Time for a LONG border crossing! Cathy and I planned to get directly to Ayutthaya to spend a day and a night there before our Elephant Stay. We went via Bangkok, and we decided that since it would take us 13 hours to get to Bangkok, we may do the last 1.5 hours up to Ayutthaya to make it a full day of travelling, and enjoy Bangkok on the way back down Thailand.The rain was crashing down as we got in our Tuk Tuk to go to the Battambang Bus station. Our journey consisted of a two-leg bus journey to the Thai/Cambodian border, and then a two-leg train journey from the Thai side via Bangkok to Ayuthaya. It would be an epic amount of travelling. The border crossing between the two countries was less eventful than the last time!
The scenery was as enjoyable as the last time that I made the train journey. The bus part was not as fun, especially in the pouring rain. During breaks in our journey, we looked for high % deet mosquito repellant, which seems hard to find in Cambodia. Due to communication issues, the staff found my impression of a mosquito landing on my arm and being swatted quite humourous!
At Bangkok Hua Lumphong station, we were careful not to sit in the "Reserved for monks zone".
When we arrived at Ayutthaya, we had a massive disappointment. We phoned our hotel, and the staff had not noted our reservation. The British guy who owned the place (who I would have expected better customer services from), said that he locked up at 10pm, and was at home now, but we should be able to find plenty of guest houses elsewhere. He did not even apologise. We were furious. If ever in the area, DO NOT stay at the Sherwood Guesthouse. We ended up staying at the Aytuthaya Hotel instead, where the toilet was in the same room as the bedroom!
