the road to the mighty north

so i survived bangkok with out a scratch i think. khao san is a world of it's own. been livin most their lives livin in a consumeristic paradise let me tell you. everyone is helpful and wants to know where you are from. they also already know your name. it's joe. when i went walking through the poor neighborhoods and the places where there were no stores. i received not one inquiry as to where i was going and if i needed a ride or a ticket. upon my rambling through the tiny dark alleys i probably shouldn't have explored (and got yelled at for even pulling my camera out the first time i did) there was no handshake (which feels wrong). but i made it through. i went to four wat's yesterday and all of them were amazing. i especially liked the golden mount and of course wat prakaeo was amazing. i was also fond of the smaller wat ratchabophit. i had my first shadow there. it was a buddhist holiday (i believe i wrote about that) and it was 20 baht to pray in the temple. this guy kep tasking em for it so he could pray for his family. i gave it to him more to leave me alone than kindness to be completely honest. then he started folling me and wouldn't talk. everywhere i went he was five feet away staring with hollow eyes into my head. it was eerie. so was his bright yellow shirt. which isn't what you wear when stalking someone. hte difference between day and night is also amazing. at night ther are a few street vendors with food out, during the day you are bombarded with an onslaught of crap. althoguh i almost gave in for this leather hip satchel. but i was strong. i didn't get anything. it seemed to overwhelming. i did however have four different curries in the last two days and holy inferno of thai chilies was it delicious. worth the ticket itself. no more tuk tuk for me. well, maybe. i haven't graced myself on one yet, figured i would tomorrow when i go to the dentist. then i will rent a motorbike in the afternoon and be free. oh another thing i liked about bangkok is my new sandal collection. they are everywhere, people must buy new ones everyday because they are sitting outside and look really nice. i love the ones i have on now and i have 5 (pronounced haa) pairs to bring home. people are funny with their waste. ok, i am kidding, i know they were left outside out of respect and i still have the funny looking ones i came with.
i also must mention that this is a special year for me. i will have amazing karma and good luck. let me tell ali-baba nd his forty psychics know. i met each of them yesterday. thtey knew my mothers name and what i was thinking. they wnted my hand. i thought that was an expensive price and kindly told them (remember this one it will save you) mai ow krap - don't want thanks. you have no idea how much i have said that, khap khun khrap, and sabai dee mai. thank you and how are you. the khrap ends all sentences for males and females use ka so if you say this at your local thai restaurant you dont sound rude. the only other place i can direct you to in bangkok is down the street torwards the wat, you'll see the 7-11 turn there. also, if you can help it, never stay at rambuttri village inn. i was told twin hotel is the ticket. but if i miss it on my return i will stay and the greenhouse. that is reputable. if you don't know what you want though i am sure someone might be able to tell you what you want. the people are generally nice though if you show interest in talking and not just asking a question they dont understand. oh, a little thai goes a long way also. you can always bring up muay thai boxing too. everyone loves muay thai. can you blame them?
so i went to hualamphong station a few hours before my train and wandered the crowede aisles of china town. i was looking for this magical indian alley that i still wrestle with the notion of it actually existing. i looked for an hour without luck. but i could barely move with my pack on so i didn't cover too much ground. there are some amazing slaughtered animals in teh back alleys that turn into food. delicious food. anyways, the point being if you want to eat on the train, get food before hand, and not just your dinner but breakfast lunch and snacks, and for godsakes buy some damn water. really it's 28 c here and you're carrying 32 kilos on your back you need to stay hydrated. oh and i recommend lays nori flavored potato chips, fresh mango, and those cookies that are smores. oh yeah. the food in the station sucks. unless you want fried fried stuff, kfc, or dunkin donuts. the internet cafe there is 20 baht for 5 minutes so forget that. but, i found some wonderful conversations. i seem to talk to thai people more than westerners which i would imagine to be preferable since i am in thailand but you would be surprised. i met a girl who i talked to in the station and on the train who is from utah and going to a muay thai camp having never trained martial arts in her life for a month. that is doing it right, and i talked with two people form isreal who i brought to my guesthouse and they have the room next to me. which by the way, cm blue house. 300 baht a night for a huge room bathroom and small outdoor space. you cant really beat it. compared to my 450 in bangkok i would expect this to run me 1000 baht. i also talke to a guy from a small village in central thailand about politics, lopburi and (the place everyone loves) chiang rai and tattoo's. he was very nice and said he hopes more visitors are like me. awwww. i also saw while attempting to go to sleep the largest buddha ever. really, like 100 feet tall. i kid you not. all gold. i had a hard time sleeping on the train. al my time hopping them in the states (do i sound cultured now) kicked the senses back in. we slow down i wake up waiting to hear the engines leave. we speed up and i just want to stick my head out. i took alot of video and sound footage of the train, i will post it when i have a chance. i loved the trainride. it was the best part of thailand so far. the locals and their food and the comfortable bunk (get a bottom even though it cost a little more, the window is worth it) oh it was wonderful. i also met alot of insects i picked up and set free. strange looking ones i have never seem that had talons which dug into my fingers quite surprisingly. still they were wonderful adorable creatures. and the water buffalo in the thung naa (rice paddies) were a site to see. one phrase i am trying to remember is mai kow jai khar toort khrap which is i dont understand sorry. it si helpful but i keep screwing it up. people just laugh though. anyways, you dont need aircon for anything, the fans are fine and you can stretch, do situps, and pushups on your bunk. so there. also if you are a couple it is discouraged to sleep together on the train, but westerners break every rule here. walking around shirtless and drunk. go us. i am going to explore now. more to come. tomorrow, dentist, and hopefully insect museum and corpse museum. i sure do know how to turn myself on.....
saiwadee