The Day Apart - Chiang Mai to Bangkok From the Ground and Sky

Megan's day with Bryan:

After separating from Eric and Steff, Bryan and I took turns taking over the bathroom attempting to wash two days of trekking off of ourselves and our clothes. After a long shower I had made a full recovery, but I don't think my socks will ever be the same.

Our big decision was if we wanted to fly to Bangkok the next morning to save time, or take the bus to save money. After scanning our guidebooks, we realized we had seen pretty much everything we wanted to see in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, so there was really nothing to save time for. After the trek, a day of hanging out and watching laptop movies sounded wonderful.

We enjoyed one last dinner by the moat in Chiang Mai. Thai food, fruit shakes, wonderful. We made one big mistake though - no bug spray. By the end of dinner Bryan had five mosquito bites. I had seventeen. When you get seventeen mosquito bites in 30 minutes, it's time to call it a night. We went back to the guest house and tried to watch The Meaning of Life, but both of us kept falling asleep. If you fall asleep before the opening credits are over, it's time to just say goodnight.

The next morning the alarm rang at 6:00 AM. We had the best of intentions to catch the 7:00 AM bus... but... One can only move so fast at 6:00 AM. We wanted to catch the 8:00 AM bus, really! But we had to get a tasty pancake breakfast, right? Actually, I just had pancakes. We both ordered them but after they brought mine out, they told Bryan that the stove was "done" and he needed to order something else. How is that even possible? The stove had just enough life in it for one pancake and that was it's official end?

We were running late to catch the 9:00 AM bus, but were on a mission to make this one. Success! Good thing too - the next bus didn't leave for hours. Meaning Bryan would have missed his flight to the United States on account of pancakes.

The bus was spectacular. It was nicer than our guest house! We propped our feet up and laid back in the comfy seats with our pillow and blankets. As soon as we departed we were served juice and pastries by the bus crew. It seemed like they came around every 10 minutes serving us something to eat or drink! We also discovered this bus was more geared towards locals, unlike the other buses we've traveled on. No being surrounded by other confused white tourists, no announcements in English, no movies in English. We ended up watching, and really enjoying, the first movie (a crazy Thai romantic comedy) that came on. It wasn't too hard to follow the plot except for a few moments of:

"Who is she?"
"Why is she mad?"
"Ohhh I think that's... No, I have no idea"

Suddenly, the bus stopped. A long announcement came on, and then it turned around!

Me and Bryan: "Oh no! There must be something wrong with the bus and we're either stranded out here or were going all the way back to Chiang Mai!"

Me: "I'll go scout it out!"

I timidly followed others off the bus.. Then peeked around the door at the bus employee with my usual "confused and frighted tourist" face on. He laughed at me and made an eating motion. We had stopped for lunch. Not certain doom. Lunch.

I followed everyone into the building to check it out, then went back to get Bryan.

Me: ::In one breath:: "Ok... The bus is fine, we're stopping for lunch. I think if we follow these people in and show the food people our bus pass we get lunch of I don't know what. I think it's different options of ,what I think is, some kind of meat in orangish sauce or greenish sauce."

I made Bryan order first.

We ate lunch. We still have no idea what it was. Some kind of spicy... something.

The second half of the bus ride was equally nice. We decided against watching the random Thai game show? Sketch comedy? Soap opera? That was playing, to try again at watching The Meaning of Life. So great! I don't think I'd seen it since high school and it's my favorite of the Python movies. We were the doofy kids in the back of the bus cracking up laughing. Next, we watched Little Shop of Horrors, more laughing. Then we got way too into iPod games. Less laughing - more yelling at cartoon sheep.

We were told he bus ride would take between 10-12 hours. We assumed his meant 20-52 hours. Imagine our shock and amazement when we arrived in Bangkok at 7:00 PM after 10 hours! I've never arrived anywhere on time in Thailand.

Bryan: "How is this possible, we're on Thai time!"

It looks like we had more time in Bangkok after all. We headed back to Rambutri Road, so I could check into a new hostel called "My House." this lead to a bad Abbott and Costello like routine when we met up with Eric and Steff.

