After two hotels that were a bit on the blechy side and six hours of driving we arrived (cue angels singing) in Kanchanaburi and the Pung Waan Resort. It's a lovely riverfront resort with massive gardens, a plethora of birds (and gekkos) and a pool that is actually swimable.
This is one of the parts of the tour I've been looking forward too most. Kanchanburi is a small city on the River Kwai, famous for the movie and thousands of POWs that died there building the railway. Our tour had a visit to the museum and cemetery, but that seemed a little morose and being the water baby that I am I convinced my family to opt for Erawan waterfalls and Death Railway train instead.
Lesson Number One: Never try to do anything recreational on a Saturday in Thailand. We actually did get on the train but it was delayed and so packed with university students we bailed and drove to the lookout instead. I was okay with that because I wasn't exactly looking forward to a slow train ride elbow-to-elbow with students yammering at 90 decibles in 35 degree heat. From there we went to the waterfalls and had a swim in the fresh water where it took a good 15 minutes to convince my sisters to jump in and that the fish big enough to feed a six-year-old were actually harmless. Well, I couldn't call them harmless because they did tend to nibble if you stayed still too long ... I prefer to think of it as giving us little kisses.
Like many places in Asia, you can find some unintentially funny things ... like the private party that's going on in our hotel. Apparently it's corporate event for a bunch of insurance brokers -- with, of all things, a rodeo theme. There are horse rides, a barbeque, American and British (??) flags, and of course, Karaoke. There's nothing like seeing a middle-aged Thai insurance broker, dressed up in full rodeo regalia (cowboy hat, boots, plaid shirt, and tassles) on stage performing some cheeseball love song in Thai.
Tomorrow we're back in the bus for more driving to Hua Hin on the coast. The beach! The sun! Maybe then I'll actually come home looking like I've been somewhere tropical.
Tonya
PS No one fell off an elephant. However, we still have a few days left and anything is possible.
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I am reading Tonya's blog notes while listening to "On top of the World" with a Thai accent. There is an outdoor wedding in the parking lot across from our hotel (our hotel is what I imagine a trailer park in Florida to be like). STill the 4 girls are having fun and eating lots....except rubbery fish cakes which 'accidently' fall from our hands into the sea......
Miss everyone, especially Bevan
by the way, used a squat toilet. No longer a squat toilet virgin, but I sure am not looking forward to that again. ha.
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