Difficult day today after a noisy, cold night (tes, cold!). The Oldtown Hostel I booked online through Booking.com was different to my first experienced at Hua Hin with shared dorm ok but shared showers/toilets for a floor. And mine was at the other end of course.

The air con turned on and off all night, right above me and no-one seems to question it. At least in the other we could control it. Then it was on a busy road so traffic all night – sounded like I was on the street with them!!! Then it also felt like that with the mattresses quite hard but the pillow too last night. All in all, I couldn’t stay again. Then as I as I was first up and didn’t want to disturb the lads still sleeping (how??!!) the other girl was outside sorting her bag, and I dragged mine out to do the same. Rattling my plastic flat pack bags to fit in my rucksack was noisy, along with my huffing and puffing and here in the hall, where needed, no air con!!!!

I was able to leave my bag and went back later for the Internet and air con and sit down before going back to the station. After days of hearing and reading about trains being hard to book to Chiangmai Mai I looked at options. I almost booked an expensive temple tour, hotel tonight in BKK and then train from Auythetya there, and another hotel of their choosing. Sent by yuk tuk there for advice by a school teacher who saw me lost and indecisive. However these are touts for customers lost and confused, easy targets for charging well over the odds for things. But after trying my card and then sending me off with someone to get the cash I drew the line! Wanted the river but never got there!!! Another taxi took me to a boat booking pier but already done it for less and that was over the odds!!

Another taxi from Thonburi station, across the river, didn’t know the way through the one ways so dropped me again, and without directions from a local would have wandered around as I did today for hours!!!!

Difficult to say the least but I know I’ve been lucky so far…

15.8.15