My next excursion outside of Bangkok was to Kanchanaburi, about two hours to the west. The sleepy city's main claim to fame comes from the bridge on the River Kwai, made famous by a novel and movie (mostly fictional) of the same name. The bridge is the starting point to the "Burma Death Railway," built by prisoners of war during World War II under the command of the Japanese.
More recently and more positively, Kanchanaburi was featured as one of the many destinations in the first season of the TV show The Amazing Race.
After dropping off my bags at my guest house, a little plywood room on stilts above the river, I made the short walk down to the bridge. Nearby is a small museum that houses an odd collection of World War Two artifacts. There is also a small monument erected jointly by the Thai and U.S. armies in memory of the lives lost constructing the bridge. Though the bridge was eventually bombed by the Allies, Japan sent two large steel spans to repair it as part of a reparations payment. Today, you can walk across the bridge and it has become a tourist draw for people looking to escape Bangkok.
Another hour and a half by bus from the city, is the Erawan Falls National Park. There are seven tiers to the waterfall that you can hike along. According to Wikipedia, the waterfall is named after Erawan, a three-headed elephant in Hindu mythology, as it said to resemble Erawan. I missed the resemblance, but the park was refreshing and the blue, cold waters picturesque.
More recently and more positively, Kanchanaburi was featured as one of the many destinations in the first season of the TV show The Amazing Race.
After dropping off my bags at my guest house, a little plywood room on stilts above the river, I made the short walk down to the bridge. Nearby is a small museum that houses an odd collection of World War Two artifacts. There is also a small monument erected jointly by the Thai and U.S. armies in memory of the lives lost constructing the bridge. Though the bridge was eventually bombed by the Allies, Japan sent two large steel spans to repair it as part of a reparations payment. Today, you can walk across the bridge and it has become a tourist draw for people looking to escape Bangkok.
Another hour and a half by bus from the city, is the Erawan Falls National Park. There are seven tiers to the waterfall that you can hike along. According to Wikipedia, the waterfall is named after Erawan, a three-headed elephant in Hindu mythology, as it said to resemble Erawan. I missed the resemblance, but the park was refreshing and the blue, cold waters picturesque.
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