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Bangkok
Khao San Road Hey folks, well it seems we're in more luck this time with the internet...time to add another blog!!
We left Phitsanulok and headed on the 2nd class train down to Bangkok. It wasn't the best journey in the world. We were in an air-conned carriage (which means the windows don't open and they're usually so dirty you can't see much out of them anyway). We got to Bangkok after 6 1/2 hours and headed to the tourist ghetto of Khao San Rd. A word of warning if you're going from the station to Khao San: the numerous taxi's and taxi touts will tell you their meters are broke and that it'll cost up to 200 baht to get there! We finally found one with a meter and it didn't even cost us 50 baht! So be warned and don't fall for the stupid tourist trick.
We arrived at Khao San Rd and checked into a pretty large guesthouse and set about exploring the 500m or so that is Khao San Rd. It was nothing really that special, and more of the "spot the local amongst the farangs!" We got a bite to eat just as the monsoon's opened up
Bangkok
Another humorous sign... and then treated ourselves to a shisha and a beer (shisha's in Thailand I hear you say!).
The next day we headed to the smaller station in Bangkok to catch a 3rd class train to Kanchanaburi (home of the Death Railway Bridge). The train arrived on time but left an hour late....it seems the Thai's think it's more important to give the train a thorough clean, inside and out, then have it run on time. The trip was a good one, but the most bumpy journey in the world! We made it just before dark and checked into a guesthouse that was recommended to us, right on the mighty River Kwai and a stone's throw to the Death Railway Bridge.
Kanchanaburi is a strange town. It's actually quite large with 2 separate areas. One is the more touristy area near the river, and then the other is the more local (more interesting area). The problem was that there didn't seem to be much in terms of public transport! We figured as there was quite alot to see here we would rent a couple of motorbikes for our time here, and boy were they fun! After having a quick
Bangkok
...with perhaps the occupant?? lesson in how to ride we were let loose on Thai roads. Alot of fun was to be had and after spending the day getting a feel for it we spent the next day exploring the countryside (including being stopped by a cop for no real reason...that I can think of! The whole "you go to police station or you pay fine now" routine followed a quick slip of baht notes later we were once again set free!) We headed to the Allied Forces cemetary where hundreds of mainly British, Dutch and Australian troops are buried from WWII. Most of them were POW's during the Japanese's brutal occupation of the country. The plan was to build a railway line linking Japanese controlled Thailand to Burma, so that they could invade India. Alot of POW's suffered during this time and 1 in 3 died as a result of poor treatment and slave labour.
After this we visited a cave temple nearby. This cave was make famous (for the wrong reasons) when a British tourist was murdered by a drug-fuelled monk who lived at the caves back in 1995. The caves were great but a little creepy, filled with loads of Buddha's
Bangkok
Sitting down for a bite to eat with the heaven's opening up! and other religious ornaments.
We decided to just take a ride through the countryside and knew then that the bike's (and the cop stop) were fully worth it! We stopped off at the Jeath War Museum, which was a thatch hut resembling the POW camps that housed too many prisoner's, and was full of photo's of the time during WWII.
So, after a good amount of history learnt here we spent the last night deciding to risk eating at a restaurant again! After an hour and a half waiting we found out they had forgotten our meals and suddenly Fish-Gate came back to the forefront of our minds and we decided to leave paying only for the drinks we ordered. We weren't going to risk another episode of the grumblies!!
So an afterthought on Kanchanaburi: whether or not your a history buff, it's definitely worth a visit! The river is peaceful and serene (apart from the karaoke barges sailing up and down the river all night until 10am!!!!), the museums and cemetaries are worth it and if you rent your own transport there is alot to be seen here.
Next stop: Hua Hin and onto the islands!!
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dad
non-member comment
looks great
Hey u two. Looks great at the bridge, right up my street for ww2 history. Hope I can go there too one day. Glad you survived the bikes. BE CAREFUL!!!. Lots of tourists come croppers just having fun. The riverside cottage looks nice. Any mossies? Enjot n take care. Love Dad. PS Uncle paul n howards birthdays 05 July.