by 5.30 am wake up to pack and downstairs for 6.30 am. At 6.45 we were picked up by a man to take us to the ‘big bus’ for the river kwai tour. Our 23-year-old tour guide was “B” short for BMW Car! Our first stop was Jeath War Museum. This had many pictures of the tools, used in the POW camp that built the Burma railway. Our next stop was the cemetery where 6900 allied soldiers were buried. Quite a sight.
From there we traveled to the bridge over the River Kwai. 129km out of Bangkok. Along the way, we learned the engineers said it would take 5 years to build but the Japanese emperor ordered the army to get the POWs to build it within a year! It took 10 months – and what a feat. We walked out onto the bridge about 1/2 way as we were told there would be a train soon. It never came! Unfortunately, the whole area is very commercialized and touristy. From the bridge, we went to a train station and caught a train along the railway to the last stop in Thailand “Nam Tok”. This trip took one hour Some spectacular parts with the roots that have been cut into the rock face above the river. Many men worked 12 hour days to build the railway. In the end, we were back to the hotel for lunch which we enjoyed with Darren and Karina who we met on the bus. After lunch, it was a walk to the ‘ Lawa Cave’ very hot side. We had to climb 300 steps to get there, questionable whether it was worth it. Back to the hotel for a swim and cool down then drinks with Darren and Karina at the beer garden and dinner at 7 pm. We ate with John Belinda from Sydney and Darren and Karina from Adelaide.
After dinner we watch some young children doing Thai dancing. organised mayhem. then back to the room to go to bed
