Kanchanaburi

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After four days in Bangkok, we were looking forward to moving on to Kanchanaburi!

In order to get to there, different travel guides recommend mini-buses arranged via your guest house - but we decided to arrange our own travel and jumped in a cab at the Lebua destined for Bangkok Southern Bus terminal! We were the only 'tourists' in the queue for the bus (& for what we could see in the terminal itself) and it was clear that our ticket cost more than the locals making the same escape to the countryside. Prices are so reasonable anyway so never going to make a fuss!!

Local bus!!
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The bus was quality; the equivalent of a seventies National Express coach - tattered and largely PVC but it did have air-con and got us to our destination in around two and a half hours; so again who cares? Well, actually, on the on-board entertainment in the shape of a TV suspended above the driver blasted out a local entertainment (!?) slapstick show that the majority of fellow passengers appeared to find hilarious - I laughed occassionally as I didn't want to offend.

The walk to Tiger Temple!
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We were under the impression that Kanchanaburi was a small country town were people refuelled after Bangkok before taking on the Cities again on your travels... but as our bus pulled into the station we were spotted and could see Tuk-Tuk drivers and a couple of local touts ever-ready to 'help' with luggage!!??  The hassling for us to part with cash for an excursion had started even before we had found a place to stay, great.

Apple's Guesthouse had been recommended prior to our leaving Bangkok and it didn't disappoint. Although rooms are basic, the management are incredibly welcoming and the restaurant is the best in town. Happy days.

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After checking into our room, we opted for a tour leaving a hour later to Tiger Temple. According to the Buddhist monks who 'watch over them', these beasts have become spiritulized by the serenity of their enlightened environment.

Sadly, in reality, it seems that these 'wild' animals have been trained by handlers (who literally hold your hand, walking tourists up to different chained tigers whilst another handler takes a picture, cleverly leaving your hand that is still being gripped by the other handler out of the frame). Several handlers guide several tourists around several tigers whilst a queue of tourists wait to have a photo taken - it's a ridiculous scene. Looking on from beyond the boundary, the tourist faces looked petrified (but maybe they look good on the fire-place, who knows?).

The canyon!
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The excursion, therefore, wasn't the best of choices for us i'm afraid. The highlight of the visit  was to see a tiger cub playing on the other side of the grounds. Unchained and allowed a nibble, scratch and to do what any 'normal' hand-reared animal should do around cooing tourists! It was amazing to see a tiger this young and this close up! It's just a shame that it will face the same fate as the others that we saw there - taken down to 'tiger canyon' day after day and forced to withstand the heat of the sun so that the bucket loads of tourists can witness the 'taming' affect of a spiritual environment?!!

Note the chains and how many handlers!!
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Our second day in Kanchanaburi was largely taken up by another tour (arranged via Apple Guesthouse) to Erawan National Park and waterfalls. Here, we trekked up the seven tiered falls amidst beautiful parkland to eventually reach the top. The ultimate waterfall is definitely worth the effort.  We were able to swim and relax in warm, fresh water pools amongst many others who had managed the two hour trek. A family of monkeys followed us on our way down - very cute but a bit scary when it seems that one might be after your camera!

Hee!!
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On the way back from the waterfall we visited the 'Death Railway'. The railway was built during WW2 as a link from Thailand to Burma in 1942- about 60,000 POWs were forced to build the railway along with around 200,000 conscripted Asian labourers. The line had earned the nickname 'Death Railway' by the time it had been finished (15 months later) as around 116,000 POWs and labourers had died due to exhaustion, malnourishment and beatings.

After taking a train ride along the railway we visited the famous Bridge over the River Kwai. The Bridge is rightfully a working symbol of the atrocities of WW2 but it is so commercialized and packed with tourists (us included!) that it fails to make the historical and emotional impact that you would expect.

So cute!!
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From the Guide books, Kanchanaburi reads like a quiet town - where from you can take tours to the outskirts (Death Railway etc etc) and the town itself is a welcome break from the hustle/hassle of Bangkok. It actually feels a bit like a decent (granted small) holiday resort without any drunken idiots. The main road along the River has lots of late bars and restaurants and the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly.

But after two days it's time to move on to the old capital of Thailand, Ayutthaya (decided to go here and skip Sukhothai as don't want to get templed out before we even get to Laos and Cambodia).  We've heard good things from other travellers about Ayutthaya so really looking forward to it!