Back to Back Sleeper Buses in Thailand

Anyone traveling in 3d world countries will inevitably take an overnight bus ride, lasting somewhere between 9 and 16 hours, at some point in their journey (if not several).  Leaving Phi Phi Island in southern Thailand and heading for the Laos border crossing in northern Thailand, we prepared for back-to-back sleeper buses, with an 8-hour layover in Bangkok in between.  Of course, these would not be the best two nights of the trip.

The first bus ride wasn't so bad, probably because the buses in the south are more frequented and thus nicer than those in the north, and because we had our last reserves of ambien to help us out.  But even a good sleeper bus is still a sleeper bus...

First, you're never quite sure which bus to get on at the chaotic station, where it's crowded, dirty, and dark.  After eventually sorting out which bus is yours and getting settled, you head out of town slowly through traffic, but happy to be on the road and bumping your ipod while watching the night scene outside.  Then they throw on the dvd.  You're hoping it might be something in English and maybe even something worth watching.  Hahaha, you were silly to hope that. It's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," with Nick Cage--you're not even sure it's that or if its rather that one about young superheroes--dubbed into Thai.  You strike out there so you keep your ipod on.  Time to eat your sleeping pill and get as comfortable as can be accomplished: not very. 

Then out of your induced sleep haze you realize you're stopped and all the Thais are getting off the bus.  Checking the time, it's 2:30 a.m.  You've stopped at a huge snack depot.  You certainly don't feel like making a transaction for some shitty snack, but hey, the bathroom here has to be better than the tiny one on the bus, so you stumble off with eyes half closed and do your business. 

In the morning you're woken up as the first stop is made, where one or two people get off, and the bus keeps going.  It's too early for your destination--you think--so you don't ask any questions but become more observant.  But as more and more people get off at random roads or shops, you hope it will somehow become clear when it's your turn. 

Our day in Bangkok is taken up with some shopping and then meeting up with some British friends (met in Vietnam) for some day drinking.  We figure since we're out of ambien this might help us fall asleep early that night on our bus up north. 

We load on and again hope for an American movie in English.  We get really hopeful when the previews are in English and of movies we actually want to see.  Again our hopes are dashed, as a very low budget Thai movie is put on with the sound blaring.  Turn up the ipod and yes, the four large Chang beers a piece help us fall quickly asleep, even with the likes of ACDC serenading us.

But then we're woken up by a bus employee at 1:00 a.m. and asked to show our tickets.  That makes sense.  I mean, we could've snuck on with our huge backpacks somewhere outside Bangkok and not paid for tickets.  Whatever.  But he does give us some orange flavored milk and a package of one slice of bread lathered in sugary butter (the bread actually wasn't so bad).  Now the beer sleep has worn off, and this bus has less leg room than the last, and my ass is killing me from sitting for so long in the last 36 hours, so the rest of the night is off-and-on napping with vivid, weird dreams, as the traditional Thai music blasts from crappy speakers and the AC vents drip water on us slowly. 

Some rest in the near future is definitely needed.