The return journey by train, Chiengmai-Bangkok

After 2 nights in Chiengmai, we were back again at the train station by 5pm to return to Bangkok. That time, we were more prepared from the last experience (or so we thought!) and bought some (note: some!) buns, food and drink onboard to feast on.

The train was nowhere in sight by the time we arrived the train station and we loitered around.

 Their latest "hot" gesture. A kind of snapping the fingers to make a very loud snapped sound. Annoying!

 Loitered and took pictures, lots of pictures.

 Then papa started jumping around the tracks and didi happily followed. *roll eyes*

 wah-mm-theng! see where all the naughty genes come from!??

 Meimei twirled and danced around... see how crazy we all were getting after waiting for so long?

 Loitered and waited some more. Gosh! I was beginning to get worried if any trains were coming at all!

Yippee! The train finally came after like 30 mins or so and we were so looking forward to go back to Bangkok.

But horror among horrors! We found out after boarding that that train had NO RESTAURANT!

Which meant, there would be no dinner or breakfast served on board!

Which meant, we had to seriously consider starving and with the little food we had, to ration it out evenly.

Then, we found out that that particular carriage was an older version design and so henceforth, the bed on the lower bunk is so much smaller than the one we took 2 days ago.Which meant, either I had to make do with sharing the pathetic single bed with meimei or risk having her taken away if she slept by herself. I couldn't bring myself to risk that in any way and furthermore, she refused to sleep on her own as well. So.... sigh!

As the train chugged along the way, depression was about to sink in. It was for the fact too that I started feeling unwell, with all the tomyum I consumed everyday since day 1. And it was the day my menses chose to come for its monthly visit, making my mood spiraling downwards.

Fortunately though, the train made some stops and some locals would come onboard to sell some finger bites or easy food. We bought fried drumsticks and sticky rice. With the rest we had, we somehow managed to survive through.

Hubs checked out the whole train from the front car to its back and came back reporting ours were the best car! It's the only second class, with beds and aircon. The next best is the beds with just the fans. Then the rest were all seats with fans. I can't begin to imagine what a long night it would be sleeping seated upright with just the fans. With that thought, I began to feel, oh well, we were the luckiest among the rest of the commuters.

After washing up, settling in to our beds and all, I had a moment with didi and meimei with the curtain drawn, all cuddled up in the little small confined space of a bed. They were giggling and talking, which melt my heart and ease my worries tremendously and I thought to myself, I am so blessed.

I allowed them to play until they wanted to sleep, which I-don't-know-when. Sometime later, hubs came back and told me he wanted to go to the other car for its open doorway scenery, but the conductor asked him to return back to his own car as it would be locked soon and he won't be able to return to his bed after that. Thus, my hubs comforted me that my worry was being looked after, that they do have their safety precautions, not allowing anyone to simply enter our carriage. I wasn't sure if every carriage is locked but ours was. In a way, that had mellowed down my fear so much that I could relaxed and breathed easier.

But that night was so darn long! I woke up almost every other hour and the throat was on fire! Gosh! I so missed my home that night, I wanted to go home! *bawl*

Even when the new day's sunlight unfolded, the train was still chugging and chugging endlessly. Holy cow! The train ride came to an end at 10+ again! I was so sick and tired of this long train journeys already!

Hence, the lesson of the day is... you figure it out yourself!