Like a Bridge over Trouble Water: Kanchanaburi, Thailand

After flying back to Bangkok, we immediately did our best to get OUT of that city, having seen enough of it already. So, we took a train to Kanchanaburi. On our way out of town, most of the streets were closed down for the funeral pyre of the sister of the king. This picture doesn't even do justice to the incredible throngs of people dressed in black.

In Kanchanaburi, we checked into a hotel that seemed cool enough at first. It was a floating hotel on the River Kwai with beautiful views of a pagoda and a few lillypads and lotus flowers just down stream.Little did we know that it was ridiculously moldly and gross. We only stayed here one night.

The following day, we got bikes and toured around a few museums on the WWII history of Kanchanaburi and the Siam/Burma Death Railway. (Same railway we took to get to the province.) It is a remarkable and sad history that we, in the west never hear too much about. Then we biked down to the Bridge over River Kwai. You can walk across the bridge, which seems cool enough at first, until Joanna realized that it was 30+ feet above the river, nothing between her and the edge of the railway, the possiblity of an oncoming train (which happened), and a mob of tourists all pushing and elbowing to get on and off the bridge. Needless to say, Joanna got a little grumpy....

The next day we caught a bus to the Erawan Waterfall outside of town. The seven-teired waterfall is named after the myth of the three-headed elephant because it supposedly looks like the elephant, although we could never figure out why. The falls were beautiful, the hike was great, and the water was cool and refreshing.

Be careful of getting cramps while swimming! Wait an hour after eating! Careful! You're gonna shoot your EYE out!