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We left Bangkok and headed to the Southern bus terminal to catch the local bus to Kanchanaburi.Even the staff in our hotel tried to direct us elsewhere to use the tourist services but we persisted and got the £2 local bus. When we arrived we phoned the guesthouse who came to collect us in a 'taxi', it was a moped with a cage attached to the side but the normal mode of transport for this area we came to find.The location of the guesthouse is right on the river, its beautiful and we quickly settle in with a few beers.We book a tour for the next day and went for dinner at a restaurant recomended on trip advisor, I enjoyed a mild curry but Martin opted for something hotter and found it was really hot! The next morning we are told our tour is fully booked we are offered a more expensive alternative and accept rather than stay another night.First we are taken to Erawen National Park, with it's seven tiered waterfalls.They are spectualar, we make it to the fourth waterfall before deciding to go back and spend some time in the water.The fish that 'nibble' on your feet feel more like they are biting them it's not really sore but they are huge fish and its a strange sensation.We love swimming in the clear water but its a real effort getting in and out as the rocks are so slippery.We head back for lunch and meet Renee who is a german guy on our tour, we take a wrong turn and end up walking through the park and seeing signs for snakes.We head back and find our way to the restaurant for a thai lunch.Next we are taken to an elephant camp, we booked one without an elephant ride but as its included in the upgraded tour we decide to take advantage.We sit in a sort of basket on the elephant's back, the elephant keeper sits on its head.The elephant begins walking and we try to sit back and enjoy it, but when the elephant starts walking downstairs and into the water its a bit nerve wracking as the basket tips forward.While the elephant is still in the water the keeper grabs our camera and jumps onto the bank, he starts taking pictures and giving the elephant commands then he wanders ahead snapping some more pics. Martin and I kept hoping he'd come back which he did and we continued the walk.I know why I wasn't keen to do this, the elephants are tied up and seem tired not very well treated.When we got off we spoke with others on the tour.Renee summed it up well 'Good fun, not good for karma'.Very quickly we were taken to do the bamboo raft part of our trip, we were towed up the river by a speed boat then left with a young boy, he must have only been about 14, to steer us back up the river.I started to film then looked up to see the boy had dropped the oar in! 'I go get' he mumbled before diving off the raft and into the river, we were both feeling pretty relieved when he clambered back on with the oar in hand.We were happy to be back on dry land and were taken by a young girl who was training to be a guide, she was very sweet but didn't speak much English.She bought our tickets for the death railway and took pictures for us.We were picked up the other end and taken to the bridge over the river kwai, we just had enough time to get pictures before the rain started pouring.After getting soaked we headed back to change before going out for dinner and drinks, we found a pub that's motto was 'get s***faced on a shoestring' so we did!
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