We Started this day out going on a guided tour , we had read great reviews on.

There was an hour drive to get to the park .

Our first stop was a National Park that had 7 tiers of waterfalls.

Because Thailand is not receiving the rain it normally does, the water falls were greatly

diminished. 

Still very lovely, and an awesome nature walk .

It seems everywhere we go there are stairs , and this was no exception.

I'm guessing about 500 stairs to get to these lovely waterfalls , then of course 500 stairs

down.

The really nice thing was there are wonderful pools you can go swimming in if you wish.

There are wonderful spots you can stop and just soak your feet, but you will be squealing and 

laughing very quickly!

There are little fish that come up and they love to suck on your feet . It tickles! It feels really

  weird! But what fun!

We got about 2 1/2 hours to hike and swim. 

Then to meet for lunch down at the entrance.

A great lunch was served.

We were so fortunate, in that, on trip advisor they spoke very highly of a guide named Ann

We got her, and she was fabulous!

So back in the van and off to Hellfire Pass Museum.

Hellfire Pass is 

239 ft long and 82 ft high rock cutting done by hand through solid rock , from Australian and

  British

POWs. They started in April 1943 and finished the cutting 3 months later
 
This is a pass that the Japanese wanted put thru the mountain , it was once part of the Death

Railroad .

Pows were forced to work 18 hours a day.

At night the cuttings were lit by carbide lamps, bamboo bonfires and torches filled with

  dieseling.

 
The eerie light and shadows of the gaunt POWs playing on the cutting walls suggested the

  name the site would latter be given, Hellfire Pass.

A few machines were used but the bulk of the work was carried out by an 8 # hammer and tap 

men. using steel drills and hammers.

at least 63 men were beaten to death. many more died from starvation , dysentery and

  cholera. More than 70 % died while the construction was done.

As you walk down this path, You need to kink your head up to really see the top .

All this rock was hammered , chiseled, and pack out by basketful put in ore wagons, and 

removed.

Standing at the top of a look out and looking down at the little people in the bottom help 

you realize just how large a task this project was.

Poignant, moving , seeing the drill marks, and a drill bit , drilled by hammer and punch type

  tools to place dynamite then blown up, and all rock moved by hand.

Then on to a cave by a wooden trestle , The trestle is part of the death railroad as well ,and the

cave was used as a hospital. The sick, wounded, and dying were brought here.


Now , the cave has a large Buddha in it that the Thais put there to bring peace to all the

  suffering that went on in the cave.

 
From there we head to the train. All though not the original death railroad train . It is the train 

used on this railroad. It is very old, no air-conditioning, and VERY hard wooden seats .

We then got off the train and were taken down to the "Bridge over the River Kwai"

The allied forces bombed it in 1944 and 3 sections were destroyed . 

You can still see some of the shell markings on the cement in the pillars.

It is now rebuilt and the train runs for locals, and tourist.

Every year on Nov 28th there is a festival to mark the Allied bombing .

Spectacular light and sound show highlight the festival.