13 hours in a bus

As I boarded the bus, I wondered what I was thinking. I had just sentenced myself to 13 hours of ground travel.

Strapping on my anti-nausea wrist cuffs, I prayed the ride wouldn’t be too stop-and-go. I prayed the passengers wouldn’t snore. And I prayed the odors from the bus toilet wouldn’t spread.

I believe in the power of prayer. The ride was a piece of cake.

It was 7 p.m. when I boarded the VIP bus. I’d held a cautiously guarded opinion of Thai VIP, but for the $25 ticket, I was very satisfied. The wide, cushy chairs reclined to almost 90 degrees, making sleeping comfortable and easy. Blankets were provided, and there was even a bus hostess who doled out snacks and bottles of water and juice.

The television up front blared a Thai variety show, and then a laughable American thriller, but eventually fell silent around 10 p.m. At midnight, we stopped for supper, also included with the price of the ticket. It was simple Thai home cooking, reminiscent of what my own Chinese mother had put on our childhood dinner tables. Side dishes of sliced pork sausage, pan-fried bok choy, salted boiled eggs, pieces of stir-fried fish with spicy red chili peppers and pickled cabbage covered the table and were accompanied by bowls of chok – a watery rice porridge.

Half an hour later, we were back on board. Everyone hunkered down for the night, and there was silence in the bus.

At 5:30 a.m., all the lights in the bus were turned on, and the passengers blinked in groggy surprise as the bus hostess passed out little cups of instant coffee. In another half an hour, we were at the ferry terminal in Sarat Thani, the popular jumping point to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand, including my destination – Koh Samui.

I stood on the deck of the boat watching the sun rise over little islands and big rock formations lodged in the sea. I gulped large mouthfuls of fresh sea air – a welcome change from the grit and grime of Bangkok. After two wonderful weeks in the big, bustling city, I was ready for a change of pace in the form of sun-drenched beaches, swaying hammocks and fruity drinks.