Sometimes a mega city can simply be too much. So, instead of holing up in my apartment or getting blue, I packed my backpack and hopped a train north. I had looked on the map in my Lonely Planet guidebook, picked several cities within 200 km and accessible by rail, and chose the one with the most interesting introductory paragraph. I landed up in Lopburi and it was beyond fantastic. The town is rurally located, built amidst 16th century ruins of palaces and temples, and is filled with a mind-boggling number of mischievous monkeys
My train ride there was lovely. I was relaxed just watching the urban sprawl fade into the distance. My fare was a whopping 50 baht for a ‘rapid’ train northward. No air-conditioning but very breezy open windows and, technically, I didn’t have a seat... I managed to successfully play musical chairs as people disembarked so I didn’t have to stand for the entire trip. I hopped on the train at about 7:20 am Sat. morning and arrived in Lopburi about 2 hours later.
My first order of business was to find food for breakfast and a bed for that evening. I managed to do both within about a half an hour. My room at Noom’s Guesthouse was small with a single bed and not much else. But I did have a view out of half a window and the bedspread was cheery and colorful. Naturally, there was no air-con but for 150 baht a night it can hardly be expected.
Right outside the guesthouse there was a food stall cooking up tiny, purple pancakes. I bought a box and upon tasting deduced that they were a mix of taro, coconut and corn... and quite tasty.
Having dropped off my backpack, I found a city map and embarked on my sightseeing mission. There were a plethora of ruin sites in town and I wanted to see as many as I could. Most of them had free admission, but one or two charged a nominal fee because they had a museum on site. The various ruins and temples were lovely and it was nice to learn about some of Thailand’s cultural and natural history... something I have been woefully negligent of.
I saved the temples most famous for the monkeys for the afternoon because I knew once I was there I would be reticent to visit anywhere without adorable, simian inhabitants.The shrine for the monkeys is situated in the center of town and is surrounded by a fence... though its use is unknown since the monkeys pay it no mind. I was wearing a long-ish skirt that day and only carried a small sling bag... I was hoping to slide under the radar of both people and critters. Nonetheless, upon approaching the temple, I was an immediate target of the monkeys. I quickly realized that my skirt provided a game for them. It could serve as a momentary cape, a method of climbing, a colorful flag, or a place to hide when retreating from a chase. I am fairly certain that the monkeys knew I was not thai; they were more insistent on food demands, were more daring in climbing on me, and took full advantage of my slight fear of being bitten. Regardless, I had a ball playing with them and photographing their antics. To say they were adorable would be an understatement. As Dr. Smith says, “Cute as button-pie.”
After hanging out with the monkeys until shrine closing time, I went in search of something to eat. The food in Lopburi was slightly different than what I find in Bangkok. It was a bit more tradtitional thai, with less Chinese influence (though there were several specifically Chinese restaurants in town). The main drag that paralleled the railroad tracks turned into a virtual food-festival once the sun started setting. The road was lined with festive carts and cart-cooks sung the praises of their fare. Since Thailand is still celebrating the Vegetarian Festival, I didn’t have to play guessing games with mystery meat... I chose a food cart run by an elderly couple that was serving up enticing smelling pat-thai. My nose knew best and when the meal arrived I was rewarded with some of the best food I have had thus far. Fresh, cooked to perfection and served with love and attention to detail. Yum.
The next morning I woke up bright and early to find breakfast and purchase my ticket back to Bangkok. I ate the pancakes again (they were too tasty and cheap (10 bath!!) to pass up) and paid a visit to the rail station ticket counter. I selected the 8:45am train (an ordinary train) and paid the steep fare of 28 baht. I had two hours to kill in town before my train left and I spent it visiting the local wet market. Everything from produce to hula-hoops were sold on the streets. I enjoyed just being immersed in rural commerce. While the streets were packed, they were no where near as crowded as the streets or markets in Bangkok. It felt like a luxury to mosey around and not feel utterly overwhelmed.
I checked out of the guesthouse, and headed for the train station. I expected to wait about 15 minutes for the train to arrive and futzed with my touch. 15 minutes turned into and hour before I started getting worried... maybe I had missed my train? I thought back and it occurred to me that no trains had passed. I gave a worried glance to a rail security guard. He seemed to understand and we entered a rudimentary thai conversation from which I deduced that my train was, in fact, late. He said what I thought amounted to ‘it will be coming shortly’. An hour later and no sign of the train, I was approached by a station attendant. He said the train was still delayed but would arrive within the hour. At this point, I was a little concerned. I needed to be back in Bangkok by 3 to teach a class at the NGO I have been volunteering with. I knew this would cut it close, but without any alternative options, I just bided my time. The train finally arrived at noon. I gleefully hopped on only to realize that it was standing room only... and by that I mean the only available space was directly in the center of the aisle, wedged in between the two rows of people already standing within reach of the handholds. I giggled, found a spot for my backpack in the luggage racks (next to a box containing a chicken, mind you), and began the 2 hour balancing act that was my ride home. If you think for one moment that these trains glide gently across the thai countryside you are very wrong. They rumble, shudder, jerk and screech along the tracks... forget a balance board or ball for an ab-workout, just trying to stay vertical was the most thorough core workout I have ever gotten. That being said, the ride was as much a cultural education as the entirety of my day sightseeing. I was the only Westerner in sight (most opt for the more expensive, air-conditioned seats found in the 2nd and 1st class cars) and I am certain I provided continuous entertainment for everyone in my car.
2 hours later, I stepped off the train at Bang Sue Junction, the Bangkok station nearest my apartment, and looked at the time. It was 2:15 and I had to be across town (in professional wear for teaching) in 45 minutes. Yikes! I hopped a taxi to my apartment, ran upstairs, underwent a 10 minute presto-chango act complete with shower, and undertook a hurried commute across town. I managed to get to class only 5 minutes late and before some of my students. A Bangkok Miracle.
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