Back to the Bridge

I realize I've been AWOL from the blog for over a week. Blame it on sheer laziness. Last week was panic city around the school with finals taking place and kids having farewell parties. Then deadlines to meet for turning in exams and entering grades into computer systems that always seem to run slowest at this time of year. On Friday afternoon I was beat so I ate an early supper and went to bed abour 6:30. Woke up early the next morning and decided since I had a while weekend with no training or classwork to do, best to run away. And my favorite place to run away lately is Kanchanaburi.

The bus got me there mid morning and I just walked around the town for a little while to see things. About 3 months ago I took up a new hobby called Waymarking which is kind of like geocaching except that in geocaching you have coordinates that you go to and find a cache. In waymarking you find a site that is exceptional in some way (or else fits into one of the hundreds of categories listed at the website) take photos, gather info, and most importantly, get the coordinates. Then you upload the info under your trail name - mine is Horizon Seeker - and other folks try to visit that site. Meanwhile others are posting interesting waymarks as well, all over the world, so that if you know you are going to visit another city, across the state or across the world, you can check for waymarks at that locale to find neat things to see or do and great places to eat and sleep. I like to waymark used book stores (read a lot on buses, trains, and long distance flights), internet cafes, and unusual things to see. So check out waymarking.com and see all the neat things we waymarkers have found.

One of the coolest waymarks I've added is an old firefighter jeep that I came across when I was walking around Kanchanaburi this weekend. I've uploaded the picture to my blog in case you're too lazy to look it up on waymarking. Anyway, the fireman told me that it still runs (well, best I could get from what little English he spoke & what little Thai I understand) and judging from the fairly new looking tires I don't doubt it. All the labeling is in Japanese so I do wonder if it could have come over during WW II when the Japanese occupied Thailand. It looks like it could be 60 years old. I do know that the Japanese brought a bridge from Japan that was used in building The Bridge. This weekend I noticed the info plate on The Bridge (yes, I walked across again) which I hadn't noticed before so I've added that picture here as well. I also met some other Farang teachers who hang out in Kanchanaburi but teach in Bangkok. The place to find them is Birdland Used Books where you will also find a colorful fellow named Big Jimmy. He knows a lot about the area and what he doesn't know he makes up I'm sure. He is quite glib and a very entertaining host. And who wouldn't love a used book store/bar/internet cafe/local information booth? Picture attached.

Returned to reality Sunday afternoon (took a van back to Bangkok which was something I don't plan to do again real soon since he broke all kinds of land speed records) because I had to get up early Monday and go to an international school in the city for classroom observations. Left the school at 6am with 2 other teachers. What should have been a 45 drive at 6am took an hour and a half. The driver doesn't get to Bangkok much I guess and he just didn't know exactly where we were wanting to go. So with much hesitation we got into a different taxi this morning and made the same trip. Except this time it took 2 hours and the guy was really lost. Add to that the morning rush hour traffic in Bangkok and the smog, and the smells, and the other teacher in the backseat who kept yelling at him when he made the wrong turn and then punching his arm when he ignored her..... That's it. I'm swearing off taxis in Bangkok. Had an enjoyable visit in the school and was glad for the opportunity to visit a different teaching environment and to talk with other teachers and students. The campus was beautiful and the faculty and staff all very welcoming and helpful. If they offered me a job I would take it in a heartbeat - if they moved it away from Bangkok. Too many taxis!

A Change in the Seasons

Back home they were hit with a big snow. Looks lovely and cold. I always like snow - especially if there's enough to give us a snow day. But it's almost the middle of March and soon the snows will give way to green grass and tulips. Here in Thailand we are about to change seasons too. The locals have warned me that there are only 3 seasons here: hot, hotter, hottest. We are just about to go into the hottest season. I went out to walk to the market around lunch time today and I got a taste of what they mean. The heat just bores down on you. Gave up the idea of walking and caught a motorcycle taxi. Did all my shopping in the shade and had a motorcyle bring me back. I've been back in my room under the fan since then. And this is just the beginning!

