Treat for breakfast
It was our last day in Pai, and we were leaving on a bus back to Chiang Mai later today. We got up at around 9am for breakfast, and had the usual meal of fruit, toast, and eggs. However, today we had a special treat; we had a freshly baked scone! Oh boy, what an absolute treat for us. After we’d had our lovely scone, Mat and I packed our stuff away and official checked out.
The problem we had was that the bus to Chiang Mai left at around 2:30pm, which was still many hours away. We thought better of leaving now and having to babysit our luggage. Instead, we stayed at the hostel and just chilled out in the garden area. We managed to pass the time by playing many games of cards, as well as playing with the owner’s daughter. She was so small and cute, we kept chasing her and playing hide and seek, so adorable!
Making a run for the bus
Whilst we were waiting in the bakery, which was in the garden, it absolutely hammered it down outside. So when the rain finally stopped, we thought we ought to make a move to the bus station in case it rains again. That would not be fun; caught in the rain with all our luggage, and having to catch a bus too. We walked at an unnoticeable pace to get there probably a few seconds quicker. It was pretty hectic at the bus station, people everywhere, waiting for buses and trying to book buses.
There was no time for mercy in situations like this, you had to find a seat and lay claim to it, else you’d be standing for hours. It’s a tourist-eat-tourist world we live in. I managed to get us some seats and keep them for ourselves. Mat was starving/gasping for a drink, so he left me to fend for myself whilst he replenished himself. At around half two, the bus (minivan) to Chiang Mai rocked up, and we all bagsied the best seats…not that it did me much good.
Feeling queasy
Just like the bus to Pai, the bus to Chiang Mai had to contend with the winding roads in the mountains. Not only that, but the beating red hot heat that comes with it. These two combined make for a seriously uneasy stomach and a really unfun bus ride! After a mid-journey break, I was able to settle my stomach for the rest of the journey. I was also able to get some sleep which helped to stave off any risk of an upset tummy. Eventually, the bus arrived in Chiang Mai in the evening; an hour before the bus to Bangkok arrived.
Everyone from the bus decided to go and find something to eat, so we made a move down the street. It was quite late, so not many places were open. We did manage to find one restaurant at the end of the street, so we all piled in and gave our orders. Most of us hadn’t eaten since breakfast/Pai, so were starving. I went for variant of pad thai; I was trying to build a tolerance to spice, so I added some chilli flakes. This was a huge mistake; I definitely put too many flakes in. My eyes were bawling, and my nose was constantly flowing. Not to mention that I could hardly breathe because of the spice in my throat!
Boarding the sleeper bus
Once we’d eaten our meals, and I’d recovered, we went back to the waiting area. Over time, many others turned up at the bus waiting area. When the time came for our bus, a load of tuk tuks rocked up and whisked us all away. Like normal, we usually get picked up by some smaller vehicles, and get transported to the main vehicle. Mat and I ended up sitting opposite a Yorkshire lad; he said it was great that someone could understand him without him having to put an accent on to be understood. Likewise, it was pretty good to hear a familiar accent. Everyone eventually arrived at a hostel which is where we picked our sleeper bus tickets up.
After a short wait here, I saw the bus outside and quickly dipped to get to the front of the queue. It was quite a jazzy bus, purple with pink neon-styled LEDs. The majority of the beds/seats were upstairs, but as we were first, we got to choose some that were downstairs. There was a small room with about 8 seats in, and I’d like some peace and quiet. Mat and I both chose some seats down here. Once we were on our way, we had a long night’s shift of trying to sleep.
For our first night bus experience, check it out here!
