Day 36, Summer in Asia, Phitsanulok, Thailand
We were in luck because on Sundays our hotel does a special brunch. Instead of toast and coffee, we got rice, chicken stir fry, and another option that was a bit soupier, but also with rice and chicken.
This is how they do water delivery at the hotel, in these cute little glass bottles outside our door.
View from our window.
Madi sent us a pic from her internship which was rice in the shape of Pandas. She knows what amuses us.
Originally we weren’t sure what we would do this week while Madi’s at her hospital internship. After being in this town for a few hours, we’d already felt like this was the longest week of our lives. It’s a smaller working city, nothing to do, only one temple to see. We decided to go to Laos for a few days. The train doesn’t go there from here, so we are taking the bus. Paul went to the station and bought tickets for tomorrow.
Next, he to the train station to buy tickets for a Saturday when we head to Bangkok. Behind him was a monk and he decided to buy his ticket also.
Two of Kier’s favorite bedtime stories were, “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” and “If You Give a Moose a Muffin.” I want to do a Thai version, “If You Buy a Monk a Train Ticket,” which is what Paul did today. Maybe we’ll end up sitting next to him.
We have been really scrounging in this town to find food. We’ve traveled enough to be able to gage street food risks and what our stomachs can tolerate despite our adventurous appetites. I’ve spent many nights sleeping next to a toilet getting a better understanding of my gastronomic limitations. Last night we got McDonalds and tonight we’re ordering in Pizza Hut. Sometimes you have to play it safe, especially when the next day you’re taking a bus through the mountains with no restroom.
When we left the hotel, the owner’s father told us not to eat any street food in Laos, and that 7/11 was the only safe food for us. He then told us that we would be paying white people prices for all food and taxies. It was sweet that he tried to warn us.