Bang bloody kok again!

It's 11am and I am showered and settled into my single room after a 14 hour train journey here.

I was picked up from the guest house in Vientiane at 3pm yesterday in a open sided truck with padded seats along each side.
Usually that would have been fine but the temperature was a chilly 15 degrees and it was raining, (the temperature is at an all time low for the time of year for 3 days or so)
I was the first to be picked up and we had  a further 15 people to pick up from guest houses and I was getting damp and cold.
It wouldn't have been so bad but for the fact that after 50 mins of collecting people we were literally around the corner from where we had started.
Why they didn't tell us all to go to the same collection point at the top of the road I don't know.

The truck was jam packed with one guy having to sit on the floor

Anyway, we eventually arrived at the boarder crossing around 4.30pm a very smooth operation through customs and a 15 min train into Thailand.
By now I had got myself chatting with a 55yr old guy from Canada whom Frans and I had bumped into 2 or 3 times in Laos towns.
He was over here on holiday with his son who lives on a island in Thailand.
He is great fun, a right hippie, loving drink and the odd 'happy concoction'.
We all boarded the night sleeper train. I had booked myself a lower bunk in 2nd class, I was very impressed, it was 6ft long with very clean linen and a soft pillow, all beds had curtains around for privacy and it was not a bad nights sleep, indeed a first for me to sleep on a train.
Back to last night, I knew my friend would be in the carriage with the bar so I went off to find him, he was already chatting to a lovely couple from the States.
I joined them and we had a fun time chatting for 3 hours or so. Tim from Canada had a small plastic water bottle full of JamessonWhisky and kindly kept giving us shots from the lid of the bottle (how very thoughtful).
And a good time was had by all.
We arrived in Bangkok at 7.30 this morning, I have still not decided where to go next despite reading about the various islands in the guide book.
I met up with Tim outside the station and he was with a couple of guys in their 20's from Cornwall.

Canadian Tim

We sat on the road side (as you do) and had a much needed coffee and breakfast and then all shared a cab to the Ko San road (the crazy place I have stayed at 4 times before)
To be honest I fancied a shower and a better nights sleep and a bit more researching before setting off again as it will probably involve another over night trip.
I booked a single room in a small guest house, the room is basic and is 6pds, it's the first single room I have had in over 3 months, I feel quite sad and find I am already missing Frans.
I suppose that is to be expected when I have been with him almost every day and night for almost 3 months.
I will meet up with the guys again later for a drink and hopefully will have decided where to go next, but hey ho I can always stay here for another night if not.
It's quite funny being back here again, I was remembering back to the first time way back in November and how it all seemed so foreign and different.
Now, having been to the other countries, it seems very civilised and not at all out of the ordinary.
I have moached around the shops today and later I will look at the island weather reports on the internet and try to come to a decision.
It's much warmer here although still cloudy but back in a t shirt and shorts so all ok.