What The?

Well, one thing led to another and we now find ourselves back on bustling Khao San Road in Bangkok. How did this happen? I don't rightly know myself, perhaps Fortuna has played a devious trick on us, but all I know for sure is that we're here.

Ranong was really really excellent for the whole 3 days we were there. We took a ferry from Koh Phayam to Ranong, and had the most wonderful welcoming party. We only had to clamber over 2 boats and then up a ladder that looked like it was built by a 6 year old. But aside from the sketchy beginning, the rest of it went very well. We ventured out into town a lot, ate most meals at a nearby food market (experiencing virtually no English speakers for the first time), got massages, and checked out the local "waterfall," which in fact looked more like a pissy dribble than anything else.

Our grand plan was to head from Ranong to Kachanaburi, but we ran into some roadblocks at Chumphon. Basically the train was more than we thought, longer than we thought, and crappier than we thought, and we all simultaneously lost enthusiasm. Instead, we decided to stop by in Bangkok for a few nights to get our heads straight and figure out our next move. You now may find yourself asking, "what is this ever-so mysterious next move that our dutiful blogger speaks of?" Well, it is a move that will soon take us to Khao Yai. I actually don't really know much about Khao Yai because Tamir was the mastermind behind the move, but I'm pretty sure it's a national park, and we can rent tents there (because we won't be spending enough time in tents for the next 6 months). In the meantime though, we are spending time at Khao San road in Bangkok. I hate it here. It's filled with tourists, persistent vendors, expensive food and drinks, loud parties, and "ping pong shows" (don't ask). Hopefully we will depart tomorrow from this unpleasant place... assuming Fortuna spins us with a benevolent hand.

Sincerely,
Rutherford, your exasperated travelling boy.