Diary of a Train Ride

The train station in Chumphon, Thailand.

It’s almost 8 am on January 11^th and I’m fed – a meal of chicken soup, coffee and juice - my berth is made up and I’ve got a few hours to kill on the train to Malaysia.

I boarded last night at 10:45 to a sleeper car fully made up and most of the passengers either asleep or trying to reach that state. I noisily settled in. To me, it seemed as everything I touched crackled. It took about 15 minutes to find the right placement for my duffle bag – at my feet – and fish out the overnight necessities like bottled water. Then I settled back as the train began to move. 

The aisle from my berth.

I have to admit that being inside my little berth was a lot like when I used to make “forts” out of blankets draped over kitchen chairs. The feeling of childish joy was intense.

The rattle and sway was not what I’d expected. It was louder and the movement was from side to side rather than the up and down I’d imagined. Just as the rhythm seemed perfect and I’d snuggled in under the comfortable terry blanket provided, I heard “Ticket, please.” It startled me. I found a train conductor peeking at me through a crack in my privacy curtains. I stuttered out a reply and undid all my nesting to find the ticket, lodged safely in my passport. 

That was my last interruption before sleep took me. After all, I had had quite a day of anticipation. And it was a restful slumber, too. I heard and saw the lights of the stations we didn’t stop at and those we did, but none of it disturbed me. I managed to continue sleeping, even waking myself up with a loud snore at one point. (Probably too much information, but that’s how I roll!)

Inside my berth

This morning, roosters of a different kind than I’d become accustomed to in Chumphon, began to crow at around 5:30 a.m. A group of Asian gents sat perched on their berths chatting away. I know because I peeked out at them around my curtain. Most everyone else was still hunkered down though, so I rolled over and snoozed for another hour.

Ah, as I write this we are being told the board crossing is coming up in ten minutes. That means packing this laptop up, gathering my bags and dragging them through Thailand’s exit process and Malaysia’s entrance procedure. See you soon!

Ok, I’m back – an hour later. It’s almost 9 a.m. and we arrive at my stop – Butterworth, Malaysia – at around1:30 p.m., so I have a little time to relax, enjoy the ride and hopefully get a little more writing done. 

Train station in Malaysia

Update! My train got into Butterworth 3 hours early! Nice surprise.

Before I go, I want to share these thoughts with you. While this sleeper train ride hasn’t been quite the romantic romp I’d imagined as a kid, it HAS been so much fun and so worth the time. I’m not in a hurry in my travels so I’m going to go by train again before I leave SE Asia. Hopefully I’ll manage a sleeper train ride again. Maybe I’ll see you on the rails!

The same aisle during the day! Other direction though.

Snorkeling from Chumphon

My favorite shot from Chumphon's community park

I was looking for a quiet place to settle in after noisy, busy Bangkok and the touristy party-town of Patong Beach (Phuket), both in Thailand. I was also looking for a good place to catch the overnight train to Malaysia. Chumphon - at the top of Thailand's southern peninsula - fit the bill – and how!

First, I enjoyed my 8 days in this quaint, smallish town; discovering the lovely and peaceful town park, stumbling on a tiny mall (where I had incredible Hawaiian pizza) and walking to the train station to check it out. All of these minor activities, combined with a comfortable and welcoming hotel, made my stay exactly what I needed…and then there was the snorkeling!

Love this picture of me in the sparkling water

I kind of half-heartedly signed up for the snorkeling excursion, partly because my snorkeling in the Philippines had been so disappointing and I didn’t want to spend the money on that kind of experience again.  At my daughter’s urging, I went for it and I owe her, big-time.

The trip was totally awesome. We took the plunge, face mask and snorkel in place, at four different islands, each of them very unique. We saw tons of fish, bright blue anemones the size of dinner plates and giant clams as well as incredible landscapes, some with homes secluded on these remote islands.

This is just one of the locations where we snorkeled!

I took a different kind of plunge! There was a slide onboard, for entering the sea in a bit more majestic fashion than backing down a set of stairs. I was the only passenger who chose to fly into the water via the magic blue portal (the slide) and I was by far the oldest of them all. I was more than a little proud of myself. I did it twice!

So, a few days of peace and quiet among the real Thai (not geared up for the tourist trade) and a fabulous day of adventure equals a huge thumbs up for Chumphon! It may be just what you’re looking for.

My big splash!

