Are We Still in Thailand?

Today I left Nakhon Si Thammarat for good. It was drizzling outside; I haled a songteaw and loaded my bags, then went to pick up my friend Jane to board the night bus. I was going to stay in Bangkok for a night, and she was heading up to Chiang Mai. The bus was uneventful, and made one stop. When we got off the bus at our rest stop, it was like we were in the western world; that much was evident on Jane's face as her eyes got wide and she asked, "are we still in Thailand?" I felt like I was having a situation of culture shock, with stimulation overload. Usually these stops only serve a small selection of Thai food; Noodle Soup with Fish Balls, or Noodle Soup with Chicken Feet. Yuck. I would rather not eat. Also, the squatty bathrooms usually have no doors, and are smelly with a risk of dengue if you use them. This one was well lit, with impeccably clean bathrooms, running water with soup, and about 50 different selections of food stalls from fried rice to ice cream to mango with sticky rice. This was a welcome change. We arrived in Bangkok at 5:30am and boarded our separate taxis. Me to a hotel to await my friend, her to the other bus station. I dropped off my bags at the hotel and then walked to the mall nearby to eat breakfast and use the wifi while I awaited my check in time. I decided to eat McDonalds. As in my town, the closest western food worth anything is 3 hours away. I was excited for the hash brown and the sausage (in Thailand, sausage is usually just a hot dog, but at McDonalds, it is western sausage). This was mistake number one. After 9 months of eating nothing but Thai food, and the occasional Farang food when I go to a city, or a Thai version of Farang food, I got sick.  At 11am I asked the hotel how much it would cost to check in early, they said 600 baht, but then looked at the clock and then back at me and said “you can check in now for free.” Thank God! The bellman took my huge suitcases up the elevator and I spent the rest of the day in the bathroom, reading poolside, or trying to sleep. At 1am the shuttle picked my friend up at the airport and dropped her off. Little did I know this hotel would be the refuge and calm before a very intense trip. I paid 1200 Baht for this hotel. A little steep, but they offered luggage storage at 3 times less that of the airport, which would save about 1500 baht, and they also offered free airport shuttle, which would save about 1200 baht total, had I stayed at a cheaper hotel and had to take a taxi. The hotel had down comforters, real sheets, and an actual shower door, and I forgot to mention…. hot water. Not only in the shower, but also in the sink. A true luxury.