Skip to main content

Crossing the train tracks

We arrived back in Prachuap Khiri Khan today to enjoy a few more days at the beach. 

The mini-bus dropped us at the van terminal outside town - which is approximately 45 minutes walk to the hotel. As there are no tourists here, you can't get a taxi and there are no Grabs (Ubers). The only option is a motorbike taxi which won't work with our luggage. 

We had no choice. We took a large gulp of water in the 34 degree heat, turned on Google Maps and began to walk. It was mostly one straight main road to walk along. We thought, oh that's easy. Which was great until we saw the road split in two and the path disappear. 

We worked out a short cut on the other side. But alas, after crossing the dual carriageway, we soon saw the path ended further along. Why? Because it is the railway line. 

So what do you do in Asia? You pick up your luggage, look left and right, and walk across. There was no other option. 

We managed to get ourselves to the train station to up a £2 tuk tuk sidecar for the remaining minutes of the journey. Suffice to say we both had a very hot shower when we arrived at the hotel! 

This evening we hired a couple of old bikes on their last legs for a few days, and headed into town for dinner. We ended up eating with another couple perusing the menu when we arrived. 

Lets just say they were very odd indeed, and hopefully we won't be bumping into them again. 🤣
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sri Lanka: the highs and lows of a month long trip

After a month of exploring Sri Lanka, we've packed our bags, ready to head back to the UK. I want to share some of the highs and lows of our adventure. Highlights Cheap : Our British pounds stretched remarkably far and we only  spent a total of  £1440 per person. The breakdown: £750 - Etihad indirect flights (1.5 hour stop off in Abu Dhabi)  £690 - Bed & Breakfast, dinner, all transport (bus, train, taxi), cultural entrance fees, hospital treatment, laundry and grocery shopping.  The People : Incredibly warm and hospitable, very friendly and eager to help. They really enjoyed stopping for a friendly chat on the street, and we felt genuinely welcomed as English tourists. Scenery : The views were breathtaking, particularly the hill country from a train.  Weather : Consistently hot and sunny. To avoid the intense heat, we found it best to travel very early morning.  Lovely Beaches : Beautiful and clean, though the steep drop off and powerful waves made sw...
Post a Comment
Read more

Big Buddha

This week I visited Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen in Bangkok. The temple dates back to the Ayutthaya period, but a lot of what you see today is newer. The most striking feature is the massive Buddha statue (about 69m tall), completed in 2021, made of bronze and visible from quite far away. There’s also a large stupa (around 80m high) with detailed interiors, glass, green tones, and a central crystal structure. Getting there is easy via the MRT Blue Line or taxi. Definitely worth a visiting if you're exploring the Thonburi side of Bangkok.
Post a Comment
Read more

Onwards from Sigiriya to Galle

Our journey from Sigiriya to historic Galle was a tale of two trains – one a nostalgic throwback, the other a test of endurance.  We began our day by heading to Habarana train station. H abarana, like many stations in Sri Lanka, felt like stepping back in time.  The ticketing process was entirely manual, with a gentleman appearing just before departure to issue tickets – cash only, of course!  Another employee manually lowered the crossing barrier.  Our previous train journeys in second class had been comfortable, but this 5.5 hour trip to Colombo was a different story. The seats were grimy, and the heat was stifling. We were thankful to finally pull into Colombo, an hour behind schedule, which meant we missed our connection. Luckily, we only had an hour's wait before boarding a new second-class carriage to Galle.  This train was a marked improvement, and we settled in for the final leg of our journey along the coast.  Galle city is a UNESCO heritage site, ...
Post a Comment
Read more