7/27/2012

Land of Smile

I'm here! Sitting at Bangkok Hua Lamphong station and waiting for my train down to Chumphon. Bought a combi-ticket and will be picked up by a bus and then transfer to Ko Tao with a catamaran from Chumphon so I'll arrive on the island at 8:45. Gonna stay there and relax at the beaches at least for a week. Will see a travel agent after writing this to find me a nice accomodation, otherwise I have to start looking when I'm there. And I have to get my first real Thai food, I'm getting hungry. While I'm writing this I find the first mosquito flying around my head :-)

I had a great trip and everything worked out well. My Mom and my sister Verena drove me to the airport and she gave me a really thoughtful and emotional present, a figure of St. Christophorus. He will look after me and I glued him on the title of my red notebook. What a great companion!

All the flights with Turkish were on time and I had an amazing time on board. No wonder they are the best European airline. I never had such good food and the service was just amazing. They had bacon and eggs for breakfast!!!, perfect for my first steps in Thailand.

Immigration and baggage claim was so quick and getting the train ticket for the Sky Train also. So I made it to the subway station Phetchaburi very quick, where I had to change for the subway. Changing meant walking along a crowded street and crossing it. Amazing first impressions. While the people here are so orderly and friendly and even line up in a straight queue automatically when the trains arrive the street traffic is just totally aggressive and dangerous chaos, at least it seems like that to a stranger.

After arriving at Hua Lamphong station I enjoyed the first impressions there for a while. It is not very easy just standing around looking, because every minute somebody else wants to sell you tickets, a trip or food. After needing some time to check it out I finally booked my combi-train-ticket at an official Thai railway counter. Attached some images of what I see here.

Okay, have to go...hungry!