Ayutthaya - Kanchanaburi - Bangkok

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The next destination we were heading for was Kanchanaburi but it was too far to travel in one day so we werebreaking the journey staying one night in Ayutthaya. After a very comfortable 6 hour VIP coach from Sukothai we and 5 others were dumped unceremoniously at the side of a very busy road. No promised bus station. We were lucky to get a songheau that we all shared to the centre of what proved to be a very big town. We settled into our guest house which was fine and went for a walk. We were shocked. Although we weren't staying on there it was a place visited by many tourists for the ancient ruins. It was horrible. Run down buildings, dirty, smelly, piles of rubbish everywhere. For the first time we didn't feel safe eating anywhere. So where did we eat, KFC! Did we enjoy it? Oh boy did we ! We were so glad we were moving on the next morning. We had booked a minibus to Kanchanaburi for the following morning and after some tasteless scrambled egg we climbed on board the minibus only to find a French family that had shared our songheau when we arrived were traveling with us with their quite young (9 month) baby. Wonderful to have the confidence to travel with their baby.

The 3 hours to Kanchanaburi went very quickly not least because the drivers of these minibuses know two speeds. Foot to the floor or stationary! We arrived at our very comfortable accommodation Thai Garden. A small group of bungalows around a pleasant garden and swimming pool. Again we had made sure our accommodation was out of the centre and it was very peaceful.

In 1942 Kanchanaburi was under Japanese control. It was here that Asian forced labourers and Allied POWs, building the infamous Burma Railway, constructed a bridge; an event immortalised in the film Bridge on the River Kwai.

When David Lean's film The Bridge on the River Kwai was released, the Thais faced a problem. Thousands of tourists came to see the bridge over the River Kwai, but no such bridge existed. However, there did exist a bridge over the Mae Klong. So, to resolve the problem, they renamed the river. The Mae Klong is now called the Kwae Yai ('Big Kwae'😉 for several miles north of the confluence with the Kwae Noi ('Little Kwae'😉, including the bit under the bridge. One thing we found out, everyone calls it the Kwai bridge, when really 'kwai' in thai means water buffalo, like all things journo, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

Almost half of the prisoners working on the project died from disease, maltreatment and accidents. At Kanchanaburi, there is a memorial and two museums to commemorate the dead. In March 2003, the Thailand/Burma Railway Museum opened and the Jeath War Museum dedicated to the bridge and the Death Railway and at this site an area called Hellfire Pass.

Hellfire Pass in the Tenesserim Hills was a particularly difficult section of the line to build. It was the largest rock cutting on the railway, coupled with its general remoteness and the lack of proper construction tools during building. A tunnel would have been possible to build instead of a cutting, but this could only be constructed at the two ends at any one time, whereas the cutting could be constructed at all points simultaneously despite the excess effort required by the POW s. The Australian, British, Dutch and other allied Prisoners of War were required by the Japanese to work 18 hours a day to complete the cutting. Sixty nine men were beaten to death by Japanese guards in the six weeks it took to build the cutting, and many more died from cholera, dysentary, starvation, and exhaustion .However, the majority of deaths occurred amongst labourers whom the Japanese enticed to come to help build the line with promises of good jobs. These labourers, mostly Malayans (Chinese, Malays and Tamils from Malaya), suffered mostly the same as the POW's at the hands of the Japanese. The Japanese kept no records of these deaths.

The railway was never built to a level of lasting permanence and was frequently bombed by the Royal Air Force during the Burma Campaign. After the war, all but the present section was closed and the line is now only in service between Bangkok and Nam Tok Sai Yok Noi.

The city is also home to the Kanchanaburi War Cemetary.

Visiting the sites, museums and cemeteries with row after row of young men that had died was a very moving experience. On a more light hearted note we visited a beautiful 7 level waterfull. It was lovely to swim in the cool water at the base of each waterfall. There was a surprise if we stood still. We got a free fish pedicure from the fish in the pools. Some of which were on the large side and we could really feel their teeth! Whilst in Kanchanaburi we hired pushbikes from the Thai Garden and went on one day for what Steve said would be a gentle relaxing ride in the country! That's not quite what I would call it. Firstly it was extremely hot and secondly these were old bikes without gears. We did however ride through some lovely countryside. In particular, paddy fields where the Thais were on there odd tractor type machines turning over the wet muddy fields followed by flocks of birds. I was definitely ready for the pool when we got back.

All too soon it was time to move on to the final destination of our trip. Bangkok. So again, VIP minibus, foot to the floor! 3 hours to Bangkok where after a brief train journey we arrived at our hotel until we would be flying home. Again the very welcome roof top swimming pool which was a relief from the 35c heat and 98%!h(MISSING)umidity. Had it to ourselves most of the time. Bangkok was for us a few days of relaxation before the long flight home and very welcome it was. We only left the hotel to do a little shopping, eat, massage, pedicure and Chinese New Year which was the Friday before leaving on Sunday morning. China town in Bangkok is quite large with a beautiful white and gold temple. It was crowded with tourists all enjoying the amazing array of food and drink on offer from the road side food stalls. The air was full of the smell of peking duck, roasted meats and fish and all sorts of other goodies sweet and savoury. There was a stage with an array of entertainment and of course the dance of the dragons. Overhead were hundreds of coloured lanterns. All the Chinese community were having a great time with their families and friends dressed in an array of red.

Saturday was mostly spent enjoying the sun and the pool with a cold beer. Then all too soon it was time to pack for the last time! Mixed feelings. Sorry it was over. Steve and I had had an amazing time and we had got on so well considering we were together 24/7 except for a few hours. At the same time really looking forward to seeing friend and family and sleeping in the best bed. Our own. We were up at 5.15 next morning to walk the very short distance to the skyrail station a brilliant efficient train system. As we rounded the corner there were barricades across the road. It was the day of the elections in Thailand so the protestors it looked would be out in force. They had no beef with us and let us through. Within an hour we were at the airport on our way home!

To sum up our trip. Amazing, life changing! So many new and learning experiences in Uganda. Meeting inspirational people who were so humble and did their jobs with very little resources. Young Fiona at Kersheyni Clinic. 23 years old working and living at the clinic. Never off duty. Catching sleep when she could so that she could give the regular malaria medication to her patients night and day. She hardly ever saw her family but she always had a smile on her face and loved hugs. Our driver Colombus. A wonderful husband, father and friend. Worked very hard to keep a roof over his families head and food on the table and had put one son through university. The Mission Direct team who have given up everything here to live and work for the people of Uganda without pay. Supported by friends, family and their church. A wonderful couple. Evas, the hard working occupational therapist who is doing her bit to change the attitude to disabled children. For me I wont forget the birth of the baby and meeting Mum and baby again. For Steve Abdul a 21 year old who had cerebral palsy and sat on his step every day watching the children on their way to school wishing he was with them had a massive effect on him. Hopefully he and other young people we met with Evas will benefit from the building work and they will be some of the first disabled children outside of Kampala to be able to go to school! There are too many to list here. We wont forget them.

Then Thailand. A massive adventure traveling from one end of the country to the other and seeing how diverse a country it is. There we also met some amazing people.

So we start saving!!!!!

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