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Published: January 25th 2008
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On Wednesday morning we got up at 05:00 to try and get the 6 o'clock train along the Death Railway to Nam Tok. This is the furthest that it is now possible to go as the line between Nam Tok and Burma was torn up after the war. Arriving at the station we were told that the train was delayed. We sat and watched the sun rise, had a breakfast of water and chewing gum from the only open stall, read until I finished my book and played 19 games of cards. At 09:30 the train rolled in. By now there were more people arriving all the time and, instead of a peaceful, contemplative trip along the line we found ourselves sharing a carriage with what seemed to be a coach trip of rowdy Thai pensioners, half of whom were drunk and still knocking back the cans of Chang.
I don't know if it was tiredness kicking in but the trip wasn't really what I expected. We crossed the Bridge over the River Kwai and there were glimpses down the jungle fringed river but much of the time the view was of the trees and bushes at the side of
the track. On saying this, the moments when the train passes over wooden trestles around a cliff face are interesting and it's at these moments that the history of the track is more apparent.
On arrival in Nam Tok we walked through the village and, with the help of a couple of friendly locals, found our way to a bus stop where we caught a bus to Hell Fire Pass. The museum here is very interesting and we walked down to the pass itself where remnants of the original track still remain. This was one of the more notorious sections of the Death Railway, taking its name from the sight of malnourished POWs working through the night by the light of fires, cutting through the rock. Work was around the clock, with men working 18 hour shifts with little food and rest. All the while they were hammering away the Japanese and Korean guards stood above, throwing rocks at them and beating anyone they felt was not working hard enough.
On the railway as a whole it is estimated that around 13,000 POWs and 70-90,000 Asian labourers died, some from disease, some from starvation, others killed by the
guards.
Managing to catch another public bus back to Kanchanaburi we went in search of the night market to sample some street food. A couple of wrong turns and a lot of walking later we got to where the night market should be to find that it was not open. Another wrong turn and a lot more walking later we eventually climbed into bed.
Yesterday, after getting confident in using public transport, we took a bus to Erawan falls. We had considered renting a moped and riding there but the couple on the cooking course were telling Allee horror stories of people breaking their legs on mopeds in Thailand so she had a change of heart. The bus to the falls was hippy style, with fans on the ceiling and colourful decorations around the window.
The falls themselves are breathtaking. There are 7 tiers, each with a pool in which it is possible to swim. At the first tier we noticed signs saying, 'Beware! Monkey steal luggage!' which seemed a bit strange until two monkeys walked past within touching distance and we noticed babies in the trees, clinging to the branches for dear life while mother monkey
scrounged for food off the tourists.
Level two was where we got into the water. It was so inviting in the heat, turquoise-blue and crystal clear. It was deep enough to dive into and swim over to the waterfall itself. There were also lots of fish in the pool and Allee managed to bring everything to a standstill as she stood with her feet in the water, trying to climb out onto the waterfall and screaming each time a fish nibbled her feet. It was a shock though, especially the first time when I wondered what was attacking me to look down and see the fish sucking away at my toes. The best thing about the falls was that it really did feel like swimming in a pool in the middle of the jungle. It sounds obvious as that is what it was but sometimes these things can be spoiled by over-use and by things like cafes and toilet blocks springing up everywhere. Other tiers also had big pools to swim in and natural slides dropping into the water.
By the time we got past the fifth tier it felt like we had the entire jungle to ourselves,
I think a lot of people must stick to the more accessible pools lower down. Getting from the sixth to the seventh tier was a struggle as the path stopped at rock face and it took a lot of trudging through pools and climbing over and around rocks to pick it up again. It was worth it though as the 7th tier is spectacular. No good for swimming but the view up to the top of the falls is amazing. After that it was time to scramble back down, over all the rope bridges and rickety ladders we'd used to get this far. I think this must be our favourite day so far but we were tired by the end of it.
When we got back to our room last night we discovered that we have a new pet, Lizzie the little lizard who seems happy to sit in the corner by the ceiling, eating any bugs who beat the nets over the windows. Each time we walk past we give her a wave and she gives us a wink (maybe not but it would be nice if she did).
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Cousin Adam
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Sounds like OAP's over there are just the same as over here! Did you fancy doing some hard labour, some 18 hour shifts? Poor Allee sounds like she's always the victim lol. I could imagine you on a moped, going along at quick pace, while Allee holding on for dear life sat behind you lol.