"What's the new hotel?"
"My house"
"Yes what's the name?"
"My house"
"What's the name of your house?"

You get the idea...

Bryan and I enjoyed one last great Thai dinner and walk around the area to take in the fun people watching and nice night. We reunited with Eric and Steff at the futuristic Bangkok airport.. Seriously, the airport is a sight to see. It even had up and down hill travelators (they call "people movers" travelators!)

Many hugs all around, and the boys were on their way back to the US. Goodbye Eric and Bryan! Thank you for your lovely company, bringing us supplies from home, toting all of our stuff back home, and most of all... Thank you for the cereal.

Steffany's Day with Eric: 
eric and i were ready for a little indulgence after two dirty, bug-filled days.  we booked ourselves a 5-star hotel (at a discount price! <3 thailand) and took a tuk-tuk across town.  we must have looked ridiculous as we wandered into this HUGE reception hall, complete with marble pillars and dangling chandeliers, in our dirty trekking clothes and muddy hiking shoes.  the guy checking in next to us was regaling the concierge with stories about the multiple businesses he owned.  we were so out of place. 


when we got upstairs, our jaws dropped.  our room was huge, and gorgeous, and clean.  giant bed, plush couch, flatscreen tv, and the biggest bathroom i have seen.  a separate shower room (with the option of using the showerhead on the ceiling thats like rainfall), huge jacuzzi tub, and a separate room for the toilet.  luxury.  in keeping with our theme of indulgence, we cleaned up (there was conditioner!! conditioner!), ordered room service -with dessert- and drew up a bubble bath.  i ate pizza and a gorgeous confection of cassir lime and candied ginger cheesecake and drank cocktails in the bubblebath.  indulgence overload.  it was heaven. 

again, keeping with our theme (im a stickler for keeping with themes!) we headed out fresh and all dressed up and got massages.  eric opted for a 2 hour head and shoulder massage while i had a pedicure and foot massage.  glorious, simply glorious.  then we had a second dinner at a beautiful restaurant with a tree growing right in the middle of it. no lie. exhausted by our overindulgence, we quickly fell asleep nestled in giant down comforters and more feather pillows than i could count.

the next day we packed up, i gleefully created a giant pile of items that i wanted eric to take home with him (thank you!!) and my pack was ridiculously lighter.  then it was off to the airport for a breezy 1 hour flight to bangkok. 

once in bangkok (that airport is crazy, the travelators have HILLS!!) we dropped off our bags at the left luggage counter and headed into the city.  we started at khao san road, wandered around a bit, and finally decided that it was way too hot to be wandering around aimlessly.  so we headed over to the little backstreet where we found the vegetarian restaurants, and tried a new one.  unfortunately, the heat, exhaustion, dehydration -whatever- was catching up to me, and i felt like i had been run over by a truck.  i couldnt stomach the idea of walking around in the heat again, so we headed across town to siam center, and decided to wander around the aquarium.  it was lovely, cool, and had amazing displays.  we loved the underwater tunnel with all the rays and sharks floating by.  i took a million pictures, but most of them did not turn out (one advantage of the old camera - it had a museum setting! grrr...) but it was still an amazing afternoon. but soon, even the slow meanderings through rainforests and oceans was wearing me out, and we headed back to the crazy food court for dinner.  i wasnt feeling too hungry, but we stopped by the pizza in a cone (conizza!) and e had to try it.  it was ridiculously crazy, like pizza soup in a cone.  he couldnt figure out how to eat it without spilling it everywhere - careful bites with a fork still made a mess.  we observed another couple who came in after us - the cute little couple daintily nibbled at it just like an ice cream cone.  i guess we just need more practice? 

last stop was back to the airport to meet up with bryan and megan.  we arrived early since i just wanted to sit and rest some, but it may have not been the best idea, as the airport was freezing and i was shivering the whole time. after a slightly (ok, ill admit it) tearful goodbye, the boys were in the air and i was carted off to our ...budget... hotel.  sigh.  it only took one night, and i was spoiled rotten.  oh well, time to get back into the backpacker mentality!