The Adventures of ED: Bangkok and Kanchanaburi

Onwards to Bangkok!

From Surat Thani, we caught a 12-hour overnight train to Bangkok for NZ$45. We were allocated a hard sleeper bunk bed each, a pillow, and a blanket. The train left at 6 pm, and after a great sleep, we woke up in Bangkok. We decided that overnight train travel is the best way to cover long distances!

The hard sleeper bunk beds on the train were not made for 6-foot males.

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and is home to over 8 million people; this means that it is a bustling, intense place full of people, grand landmarks, and exotic smells. We planned to spend four days visiting Bangkok's main tourist attractions and experiencing the street food markets. We decided not to book our accommodation on the notorious Khaosan road, where most tourists stay for the colourful nightlife and market stalls selling cheap clothing and tacky souvenirs; instead, we stayed at Jade's house hostel on a quieter street, about 500 meters away from the main concentration of tourists.

Two hours after arriving in Bangkok and it poured with rain.

Upon arrival into Bangkok, our "street smarts" were tested three times: firstly, we were kindly escorted out of the train station by a lovely taxi man who promised us a ride for "very cheap" (note: this was not very cheap and we hurried back to the main taxi stand after seeing his shabby "taxi"); secondly, bartering is not easy for a novice tourist, resulting in one relatively expensive red sundress; and thirdly, a kindhearted teacher informed us that a nearby attraction was closed due to a government day, and promised us that some of his friends could take us on a longboat tour of the canal for "very cheap" (unfortunately for your entertainment, we did not take up his offer). Following this eventful morning, we did some research into common scams in Bangkok and how to effectively barter. Now we were ready to confidently explore the city!

A small canal in Bangkok a block from our accommodation.

Night time in Bangkok.

The Grand Palace is one of Bangkok's main tourist attractions. Construction of the Grand Palace began in 1782 and it is where the king and his court resided until 1925. Today, it is occasionally used for special events, while primarily acts as a tourist attraction and a museum. The Grand Palace contains the beautiful Temple of the Emerald Buddha, as well as many other striking buildings, gates, and walls. Every building was covered with intricate decorations and details; some were painted, while others had glass mosaic patterns or golden painted figurines. We spent a few hours wandering around the Grand Palace, taking in its beauty and immense size.

The view upon entering the outer wall of the Grand Palace.

The outside walls of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Another building within the inner walls of the Grand Palace.

Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

We also visited Wat Pho, a temple adjacent to the Grand Palace. Wat Pho is one of Bangkok's oldest temples and houses the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand, including the famous golden Reclining Buddha, which is 46 meters long. In a similar style to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho is beautifully decorated and is a stunning place to visit. This was also the first place for public education in Thailand and is therefore called Thailand's first university. Many medical illustrations can be found around the temple grounds, showing disease symptoms, treatment methods, and instructions for traditional Thai massage.

Reclining Buddha.

Buildings at Wat Pho.

Sala Karn Parien is also within the Wat Pho complex and is used as a hall for learning and meditation.

Dennis and some Buddha images.

Traditional medical diagrams.

Some of the 600 Buddha images held at Wat Pho.

The Chao Phraya river bends through Bangkok and is a turbulent brown slurry full of ferry boats, massive barges, dinner cruise boats, and houseboats. For one of our days in Bangkok, we purchased tourist "hop on-hop off" ferry passes for 150 baht each (NZ$6). Using this ferry, we were able to explore a wider area of Bangkok, visiting smaller attractions and areas that were too far away to walk to. We visited the fresh flower market, and although we arrived late in the day and a lot had already been sold, it was beautiful to see. We also visited Chinatown; here we saw tea shops, noodle carts, and fresh vegetable stalls, allowing us to slip into Chinese culture for a short period. On our walk home from Chinatown, we passed a community park where people were using exercise machines, running, and taking part in an aerobics class. We also passed by the Giant Swing, which is a gate-like structure that stands over 30 metres tall. It was traditionally used during Hindu celebrations until 1935 when it was closed following to several fatalities.

Chao Phraya River.

Erin riding the ferry.

View from a ferry terminal.

Fresh flower market.

Chinatown in Bangkok.

Tea for sale in Chinatown.

Bangkok's Giant Swing.

We spent most of our evenings in Bangkok down a chilled out lane called Rambuttri Alley. Here, we had a few beers under the lanterns, foot massages by very skilled Thai ladies, and a delicious Pad Thai, cooked by a bored late teen from a street stall.

Lanterns down Rambuttri Alley in Bangkok.

Pad Thai stall.

Bankok is an exciting place with so much to do, see, and eat. The main tourist attractions are spectacular and there is an atmosphere of rich culture and history associated with each site. But we also really enjoyed seeing the suburbs of Bangkok and the day-to-day lifestyle of Thai people.

Our walk home following the small canal near our accommodation.

Tourist ferry at sunset.

After Bangkok, we headed 120 km west to Kanchanaburi for two nights. During WWII, the Japanese held Kanchanaburi and wanted to build a railway from Thailand into Burma. Over 180,000 drafted labourers from south-east Asia, China, and India, as well as 60,000 British, Australian, Dutch, and American prisoners of war, were forced to build the 415 km railway line through dense jungle, mountain passes, and over rivers. Originally, construction of this railway was estimated to take 5 years; however, strict enforcement by the Japanese meant that the railway was completed in 16 months. Dangerous working conditions, poor living quarters, lack of medical supplies, and very little food resulted in the death of 12,621 prisoners of war, and about half of the Asian workers.

Train ticket from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi.

Old train outside Kanchanaburi train station.

Famous Bridge of River Kwai.

Watermelon ice blocks are our new favourite treat to cool down with!

We hired bikes from our hostel to have a look around Kanchanaburi.

Preparing to bike over the bridge (please note it is 40-degrees at this point).

We took the train from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi, then out to Nam Tok, where the railway line now ends. The rest of the railway line has been retaken by the jungle. It was a humbling experience to sit on the train in the 40-degree heat, imagining what it would have been like to build the railway line.