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First of all I know that this blog is a long time coming! I've been so busy with enjoying myself that I haven't had time to just sit at a computer long enough to write my blog.... so this will be long I know but I have a strong cup of coffee and a whole night with no plans!
Day 5 - Monday 30th July
Met the Intrepid group tonight, after spending the day chilling out in my room and ordering room service. The group are so lovely, 4 Aussies all part of one family - Gary and Sue their daughter Callie and her partner James, Laura - a lass from Aberdeen who has come straight out to Thailand from Tanzania where she was working on a charity project, Nikki and Leanne - two sisters from Swindon, Jan - a teacher from Newbury, Hajeria - South African girl, very quiet, first time she has been out of SA and then Rony - German guy (jury is out on him.....).... and our guide Arjan/Jane who is from Central Thailand. We went for dinner at a traditional Thai restaurant on Rambutri Road (behind Kao San), had my first Mai Tai cocktail and spent the evening getting to know the group before heading out to meet up with the Suchi, Sharn and the guys at Funk Bar for our last night out together..... which turned into a rather messy night... lets just say buckets, talc, lock in and crazy Thai people! Needless to say we left at 5am rather drunk.... lucky thing was I was only stumbling distance to the hotel, got back and was really looking forward to my 2.5 hrs of sleep before I had to get up to meet the group and catch a bus out of Bangkok!
Day 6 - Tuesday 31 July
Day started with a Resolve as to be expected! We went by bus from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi which luckily only took 2hours.... but it meant that I could get some well needed sleep. After lunch at a local cafe we took another bus (oh you know who I love busses) to Sangkhlaburi where we were staying for the night. Stayed at the P. Guesthouse on the river in a really cute log cabin type bungalow. The views over the lake as the sun was setting was so beautiful, took loads of pictures. Had my first experience of a squat toilet.... which was no where near as horrid as I had imagined but still given the choice I do like a western! The mosquitoes are loving me too.... and apparently deet doesn't seem to work on me! So instead I am being eaten alive and my bites are the size of 50p coin, lovely!
Day 7 - Wednesday 1 August
First breakfast in Thailand! Been up to late or been too hung-over every other day, plus was trying to avoid the caffeine.... and was doing pretty well too. We took a long tail boat (2 between the whole group) and went down the river to the elephant camp, stopping at the sunken temple on the way. Typical, it started raining as soon as we were in the boats.... boats with no cover! So we all put on our ponchos and looked mighty fine for the whole journey! To get onto the elephant we had to stand on its knee then onto the guide's knee and throw yourself up onto its back where there was a wooden seat thing. We went off into the jungle up a pretty steep hill and what goes up must come down.... even in poring rain on slippy mud! Got to admit it felt rather strange being sat on an elephant going down a hill at a 45degree angle. I couldn't stop laughing as we watched Nikki & Leanne coming down behind us... their faces a picture. We trekked through rivers (one as high as the elephants eye so he had to use his trunk to feel his was to the other side) and jungle for just under 2 hours. Then back at the camp it was time to attempt to get down off the elephant.... we all knew that that was going to be amusing to watch... and right we were.... I feel off the elephant landing on my knees and scrapping my trousers in the bit... another good look! In the afternoon we took a songthaew (like a pick up truck without a roof and benches at down the sides - quite hard to explain, look at the pics) to Three Pagoda Pass which is the Burma Thailand border, there were a few local stalls (run by the local Mon people from Burma) selling real jade and onyx so naturally I bought a couple of things! Walked over the longest wooden bridge in Thailand which was in a bad state, and not so much fun walking on a slippy wooden bridge in the rain! Arjan took us to the children's orphanage where they have about 120 kids in their care. We spent a while there with them and they put on a show for us. The children there were so lovely, spoke very good English and all knew how to work a camera. One of the little girls, Dream, was only 3years old (they thought, when she came to them they didn't know her birth date and neither did she) who had been abused by her step dad so had been sent to the orphanage for a better chance. She attached herself to Laura, Nikki and Leanne straight away. Bought a couple of purses from their little shop too, everything was hand made by the single mothers that they teach to sew and weave. At dinner Arjan showed us the video of the elephant riding from the morning.... and sure enough there I was in full view of the world falling off the elephant, not once, not twice but three times on a loop... yeah nice editing!
