" to the south, to the south, my time is running out...."

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Wasting time in the noodle bar..
Tuk tuks waiting at the station

The express sleeper train is a good way to travel, it's cheap and for 565 baht you get a bed included for the night, this time I had an upper bunk to climb into and I slept for most of the journey quite comfortably. Arriving at Hualamphong station in the centre of Bangkok at about 8.30 in the morning following the usual and expected delays. Unfortunately my bike didn't get on the same train and was now expected on a later one so I found myself with a couple of hours or so to kill with coffee and breakfast on the street outside. Here I get a chance to watch busy Bangkok at work and around the station there is plenty to see. Taxis around here are tuk tuks and they sit in rows expectantly waiting for customers, each new one worth 700,000 baht (£13k). Mopeds fly about carrying everything and everyone. All walk of Thai life is here including lost travellers, deliverers, monks, workers, beggars, sleepers, guards, sellers, bin men and even a guy waiting for a lost push bike.
Other folk waiting...

The workers gettin on wi'it



Because I'm static, it's presumed that I need to be going somewhere, so every few minutes a horn will beep and a tuk tuk or a moped taxi will stop to take me somewhere with offers of "lady,lady..boom boom - boom boom", whatever that means?. The only thing I want to get on around here is my trusty steed!....I'm gonna go and see if she's arrived yet on platform 5 ......she hasn't!  When I get to the guys who unload the carriages they raise both arms and jiggle their hands about and this, it would seem, is the international sign for 'your bikes not arrived yet!'...two more raised fingers means it's going to be 2 o clock.....I hope that's what it means!
Riding back thru the protest sites

Blockaded roads in Bangkok



It wasn't.....it arrived earlier to my surprise at 12.30 and then it was out into the death trap that is downtown Bangkok and the unbearable humidity. I had memorised the route and just had to go with the flow. My journey took me back through the road blockades in the heart of the city to where the protesters are still camped near to King Rama IV statue by Lumphini park and the scene of the recent troubles on tv. The police have been clearing some areas around the city but this is definitely still a stronghold of the government opposition. It was peaceful now but I wasn't for hanging around as it is a volatile area of the city now. Halfway back I had to stop for an iced coffee. The last part of the ride was just as manic but finally, back at the Siam Place airport hotel my reservation was a haven of power shower bliss...
Back at the hotel

Previous  blog post title inspired by...The Jam  :  EASY: 1 point
Ok, not a tubestation but an excuse to play a classic Jam track...!




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