1212 Stood on apparently featureless (if perfectly pleasant) street where both guide book and I think wikitravel say minibuses to Tak can be had. No bus shelter or any sign of bus activity, plus, you know, the bus terminal is round the corner, but hey. I guess I'll just stand here for 45 mins or so to give one chance to turn up before wandering round to the terminal.
1228 OK, that was obviously bollocks. Feeling a sense of wrongness, and observing that the guide book shows buses to eg Bangkok also going from the same street, I figured it must be wrong or out of date, as what would be the point of the bus terminal otherwise? Also, the guide book map doesn't even show the bus terminal.
So I came round here and thats to certain random strangers saying 'Tak' to me and me saying it to them I am sat on a minibus (in a half-decent seat) waiting to leave, having paid 78 for a ticket. I hope this minibus goes to Tak, I cannot be sure. My bag is in the back under the rearmost seat, fingers crossed it isn't nicked. I have my daypack with me, loaded down with water and my netbook.
I don't relish the 'challenge' of being a complete illiterate fool dependent on the goodwill of random strangers to accomplish the simplest task.
I left hotel about 1150 this morning, woke up about 9 of my own accord and drowsed til 10ish. I got up to check the checkout time was midday not eleven, performed some minor chores and half went back to bed. About 11 I realised I hadn't paid my VAT (I didn't have reliable internet when I got the email telling me to pay it, and the reminder app I use on my phone is playing up - or the phone is shit, or something) as I scrolled through my e-mails, but managed to pay it despite the sign saying wifi is off from 11am-12pm. (I do wonder if they mean 11am or 11pm, meh).
I didn't relish the prospect of finding where to get this bus but it is done now, assuming I am going to Tak and not to some random place, though I don't think minibuses go to that many places from here so odds are good, not to mention all the 'Tak?' and 'Tak!' before I got on, the bus being right outside what seems to serve as the ticket office.
I need to remember to buy my ticket to Lampang on arrival in Tak *before* I leave the bus station to get transport to hotel, otherwise I'm going to have to go back out there just to buy the ticket, and it's apparently a bit of a trek and wikitravel mentions 'aggressive feral dogs at night' so it would definitely be samlor/tuktuk territory even during the day, so a real hassle and expense.
1256 We're off. Aircon has kicked in now, which is welcome.
While I remember, the standard English phrase used to attract attention here seems to be 'Hello you' or occasionally 'hey you'. The former still freaks me out slightly.
1311 Yay, some sort of security checkpoint. Rousted passport out of hidden belt then they didn't want to see it after all.
1433 Tak bus terminal.
1459 Checked in. Got tuktuk no problem, after finally realising when the driver pointed 'away' with his finger he wasn't gesturing me over to an adjacent driver, he was asking if I wanted to be taken somewhere by him. Waved off bellhop out front of hotel because I'm a curmudgeon and carried bag myself. 50 for tuktuk, made it 60 as I had 20 notes.
I got a ticket for Lampang tomorrow, bus is at 10am and I need to be there 945. Cost 160ish I think. Bit crap but meh. Only alternative was an 8am bus. Journey is 2-3h, I think she said.
I have some 'breakfast vouchers' stapled to the envelope with my key card in so maybe I should try to be up for breakfast tomorrow, though on the other hand since that would have to be 8am maybe it's not likely. Still, this place is quite expensive by recent standards so I should try to get my money's worth. Room is fairly nice, as it should be at this price.
1508 Found wifi password in a folder on desk, it seems to work. Quite nice view from window (I am on fifth floor, in local terms) over river Ping.
Off out for wander and food. I don't think this is a super touristy place so not over confident will get a menu in English outside the hotel, and I don't intend to eat here unless I'm forced as I suspect it's super-pricey. So if there's a KFC or something, I'm diving in.
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