Thailand, The West

Well, our plans got foiled a bit as our visas to Myanmar required an "interview". Without our passports, we couldn't go as planned to Cambodia, and rescheduled it for after the next two or three countries.

Because we didn't want to spend much more time in Bangkok, we trained over to Kanchanaburi. I loved this picture from the train. Unlike traveling in first class, third class is like a rolling party. There were no livestock on the train, but that's about all there wasn't. There must have been 10 different people offering various foods for sale, including ice cold beverages, grilled meats and unknown concoctions in plastic bags. One woman, returning from a farm, was tying together different vegetables, in packages for resale at her local market. She sold about a half dozen before her stop.

Where in the world are Ethan and Siena? Although it is normally the river that is the "Where", in this case it is the bridge and the railway that are. During the Japanese occupation of Thailand in WWII, prisoners of war and forced labor were driven like slaves to complete this railway. The bridge was built and shortly afterwards damaged. The railroad stretched for 405 kilometers, connecting Bangkok to Yangon, an area with such mountainous and jungle covered terrain that the engineers said a rail connection couldn't be built. 38 prisoners of war died for each kilometer of track laid. As for the bridge, it was memorialized in a highly fictionalized movie, with William Holden and Alec Guiness. This is the Bridge on the River Kwai. We visited the war cemeteries and walked part of the track, where it clung to the cliffs on rickety trellises. The railroad was dubbed the Death Railway--over 100,000 people died building it.

This mountainous region is also home to some beautiful waterfalls. We spent the better part of a day climbing up the 7 steps of Erawan Falls. Our favorite, level 4, has a natural slide. What a rush! After searching eagerly for a glimpse of the local Macque monkeys, one hit Kim and grabbed Siena's shirt before making off with another tourist's bag and throwing his camera in the river. This is what I call wildlife.

Riding on the roads in Thailand reminds us how different this country is from our own. How do you think these guys would go over in the states? We frequently see people dressed like terrorists, either on top of a truck, as pictured, or driving motorcycles. I have heard it is to protect them from the fumes. A piece of fabric over your face does exactly what to keep out fumes? Anyway, here, no one gives them a second glance, where as at home, we'd be running for cover.

The other sight that was everywhere was the image of the King of Thailand. At 82, he is the longest reigning monarch in history. Talk to a Thai citizen and somewhere in the first 3-4 sentences the phrase, "We love our king" is spoken. There are pictures of him lining the roads, in every restaurant and store we visited, plastered 20 feet high on buildings. Either he is truly beloved by his subjects, or the people want to be seen as incredibly supportive of him, as dissenters are not always treated kindly.

We have learned more of the Thai language, including being able to count to a 99. We like the numbers 7--Jet and 8--Bad. Unfortunately, as soon as we become comfortable with the language, it is time to move on.

So, Chock Dee, which means cheers, good luck, bon voyage, and just a general phrase for a positive vibe.

The Beatties