The comings and goings of Bangkok

Bangkok, as you will probably know, is such a busy and noisy city. There are apparently 12 million people and 8 million cars - understandably, therefore, there are long traffic jams and the need for patience too!

The white lights of heavy traffic coming into Bangkok 

The red tail lights of traffic leaving Bangkok

We decided this week it was time to take a trip out of Bangkok to visit the Bridge on the River Kwai and Hellfire Pass. We caught a train at Thonburi Station and for 100THB each (£2 each, incredibly cheap!) we travelled to Nam Tok - a 5hr train journey. The rail line ends there and so we had to get a taxi to the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum, which was built by the Australian government and is dedicated to the Allied prisoners of war and Asian labourers, who suffered and died during World War Two while working on the Thai-Burma Railway. The Japanese built the railway, which ran between Burma in the North and Thailand in the South,  to keep their lines of supply open to their armies that had swept through South East Asia. They found they couldn't ship supplies because of Allied warships, so they decided to build a land route through terrible terrain, using Allied POWs and thousands of Asian workers. It took them about 18 months to build, which was an amazing feat, but at a terrible human cost.

The route of the Thai-Burma Railway in World War Two

It was a sobering visit - as we walked along the Pass, there were simple signs of remembrance pinned to the rock walls as well as a  formal memorial stone.

Hellfire Pass - cut out of the rock by hand!

Memorials in Hellfire Pass

We travelled back from Nam Tok over the Whampo viaduct and the River Kwai bridge to Kanchanaburi  and stayed overnight on a  Raft Guest House. 

Going over the bridge on the River Kwai

Ken looking back down the train

 

The view from our room in the Tara Raft Guest House

Another view from Tara Raft

The lounge at Tara Raft

We had time the next day to visit the Death Railway Museum - a very interesting exhibition and beautifully presented. It sits beside the War Graves Cemetery.

Arriving back in Bangkok brought us quickly back into the present day, but still with all the memories and one  particular quote from Major A.E. Saggers in 1943, which we read in the museum. Sadly it is still so applicable to our world today : "Never have I dreamt that I should see the day when human life would be held so cheaply". 

Feeling like our time here is coming to an end rather quickly (we've one more week!), we headed off this morning to see the Erewan Shrine in Downtown Bangkok. All along the road to the shrine are stalls selling flower offerings for Brahma, fruit and small birds - many people buying them too!

As people knelt and prayed there were musicians and dancers - beautiful costumes and hand movements. Those praying hire the musicians and dancers to bring them good luck.

We also stumbled across our friendly monks sitting on the infamous 'teak benches' (I once sat on them by mistake, never again!!)  They live on voluntary contributions of food and money and get given this by people as they wander around.  They are also only allowed to eat before midday so we have often seen them walking around town very early in the morning - they looked like they had had a hard day and needed to relax.

We are now at the end of our long day having just got back from teaching our students.  We meet at a coffee shop near Chula University - it's a lovely atmosphere there and they make the best 'VERY VERY BERRY' frozen smoothies!!! We had a lovely time with the students - they are so keen to improve their English.

The Entrance Cafe and Studio, Bangkok

Miles, Roger, the students and us!

After our lesson we went out for a meal with the students. Last week we had a Chinese meal, this week we had Thai and next week is our last in Bangkok. It was a great evening!

Love 

Heather and Ken