From Bangkok to Chiang mai

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As always, i'm gonna try and make this snappy. As always, we both no i'm gonna fail.

After Bangkok we went to Kanchanburi. We were meant to go first thing in the morning, but i was ina massive over-tired strop after the sim card incident, so i forcibly delayed it to the afternoon... Actually, i don't think the others minded. Especially not Shell, who like myself is always thrilled to have a sneaky lie in. Kanchanburi is the home of the Bridge Over the River Kwai, the film. You'venot seen it? Shame on you! Its a emotional and painful depiction of what life was like for the poor men who worked (and died) on the death railway during WW2 under the cruel leadership of the japanese. Actually, i haven't seen it either... but i reckon thats the gist! Maybe with a hollywood love story thrown in for good measure,but god knows how they'd pull that one off! Anyway, we went to a museum to learn all about it, which was really good actually, very well done. They had pledged to find out what happened to every single man who was made to work on the railway, and offered free personal help to find information, or the grave, of individuals. It was also really good as it advanced on the Changi museum i wnt ot in Singapore, which was where the POWs were kept before some of them got carted off to work on the railway. Anyway, it was good... we went to stand on the Bridge itself, as you do, and took awkward photos - not being sure whether we should look happy, sad, or something inbetween (er, confused? i think that what i went for!). The tourists on the little choo-choo running from one side of the bridge to the other didn't seem to mind, but maybe they hadn't had the pain of going to the graveyard next to the mueseum first. Welling up i was...

An odd thing we learnt in the mueseum was that, though the japanese worked all the POWs, and misc Asian people who there are no records of, to death. Over a long painful tortuous period of time. With no regard for well-being, safety, or life. It appears that they held funerals for all that died, which they attended, constructed p[roper graves, and even left a memorial to the dead. That's pretty fucked up really.

Anyway! that afternoon we moved on the Ayuthya, the formal capital of Thailand, with all the history. Basically, we went to loads of Wats. Now there's only so much i can tell you about that... you sort of gotta be there. but we saw some very impressive ones, met a friendly Monk from LA (?), and saw a million different religious ceremony things. They just all go on at once! one of the wats we went to was rammed... some people were pouring oil in pots, some banging gongs, some kneeling in front of buddha and offering orange robes, some sticking bits of gold on statutes, some shaking incense... i mean all sorts, all at once... and we still, after 3 weeks in thailand, have no idea what it all means!

We also went to some Wat ruins... in one some Thai school kids came and did a questionnaire on us (in the 'do you live in brighton ilk - Steph leather, you know what i'm saying). But bless, they were so sweet, and they did it all in English, despite being about 12. At the end they gave us a little wiggle bug (hoorah!) with an I love you sticker, and took our photos. Yes people, we have made in-roads into the Thai educational system.

After a full day, we had a few beers, while waiting for our overnight train to Phitsanulok. The (thai) Eric Clapton played to us, and indeed sat and took photos of us, and fun was had by all! Which was nice becasue the train journey was SHIT. Oh my god, i've never sat on such a hard seat, let alone slept on one. I swear i did not sleep a wink. Originally we were planning to take another overnight the next night, upto Chaing mai. Fuck that i succintly said.

But yes, arriving at 6am, we just left our bags at the station and headed off to Sukothai which is where the things we wanted to see were. More ancient ruins, as this was the capital before ayuthya. It was interesting, it honestly was, we saw a lot of impressive ruins in the old town park thing, we got blessed by a monk, all sorts. But i can't help but think i would have enjoyed it more, had i have had some sleep! Luckily we befriended a women in a stall where the bus is, who sympathetically gave us free water and coffee when we flagging, as well as her grandson, who she offered to sell to us for 100 baht (erm, about 1.70). She was really nice actually, kept hugging us, despite being dirty and sweaty. It was a relief to get back to the hostel i tell ya...

That night we went to the night market to eat, where they had a speciality dish which involved chucking vegetables around. and then i watched the football - Thailand vs Australia in the Asia Cup. It was brilliant. They were both so so bad. i mean Thailand are bad. We all know that, and they lost 4- 0 in the end, but it was pretty undeserved as Australia were actually terrible! They were always gonna win though, had some point to prove after being smashed by Iraq (oooo!). But yes, that was that! In the morning we got a marginally more comfortable train to Chiang Mai, and here we are!

Ok, i'm gonna go outside and play now xx

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