to wait again. Unfortunately, the bus is also late, so we have plenty of time to follow the Thai casting shows on TV in the waiting area.

When the bus is finally available at 3:00 p.m., all future passengers get ready to depart, and in Asian fashion, they line up neatly in a long queue. After checking in the luggage and assigning the seats, we are surprised by the bus's amenities. The bus looks well-maintained and the seats provide so much legroom that it is almost possible to fully stretch out the legs. In addition, there is a bottle of drinking water waiting for the passengers at each seat. Skeptical if we deserve this luxury, we check our tickets and discover that we unknowingly booked the supreme standard. The journey goes smoothly. To pass the time, we listen to the words of Rufus Beck and let ourselves be transported into the world of witchcraft and wizardry.

What we do not anticipate is the most complicated part of the bus ride, which is finding the right moment to get off. The bus seems to stop here and there for individual passengers. However, it does not do so at bus stops, but rather whenever a possibility arises (traffic island, red traffic light, etc.). In addition, the bus driver is not very cooperative towards non-native speakers, as he unfortunately does not speak a word of English and is not willing to communicate through gesture or mobile phone. Therefore, we decide to get off more or less frantically as soon as the bus stops in Hua Hin and within walking distance of the hostel. The opportunity arises after almost 4 hours at the stop on a crosswalk of the busy main road in Hua Hin.

We finally reach the hostel, once again exhausted and completely sweaty, at 7:45 p.m. There we are greeted by an older Thai lady with the words 'Martin?' and a friendly smile. To our delight, the hostel is very nice, clean, and modern. Already in the hallway, shoes must be taken off according to Asian customs.

After storing our luggage, hunger drives us into the city briefly to get dinner and breakfast. However, we go to bed relatively early because we are tired. Tomorrow is another day.