Bangkok to Kanchanaburi

Sunday, February 20, 2011
Kanchanaburi, Thailand
An early morning departure after a late night yesterday makes for some very tired people. Today involved some moderate bus rides and some interesting stops, so there was a little time to rest. Shortly after leaving the city we were in an area where salt pans line both sides of the highway. Salt can only be harvested in the dry season, but because of the heat it only takes about two weeks for the water to evaporate. The procedure is almost identical to the salt pans in India and Morocco.

The only crop that can be grown on land near is salt pans is coconuts, and our next stop was at a family operated small shop where they produced coconut sugar. If there are too many flowers on the coconut trees, the quality of the coconuts will be inferior, so workers climb to the top of the tree and slice the flowers in half. Then the blooms are attached to bamboo pipes where the sap is collected. Then it is boiled in large pans until all the liquid has evaporated and the sugar is formed. The result tastes a lot like palm sugar or a very mild maple sugar. We were also able to visit the family home, located above the shop. It was basically one large room overlooking the canal behind the house. The shrine to Buddha was located in one corner and one wall displayed multiple generations of family photographs reflecting important events in their lives. The grandmother welcomed us and I was able to practice my wai.

Thais don't shake hands, instead they wai, or place their hands together and bow their heads. Younger always wai to older people, inferiors wai to their superiors, and the position of the hands also reflects to status of the person receiving the wai. As farangs (foreigners) we can always get by just by smiling and a slight nod of the head.

About 2 1/2 hours after leaving the hotel, we arrived at a floating market in Ratchburi.   Most of the fruit and vegetables were sold from small boats, which were lined up 3 and 4 deep. You shouted your order, and in the Thai version of old fashioned vacuum tubes, a small basket on a long bamboo pole came from the boat, and after you sent your money, the purchase was returned by the same. A highlight of the stop was sampling a tasty treat of deep fried bananas. They were aroi (delicious)! In addition to the boat venders there were many small stalls selling clothes and craft items. After doing a little exploring and bargaining for a short sleeved cotton shirt and a fan, because it is even warmer than I expected, we were heading back to the bus when I spotted a small air conditioned coffee shop.   Two members of our group were already inside drinking iced mocha, and I was more than happy to join them. In the next five minutes we grew to a total of 9 of the 15 members of the group.

Our stop was limited because we needed to get to Kanchanaburi, the site of the Bridge on the River Kwai.  During the Second World War, the Japanese used prisoners of war to build a railroad through western Thailand to Burma. It is known as the Death Railway because it was very hard work under very difficult conditions and many of the prisoners died. One couple in our group lived in Bangkok during the 1960s and visited the site of the bridge then. They told me that then it was just a river bank. Now, it is a large tourist site, with a market, restaurants,   and a small train that you can ride across the bridge. Nothing remains of the original bridge which was located a little down-river of this bridge.

After lunch in an outdoor restaurant overlooking the river, we rode the train and then walked across the river. As a treat after lunch we sampled a Durian. It is a large fruit with a creamy pale yellow center. While it is a favorite of the Thais, it is sometimes known as "stinky fruit" and is banned from some hotels because of its odor. The fruit that we tasted, was slightly under ripe and didn’t smell particularly bad, or taste exceptionally good. The taste was somewhere between persimmon and melon, and the texture was like an over-ripe pear.

Then we visited the prisoner of war cemetery where more than 6,000 allied soldiers are buried. Only 117 Americans died building and all of their bodies were brought back to the United States. It was very sad to walk along the long lines of markers and read the names and information about the British, Australians, Indians, New Zealandlanders, and other allied soldiers who are buried there.   

Then it was only a short drive to our hotel, which is actually a resort located on the bank of the River Kwai. There is a huge swimming pool located right outside my room and I spent some time splashing around the pool.  

Photos & Videos

Comments

Kat
2011-02-28

I have not had the opportunity to try Durian yet but I here it is very popular with raw foodists. I have heard several people on different blogs mention it is their very favorite of all the fruits. I also know that it is available here in the states, I think it can even be purchased in larger grocery stores and also in asian markets. I have read that the imported Durian do not smell stinky like the ones you get in Southeast Asia, perhaps because they are picked so early and shipped so far. But I guess that really remains to be seen (or smelled). I will have to try some soon. Happy travels! <3

2025-02-07

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