Magical Sukhothai

When we check out of Canale Hostel, we are completely exhausted. Bangkok, jetlag, all the walking, and the climate have taken a toll on our strength. We call a taxi. Just in case, I had the receptionist write down the bus station Mo Chit in Thai for me. I hand the driver the note, and I'm not sure if he is Thai or Chinese. He speaks and understands more English than any other taxi driver so far. We make it clear to him that we have to arrive at the bus station on time, and for once, we are lucky. The taxi driver seems very nice, and after a 35-minute drive, just as we are entering the driveway and passing the gate, the engine dies and won't start again. 2 Thais come to help and push the car. We are allowed to get out and leave the poor, nice taxi driver with a broken car. It always happens to the nice ones.

When we arrive at the bus station, we ask around until we find the right counter and pick up our online booked (12go asia) ticket. We use the restroom and are confronted with the infamous 'hole in the ground' for the first time. While I watch over the backpacks, I notice a Thai woman staring at me skeptically. I smile at her friendly, and her look becomes even stranger.

After using the restroom, we make a detour to Dunkin Donuts and 7/11. We stock up on donuts, chips, cola, and water for the long bus ride and wait in the town hall, stinking, sweating, and soaking wet for about 2 hours for our bus. At the gate, we meet two Thai women who smile at us. They show us which bus is the right one, and shortly afterwards, we sit bundled up in the smelly hoodie (caution! air conditioning) on the bus and eat our snacks. Shortly after, snacks and water are also distributed to us. That's part of the bus ride and it's included. After a short time, the lights go out, and all the other locals try to sleep. We do too, but the waves of happiness that wash over me in this moment keep my mind awake. I listen to music on my mp3 player and write my first blog entry 'Bangkok Part I'. Breathtaking landscapes and picture-perfect Thai cities pass by, some of them flooded. I feel very comfortable, and the coziness in this bus is hard to beat. Feelings of happiness arise, and I begin to release my inner tension.

Later in the evening, I get tired and fall asleep. The air conditioning blows in my face and everyone jumps up. Final destination: Sukhothai. How can that be? It's only 3 o'clock in the morning. We get off and stand at a lonely bus station. A Thai woman sits on one of the benches. She smiles at me. Mosquitoes attack us, and it's starting to dawn. The sky turns reddish behind a jungle silhouette drawn by palm trees and huge trees that I have never seen before. While Edina goes to the restroom, I sit tired on a bench when a yogi with white hair starts singing meditatively next to me. As I watch the sunrise, I get goosebumps. I have never heard anything more beautiful before. I take out my camera and film the sunrise while feeling inner peace. This is the most peaceful, magical moment in my entire life so far. Magic.

When Edina comes back from the restroom, we search Airbnb. We have a problem: it's 3 o'clock in the morning and we don't have a place to sleep. Exhausted, we choose a hostel for 7 euros a night and show it to the Tuk Tuk driver who has been harassing us since we arrived. We explain to him that we haven't booked. He tells us that the hostel is open. As tired as we are, we get into the Tuk Tuk while the wind from the ride whips around our ears. The reddish light on the horizon casts its red shadow on the gray streets and alleys, while electrical cables wind together in abundance. The rattling of the Tuk Tuk is the only audible sound, and we drive past the nightly food market for locals, which seems to be just opening. A woman sits with a huge basket of fish on crushed ice on the corner, while across the street, a vendor stands with a wheelbarrow full of green vegetables and herbs. Magical Sukhothai, I think to myself, as we suddenly turn right into a dark side street and stop in front of a dark courtyard. I read TKK Homestay and think to myself, 'Shit, the hostel is closed'. The Tuk Tuk driver casually slides open the sliding door to the courtyard and wakes up the owner literally. With her eyes closed, she doesn't understand anything and looks for her phone to use Google Translate. I also speak English into the phone and apologize a lot and explain that we haven't booked and need a place to sleep. After 20 minutes, everything is clear, and we fill out our breakfast request form. We move into our traditional Thai wooden bungalow and take a shower. We wash away Bangkok, the bus, the restroom, and everything else, lie down in bed, and can't sleep. Adrenaline is pumping through our veins, and we start laughing loudly. Now everything will be fine, we think, when a loud electronic noise (generator?) starts humming every minute. When we finally fall asleep, we wake up again at 5 o'clock in the morning to a choir of monks, followed by Indian-sounding music. Magical Sukhothai, I think once again, and fall asleep.

When we wake up, it's after 10 o'clock. We take a shower and sit down at a table. The mother of the owner (80 years old?) smiles at us and speaks in Thai. Before I know it, she takes me by the hand and strolls with me behind the bungalows, pointing to a power generator. We turn off the power in our bungalow and hand in hand, I stroll back towards the table. She brings us freshly picked bananas and together with her daughter, she serves breakfast. There are 5 buttery toast and fried eggs, along with berry juice and coffee. We realize that she must be providing us with her own leftover food since they were not prepared for our visit.

After breakfast, we take a pick-up truck to the Old City (Historical Park). On-site, we rent a bike for 30 baht (less than 50 cents) and ride into the park. We spend time there until 5 o'clock in the evening and admire the well-preserved ruins and the well-maintained park of Sukhothai. I would love to spend several days here.

When we return to our bungalow, we treat ourselves to 2 Chang beers and sit on the veranda. It was a beautiful day.

At around 5 o'clock, we wake up again. Once again, a monk's chant wakes us up, followed by Indian-sounding music. Once again, that magic is in the air. We fall asleep again but still get up early. For breakfast, we have mango, a hearty Thai omelette with vegetables. Additionally, she brings us a bowl of stir-fried green vegetables and mushrooms. We are supposed to try it, and shortly after, everyone receives a portion of rice with morning glory. It tastes extremely delicious, but the amount of the entire breakfast is almost unbeatable. Nattinee also got us bus tickets for Chiang Mai. We jump into her car and she drives us to the train station. We only pay 13 euros for the Chang beers, breakfast, bus tickets, and the ride.

We don't have to wait long at the bus station and are allowed to board our bus. The journey begins to Chiang Mai, further north.

In Stefan Loose's travel guide, I read that there are many Hindus in Sukhothai. Now many things make sense: the yogi, the Indian music...