Bangkok to Kanchanaburi

1.1.16

It is my second full day and I’m already in love with Thailand….

I left the US on Tuesday the 29th, spent a few days in Alexandria, VA with my good buddies Kate, Mike, & Deputy LaPierre who sent me off in style!  My flights were great, I got an incredible deal and was able to fly in business class.  I highly recommend this for any international travel going forward.  Seats were huge and the kind that lie back and it was empty – hence the great deal.

Five Movies Later

Mountain Range Going Over Russia

Fun Clouds

I got in around 1am on the 31st, I thought the Bangkok airport would be quiet at that hour but I was wrong.  It was crazy.  I ended up at my hotel around 3am and went to bed.  A few hours later I woke up eager to begin my solo adventure… I went to the train station and after the fourth teller, received a timetable for the train I needed and found out I was at the wrong station.  Opps.  I hopped back in a cab to the new station, which was really just a platform by a market.  They had some local dogs that would go wild every time the announcement came on.  Pretty cute.

Emma – It’s like a mashup of our names!!!

Thon Buri Train Station Bangkok

The train ride was great, pretty scenery, beautiful weather, interesting people watching.  This was my first exposure to how incredible the Thai people are.  Helpful, kind, they go out of their way for you even when you don’t need help.

View From The Train

Taxi I Took To My Hotel

I got to my hotel (Sam’s Guesthouse) which is a collection of little wood huts over a river, the room is basic but cute.  When sitting on the porch it sounds like you are in a rain forest, tons of birds, frogs, geckos, fish, water running out of the huts, just what I needed.  I dropped my bags and went exploring.  I ended up getting a Thai massage, incredible pad thai, and did some people watching over a local beer.  A perfect NYE.

Huts at Sam’s Guesthouse

View From Sam’s Guesthouse

Sam’s Guesthouse

Interesting To Be Getting A Massage Next To Someone Else

A New Years Gift From Nan – My Sweet Masseuse

Two Truck Beds Pumping Music, Being Patrolled By Cops

Sunrise

New Years Day I woke up and rented a bicycle.  Shockingly this wasn’t as scary as I predicted.  The roads are narrow but it wasn’t super crowded so I cruised around the whole day, I just kept telling myself “stay left”.  My first stop was the Bridge Over the River Kwai.  The bridge is part of the Death Railway (also known as the Burma-Siam Railway) which was built by POWs during WWII.  Being New Years Day, there was a large ceremony with monks crossing the bridge receiving donations and gifts, there were thousands of people packed in trying to donate gifts to the monks.

Bridge Over the Kwai River

These Huts Are Where The POWs stayed

My Wheels

From there I got my confidence up and took some backroads and started wandering around which was quite lovely.  I stopped at the train station, the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, the Jeath Museum, rode past the market which made me feel like I was in a movie, so many colors and smells and scooters and people, stopped at a book store and went back to the bridge for some food.

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery ~7K POWS Who Died During Construction Of The Death Railway Are Buried Here

Thai Buddhist Temple

Thai Buddhist Temple

After The War, Street Names Were Given To All Of The Countries Who Lost POWs During The Building Of The Death Railway

Archway At The Jeath Museum (Jeath stands for all of the countries who lost POWs while building)

Death Railway

Overall I really enjoyed Kanchanaburi – the people, the environment, the food, the sites, the transportation, and the independence.  What a perfect way to start 2016.  Tomorrow is an exciting day as my travel buddy, Kerry/Keroy/Roy, arrives!!!  We will spend the day exploring Bangkok and then head up North.

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year from Thailand!

xxx Sasha