Robin and I are now on a train to Nong Khai, just across the border from the Lao capital Vientiane.
After Tonsai I took a longtail boat to Ao Nang (the closest community with a road), a minivan to Surat Thani train station (actually in the neighbouring town of Phunphin), and a train to Bangkok. There I met up with Robin, who left Tonsai before me since she was tired of climbing.
In Bangkok, we did some tshirt shopping (it’s a little known fact that Bangkok is one of the tshirt capitals of the world), visited the Reclining Buddha, and Robin visited the Grand Palace (I’d already been.) We also got to hang out with Julie, who’s been living in Thailand for a few years now.
It was a short visit though – our Thai visas run out today. So onto Laos, where we hope to visit Vientiane, Vang Vieng, and Louang Prabang before heading back to Thailand to visit the north and see more of Bangkok!
(Entry written March 17, 2010)