After we got so pissed off with bangkok we had desperatly tried to leave and head to oz 5/6 days early, however for some reason the english branch werent answering the phone and the branch in Bangkok couldnt be more unhelpful - so we left the capital and headed to a town called Kanchanaburi - about 3 hours west of the capital.

Here we found a much more relaxed town, after checking into a hostel for a few pound, we headed into town for a nose around, after most things being closed we went back to the area of the hostel (which is surrounded by bars and cafes/restaraunts). Had dinner in a nice place and a few beers. Headed across the road and found a small shed type bar selling rum and coke for 18p!!! This was bargain enough anyhow, but when other bars were selling the same drink for more than it costs in england i almost tripped over myself in a mad dash for the bar. After sipping a fair few, which actually was surprisingly smooth and not like nail varnish, we befriended a canadian bloke, some old swedish bird, and of course the happy barmaid - where we spent a couple of hours drinking the night away. The following morning was not so fun - nobody has too much of this cheap rum (unbeknown to me) as the hangover is disastrous. Problem being we were booked on a trip....not wanting to waste money we decided i should brave the bus with the risk of being sick everywhere seen only as a minor aspect as it was my own fault.

Trip very good, went to a local waterfall, the headed onto 'hellfire pass'. WW2 camp where POW's were forced to dig through a mountain region a lay tracks for an advancing japanese army. Thousands died, and ten of thousands of local labourers died in the process too. After this we had lunch then onto a hot spring. Two natural baths, 1 hot, the other very hot. Hangover cured, and not wanting to make the english look silly, i took it upon myself to jump straight in. Again this was a 'hot' spring not cold, or luke warm, but hot. Hannah and the others slowly lowered themselves in. After a while i swapped to the very hot spring (too hot for hannah), then considered the cold river running past us. One girl from our trip slowly got in to cool down, for some reason i again decided to not mess around and jump straight in from one to the other - not one of my best plans. After drying off we headed back to the bus and onto the bridge over the river kwai. If any of you have seen the film (60s i think).......well weve been on it. More enteraining for us was a monkey on the track eating a bag dried banana chips a tourist had given him.

Very historical day tour with a museum thrown in, we actually learnt something for a change, and it was interesting seeing photos of how the prisoners we treated. Back in the town we checked into a different hostel, which had a large grassy veranda over looking a big river. Spent the next day sun bathing, then in the evening went for a full body, oil, thai massage for 1hr. In the UK aparantly around 50 pounds, over here 3.70 :-) Had some thai lady standing on my back, cracking my knuckles and rubbing me all over - but not in a funny way - all above board - hannah was next to me getting the same treatment. Feeling replenished we had dinner and headed for bed.

Next morning we headed back to bangkok in preperation for the flight leaving the following lunch time, the bus however had no air con, only in a small minibus things got rather toasty and the phrase 'dogs do in cars' was shouted at the driver by a northern bloke, driver couldnt care less as upfront was verging on chilly. After another night in bangkok we headed to the airport for adelaide.