Our eventful journey continues to Chiang Mai

[by Jonas] What a start to this journey...

I don't even know where and how to begin!

The best place to start is where Franzi left off last time:
The next day started off quiet. We had breakfast again at the hostel (230 Baht = 5.90€) and packed our things, as we had to check out by 12 o'clock. We managed to do that. It felt weird because usually packing our bags and returning the key card meant that the vacation was over. In our case, it meant that it was just beginning. And it definitely started...

But one thing at a time: After checking out, we were a bit lost. We hadn't slept well and were therefore a bit unmotivated. But eventually, we convinced ourselves to take a walk, even though we didn't know exactly where to go. So we just started walking. It wasn't until we passed the first temples that we realized that it wasn't an option that day, as neither of us had appropriate clothing and didn't have anything else with us (we were able to leave our backpacks at the hostel for free). So we had to come up with something else, and we decided to visit the most famous starting point for backpacking: Khaosan Road!

As a typical hub for backpackers, it's exactly what I don't necessarily want as a backpacker... It's mainly Europeans squeezing through the 400-meter-long street, and there are stalls after stalls on the sides of the road. As if that wasn't enough, there are also tuk-tuks and motorcycles racing through the street, and as soon as you even glance in their direction, they want to know where you want to go and almost insist that you get in with them. The statement, as true as it may be, that you currently have no destination and are just strolling through the city seems almost like a personal insult to them. But admittedly, this pushiness of tuk-tuk drivers is common in the rest of Bangkok as well, as long as you look even remotely like a tourist (in other words: as long as you're white!).

But back to the day: I let myself be drawn to capitalism, which is more evident here than in any other part of Bangkok, and I have already bought the first souvenirs and gifts that I can't describe in more detail here for obvious reasons. Our walk eventually led us to a park on the riverbank. From here, we had a good view of the Rama VIII Bridge:

Since our bus wasn't scheduled to depart until 19:20, we decided to get something to eat beforehand. Not being particularly impressed by any of the street food stalls, we discovered that in front of a restaurant, where there had always been a long line in the past few days, hardly anyone was standing this time. So we decided to join the line. Here, we learned from another waiting person that this restaurant is apparently known throughout Thailand for having the "best Pad Thai in Bangkok". While standing in line, we could observe the busy activity in the "kitchen", which was set up openly on the sidewalk.

(note the finished stacked plates on the left side)

In short: The food was delicious, but whether it really deserves that glamorous title, I'm the least qualified to judge. We were amazed that both Franzi and I hardly had any problems eating with chopsticks. (200 Baht = 5.18€)

But it took a bit longer than expected, and when we started feeling a bit pressed for time, our first big adventure began, which wouldn't end until shortly before the creation of this blog the next morning.

We quickly ran into the hostel, changed clothes, and headed to the so-called "tourist information" where we had booked our onward journey. The plan was to grab the next tuk-tuk, hand them the map that the lady from the agency had given us, and be present at the agreed-upon time (7:00 PM). The first tuk-tuk driver seemed to have an idea of where the agency was after inspecting the map, but we couldn't agree on a price. So we continued in the direction where we thought the agency was located. The next two tuk-tuk drivers couldn't make much sense of the information on the map. That was the moment when we first started doubting whether we had booked at the right place. Usually, the drivers are specialized in these tourist destinations. Then the last driver had the idea to call the telephone number listed on the map. After a short phone call, he seemed to know where we needed to go and asked for 100 Baht (2.59€). That was too much for us. But due to the time pressure and the uncertainty of whether we would get a better driver, we agreed on 80 Baht (2.07€) and got in. We remembered that after our last visit to the agency, we had simply driven along a long street to the hostel, but now we suspect that it was a one-way street (if such a thing really exists in Bangkok traffic), so we took a different route that didn't seem familiar to us, always keeping an eye on the clock.

