This train is bound for glory

This morning we strolled over to the supermarket for breakfast. We bought some bread and a peach pastry (very tasty) and a yoghurt each which we carried with us in a tuk tuk to the 'minibus' stop. They're not really minibuses but a small truck that can comfortable seat ten people in the back. We wanted to see a temple called Doi Suthep and the cheapest way of getting there was to get a communal minibus so we sat and ate our breakfast whilst a group was formed (the minibuses only leave when they have at least ten people). It took us around half an hour to drive to the outskirts of the city and climb a big hill to reach the temple. Once there, we had to walk up a large amount of stairs to get to the entrance and I fear my fitness isn't what it used to be therefore I struggled. The temple itself was rather lovely though with plenty of gold. It was also very popular so was full of tourists but for some reason that didn't really bother me. Surrounding the temple were various bells and viewpoints. Unfortunately, it was quite overcast so the view down onto the city wasn't the best but it was still a pleasant place. 

We caught another minibus back and walked to Lemongrass, the restaurant we ate at the first night in Chiang Mai. Both of us had thoroughly enjoyed the food the first time so we wanted to eat there again. I was going to choose something different but the yellow curry I'd had had been so nice I wanted it again. Matt chose it too (although asked for it to be spicier) and we boldly decided it may have been the best meal we'd eaten since being away. The chicken was beautifully moist, the potato a perfect texture, the onions had a nice firmness and the sauce had a perfect spicyness for me (I asked for mild again). Adding the little cucumber and red onion in a sweet sauce (no idea what the sweetness was) just added another dimension to the curry, making it super yummy. I had to eat it all so was really full afterwards but I was ready for the train. 

We picked up our bags at the hostel and headed for the train station, excited about experiencing something new. The train was great! We'd booked a top and bottom bunk but to start we had seats facing eachother (later they were turned into a bed and the top bunk was pulled down). It was lacking a table so we played cards difficultly, trying to shield the cards from the wind blowing in through the open window. The views were quite lovely through the countryside and the sunset over some hills was beautiful. 

At around 7pm we ordered some food from the very friendly restaurant lady. She brought out a pop up table that slotted in between the seats (if only we knew about this earlier) and delivered our food to us. It wasn't the best food in the world (I had fried chicken pieces with veg and rice, some celery soup and pineapple for dessert) but it filled a hole. After eating, a train instructor came to change the seats into a bed and put sheets and pillows out for us. We sat on the lower bunk for a while, reading up on Bangkok, before attempting to sleep. The train was rather wobbly and as I was on the top bunk I spent most of the time being scared I would fall off. There were rope like things there to supposedly protect me but they didn't seem the safest. My mattress kept slipping off a little which made me more unsettled. I knew I wasn't going to get much sleep.