Awoke at 5am as officials wandered up and down the carriage saying "Bangkok, Bangkok" so that they could get everyone up early and pack the beds away before we arrived. We decided to head straight to Kanchanaburi. Once out of the station (incredibly busy for 6am) we caught the 53 bus to the river. We then caught an express boat across the river, ignoring requests for us to move our bags down the boat, to Thonburi station.
We bought two 25B tickets and waited for the train. At 8am it left for the 3 hour journey. The wooden seats were definitely not made for sitting on. Just before we arrived a young Thai went along the carriage advertising The Jolly Frog Backpackers. The free ride swung it and we and about 10 others took up the offer. On the way there we realised that the Songkran water throwing festival was still going on - in a big way.
We had a pizza each and set off for the JEATH War Museum with our valuables in plastic bags. We were soaked too many times to count, our faces were whitened several times and it was if we were in the middle of a war zone. The ammo was water and pick-up trucks full of kids patrolled the streets soaking all and sundry refilling from oil drums that the fire-service filled with water. Bus drivers even slowed down so that passengers could be soaked.
The museum was small and a bit tatty but it got across the horror and dreadful conditions that the POWs and coolies endured to build the Death Railway for the Japanese. Outside, the water fight carried on - it seemed a bit inappropriate really. I picked up some photos but had to get them reprinted as they did them too small. We are early and crashed out. And Oz's bottom continues to crash out. And by the way Happy Easter - it's Good Friday.
2012
Kanchanaburi - The Bridge on the River Kwai.
It seems very appropriate to be blogging this on Anzac Day so here are a couple of clips:
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