Our crossing of the border between Poipet and Aranyaprathet was much easier than expected; and by lunch time we had booked into our hotel. It was nice place, modelled after a typical American motel, and with a great swimming pool (such a relief to have a dip in after walking in the midday heat!). We spent the afternoon lounging at the pool, before a decent downpour of rain came and the thunder started to rumble.

After hiding from the rain we decided to wander the streets of this little town, and were delighted by what we saw - on almost every street were rows of little street-food stalls selling traditional and unique Thai foods. We have to admit that the best Thai cuisine we've had thus far was all found in Aranyaprathet - from delicious omelets and egg-based pancakes to sumptuous stewed meats and rice dishes. Having a beer at a restaurant before dinner on the streets completed our foodie evening perfectly.

Thursday morning we woke up very early, put on our rain coats and made the trek to the train station. The trip was not too bad, with overcast but pretty scenery flashing past the open windows and our books to keep is occupied. We reached Bangkok by midday; and after spending a few hours at a quaint coffee shop (so that we could drink a decent cuppa and do some very necessary research), we hoped onto the local bus that dropped us off at the southern bus station. That night we would make the overnight journey to the seaside town called Krabi.