Mon 14th Jan - Decided to take a break from Bangkok for a few days or so and head to Kanchanaburi, location of the famous 'Bride over the river Kwai'. Train due to leave from Thonbury-Noi station close to Pier 11. Sounds simple. Don't have to book in advance, so loads of time to get there. Now, the ferry system has many types of boats but they have a flag system Red/Orange/Yellow for which stops they make up/down the Chao Phraya. Orange theoretically stops a them all. So, hopped onto an orange flag boat, to be old it didn't go to 11. Nearest was pier 10. Got off at 10 and got on another orange boat that was told went to 11, and it didn't and wait straight to 12. Confused and time ticking away, had to get a tuk-tuk back to the railway station as thought we would miss the train. Got there with plenty of time to spare, so got stocked up with fruit for the journey at the market and had some pork noodle stir-fry and soup for 30 Baht.
Train 259 left stop on 13:55 as scheduled (100 Baht) 3rd class only on this train. Due to arrive 16:17. Such precision! Thai rail stations are superb, clean and organised, with nice seating provided. The train has different types of compartment, all wooden benched, some down the sides facing the center and some going across facing front/rear.
The route is beautiful, passing rice paddies (no terracing here as It is totally flat), teak houses on stilts, plantations of bananas/papaya/mango ad other fruit, gorgeous thai wats (temples), rustic houses flanking idyllic khlongs, large ponds of the beautiful lotus flower in full bloom, pretty birds perched on telegraph wires, just wonderful. Open- windowed with cooling breeze coming through made for a really pleasant journey with nice company.
It is also fascinating to see the really old folk boarding the train, who look from a bygone era. At many stations the vendors board, selling a whole range of hot/cold foods and drinks, so no problem if you didn't get chance to buy in advance. The problem is that what they offer looks sooo good, you really could eat, eat, and then eat some more, and all for next nothing baht. I'm in love with this country already!
Arrived at Kanchanaburi at 16:45. Ah well, the precision of the timetable was a noble gesture!
Hadn't booked ay digs as the place isn' tha big so figured on sorting something on arrival. Straight out of the sation, past the normal barrage of Sãngthãew (small pick-up with benches), Sãamláw (3 wheeler peddle cab) and taxicab and across the main thanon Sangchuto road takes you to the area where most of the life and accommodation is. Settled in a place that wasn' in the guide book called 'Noble Night Guesthouse' and staying in a 'floating raft' room on a tributary of the river Kwai. For 150 baht a night go shower, TV, swimming pool and plenty of character, with lovely carved woodwork and restaurant. Good base to work from for 3 days or so.
After dinner at the guest house (good menu choice) and cheap, headed off for a quick reccy of the town. The bridge over the river kwai was about 20 minutes walk away, and is really nicely organised. Will see better in daylight. There is a sound & light show on wednesdays, so will be here for that and the really nice 'River Kwai floating restaurtant'.
Stopped off at 'Chivas' bar for a drink, a really chic place with nice chilled atmosphere and good prices...(starting to sound like a travel brochure!)
Tue 15th Jan - Before going to see the Bridge over the river Kwai, I helps to have a full understanding of its significance. There are three museums in town that detail the history. First stop the Thailand- Burma railway museum (30 Baht entry fee). This is an excellent presentation which also very emotive.
A bit of history.... Find yourself a comfortable seat and pour yourself a cup of coffee.... The japanese were doing their best to conquer the whole of south east asia in the mid 1930's, and as part of that campaign, were trying to make inroads into Burma amongst other countries. There was major opposition to them of course by sea defences from the Andaman sea side and Malacca straits and so their only option was by land. This required vast quantities of supplies to be moved to sustain their progress. To facilitate this they decided to build a railway line between 'Nong Pladuk' in Thailand to 'Moulmein' in Burma (now Myamar). Insufficient labour lead them to draught in vast numbers of Prisoners Of War that they had captured on their earlier conquests. The survey team for the rail line said it would take 5 years to build the 417km stretch, those in command decided it had to be done in 16 months! The treatment of the PoWs got worse over the duration of the project due to increasing pressure from the higher-ups in command. This was passed down in command to the 'less intelligent' in command who violently and inhumanely abused the prisoners. In all, around 100,000 died during construction from Malaya, Burma, Britain, Java, Australia, Holland, China, America, India and Korea. Many died due to illness through beri beri, malaria, dysentry, infections caused through wounds etc. There was a quoted minimum food ration that they didn't receive due to lack of supplies. The images of imaciated bodies that were too weak to move let alone work are heartbreaking.
