The Bridge on the River Kwai!

This morning we got up early and trekked the length of the train to the observation car because we had been promised a special view - we would be crossing a 300 metre long wooden "trestle" viaduct on the banks of the River Kwai. Unfortunately every one else on the train was there too and it was a bit of a bun fight, but at least it gave it gave us some exercise, which we need because as we were to find today there's no shortage of eating opportunities!

(Wang Pho station early morning)

 

We stopped at Kanchanaburi and disembarked to travel a short distance up the actual River Kwai, a guide from the local war museum gave us a brief history of the wartime Thai-Burma railway and spoke about the terrible conditions that the wartime POW's worked in to build it. Next we visited the Museum and the War cemetery, both were beautifully planned and maintained, a very moving place.

(The Bridge on the River Kwai - with our train on it)

 

A lovely lunch sitting next to a couple of Swiss people who are living in China, both of them spoke amazing English, in fact they spoke about four languages each, the lady is even learning Mandarin.

This journey feels like a linear form of cruising, there is on board entertainment, (Peter on the piano in the bar in the evening, a fortune teller in the Reading room from 1:30, and a demonstration of traditional Thai dancing in the observation carriage at 5:00. At this rate we shall need another holiday at the end of this one to recover!

 

(On the "observation carriage")

 

(The reading room)

 

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Temples and more temples - "suits you Sir!"

Today was our first full day in Bangkok and we hit the ground running, up and out by 8 o'clock for a half day "City and Temples" minibus tour. When we go away to a new city we like to start with a tour so we can get our bearings and a few ideas about where to go back to later...

As well as touring the city we went to 3 different temples, each special in their own way. A Thai temple is called a "Wat", ("what?", I said a Thai temple is called a Wat... Etc etc etc).

Our first stop was Wat Traimit, a temple which housed a solid gold Buddha, weighing 5.5 tons, the world's largest solid gold statue no less. It had been "lost" for hundreds of years because it's gold had been plastered over to avoid it being stolen during a war with neighbouring Burma. After a construction accident last century the dull facade became cracked and the true identity (and value!), was revealed... Go into your garden and check your gnomes, you never know...

 

 

 

 

(The Golden Buddha)

 

 

 

 

 

The second Wat we visit was Wat Pho, and this housed the famous "reclining Buddha", a massive golden stature of a.. Er.. reclining Buddha. The figure was too long to include in one single photo, and for size each foot was certainly several feet...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(The Reclining Buddha)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last Wat of the morning was an Italian marble clad affair, I think our guide explained why they used Italian marble, (when this is Thailand after all), but by now we were both a bit "templed out" and so I can't explain.

(Wat Benchamabophit, built with Italian marble)

After the temples and the city sites our minibus just happened to be passing "Thailand's largest jewellery outlet", and so the guide told us we must take a look... The whole experience was a shabby piece of commercial opportunism, but somebody must buy the stuff - but not us!

 

In a few days time we will be on the Eastern Orient Express train to Singapore, (the journey takes 3 days), and there is a formal dress code, so I decided to find a tailor whilst in Bangkok - to buy one of the "48 hour" suits the Far East is famous for. So in the afternoon we found one of these very emporia, haggled self consciously, was measured, (even more self consciously - in the middle of the shop), and after a final fitting tomorrow the suit should be ready on Sunday! (and a jacket, and shirt, all made to measure - "best price"... Watch this space).

("ooh what a nice big chest Sir")

 

By the way, I had no idea that Thai tailors had a "special" way of taking inside leg measurements!

 

The weather is cloudy but very humid, I was very sweaty and unkempt at times, Jan "glowed" healthily. Back at the hotel we chilled and swam and then chilled again.

 

Tonight we will go for an Indian, well what else would you eat in Thailand?

 

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