We took a train from Chiang Mai to Sukhothai, and then from Sukhothai to Bangkok. We remembered our romantic train experience 12 years ago traveling from Bangkok to Surat Thani, and wondered if it would be as romantic now that we're older.
It was. There's something so relaxing about riding a train. It's not about getting there quick - an airplane ticket is better suited for that. It's not about control or making decisions - a car gives you that. It's not necessarily about price - buses sometimes have them beat. But a train gives you the luxury of sitting back and spending some time watching the world go by in a way that no other form of transport gives you. It's out of your control, which somehow makes the time pass more acceptably. It's right on the ground level, so you get a feel for the details of terrain and the local conditions of weather and life that you don't get on an airplane (though airplanes give you a fabulous big picture view). It's a great way to travel when you don't need to be there right away. And we really now feel like we get what northern Thailand is like compared to central Thailand, and what grows (and is grown) where, and what small town Thailand looks like. Plus there is nothing like the rhythmic motion and sound of a train for encouraging a good sound nap.
And the food was not bad at all.
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