Kanchanaburi

Another weekend welcomes another adventure this time to the town of Kanchanaburi and the bridge over the River Kwai.

After work on Friday evening Jess, Jenny and I travelled to Kanchanaburi from Bangkok and met Hanisha and Lindsey. The hostel we had booked was rather interesting down a dark lane and looked like it had not seen a cleaner since it had opened many years ago. We were use to staying in pretty average places but we couldn't quite lower our standards to this place therefore we found another hostel to stay in near by. We then headed out for some dinner before having an early night.

On the Saturday we hired a Songtaew (the most common mode of transport for us recently - a pick up truck with seats in the back) to drive us to Erawan waterfalls. I've seen some beautiful waterfalls since being here but nothing can compare to how spectacular and majestic these falls were. We climbed up the 7 levels stopping to take photos along the way. From the 6th to the 7th level Jess, Lindsey and I took off our shoes and made a treacherous climb in the waterfall up to the top. They were beautiful all the way up and back down again. On the way down we stopped at one of the levels for a dip in the pool to cool off and climb underneath the falls (Lindsey has these photos so you will have to wait till they appear on Facebook)

It was now late in the afternoon so we rushed off to Hell Fire Pass and got there 5 mins before the museum closed so only had a quick look round, but then we walked along the pass too. For those of you who don't know what involvement Thailand had in WW2 I highly recommend you research it or watch the film Bridge over the River Kwai. I had no idea about the history because in school we were just taught about Europe. Japan pretty much had control over the whole of Asia and the POW from all counties they had captured along the way were made to build a railway to Burma to transport military equipment. The conditions these men and women had to work in were awful many dying from malaria, cholera, exhaustion and much more. Below is Hell Fire Pass which they had to dig through the rocks in the burning heat working for 18 hours a day with little food and water.

In the evening we headed out for a yummy dinner followed by a relaxing massage. Our bodies were aching after the trek up the waterfall. Jenny had been feeling ill all day so skipped the massage to hit the sack. We then returned to the hostel after the massage due to a call from Jenny saying our room had been invaded by giant killer ants. She had got the staff to come help her with the problem, but he just bum gunned them down in the bathroom and said Mai Pen Rai (the famous Thai saying of not a problem, its ok, don't worry) but they kept coming back. Now us girls are not that bad with creepy crawlies (apart from cockroaches) but the thought of ants the size of wasps crawling on us and biting us in our sleep was not great, especially as one of us was on an air bed on the floor! So after a massive language barrier and resistance we managed to get a new room to sleep in for the night.


After a not so peaceful night due to the noise from the party street our hostel was on, we got up and went for breakfast before walking to see "The Bridge" Although the train goes across the bridge you can still walk along the tracks over it. The day was filled with a lot of history and museums, which I loved being a history geek at heart and found it all fascinating.

We also went to the Thai-Burma Railway Centre which had even more information about what happened during the building of the railway. This was also next to the war cemetery where over 6000 victims are buried.

In the cemetery I found several Watts' and Warner's along with other friends names however I don't think any are related to me, maybe way back along the line somewhere.

With Love from Thailand xxx

Khao Yai

In Thailand a Buddhist national holiday happens to fall on Valentines day so we all got the day off school making it a long weekend. We took full advantage of this and ventured off in to the jungle.

On Friday morning Lindsey, Jess, Hanisha and I travelled a few hours north east out of Bangkok to Khao Yai National Park. We were picked up from the bus stop by a driver from our apartment. We stayed at Bobbies Apartment's which had a lovely friendly hostel feel to it and they were so welcoming. They also organised our one and a half day tour, so we headed straight off on the afternoon tour as soon as we got there. It was a relaxing afternoon stopping at a natural spring which we could swim in (although we felt rather naked in out bikini's compared to the Thai's swimming in t-shirts, oh well we are use to being stared at so no change!) The water was crystal clear and beautiful. The next stop was a Buddist Cave with a shrine in it where monks go to meditate. It was very random and we learnt a little bit from our tour guide about the monks which was interesting. the sun was then beginning to set so it was time to see the bats wake up from their sleep and fly out for the evening. Us girls were not overly excited to see the bats as we had already seen similar in Lopburi but this was something else there were millions and millions, I've never seen anything like it.

































That evening we chilled at the restaurant with people from our tour and who would be on our tour the next day. It was great chatting about everyone's past and future travel plans and getting to know people from countries all over the world.

The next day was an early start and after delicious pancakes we began the full day tour by driving in to the national park and stopping at a few view points along the way. This is where we saw are first signs of wildlife of a monkey high up munching on some fruit in a tree.

After stopping at the information centre and museum for a short time it was then time to start our trek into the jungle with our crazy, enthusiastic tour guide. He certainly made the day fantastic with his craziness and sense of humour. He found hornbills in the highest trees and tracked down several gibbons for us to see. He had an amazing telescope we could look through and he would take pictures through it as well. The gibbons were fascinating swinging from tree to tree and making the strangest of sounds. After several hours of trekking the jungle we circled round and came back to the pick up truck (our means of transport for the day, it did have seats in the back but meant we could see out at any point) for a bit of lunch.