My fellow snorkelers

Just gorgeoous

Confessions of a Stranger in Strange Lands

Bangkok Airport

Often travel blogs or articles talk only about the beautiful and wondrous aspects of a new experience in a fresh location. I think, in doing so, they do a disservice to the traveler, especially the long-term wanderer, like myself. Here’s why.

Even two weeks away from home, or the familiar, can be a stressor on almost anyone. Stack unrealistic expectations on top of that and the vacationer can find themselves with disappointing memories.  The few weeks of vacation time Americans earn each year (a consistent topic of conversation among the people I’ve met in my travels) adds even more pressure to enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

The truth is that even the best planned and financed trips will have moments, maybe days, that aren’t fun. Acknowledging that up front and being honest about reporting travel experiences in media can make a difference. A big one. 

Attitude is everything in travel. If you expect everything and everyone to meet your normal standards, you’re lost before you begin. Travel is all about seeing and experiencing novel things. Additionally, you have to try something to find out if you like it or not. You may think you won’t like something and completely surprise yourself by falling a little in love with it.

Temple at Doi Suthep

But, I put confessions in the title for a reason, so here goes. Let me preface the following with this very important statement; I have had the best adventure of my life over the past four months.I quickly developed an anxiety problem. It started in the Bangkok airport, when I really thought I might be having a heart attack, but instead the tightness in the chest, etc., was due to being extremely anxious. Although, I had the same reaction the next time I was in a strange airport, I didn’t truly figure it out until I began having these attacks when trying to walk the crazy streets of Cambodia.

Now that I know what types of things bring them on, I am able to control it with deep breathing and recognizing in advance what might trigger them. Strange airports don’t bother me anymore. At the heart of it, not knowing where I’m going or what I’m doing is the cause – a bit of a problem when traveling. Now, I just laugh at myself. It helps. And I’m sure as hell not going to let a little thing like this stop me.

In the United States, we generally don’t realize how often our expectations are met. You sit down and order coffee and it comes almost instantly, with regular refills. There is sugar and cream on the table. You don’t have to ask for a napkin. Coffee is not a given in SE Asia, and refills are unheard of. You have to get over it.

In the U.S., you drive down the highway, without a map, because you know that there will be signs to where you want to go. In other parts of the world, street signs are rare and directional signs even more rare, and if you do run into one it’s in another language. Knowing where you are is a matter of maps and questions and guessing. There are many, many other ways that your ability to adapt will be challenged if you choose to journey without a tour guide.  That’s the reality of traveling. Embracing that things will be unfamiliar and challenging is how you enjoy it.

Although, I’ve loved my trip – really loved it – there are times that I’m tired of it, times I’d like nothing more than to pack up and go home…for a couple of weeks. And then the wanderlust would get the better of me and I’d be ready to hit the road again. So I hunker down and wait for it to pass. Usually, it takes a wonderful conversation with someone or finding a really great, cheap hotel or a moment in a tourist spot that moves beyond the postcards; like the peace that came over me in Doi Suthep, a huge temple outside Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The best curry I've had - in the Phillipines!

Eating out has been a challenge for me, mainly because I don’t like seafood and in SE Asia, it’s all about the seafood. I’ve tried a bunch of different dishes, street food (but not from the carts – can’t bring myself to do it) to curries at nice little cafes. I’m about 50-50 on my thumbs up and down. When I’ve had enough bad experiences, I resort to Western style food and 7-11 sandwiches for a day or two. Today, I had some of the best pizza ever (in Thailand) and I didn’t feel a bit guilty about it!

My purpose for wandering the world is to ultimately find a place I want to retire to overseas, so my style is much different than the person who is on a three-week vacation. By virtue of their limited time, the vacationer can’t afford to waste a day or two recovering from a day on an airplane. I can and do take the time to recuperate. I’ve also realized I don’t need to see everything there is to see. Now, I carefully choose what I want to see and do in each town. Often, I spend time strolling around a mall because it tells me a lot about the people and lifestyle of the area. I’m happiest when I can take a walk and find some little hidden gem, like a wonderful park or shop.

So, that’s the truth of the matter; I’m not always thrilled with what I see or where I’m staying. Patong Beach, Thailand, is a good example of the wrong place for me. I spent a couple of days on the beach, but I knew almost instantly it wasn’t my speed; too much of a party town and too touristy. I’m not planning on doing a post on Patong because I holed up in my room most of the time. But I’ve packed my bags and moved on to Chumphon, Thailand, where I’m very comfortable, happy and relaxed. I walked to the train station today, checked out the local mall and I had wonderful pizza. 

And that’s enough.