Well, as the title says this is my last full day in Kanchanaburi, and i have to say that i've enjoyed my time here a lot more then i did in Bangkok. In fact, i would say that today has so far been the best day of the holiday.
I started off by waking up at a civilised hour (8:00'ish) so i didn't miss out on the hotel breakfast. Most of it's nothing special (eww, they have powder instead of milk for the coffee...), but they have a nice fruit platter.
A bit after 10 i started walking down the road towards the famous Bridge over the River Kwai. It was a fair walk from my hotel to the bridge (my guess would be about 6km), but it wasa nice walk, and there was a cool breeze so it was very pleasant. I bumped into the rickshaw driver who took me from the railway station to the hotel, and he offered to drive me to the bridge, but i was set on walking in order to take things in better. I'm glad i did that, because along the way i found a lovely monument/garden and also the JEATH museum (if memory serves, it stands for Japanese, English, American, and Thai), both of which memorialise the death railway victims.
Both of them were very striking, although the garden was probably more so, as it was completely serene and very beautiful in a low key way. I have pictures of it which i will post, but i doubt they will do it justice.
The bridge itself was interesting. A lot smaller then i expected, and i was a bit taken aback by how much tourism is built around it. In some ways it feels inappropriate to have people hawking hats and jewellery so close to it, but there was also obviously a very sincere effort to preserve the dignity of the place as well, which made it feel quite schizophrenic.
I decided against walking over the bridge, which was definitely possible. In fact, there was a small tourist train which seemed to do quarter-hourly rides across the bridge. Instead, i ended up catching a small boat down the river to the other war cemetery i wanted to visit, the one which is out of town.
By small boat, i mean it was me and my driver, and it was a really lovely experience. I'm very glad to report that i don't share Jonathan's dire reaction to boat travel, and it was probably the highlight of the day. It was interesting seeing how some people lived right up on the water, and i took a few photos that i really look forward to uploading.
The river just outside of town widened and had some beautiful scenery - i hope the photos will do it justice, but doubt it. After about 15 minutes we got to the cemetery, which had its own docking place.
Like the cemetery in town, it was wonderfully immaculate. It had the same layout, although i think it was probably slightly larger then the one in town. Unlike the cemetery in town however there was almost noone there - other then myself i only saw a single couple. There were no merchants camped out the front either, which made me think that this must be the usual rate of visitors.
The boat driver dropped me off at Kanchanaburi, in a part of the town i hadn't been in before, but my sense of direction took me the right way. I'm quite happy that i've managed not to get lost a single time this holiday, which is quite good considering the amount of walking i've done.
I got lunch at the place across the road from my hotel, and the lesson seems to be that i should stop buying stuff there - it's beautiful quality, delicious, cheap, but they always give me about four times as much as i can fit in, and i leave feeling massively guilty at not having eaten more. But i suppose that's a pretty good dilemma to have.
My plan for tomorrow is to catch the morning train back into Bangkok and get set up there for the last few days, maybe finally see Siam Square.
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9 comments:
Is it fun travelling by yourself? Or is it better to go with someone? Just asking, because I am planning a trip to NYC next year, and am debating to take a friend or go alone.
To be honest, i think this trip would have definitely been better with another person.
I would take your friend, but only if you're pretty damn sure that you will want to do the same things there and won't get on each other's nerves.
Patrick
Thanks for keeping this blog so up to date. We are enjoying starting each day by finding out what has just happened to you. We particularly enjoyed the toilet paper episode and encounter with the pimp, though I agree with the comments about it being a sad life for a young girl. I hope she does go to school. Margaret
Are you staying at the same hotel in Bkk? If so, and if you are there on Saturday, you should go to the weekend market at Chatuchak which is close by.
To get there, take the subway from Phahonyothin to Chatuchak Park (one stop).
It is huge and crowded. I wouldn't be surprised if you get 'lost' a few times while wandering along the rows and rows of stalls. It took Jick and me ages to find our way back to one stall where I had seen a shirt I wanted.
Perhaps you should tie a long piece of string to the subway station, so you can find your way back. :)
Oops, my previous post contained a couple of errors. The best way to get to Chatuchak market is to change from the subway to the skytrain at Phahonyothin and get off at Kamphaengphet (one stop from Chatuchak Park). Also the market is open every day except Tuesday according to a web site I just checked.
The following is the description from that web site (http://www.bangkokbob.net/subway.htm).
The famous Chatuchak weekend market (actually it's open every day except Tuesday). Can be a bit much to take, make sure you have a bottle of water and your other hand on your money. Plenty of bargains, almost everything from Aardvarks to Zebras on sale here.
Worth visiting is the Marketing Organisation For Farmers Market, right at the station. The best selection of fruit and vegetables I've seen for a long time, and good prices too. Very friendly vendors not used to seeing too many foreigners up to now. Take a look.
You can buy fresh fruit and a drink and sit at one of the tables. A good place to try durian, or real fresh pineapple that tastes nothing like the ones we get in the west.
Good luck!
It's a day for mistakes. These Thai place names have me confused. Obviously you don't change at Phahonyothin (that's where you get on the subway). You change at Chatuchak Park. That is, get on at Phahonyothin, travel one stop to Chatuchak Park, change to skytrain and travel one stop to Kamphaengphet.
I hope you are less confused than I am.
I've been enjoying your blog & have been checking it daily.
Don't spend the remainder of your time in Bangkok, after you've been there so much already. There are several places worthwhile visiting close by. You'll recall that I recommended Ayutthaya, the former capital about 80km north, that is only about an hour by train. It's well descibed in Lonely Planet: a small city with a large collection of ancient, semi-ruined temples. A great place for 5-6 hour visit that can be readily covered on foot.
Too late, Bob, i'm in Bangkok as we speak. Pretty zonked, so nothing much is going to happen today.
Hey, Patrick, Bob is suggesting a day trip from Bkk to Ayutthaya. I agree with Bob. It would be an enjoyable day trip. In addition to the old ruins, it has an interesting food/crafts market.
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