Kanchanaburi
Trip Start
Jul 12, 2006
1
181
230
Trip End
Jun 18, 2007
Kanchanaburi,
Thailand
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
As luck would have it (!!) a tuk tuk driver pulled up just as we reached the road. I requested, in my best Thai, to be taken to the train station at Thonburi. After getting his glasses out and agreeing to take up for 100bhat he confirmed that we wanted to go to Thonburi, Yes I said, Train station, Thonburi, to Kanchanaburi. He nodded acknowledgement and in we piled along with all our luggage. Lee and I put arms, legs and anything else that we could around our baggage to stop it tumbling out the tuk tuk as the drive made handbrake turns around the hairpin corners (he didn't really but he might have well as done because that's what it felt like!). As we sped along the Bangkok roads I started to worry slightly when I realised we were in the wrong lane of a very big road and not, remotely, heading in the direction of the train station
Bridge over the river Kwai
. The train station is right near the river, to my left, we were in the right hand lane of the expressway apparently going over a flyover. Hmmm... Oh well, I pondered, maybe he knows a short cut (via Chaing Mai or something!). A few minutes later we are still speeding away from the river and, therefore, the train station and I kind of resigned myself that we were going to end up somehwere, God knows where, but it wasn't the train station! All wasn't lost because in a short while the driver pulled up at the bus station, and the right one at that, he looked rather pleased with himself as he helped us on with our bags. A darn sight more pleased than we were.... and the moral of this story is - get a taxi!
Anyway, it wasn't all bad because the next bus out was in 20 minutes, it was only 99bhat and it was an air conned bus that actually got us to our destination, Kanchanaburi, in about 2 hours, quicker than the train. So maybe tuk tuk man did us a favour!
On the bus I read the book Bridge over the River Kwai because that;s why we've come to Kanchanaburi. It's where the bridge is, as well as a huge allied war cemetary, a few museams about the Burma-Thailand railway and WWII in general
Bridge over the River Kwai
. I haven't read the book before or seen the movie (i don't think) but I'd recommend it because it was really good (as I am sure millions of people already know).We took a Slangthaw from the bus station to the Jolly Frog backpackers and booked a room there. It's got air con, which is a blessing because it's really warm, sticky and humid here.The backpackers is lovely. The rooms are housed in three double storey blocks, making up a square shape, using the river as the final piece in the square. Our room over looks the river Kwai and the little verrandah outside our room, over looks the garden in the middle of the square below, it's a beautiful garden with deckchairs and hammocks where you can laze in the sun and enjoy the view. It's almost like a motel, just without the cars. It has a very peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. Some people we've spoken to have been here for a week and I can see why.
As we don't have much time left first thing on our to-do list was to sort out what we wanted to see and then get it book, meaning that within a few hours we'd booked ourself onto a full day tour to see the Erawan waterfalls, Hellfire pass, a trip on the railway and then to the bridge over the river Kwai itself. Early start tomorrow so tonight we just had a walk around our immediate area
Coconut seller
. The road from the station to our accomodation is quite long and curves around, on both sides are a mixture of houses, a few bars, a few local shops, a sprinkle of internet shops, tour agencies and several restaurants plus the obligatory guesthouses, but most of these are down tiny little alley ways that lead off the main road and head down towards the river itself. It's not like anywhere else we've been in Thailand, it's very Thai here and not too touristy considering it's location to Bangkok and the fact it's home to the River Kwai.Wandering up the road a bit, we could see the real flavour of the place. Some homes had makeshift market stalls set up outside their home, selling a random collection of fruits and vegetables. It looked like someone had been to the market, bought whatever was on offer and then set up a stall from their garage to sell it locally, which I suppose, is essentially what they have done though. It was really refreshing to wander around, not a bit of tourist tat insight. No necklaces, bracelets, hats, bags, salt and pepper pots shaped like elephants. Just local shops selling to local people, not aimed at Farangs at all (exlcuding the bars and 7-11 of course!).
Hunger pains kicked in a short while after we started wandering around so we headed back to the Jolly Frog for some food., They have a big restaurant and the food there is incredibly cheap and very tasty. They also show two films a night so we sat down to watch The Last King of Scotland (very good) while stuffing ourselves with delicious Thai food, all washed down with Chang beer - of course!
My only regret of the day was that we hadn't come here sooner, I would have glady exchanged my week in Phuket to come here.
