Okay. So. Yesterday, my only task was to get from Siem Reap, Cambodia to Kanchanaburi, Thailand. A task that proved far more challenging than I ever anticipated it to be. I cried. Twice. Actually broke down and cried. It was bad. It started with a two hour ride to the Cambodian-Thai border. That went fine. Out of Cambodian immigration and through Thai immigration. Check and check. I had arranged a taxi from the border to Bangkok where I would catch a bus to my final destination for the day, Kanchanaburi, Thailand.

I met my taxi and paid for my ride. When I had arranged the taxi, I told them that I wanted to be dropped at the bus station so that I could catch my bus to Kanchanaburi. We begin to drive. And it takes me about 5 minutes to realize that my driver does not speak any English. As in, none. Okay, I think, this should be interesting. I start attempting to communicate. How long to Bangkok, I ask, pointing at my watch. Nothing. Hmmm, I think. Bus station, I ask. Mo Chit, he responds. Crap. Mo Chit happens to be the Northern bus station. Unfortunately, I need to go to the Southern bus station. I try to explain. He phones a friend. I speak to said friend (who speaks only slightly more English than he does), and, at this point, I know that I am most likely going to be taken to the wrong station. Alright, I can still work with this. We get to Bangkok and, based on the two dozen or so phone calls and at least a dozen u-turns, I deduce that this guy has ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA where he is going. We drive aimlessly through insane Bangkok traffic for ALMOST 2 HOURS. He points to a bus passing by and says something to me in Thai. I’m losing it at this point. We finally pull into a bus station (thank god). As he drops me off, I am almost 100% convinced that I am not at the Southern bus station. But I go in anyway. At least I am somewhere at this point. Somewhere out of a cab that I was about to lose my ever loving mind in. So I go into the station. Not a single thing is in English. Nothing. There is also absolutely no one else who looks like a tourist. Just me. I find something that looks like it could be an information desk and my suspicions are confirmed. I don’t know where I am but it is definitely not where I am supposed to be. I try to breathe. Okay, I think, I need to figure out a plan. I really want to sit down and cry my eyes out but this will not help.

I go outside and wave at the first taxi I see. English? His response of a nod and a “where you going?” makes me want to hug him. I tell him Southern bus station. He says 400 baht. Now, listen, this is likely two to three times what the price should be. I could have argued. I did not. I did not care. This guy knew that the train station existed, and even better, appeared to know how to get there. This was a step in the right direction and good enough for me. We make great time to the correct station, and behold, some of the signs are in English. Score. I find the ticket window and buy a ticket. Check the time. s***. Bus leaves in 5 minutes. I run. Literally run. I make it to the bus. I am the only non-local on the bus. Again, I do not care. I eat some banana chips and a Kit Kat bar. Listen to Vampire Weekend. Make it to Kanchanaburi. Exhausted.