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Published: September 10th 2009
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Meeting Suzie at the airport went without a hitch, and we were all really excited to see one another and to be in Thailand together. The journey to Kanchanaburi only took three hours, which was a good job as the bus stunk to high heaven! As soon as we arrived we had some lunch by the River Kwai, and checked into a hostel called the Jolly Frog. After this we hired some push bikes and had a look around town. It is a lovely place and reminded us a lot of Chiang Mai. Whilst riding, we found ourselves at a monkey school, where they did a bit of a show for us, but one where none of the monkeys really did as they were told, but there was a monkey called Mr Watermelon riding a bike. When we left we weren't really sure what to think of the place as, although entertaining, it made us all feel a little uncomfortable!
The following day, we went to an elephant camp and had a ride on some beautiful elephants. The guides were really good with the elephants, and only shouted commands at them, which was quite a good experience to see. After
this we went bamboo rafting down the Kwai, and all got off the rafts for a swim. It was a gorgeous day and really pleasant to swim in with the current helping us to glide along. After this we went to the Erawan Waterfall, which was stunning. There were six different tiers that you could swim in the pools of. On level four there were some rocks that people were using as a waterside, which was amazing. All of the pools had crystal clear waters, but they also all had fish in that “kissed” you as you swam, which was a bit of a strange experience! After lunch we went to look at Death Railway and the infamous Bridge Over the River Kwai. The history of the place was a sobering thing to take in. All of the people in Kanchanaburi were really friendly, and went we went out in the evening we met a few locals, who Suzie blazed at Connect 4! We also met a Jack Sparrow who ran a bar there.
We made the trip to Tiger Temple the following day, and it was a complete disappointment Although we don't really know what we were expecting,
the whole experience felt a bit empty as there were only a couple of monks, and no actual temple, it felt like a bit of a theme park. Also, the tigers seemed to be a bit too unnaturally sleepy for our liking. That evening though, I had my first Thai massage with Suzie, and it was amazing! We have never slept so well!
We decided the following day to take one of the locals, Day, up on his offer of a tour of the “real” Kanchanaburi. We hired some bikes and set off with him. We drove to the other side of the River Kwai, where he showed us a rope swing that he had put up with his friends. We all had a bit of a swim and it was loads of fun. We were feeling like we were kids again, until Suzie had a bit of a dodgy landing, and her foot swelled straight up! Following this we rode to the most beautiful temple, it was up a huge hill that we had to climb a dizzyingly number of stairs to the top. It was vertigo inducing as we looked at them from half way up. When
we finally did make it to the top, it was beautiful. There was a huge golden Buddha, and the views from the stop were amazing, especially as there was a storm coming in over the mountains. It was so high that the only noises we could hear from up there were the thunder and the birds. As the storm began to set in there was a massive downpour, and so we were forced to take shelter at the bottom of the temple. When the rain eventually calmed we took back to the bikes, but before we were even halfway home the skies opened and thundered again, and the rain became heavier, and heavier and heavier. There wasn't really much point in stopping, as we were already soaked to the bone, and as we rode through flooded roads with the rain lashing our faces, we were all really giddy and getting a rush off the way it felt and the way in which we would never in a million years do anything like this at home!
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