Sextupled temperature in Thailand

The temperature was 36 deg C. I tried to leave by the wrong terminal. How was I supposed to know that the closest terminal was the wrong one.

After walking through a door, the intense heat seared me. I was on a bridge above a 6-lane. Across the bridge, were the railway lines. Taking Lonely Planet as guru of all things travel, I took their advice and avoided going South to Bangkok. Instead, I went the opposite way to Ayutthaya - the island of ruined wats.

On the train, hawkers passed through with plates of meat on rice and bags of strange white powder. There was also a mama-san - the elderly lady carry a mass of packages. She had about 8 bags and boxes, including fish-balls and a village-worth of dried mushrooms. Prior to getting off, she stacked her load across the exit door, which didn't help her to unload quickly.

On getting off the train at Ayutthaya station was by boat. It was already packed with about 30 standing people, including schoolkids. I allowed a monk in yellow robes to go in front of me but he must have had divine intervention as he too thought that standing on the prow without guard rails was not a good idea. Nevertheless, 5 children jumped on merrily. The boat reversed and I got on at the stern, next to the exposed engine. I had gloomy thoughts of one of my rucksack's dangling straps being sucked into the machinery. Fortunately, we made it across. I was now on the island.