In the latter years of world war II, the japanese were beaten by USAAF (allied) forces, who amongst many things dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima (the 'little boy bomb' on 6th August 1945) and Nagasaki (the 'fat boy bomb' on 9th August 1945). There were many attempts to destroy the rail line (which was completed on 25th october 1943 with the 'Joining of the lines' ceremony at Konkoita), by bombing the bridge at Kanchanaburi using 'Azon' bombs, which could only be steered left/right so the pilot had to fly straight at the bridge before releasing. The japanese kept re-building the steel bridge and also rebuilt the wooden bridge close-by that had been used during the construction of the main steel line. The japanese surrendered on 15th August on what became known as VJ day, when the british took over control of the railway line. The river Kwai was previously known as 'Maeklaung'. The railway became subsequently known as the 'Death railway' due to the number of PoWs that lost their lives.
Some irony....the japanese gained their rail construction knowledge in britain! After taking over the line, britain decided it didn't want a connection between Thailand and Burma so destroyed a section of it at the 'Three pagodas pass'. A subsequent survey team who returned to check the line in 1956 didn't know about the location of this and plunged into the ravine!
Here's a random piece of information... During rail construction they had developed a train referred to as the 'Flying Kompong' - this was a combined truck & train that could run on either road or rail. There was a section to store the wheels when it had to be adapted to run on the rails. Great idea eh!
Across the road from the museum is a Cemetery, which is one of three that contain bodies from PoWs who died during rail construction. Many bodies had been transferred from graves near the camps in the jungles.
Lunch stop at a floating restaurant (of which there are many here), in an area where the floating discos are. Now that sounds cool - must go to one whilst here!
Next the JEATH museum which is housed in a bamboo hut, similar to those that housed the PoWs. More images from various publications of the time. Having had a good grounding in the history of the bridge, it was time to go and see it, so walked part way to a thai & japanese cemetery which was ineresting then picked up a motorbike taxi to get to the bridge.
The bridge has been well restored and has a pair of Azon bombs as posts at the entrance. A train appears occasionally that you can ride on. There is evidence on the piers supporting the bridge of the bomb damage. You can also walk down the middle of the bridge to the other side, with passing places at regular intervals if a train is coming. Close to the bridge there are some old trains that used to run on the line as well as a flying kompong. By the way, the first train that ran on the rail is in a museum in Tokyo.
Around 5pm the area around the bridge starts to come alive with food stalls and fruit sellers selling lots of tasty stuff.
Wed 16h Jan - seemed to spend ages messing around with PCs this morning as bought a new iPod recently and needed to ge everything set up. The funny thing was that, whilst there I ended up helping some thai ladies with their search for partners through dating agencies as they needed help with their english. Got asked if I wanted to marry them myself.....?? You never know...just not now!
After lunch off to the 'Tiger temple' (also known as Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno). About 1hr by saengthaew from Kanchanaburi. Set in a forest monastery in Saiyok district. Built in 1994 by the abbot Pra Acham Phoosit Chan Khantitharo under direction of his guru, with the objective of propagaing buddhism and concerving forests and wildlife in the area. The abbot is seen walking amongst the tigers and talking with visitors.
