Marking a row of seats in the train station
We left Bangkok for Nong Khai (in the northeastern part of Thailand) on July 25th, on the overnight sleeper train. We lounged around on our luggage at the train station, watching the people and the chaos, while we waited for our train. There were Thai and European families and lots of backpackers sprawled on the floor waiting for their trains to be called. The monks were barefoot, even in the train station, (although when we saw them on the Bangkok streets they usually were wearing sandals).
Once on the train, 2nd class was full of backpackers and locals heading north. And us. We were next to a group of young Italian guys who were playing guitar and being Italian, and we eventually (kind of) slept in our cozy little compartments in the upper bunks, curtains pulled. No guard rail. But no one tumbled to the floor during the night, and all was quiet.
When we awoke in the morning, we were speeding past rice paddies, water buffalo, women stooped over in the fields–it was like a page out of National Geographic. (My photos, however, had to be taken through the very dirty train window.)
We arrived in sweltering Nong Khai 12 hours after getting on the train in Bangkok. Nong Khai is a small city–very small, but real, no tourists. The OpenMind Projects headquarters is staffed by half a dozen or so trainees from Thailand and Laos who are learning English and computer skills and working with the volunteers. They are all lovely, and swarmed us on our arrival, taking our bags, greeting us warmly.
Our room has mattresses on the floor, and geckos on the walls, but it has an air conditioner, so we are very happy.
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