Boy, it's been a rough 24 hours.
I left Ban Phe at 7pm Monday night, taxi to Rayong (couldn't take songtaew because of so much luggage), 1 1/2 hour wait for bus, 9 hour bus ride to Khon Kaen, tuk tuk to local bus station, 2 hour "pink" bus to Maha Sarakham, tuk tuk to hotel.

My behind is the size of Kansas.

The 9 hour bus was full to the gills, no room to stretch out, and the toilet buckets must have overflowed, the smell of latrine was staggering. I have taken up the Thai habit of putting menthol salve under my nose and using nasal sniffers constantly. I wasn't sure and couldn't communicate to anyone how far it was to Khon Kaen so I was nervous about missing my station and winding up in Laos, so I didn't sleep well at all. I did wake up at early early daylight to see an elephant going his rounds in one town, for a minute I thought I was dreaming. Even though they 'announce' the stops, it's very hard to understand them or make them understand you. I did get Ji to write in Thai for me : "Please tell me when the bus gets to Khon Kaen."  But I've done this before, they nod vigorously and say "Yes, yes, yes," and totally forget to follow through.

Fortunately, at about 6 am , we approached a town and I spotted a rare sign in English - Khon Kaen Polytechnic Institute. Thank you, God, it's a sign both literally and figuratively. When I got off the bus I was so sleep deprived and was inundated with taxi drivers that I had a memory lapse. I told them I was going to Mahasarakham University - not true, going to a hotel first. Plus I had one more 2 hour bus ride before I got there. So they're shouting "800 Baht" and I'm wondering how it could cost so much. Finally, my brain clears and I remember I still have to get to the local bus station and take the pink bus from Khon Kaen to Mahasarakham.

I got to the hotel at 9 am and now I'm wondering what I will do for the 2/3/4/5 hours before they let me check in. I'm carrying all my worldly possessions around with me, walking around killing time is not an option. But they let me go straight to my room thankfully. I sleep fitfully for an hour and when I wake up for a long 10-15 seconds I have no idea where I am. It was very disturbing.

Tomorrow the international relations person at the university will help me find a room or apartment. I hope to God it has a western toilet. I still haven't perfected my squat.