How it all happened....The first tiger cub to arrive at the monastery 'Chao Phayu', did not survive. At only a few months old, her mother was killed by poachers near to the thai-burma border. The cub was sold by the poachers to a wealthy Bangkok resident who ordered her to be stuffed by a local! The person hired to do it, got it wrong when he injected her with a preservative drug that didn't work, and she survived. Very ill, she was sent to the monastery in early 1999 and recovered. She unfortunately died later that year with heart problems at 7 months old. Weeks later two 1 week old tiger cubs (Phayu junior or 'Storm' & Saifa or 'Lightening'), arrived at the monastery after their mother was slaughtered by poachers. Since then, there have been many tiger cubs brought to the monastery and a new area 'Tiger Island' is being developed to give them a more natural habitat within the temple grounds. This project will cost 20 million baht. Entrance to the costs 300 baht as a contribution towards this project.
Everyone gets the opportunity to sit with a number of tigers of various ages. Such beautiful animals up close. Also, at 4:30pm, the 15 tigers are walked back through the grounds and you can get fairly close to hem with their keepers on hand. At the same time the local boars, deer, horses and buffalo are fed and roam free amongst the visitors. A great experience to get so close to this wonderful animal.
A nice dinner in the evening at the river kwai floating resaurant, sampling some unusual local fish, overlooking the bridge wih illuminated floating resaurants passing by. A nice end to another great day.
Thu 17th Jan - Booked onto a day tour today to see some of the more remote parts of the area.
Picked up by minibus after an early breakfast, the first stop was an elephant trek through the forests and river, where I got the opportunity to ride on he elephant's head, knees behind its ears. I've been on elephants many times but this was the best way by far. A bit rough on your skin and covered in spiky hairs, but a great experience. Peaceful environment surrounded by teak trees and the birds singing away. Fed the elephants with bananas after the trek.
Next, a short way to get on a bamboo raft, where I poled along the river for a fair distance, quite shallow in parts. Lots of flourescent green butterflies and bright red dragonflies around. With the sun filered in parts by the overhanging bamboo trees, it was a really nice journey.
Visited Sai Nok waterfall, which was more of a trickle at this time of year.
After a superb thai lunch, off to Hellfire pass memorial museum. The history behind this was given when I went to the Thai-Burma railway museum a couple of days ago. Unforunately, today the pass itself was closed as there had been some collapse of rock that had to be repaired. Never mind, there are plenty of photos of what it looks like, so not too bothered.
The japanese had a lot to answer for when they bombed pearl harbour in Hawaii in 1941, left such a major trail of devastation in their wake as their campaign to conquer Asia and Europe progressed, and their subsequent treatment and murder of so many innocent people in achieving that goal!
Drive to 'Kra Sae', which is on the Thai-Burma railway line. From here you can walk across one of the original bridges to the location of one of the worker construction camps, although this is now a riverside guesthouse with floating chalets. The station is also adjacent to the Kra Sae cave which houses a large golden buddha image.
At 4pm boarded train 257, along with the locals, to Thakilen, which is part of the death railway line.
Return to Kanchanaburi along highway 323 and stop at the Kwai bridge again. Had some nice Pomelom which is like a large grapefruit. HAd some Jackfruit from the same stall recently. Another great fruit. Very melon in flavour, but with soft flesh and smooth taste....sounds like a nice woman!
Today has been great. A nice group of people on the tour and some fun experiences.
There are many places in Kanchanaburi that offer cooking courses. One of the most recommended is at the Apple hotel, so decided to check out their food for evening meal as you would expect it to be good. The range of food on the menu is incredible and the quality fantastic. Banana flower with beef and thai salad is super (although you have to check if in season). So it's khàpw kuhn khráp (thank you from a man...a woman replaces the khrap bit at the end wih khâ), and off for some much needed exercise with having two big meals today, so walked to where the disco barges are, to see if anything was going on. Turned out to be no dancing, but a bar opposite had a great live band playing some really nice thai music interspersed with some familiar western music. The locals were really into joining in with the singing, which was wonderful. Great night's enterainment.
