Day 34 – Kanchanaburi
Setting off for Kanachaburi today.
Very excited to see the town, museums, and of course the location of the Bridge Over the River Kwai.
Reasonable start to the day – loads of banana pancakes!!! – then a minibus from Bangkok station for 3 hours.
After an easy tuk-tuk ride from the bus station, we check in to our accommodation – Jim Guesthouse.
Jim GuesthouseLady Jim is lovely.
Our little bungalow included a swimming pool and a great breakfast.
All for less than £25 per night.
She also has the cutest cats!
Swim in our new pool.
Walk thru the town.. which let’s face it – isn’t a beauty.
We do wander into a temple..
..and find the River Front Sky Walk.
And the best little fruit smoothie stall, come massage palour….and Aussie bar selling wheat beer 🙂
So actually no too bad at all!
Did notice an awful lot of single men in their 50s. Maybe it’s for the history???
Day 35 – Bridge over the River Kwai
We get another moped… loving them now and arrange driver for tomo.
Then we are off for the day.
First stop Bridge over the River Kwai.. the original one was wood and is long gone, the iron rail one they built remains.
This has long been a bucket-list destination for me (Pete) and it didn’t disappoint.
Bridge over the River Kwai
Yes it’s surrounded by market-stalls now, but everyone just trying to make a living here.
Its soo hot so, the Death Railway Museum in the town is next.
This is brilliantly set up but heart-wrenching and very emotional.
Across the road is the war cemetery where many Allied soldiers rest.
It is immaculate.
Afterward, we potter on the scooter and return to see the sunset from the Sky Walk.
Susan lovin the scootering now!!
Stopped to watch a bunch of Chinese tourists making an absolute racket on a boat trip.
We decide to eat in the Prisoner of War Camp!
Whilst it may be insensitive to many, it’s a local place with local sellers and visitors, including the young.
Teens wouldn’t hang out at a museum.
We meet a lovely Thai seller with the best prawn fried rice.
Day 36 – Hell Fire Pass
We booked a driver for the day to take us to a couple of trips.
It’s so cheap to do.
Our driver is a lovely girl, but spoke no English.
We start at the Erwaran Falls.
Lovely jungle walk even if the falls a bit limp in the dry season. Lots of wildlife – ???? and ???? and a Hornbill!!
All too fast to capture.
A good morning walking up through the various waterfalls and a swim at the top.
Saw loads of monkeys too!
Next up Hell Fire Pass.
Our driver waited patiently for us to exit the waterfalls and collect us after a light lunch and a drink.
We visit the Hell Fire Pass museum, built and ran in conjunction with the Aussie Government.
Really hot and humid making you feel not even 1% of the misery these guys went through.
Howard Martin wrote about his time here
You can walk through the pass, carved out the rock by the POWs.
The original rail tracks still visible.
The heat was ridiculous. You can only imagine what those POW’s went through.
Lest we forget..We then get dropped off to board the Death Railway back to Kanchanaburi.
Slow and creaky.
Parts of the original railway still stands
The guard was a little seriousWe walk into town and have incredible Thai food, but it really does hate me!
Day 37 – Heavenly Dragon Temple and Caves
Back on the moped and off to climb 700+ steps at the Heavenly Dragon Caves, which is also a Temple.
Never too many temples.
We pass a beautiful burial ground – assume it is Buddhist.
The first steps.. there were loads more..
The cave at the very top requires stepping into the dark.. Pete goes first- to make sure it’s safe!
Lovely visit.
Only downside was the monkey the locals had captured and kept in a cage. 🙁
Back on the scooter for our next tourist stop.. the Giant Monkey Pod Tree.
It is exactly what they say… a big old tree.
We buy ice cream.
Huuuuge!Tootling back we spot a retirement home for horses.
Back on the moped and head back into town.
Afternoon requires indoor activities – we find a massage parlour.
The most painful one yet!
I hear Pete groan a lot and say “don’t touch there”.. his ‘tattoo finger’ he tells me later.
It is followed by a moreish caramelly, chewy, crunchy, seeded big box of something delicious.
There are toooo many goodies on offer here!!
Night time is the Saturday market…chaos and noise and even more food of every kind.
Pete gets crispy pork.
I fail with rubbery squid and crab egg.. which I thought was crab AND egg.
Local schools performIng. Of varying quality!
Tucked up in bed by 9.30pm, comparing who is the most sore after our massages earlier.
I kid you not, older Thai masseurs have the strongest hand strength known to man.
I felt like a rag-doll being mulled by King Kong..!
