Trains & Boats

I finally got to take a long train ride!..I took the overnight 'sleeper' from Chiang Mai to Bangkok...beautiful scenery & quite comfortable...it was only 530 Baht for an 'upper' berth/bed & had fans & open windows which was nice with the wind blowing...I spent a little time in the 'cafe' car with some folks who were having a good time singing songs on the LOUD stereo but mainly was back in my comfortable seat finishing reading 'Angela's Ashes' by Frank McCourt about his 'miserable Catholic childhood' in Limerick, Ireland..a great Pulitzer prize book...at night the train porter comes by and pulls down the upper sleeping berth & makes the bed...only have curtains for privacy but actually was quite comfortable & soothing to sleep to the train rolling along the track...we got in the classic Bangkok station at 5:55 am & I had reserved the next train south a few hours later...an 'express' which was had air-con & reclining seats & included lunch...I ate the chicken with the rice which was the first flesh/meat I've had in a long time...(I eat alot of pad thai & fried rice!)...the scenery south was beautiful too...I got off in Chumpon & took a 3-hr. Bus ride to the Adaman sea side town of Ranoog....I'm here because I needed to do my 30 day 'visa run'..this morning I took a 'taxi truck' for 11 Baht to the thai immigration where I get my departaure stamp...then I connect with a woman who connects me with a long wooden boat ride to Burma for 150 bt....I hop on the back of her motorcycle to the pier where there are 2 older Austrian men living in Phuket who will be on the boat with me...a young thai guy is our 'captain'..first we have to get gas nearby in the port for our loud old motor then we stop at another Thai checkpoint on the water...then its across the bay to Myanmar/Burma..a loud,wet ride...we finally make it to the first Burma border post where our guide takes our $5(unfortunately which supports the military regime there)& our passports & comes out shortly & then on to the next place where he does the footwork for us again...Burmese guys on shore are asking if we want any 'pills' which the Austrian gentleman tells me is Viagra which sell for about $2 here versus $60 in Europe?...we decline & never leave the boat...he comes back with my passport stamped & I realize they give 3 days to stay in Burma which I didn't know...our return is a little slower(less wet) & the 'ex-pats' from Europe give me a ride in their car to the thai immigration again which stamps me for another 30 days in the Land of Smiles....SMILES to you...