Seems the heat may have driven one of our neighbors up looking for some cool shade Friday. One of the teachers who lives on the first floor of the dorm went home at lunch to eat. When she stepped out on her patio to smoke a cigarette one of the wild cats that hang out around the building started hissing at something near the wall. Just about that time the neighbor, a hooded cobra, raised up and hissed back at the cat. Somehow in all the excitement she thought to grab her camera and get a picture. Not sure I would have been so calm. She promises to send me a copy of the picture and I will post it here as soon as I get it. In the meantime, I'm glad I live on the 2nd floor. Meant to look up cobras and see if they can climb. No, don't think I want to know. More later. Bye for now.

Take a ride on the local with me

Riding the Rails

Well, this past weekend's get away plans found me back in Kanchanaburi. I was there the first weekend in December for the reenactment show and to walk Hellfire Pass, but I really couldn't see everything in just one weekend, so I had to get back there. Got in late Friday night and after a light supper went to my room to watch the news. This is something of a novelty to me since I don't have a TV in my room or in the school. Fell asleep watching CNN Asia. Got an early start on Saturday morning. Rented a bicycle from a vendor around the corner from my room and rode out to the Don Rak War Cemetery. This is the main cemetery on the highway in town that is a gift from the people of Thailand to the Allied POWs who died in the camps during WWII. It's all Dutch, Australian, New Zealand, and British soldiers. The few American POWs who died at Kanchanaburi were repatriated to the US. Right next to this cemetery is a Chinese cemetery with lots of interesting looking markers. Both places are a chilling place to be at 6am as the sun is just rising. Rode back into the old town area and stopped at the Japanese Peace Park. It's sort of a sad place as it's so overlooked and looks like it's been vandalized. It's right next to the war museum but I didn't go into that one because it's more like a souvenir shop than a museum. Saw it last time and was greatly disappointed. There is a good museum on a side street by the cemetery that has a large window on the 2nd floor looking down into the cemetery. It's a great museum and worth the time if you get there.

Since I was up early I rode down to the bridge around 7am and noticed several people standing around with cameras. I hung out too and was rewarded with a picture of the morning train to Bangkok as it rolled across THE BRIDGE. That's when it dawned on me that I had seen THE BRIDGE. I had seen the reenactment of the story of THE BRIDGE. I had certainly seen the movie about THE BRIDGE. I had even walked across THE BRIDGE. But I hadn't ridden the train across and on to the end of the line at Nam Tok. So I bought a ticket and climbed aboard the 10am run. This is the regular weekend commuter so it was bare of any luxury. In fact, it was not hard to get in the mood of the history. Windows down (no a/c) allowed for the loud clatter of the steel wheels on the rail. Crowded with locals on their way to visit family in the small villages along the line meant standing for a little while. I did get a seat with a young family on their way to a picnic. After a little while it was mostly tourists aboard and not too many locals. We all marveled at the scenery. As you go around Wang Pho Viaduct the track literally seems to cling to the side of a mountain with nothing but air between you and the Kwai River way, way down below. Decided right then I have to take the river boat tour next time I'm there and see the track from below.

Arrived at Nam Tok in about 2 hours. The track ends there but at one time it did go on through the jungle and up to the line where Hellfire Pass was cut. There's a small station at Nam Tok, a picnic area at the foot of Saiyoke Noi Waterfall, and some food and souvenir vendors. Had sticky rice and gai (chicken) for lunch at an old trestle table in an open air restaurant with chickens pecking the ground under the table. Then I boarded the express train for the 5 hour ride back to Bangkok. Good news: I got to ride in an air conditioned car and saw lots of new countryside. Bad news: after the bike ride and all the train riding my tailbone is very, very sore today. Good thing teaching is a stand up job!

So back to school today and nothing but reviewing classes for next week's finals. Too bad I can't test them on Kanchanaburi.