We’ve had a relaxing stay in chilled-out Pai but now it’s time for another of those full days of travel - and on Thai transport we’ve learned they are rarely comfortable except when in a cushioned tour minivan. We start off with the four-hours van ride back to Chiang Mai, on roads so infamously winding that when you book your tickets a friendly warning pops up reminding you to have motion sickness pills ready - not if you usually get car-sick, just for everyone. After that, it’s another kind-of night train: starting at 3:30pm and arriving at Ayutthaya, our destination, at 3:30am…
I’m feeling a bit peaky this morning - I blame all the street food! - so not in top shape for the first leg of the journey, and I’m really praying my stomach stays cooperative at least until we make it out of the mountain. We get a perfect distraction though thanks to our neighbours on the van, a lovely Latvian couple with whom we spend most of the journey chatting. They’re on a similar trip to ours, although taking it more slowly, and we have lots of tips and thoughts to exchange, but more unusually we also get talking about our lives back home, respective countries, and each other’s jobs. They are musicians and it’s fascinating to learn more about their lives, on the road and back in their country. We’ll also know what to visit in Latvia when our paths take us there, which it probably will now since Edgars gives a very good sales pitch!
He also casually imparts our trip’s top tip yet: how to deal with nausea using a simple supermarket sweet, the Fisherman’s Friend. I guess we could have worked it out from the name but it does immediately stall my increasing queasiness as we get through the (too many) sharp curves and hairpin bends characteristic of the Pai road system. We’ll stock up at the next shop! All in all it ends up being a very pleasant few hours and although we part way in Chiang Mai - they’re heading over to Laos while we’re still going around Thailand for a bit - we hope to meet them again later down the line.
As we make our way to the train station on foot (another one of those optimistic “oh it’s just a couple of kilometres!” midday journey) I’m feeling steadily worse and very much not ready for the train. Thankfully Ollie is fine and quietly picks up most of my bags until we get in. The journey is a nightmare with my stomach bug blowing fully out the minute we get on: the train is ridiculously rattly (it properly feels like we’re on some sort of a spin cycle for most of the journey) and the AC freezing in the top bunk which I was planning to use. Luckily I’m travelling with a gentleman who swaps up and goes brave the cold in my stead while I weather out my fever and nausea in the much warmer lower bunk. Everyone turns in early on those night journey and even from five o’clock people are retiring in their bunks so we do get a couple of naps in but the rattling and the cold make it difficult to get a proper rest - when we arrive in Ayutthaya we’re very thankful to have booked a room for the last few hours of the night.
Easily our worst travel day so far - but also a true highlight of our trip thanks to that chance meeting with Edgars and Kristin!
Poor you!