Ticking Clocks

My July 08 trip to Thailand brought me to Kanchanaburi, a quiet province 2 hours journey from Bangkok. It is known for the infamous death railway that stretches all the way from Burma. Tens of thousands of Malays, Chinese, Burmese, British and Aussie POWs have died in the process of constructing the bridge.

To get to Kanchanaburi, we took a local coach from Sai Tai Mai or the Southern bus terminal in Bangkok for 112 baht(S$4.50). Its a monotonous two hour journey without any incident or interesting landscapes. Once in Kanchanaburi, a rickshaw driver offered to bring us to a backpacker hotel. We agreed when he said it costs 500 baht per night. Its definitely much cheaper than the 2000 baht room i spent on in Bangkok.

There is a huge difference in staying at backpacker hotels compared to the relatively expensive business class hotels. The staff and guests are much friendly, often trading greetings and smiles whenever we see each other.

It was a 2km trek to the bridge but although it was nice to relive a bit of World War 2 history, i was quite repulsed by the many tourists who came in large coaches. They were loud and noisy, carrying umbrellas and laughing as they walked the tracks. I found it a disrespectful gesture when on a bridge that was built on the tireless efforts of dead men.

It didn’t take me long to get to know two independent female travellers from Lyon, France. They were a fun and interesting duo who spoke in heavily accented English and kept telling me to slow down when i speak.

The four of us struck out for the bridge, making (again) a 2km march in the dark. It was a different sight at night, one that many travellers and tourists do not get to see. A darkened bridge only illuminated by the light reflected from the river.

The next afternoon, we took the train back to Thonburi, Bangkok. To most people, the train would not be the best choice cause it is hot and stuffy, noisy and takes a full hour longer to reach Bangkok. The price difference between the bus and the train? The train is cheaper by just 12 baht (50cents).

Still it was not a regretful decision for us to have made. The sprawling landscape of the Thai countryside was indeed spectacular with fields of green and glittering Wats(temples). I found myself feeling incredibly alive when i stuck my head out of the train window and feel the rush of wind on my face against the hot humid weather of Thailand.   

It was a destination away from destinations. A world of difference from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. And the total cost? Less than 1000 baht for the 2 days there.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 at 8:19 am and is filed under Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.