day 7 - Lopburi to Phitsanulok

Thursday, 31 October 2013

Eager to get further north, we decided to catch a train to Phitsanulok a day earlier than planned. We had intended to cycle to Chai Nat today and to do a combination of cycling and train the following day but based on some advice we received while staying in Ayutthaya, we decided to give Chai Nat a miss and make our way closer to Chiang Mai.

We spent the morning planning the next couple of days and made a quick trip to the local market to stock up on supplies before heading to the station at 10.00am for a 10.29am express train to Phitsanulock. It would get us there by 1.30pm and we would then cover about 20km to get out of the city and make a bit of a dent into the 80km ride from Phitsanulock to our next stop, Sukhothai. 

(Sitting at the platform at Lopburi station)

The travel Gods were with us... the express didn't have a luggage carriage and the only train that we could take was the 9.44am which happened to be delayed so we would be able to catch it! Unlike our trip up from Bangkok, there was a bit more rigour around travelling with the bikes this time. They had a luggage porter who recorded our destination and tagged the bikes and we paid almost as much to get the bikes on as we did ourselves but it was good to know they would be taken care of.

The train was expected at 11.44am so we had a bit of a wait. Nicky went in search of food while Paul waited with the bags. Outside the station, Nicky found a small internet cafe cooking up food outside. Using her best "I'd like some food for two people to take away please" hand gestures, she returned to the station with lunch.

(Bikes, rice and a scooter ready to be loaded onto the train)

(Lunch)

We passed the time chatting and watching all the activity on the platform. Monks, school kids, families and other travellers like ourselves were coming and going. We were pretty content in the shade and glad we didn't have to be anywhere in a hurry. The train arrived at 12.35pm. We boarded and settled in for the four hour journey ahead.

(The train pulling in)

The journey passed reasonably quickly. As with the train from Bangkok, it was quite roomy with luggage racks overhead. People selling food and drinks wandered up and down the aisles. Everything from fresh fruit to dried fish was available. The scenery was lovely - flat and very green. We saw a lot of rice paddies and, what we think were sugar cane fields. At certain points we could see mountains in the distance shrouded in a haze and we wondered how long it would be before we started ascending into the higher parts of the country on the bikes. 

(Mountains in the distance)

(A good opportunity for a nap)

(One of the ladies selling food to passengers)

(A lot of water and very flat)

(Rice fields and pampas grasses)

We made up a bit of time and arrived in Phitsanulok shortly before 4.30pm. The bikes were off loaded and they took our luggage receipt before handing them over. We appreciated their thoroughness. The town appears to be a service town of sorts so we were happy to pass through in the evening traffic and not hang about. Having arrived a bit later than planned, we rode 9km away from the city in the direction we would go tomorrow and found a hotel along the highway. We were hot and sticky from the train journey and were grateful for a clean room and a good shower. 

(Arrived at Phitsanulok station)

(Navigating around the evening traffic)

Once we were cleaned up, we headed back up the highway on the bikes. We found a small cafe where we stopped for Pad Thai and lemon iced teas. We asked to sit inside to escape the mosquitos and seemed to end up in their living room. Friendly people. The food was tasty and on the way back to the hotel, we picked up some more supplies for tomorrow. We'll set off at 6am and hopefully be in Sukhothai by noon. Night night!