In the afternoon we drove further in to the park and walked to see some beautiful waterfalls. The first one which we couldn't swim in features in the film "The Beach" where they jump off it. Our tour guide took us down a winding path off the beaten track to our own exclusive waterfall, where no one else was in sight. after a day full of walking in the sun it was blissful to cool off in the water.

It was then time to go in search of some wild elephants, there was only a small chance we would see them so we all anxiously peered out the truck in to the jungle hoping to get a glimpse. There were many tour groups on the same mission which was great as a few other trucks were stopped on the road watching one showing us he was there! It was hard to see through the think trees but every so often he poked his trunk out towards the road. Eventually when he thought the time was right and he found an exit he crossed the road to the other side. He was then in full sight for us to see. It was fantastic seeing a wild elephant so close up and in his own home. It was then time for us to head home. We quickly drove all the way to the top of the mountain to a view point. Unfortunately it was misty so there wasn't much to see but then headed back to the apartments for dinner and an early night as we were so exhausted from the jam packed but awesome day.

The next day I got up early and headed back to Bangkok as my cousin, Emily and her friend Lou were in town. I took them to explore JJ market and have some street food near my place. It was great catching up with them after their month round Asia and to hear all their travel stories. Next time we will be reunited is in Singapore in March, can't wait for the adventures to continue.

With love from Thailand xxx

How many accidents can we get in to one weekend?

It's Dave's birthday so a few of us (Dave, Tom, Faye, Hanisha and Lindsey) decide to head off to an Island a few hours south of Bangkok for the weekend. We arrived on Koh Sichang at about 11am on Saturday after an early start from Bangkok. The island is beautiful and tiny. It only took about ten minutes from one end to the other on a moped.

After settling in to our accommodation, of which was delightful as we had mini bungalows compared to the normal hostels we stay in, we went off to explore the island on the mopeds. At this point Hanisha and Lindsey are yet to arrive, so its just Tom and I on one moped and Dave and Faye on the other, the boys taking control with the driving while us girls just admired the view. And what a view it was......

We made are way across the island to a small beach, there were very few foreigners to be seen and those which were visiting were a little bit older than us, so we did attract some attention with our white skin (well myself and Dave's skin). For the majority of the day we sunbathed and chilled on the beach, the other girls then joined us later. We had a lot of fun going on a banana boat and being thrown in to sea head first hundreds of times. I lost count the amount of times Faye and I nearly lost our bikinis and gave the locals even more to stare at!

At about 5.30 we decided to head from the beach to a view point to watch the sunset. With three on each moped and the boys still driving we thought there would be no problem. The amount of times I've seen a whole Thai family, the dog and the months shopping on a moped it no longer surprises me. But maybe us English folk don't quite have the same balance.....Dave takes the first uphill corner with a little too much speed and with two unstable girls on the back topples over in front of a Thai audience. Don't worry mum, I chose wisely and went on Tom's bike with Lindsey all safe and sound! We rushed back to help them to find them a little shaken with a few cuts and bruises but no need for a trip to the hospital. A lucky escape.

Once the shaking from the accident had stopped we decided the evenings antics must go on!! About 4 drinks in to Dave's 24 drink challenge of the night we headed off to "Pan and David's" restaurant, recommended by a website, for a meal and more drinks the Thai way (order a bottle of alcohol and mixes) I'm not sure how to write about the whole evening.....but lets just say the effects of alcohol started to kick in and a hilarious evening unfolded. There were incidents involving cheesecake, limes and northern banter along with dancing at a Thai family gathering and being sung happy birthday too. When us girls, the slightly more sober ones of the group thought it was best we leave the restaurant we headed back to the bungalows to attempt some drinking games. Tom and my self's drunken attempt at teaching the others a game of flip cup was awful but not nearly as bad as Tom on his own trying to teach us a card game. Which he failed epically at even after looking the rules up online!

I think we lost count of how many drinks Tom and the Birthday boy managed to complete in their challenge but after reaching about 15 we all called it a night, the next day there were a few sore heads among the group. Therefore we decided to take it easy and didn't have breakfast till about 12, and then wandered down to one of the piers before we had to head home. Of course we can't forget the stop at 7/11 for some souvenirs....

We were all commenting on how it was lucky only a few of us had injuries from the weekend when I decided to adventure down some steps on the pier and slipped landing with a thud on my arse!! It was like something out of a cartoon so I was laughing hysterically and was gutted to find no one saw me slip so didn't join me in the moment, but just helped me up. That's 4 out of 6 with war wounds....oh wait make that 5. Moments later Tom was feeling hot so jumped off the pier in to the sea to cool down, while climbing back up he scraped his legs and elbow on the rocks. Just Lindsey survived!!

After an epic journey home and finding it nearly impossible to get a mini bus back to Bangkok we made it.

Remember how I said Lindsey didn't get hurt......we receive a message on Monday morning saying she's got a swollen eye like she had been punched. She has no idea how it happened!

With Love from Thailand xxx

P.s I promise to stay safe this weekend