It was 6:57 PM when the tuk-tuk driver stopped, looked around in confusion, got out, and tried to call the telephone number again in the light of his vehicle. That was too much for me, and I searched on my phone for open Wi-Fi networks in the area, found one, and searched for the office. I found it! According to Google Maps, it was only a 3-minute walk away. Without hesitation, we decided to get off, which confused the tuk-tuk driver even more. I tried to make it clear to him that we would find the rest of the way on our own and handed him 60 Baht (1.55€), that's all I had at the moment, and we set off. In hindsight, I must admit I feel a bit sorry for him because he really made an effort for us and, unlike his predecessors, took out his phone and independently found out where we needed to go. But oh well.
Once again on our own, we realized that the location indicated on Google Maps, which we trusted, doesn't make sense as it was within the grounds of a government building where we had left the tuk-tuk. We needed help again and approached two soldiers in military uniforms (both no older than us) at a corner of the building, showing them both the map and the Google Maps image. But they also seemed to have no idea what it was about and couldn't speak English either. Fortunately, a young woman intervened in the conversation from the side and asked if we needed help. We explained the problem to her and showed her the map. She could make more sense of it but found it too difficult to describe, so she asked us to come with her. She led us around two corners, and after a stressful walk of about 6 minutes, we arrived at the office. We thanked her warmly and entered the office. To our surprise, there were no other guests who could have boarded a bus with us. We exchanged the voucher we received when booking for 2 more vouchers and were offered a seat at an unoccupied desk, with each of us being handed a water in plastic packaging with a straw and the statement "few minutes". So we waited.

Although we were so stressed out and already very late, we waited. And waited. No additional guests joined us. After some time (we didn't pay much attention to the clock), a young man stormed into the door and shouted "Chiang Mai". Finally, we were going. But we hadn't seen a bus pass by outside, let alone stop. When we left the office without getting a glance from the employees there, we knew why. Well, actually we didn't know much. The man was standing next to a silver car and opened the trunk. We handed him our backpacks and got in the back. The attempt to buckle up failed because the rear of the car had modified padding and the buckle straps were no longer there. Without knowing exactly what the plan was, he started driving. At first, we thought maybe we were being taken to some kind of bus station, but when the driver suddenly stopped at what initially seemed like an inconspicuous roadside, that option was ruled out as well. He simply said "my bus company, check in there" and pointed to an open building where other waiting backpackers were already standing.

That eased our minds a bit, as there were already enough people to fill a bus to Chiang Mai. We gave our backpacks to the lady at the reception desk, handed her the voucher labeled "bus to Chiang Mai - paid", and she gave us 2 tickets and a sticker each labeled "CHX" that we were supposed to attach to our shirts, just like all the other waiting people outside. After taking a look around, we realized that from here, all destinations in Thailand were served: Phuket, Ko Samui, and Ko Phangan. However, no one knew exactly when each bus would depart. After another 30 minutes of waiting, "Chiang Mai" was called, and a commotion began. Obviously, it was one of the popular destinations among backpackers.

We were taken to the other side of the street, and our suitcases and backpacks were stacked in front of us towards the road. A bus arrived, and one by one, people started boarding. The seats were pre-assigned. We sat in one of the back rows on the upper level. One of the last fortunate moments of this bus ride was seeing the sign "free Wi-Fi on bus" and it even worked, at least until we had covered the first few kilometers. After that, it could only be used to a limited extent.

The first 3 hours of the bus ride went smoothly. A 30-minute break was taken at a parking lot that seemed to specialize in catering to these night buses. The toilets weren't particularly clean, and the food didn't look very good, so we decided to get back on the bus. After another 3 hours of driving, the bus stopped at the side of the road. At first, we thought it was just another break for the bus driver (he had already taken one or two short ones, presumably). But this break was longer. It felt like we were in the middle of the jungle.

We fell asleep for a bit, so we can't exactly say how long we stood there. It was probably around 80 minutes until our luggage was unloaded without any announcement. After some time, four covered but somehow open-backed pickup trucks arrived.

Each of us had to indicate our accommodation, and it took some time until we were divided among the 4 trucks. Our backpacks were simply thrown onto the roof, and we got in the back. These 50 kilometers were almost worth all the stress that came with it. This way, we could observe the landscape, the people, and their way of life much better than in a dark, air-conditioned bus.

We were the second to be dropped off and were initially not at all thrilled with the surroundings of the hostel we had booked. It wasn't located in the small center of Chiang Mai but somewhat outside, in the southeast. But the lady at the reception desk was super nice, and the room had everything we needed (385 Baht per night per room = 10€). Now we will take a rest before venturing into the jungle tomorrow.

Yes, you read that right. We will spend the next 3 days in the jungle without any connection to the outside world! So don't be surprised if you don't hear from us during that time!

Until then :)

Franzi and Jonas