I'm the only farang in this village

Hey all,

I was in a slightly down mood earlier this evening. I left bangkok yesterday morning, and haven't really met *anyone* since. From people to hang out with coming out of my ears to a ghost-town was a bit of a shock.

I'm in a middling-sized place in central thailand between bangkok and chang mai called phitsanulok. Nothing special, at all, in itself, it turns out. I stopped off there because it made the journey north easier, and meant I got to spend today visiting sukhothai which is this *awesome* 14th-16th century ruined Khmer city. So that was great, but got a bit down later on when I came back here, and the 'bustling' youth hostel has no one but me in it. Again. And the most happening strip in town... appears empty of bars.

So! I decided to get outa here. While sat in a restaurant on the way back to the hostel, I resolved to book myself on a night train that leaves in about an hour from now (half midnight) to chang mai, which I *know* to be ace, where i'm gonna hang out for a day or two before heading to the laos border, which is pretty close to there.

Having made this decision I left the restaurant and headed back to the hostel with a spring in my step. Only to be blinded by a police officer flashing his flash light from the opposite pavement. Unpeturbed, I crossed over, and he signaled for me to stand on the pavement and wait. Looking up and down I saw a *lot* of policemen about. I guessed there was a motorcade coming because the street was empty and a sole police car blarred down the middle of the street with its lights on. I asked a street vendor that spoke a few words of english, and discovered it was the Queen of Thailand going past.

Now she's a pretty damnedly important person round these parts, so i've decided it's a sign. Off to Chang Mai I go!


Speaking of which, I have a night-train to catch.


Laters all,


Will.
Leaving the back-of-beyond, Thailand.