(I started writing this post yesterday however as our trip included an overnight stay at at the floating accomodation on Kwai Noi River which has no electricity power, hence no WiFi and no recharging of phones, I have been unable to add pictures and publish this post!)
Early this morning our wake up call went off just before 5.30 a.m. and by the time we came downstairs with all our luggage and of course with our 2 day requirements in our dry bag, our pick up was already waiting for us and it wasn’t yet 6a.m.! Beauty will be our guide for the next two days and Nem will be driving us around and looking after our excess luggage at the back of his van!
Our hotel prepared a boxed breakfast for us and after Gerry had his first smoke we were off to pick up the next couple joining us on this excursion – a Dutch young couple who were staying in China Town. Then onto another pick up from a posh hotel along the river and this time it was a British couple who retired in Cyprus. So that made up the whole group for the next two days.
It took us 2 hours to get to our first sightseeing place – Samui Songram – where the train station called Maeklong Station is in the middle of a sprawling market. The space between the rails is used by vendors to sell their fish, fruit and vegetables as well as snack and souvenirs. All the stalls have awnings over their merchandise but when the train is about to arrive then they are pulled back and the merchandise stacked against the walls or even left on the ground low enough so that the train can pass over it!
This was such a strange experience when all of a sudden a voice boomed from the loudspeakers in both Thai and English – we were warned that the train was approaching and everyone should step behind the red line. By that time all the awnings were pulled up and only the tourists needed to get away. What a sight! I have never seen anything like this before and wondered what came first – the market or the railway track? Still don’t have an answer.
We bought some fruit for the rest of the journey which was going to take us another 2 hours to get to the train station – Thonburi Nam Tok – where we would embark on the Birma Line train – or rather known as the Death Railway – to travel part of the journey where the railroad was built by the World War II prisoners.
Both Gerry and I had done this excursion when we had come out to Thailand together some 7 years ago. Well on the way on the train, we were chatting with our guide, Beauty, when she told us that the next stop was ours and we would need to get out as our driver, Nem would be waiting for us to take us to our buffet lunch restaurant – Praweenut. However all of a sudden, Beauty realised that we had gone a station too far and we got off at a little station where it seems that it was used by the Buddhist monks who had a temple high on the hill. So after Beauty contacted our driver, Nem made his way to us and arrived 15 minutes later – by this time most of us were ravenous and we made it to the restaurant just in time before two bus loads of tourists descended for lunch too!! Well the train ride which is actually the original Thailand Birma line instigated by the Japanese during World War II, by using prisoners of war and imported workers from neighboring countries, was spectacular.
Most of the passengers were tourists but of course there were also locals including monks. The views from the train on the left handsome were of the River Kwai deep below and the mountains separating Thailand from Birma or Myanmar nowadays. On the right hand side we could admire the peaceful flat verdant countryside
We had a delicious Thai buffet lunch however we are not used to having such a meal in the middle of the day and as we all had to get up at the crack of dawn, we all managed to get an afternoon dip. By the time we were ready to get away and drive to our next destination, The Hell Fire Pass Memorial, we were all exhausted! So much so, that Beauty rearranged our schedule and asked us if we preferred to go straight to our overnight stay on the Jungle Rafts but then get up early the next morning to go to the Hell Fire Pass – we all agreed to that!
Our drive would take us some one and half hours to arrive at our Jungle Rafts on the River Kwai. This was quite an experiencing to spend time on a river raft complex without any electricity but it was magical!
However to get there, we had to take a 20 minute longboat ride from Phutakien Pier- the scenery was spectacular!
It was great to able to relax once we were allocated our rooms which were simple but functional. We changed into our swimwear and Beauty had given us life jackets as besides that the current was very strong, all these establishments are heavily controlled for safety!
One of the main activities was to float down the river up to the green flag where it was safe to get out on time – the yellow Flag meant that it’s getting risky if you don’t get out now while the red flag meant that you most probably will be floating all the way down to the Gulf of Thailand!
So obviously Gerry had to test the waters for me as I’m not much of a hero when it gets to currents and rushing waters! He enjoyed it tremendously but the steps were too far apart for me to climb out ( I also have a frozen shoulder!). Anyway the river looked murky to me and I don’t like being in unclear water – I’ve been spoilt with the clear blue Mediterranean Sea!
As dusk descended on the river, all the oil lamps were lit up giving the area somewhat of a magical and mysterious atmosphere – soon the mists will also start swirling over the river till the early morning. Anyway by torchlight we got ready for dinner – no hot water here, very spartan but then the temperature is welcoming to have a cold shower / wash!
After dinner, we took the longboat again (I’m getting used to getting in and out of this low boat and seemed to become more flexible!!) for a 5 minute ride to another part of the Jungle Rafts we’re there was going to be a dance performance by the local Mon people. So as there was no internaat and very little light, we decided to go. Actually it was a really good performance .
We were given some background information about the Mon people are from Burma and are allowed to live and build their village by the Thai authorities as they had to flee Burma. Most of the Mon people who live in the village on the banks of the river close to the Jungle Raft Resort all work in the local resorts so their village is quite empty during the day. This evening the dancing, singing and music was all performed by Mon people of different ages.
Back at our raft home, it was time to sleep – we had had so much to see today and we were dead tired! Tomorrow we have an early start as we will be visiting the Hell Fire Pass Memorial first which we missed today
