The next morning I got up at 6am to find everyone else up — out in the countryside it is usual to get up before sunrise. After breakfast and showering, the daughter of the family I was staying with decided to go for a trip to visit their aunt and uncle who I had met the previous year. I thought we were going for a short trip, but as we boarded our third bus/songthaew I was starting to realise the mistake I had made. It was an especially hot day, and after lunch, I made a further mistake of agreeing to walk around during the hotest part of the day. We visited a very pretty temple and some beautiful gardens, but when we returned to the house after the walk I was soaking from sweat. Luckily the aunt told me to take a shower which was really great! You wouldn't realise how amazing a cold shower can be!
On the way home to Ban Yang Noi we took the air-con bus. I had got one of these buses on the same route yesterday and it cost me 20 baht (travelling as a lone farang). Today, the exact same journey cost 20 baht for two people. Farang got cheaper overnight!
The final day in Ubon we got up a little earlier and left in the cooler part of the day for Wat Pah Pong. It was no easy task going to this forest temple on public transport (compared to last year when I did the 60 kilos on a moped). After paying our respects to Luang Puu Chah we headed back to the city where we had lunch before taking yet another bus home.
A few hours later I had to board the bus destined for Bangkok, and once again I was quite sad to leave this village in Ubon. It is one of the most homely places for me in Thailand — it is so simple and so natural. On the overnight bus, as usual, all the Thais got the blankets out to keep warm from the air-con. Being British I usually refrain from blankets and take pleasure in telling the Thais that it is no where near as cold as England. However, on this journey the brand new bus was ice-cold, and within 15 minutes I too was shivering under a blanket! It was so cold I couldn't sleep. I eventually got to sleep in the early hours, and then shortly after we stopped for breakfast — at 2am! To think I had paid extra for what are called VIP buses — and a reminder of how cold it is in England! The bus then arrived at 4am in Bangkok and I was so pleased that the warm air still greeted me at this ungodly hour. I got some real sleep until 9am, when I got a call from Michael that we were to meet in an hour to leave for the summer camp at Hua Hin. I just had time to shower and forget my clean underwear before heading off!
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