Day 8 - Thursday 2 August
Had to attempt to pack my backpack again this morning.... then walk up the hill in the rain with it on my back.... which was an experience! We went to the local market to buy some fresh fruit Rambutan and watermelon for the nursery we were going to. The children there were all aged 1-5 apart from those that now attended school but came back to meet us that morning. We played games with them, like duck duck goose and piggy in the middle and some balloon chasing game. One girl seemed to take a liking to me and wouldn't leave me alone... she was so cute! The teacher said that she didn't really talk and until recently would sit on her own and not interact with the other children and that she didn't really go to people she didn't know. They also sung a couple of songs for us, so not to be outdone we all sung the alphabet song! The local Mon village prepared lunch for us just round the corner, they made us fried tempura papaya which was gorgeous, pumpkin shots and curry. We then looked around their village, they grow everything they need right in their back gardens.... chilli, rice, pineapple, herbs etc. We stayed at Thong Pha Phum that night in a cute little hostel with connecting balconies overlooking the river Kwae. Oh can't forget... Laura had deep fired frog for dinner, apparently a delicacy!
Day 9 - Friday 3 August
Arrived at Hellfire pass at 9am (took an hour by local bus). I had never heard of Hellfire Pass before so wasn't really sure what to expect. We walked through the museum then took an audio tour around the forest. I had no idea how harsh it was going to be, actually listening to accounts from people that managed to survive the awful conditions. It was actually quite upsetting, I know that the girls found it quite hard to listen to and read about. I would definitely recommend a visit. Went for lunch at Nom Tok station, the end of the line for the death railway. Bus loads of school children started arriving at the station so we knew that we were going to have to fight to get seats on the train, so we formed a plan of action.... when the train stops jump on and save as many seats as you can.... fool proof! In actual fact the kids got on at the other end and we had loads of space, lucky really as it took me 5 minutes to get onto the train with my backpack on! Lol!A few of us got off the train early and went to the Tiger Temple where we were told that the tigers can walk around freely in the afternoon but are tame so that you can, if you want to, have your photo taken with them.... what a load of crap that was!!! We got down to Tiger Canyon to find about 8 fully grow tigers chained up to concrete blocks being propped up by more concrete blocks and drugged up to the eyeballs so they could hardly keep their eyes open! This place I would really not recommend!!! There is a reason it's not in the Lonely Planet! We left the temple pretty quick and went to see the bridge over the river kwae (not Kwai as it says in the film - you learn something new every day) and did a bit of shopping, bought a hammock for a pound... bargin! We stayed at Apples Guesthouse that night and had probably the best meal yet, slightly more expensive but so so worth it! Then off to the night market to do some more shopping, although I only got a couple of t-shirts and bungy cords for my backpack (by this point I was strapping things to the outside).
Day 10 - Saturday 4 August
Laura and I were late for the bus... again (Mum I think I must have your time disease), so we were a little late leaving for Earwan National Park. We set off at the base of the waterfall quite slowly but started to enjoy it and it went so quickly. Laura and I climbed it together with the Aussie, who did it in flip-flops (there was me in my walking shoes.... although wouldn't of had it another way). Took us an hour to get to the top (2km up) but at the top it was so beautiful and clear, but we didn't want to swim on level 7 as then we'd have to walk all the way down soaked... not fun! So we walked down to 4 and swam there where there were rocks you could slide down... was so much fun! On the way down from 4 to the bus we saw gibbons in the trees playing. Had lunch back at Apples before heading back off to the bus station to get another bus to Bangkok. Slept all the way on to Bangkok, much needed sleep after a night of shopping! We were picked up by Thai Guesthouse and taken to our home stay, a traditional Thai teak house on the outskirts of Bangkok. The house was amazing, so intricate in design, even the spirit house had been copied to match the house itself! Dinner was a rather funny affair as we all had to wear sarongs to dinner, even the Aussie boys, much to their disgust although I'm sure they were enjoying the 'freedom' by the end of the evening. Had the most amazing spring rolls and sweet chilli sauce (new favourite food) too. After dinner we played jenga all night...
Day 11 - Sunday 5 August
We were up early to go to the local market with the girls from the house. The market was really busy, selling everything you could possibly need including: frogs (both gutted and alive), fish (alive or dead), baby turtles (given to monks as a gift/offering - not eaten), eels (alive)... as you can imagine we didn't spend to much time looking around, especially after we had only just had breakfast!
We took a long tail boat over the river to the main pier and then walked back to our hotel (on Rambutri Road again)... first time I had to carry my backpack for any period of time... at this point I decided I needed to send stuff home! Had our final lunch together in the hotel and said our goodbyes to the Aussies, Hajeria and Rony. The others were staying on to come on the island tour with me. Fingers crossed the new group will be just as great as theses guys were!
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