Night Train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai:

During out trip to Thailand Lindsay and I had one of the most amazing train rides ever! There are numerous ways to get from Bangkok Thailand to the northern city of Chiang Mai. However, after doing research on the website seat61.com (the most amazing train travel site on the web) we decided to take a night train. We took a taxi and arrived at the colorful and crazy central station in Bangkok called Hua Lampong. Upon arrival into the station we were shocked by how many people were sitting on the floor waiting for their trains. There were a few benches scattered around but most families chose to simply sit right square in the middle of the station on the floor. It was loud, crowded and a little bit dirty but we were loving the experience. We spent a moment just cruising the crowd and "people watching"...we even saw a sick Thai boy throw up all over his family and the floor! :) We found a nice place to sit on the second level and just watched the amazing scene that was the inside of this station. Eventually as night fell are train arrived and we were able to board. When we first stepped on the train we were not sure that it was a night train. Their were seats as far as the eye could see! However, a few minutes into the journey the staff came by and turned the 2 rows of seats into an amazing collection of beds (bunk style with one on top of the other) with privacy curtains! Lindsay took the top bunk and I took the bottom and our faces were glued to the windows. It was a hot/humid night in Bangkok and we were amazed at the urban scenery as we pulled out of this amazing metropolis. We eventually went to bed and to this day it is probably the best I have ever slept on a night train. When we woke up we were simply blown away and what we saw out our window. Gone were the wild and crazy streets of Bangkok and what we saw were the green jungles and crop fields of Northern Thailand. Lindsay had joined me on my bunk and we were falling in love with the countryside as we experienced it from our train window. Lindsay had always wanted to go to Thailand and the countryside was what she was most excited to see. It was such a fun experience watching her face as she saw this country that she had dreamed of. Every once in awhile the train would pass a dirt road crossing and we would get to see the local Thai people with their smiling faces, scooters, etc. Eventually we pulled into Chiang Mai and began that part of our trip. Going to bed in crazy Bangkok and waking up in the tranquil and beautiful countryside of Northern Thailand made this a night train we will always remember!