day three in the city of angels : off to kanchanaburi

17 march 2009
tuesday (st. patrick's day)

prior to arriving in bangkok, the girls and i decided that we wanted to spend a day (or two) outside of bangkok, preferably somewhere with elephants. we had discussed going to koh samet or pattaya, beach towns. when the owner of our hostel, david, heard us trying to make plans he suggested kanchanaburi. he had a suggested itinerary and written instructions on exactly how to get there. he noted that there were waterfalls, a tiger temple, elephants, etc. essentially, kanchanaburi was exactly what we were looking for. with his instructions, we prepared to stay two full days and he recommended a hostel for us to stay at. so helpful! it was great!

our morning began early, around 0615. we packed light, just one backpack for the 4 of us (plus purses), and left our big bags at the hostel, where we would return for our last night.

we took a taxi to thonburi station, which took nearly a half hour in dense traffic. as with most major cities, traffic in bangkok is crazy. so many cars flood the streets each morning that both sides of the road are redirected to head towards the city. we had missed the traffic experience, riding the skytrain all the time, so this was our first view of the street level.

driving through a large market, we soon saw our train station. essentially it was an office next to a small deck and train tracks. nothing too fancy, and none of those yellow lines, like in new york (or even on the sky train).

purchasing our tickets to kanchanaburi, a 2.5 hour ride away for 100 baht (~3 usd), we attempted to find some breakfast before our 0745 train. it was a challenge. luckily kelsey spotted a small cafe where we ordered 2 coffees and 2 little sandwhiches, which we'd seen a foriegn couple eating. it looked like a nutella panini, so i was excited.

the sandwiches, which looked like a combination of butter and cinnamon, were perfect. so yummy.

our train soon arrived and we found ourselves transported back to trains i would imagine from the 1940's. simple cars, simple bench seats. we were in for a long ride.

once the train started moving, and the air started flowing, the ride was instantly more comfortable. we talked, joked, laughed too loud and took turns sleeping. eventually, the train began to fill and we suspected that we were close to our stop. this of course was a guess, as  we could not read thai. luckily we caught a glimpse of a station sign and knew we'd be off at the next one. the train was packed at this point, there was no room to move. we had to get ourselves through the crowd and out the door; boy was that a challenge. weaving through grandmothers and young children in their soccer uniforms, i was sure i would knock someone over, either due to my sheer size in comparison or with the cumbersome backpack i happened to be wearing.

we weaved our way off the train and stood around at the station, not quite sure what to do next. consulting the instructions from our hostel, we left the station and found ourselves at the bridge over the river kwai. there were tourists everywhere, including my professor and his wife. we snapped a few photographs of the bridge, walked along the train tracks and took in the sights. walking along the tracks brought me back to the days on my grandparents farm, when we used to put pennies on the rails, hoping to find warm, flattened coins once the train passed. funny how train tracks made me feel as if i was five years old.

i don't know much about the river kwai or it's bridge; though i immediately recognized there was a movie about it. i have gathered that the railroad was built by war prisoners, to which there are several museums in the area.

we poked through the stalls of t-shirts and souvenirs, which seem to be at every street corner. i was soon overheating, and we were all very hungry, as it was nearing 12 and we hadn't eaten much of a breakfast. we decided on a riverside restaurant and all ordered different versions of fried rice. i had crab fried rice and it was incredible; the best friend rice i've ever had. plus some spring rolls and a coke, and my lunch was less than 3 usd. quite the bargain for the serving size.

feeling rejuvenated, we explored the market, taking in the gem stones, purses, sandals, and knick knacks. some time later, we decided to head to the hostel to relieve ourselves of our bags. the jollyfrog was our destination and david had recommended we take motorbikes. i was most certainly liked the idea and we were soon zipping down the streets, like ducks in a row. it was a great ride and much cheaper than a taxi.

the jollyfrog was perfect. i have never been so happy with a hostel, though i cannot say i'm an expert. a large restaurant, with a 30 page menu was attached to the hostel, as well as a travel agency to book day trips. david knew what he was talking about. after checking into our rooms, changing into swimsuits and admiring the large courtyard, looking out onto the river, we made our way to the travel agent. we had two requests: see the waterfalls and riding elephants. at first, given our time frame, it did not seem possible for us to do both activities and i could see everyone's eyes drop. we wanted to ride elephants and play in the water; and how would we pick just one!

a few phone calls later and it was determined that we could go to the elephant village that afternoon and the waterfalls in the morning. for 690 baht a person we soon booked a private car from the jolly frog to the elephant village, a ride on the elephant and the ride home. for 20 usd, we were thrilled.

a trip to 7-11 for snacks and waters, and we were climbing into our ride; a big pickup truck. i don't know what kind of truck, i just know it was shiny, impeccably clean and air conditioned. about a half hour drive, we pulled into the village and saw elephants everywhere.

i love elephants!

so ugly, yet so cute. and very gently, though i didn't try to make any mad.

we left our belongings with our driver, who did not speak much english but who would wait for us, to bring us back. we quickly climbed onto our elephants, ren and kelsey, then mckendree and i. the elephants have bench seats, much like horses have saddles. we rode our elephant, with a guide who's name i couldn't pronounce, across the street and up into the hills. lady, our elephant, was old but very interested in the trees and leaves around us.

it was a great time, our guide took photos with our cameras and kept saying 'beautiful, beautiful' like we were modeling. it was sweet. i think, though, that he had more fun looking through our photos than actually taking them! though, if i could just scan through other people's photos, i would.

along the way our guide made hats for us out of leaves, which looked so silly. ren and kelsey's had big twigs sticking up, and ours were more modest.

after crossing back over the street, we took turns riding on lady's back (as opposed to on the seat). elephants are prickly, their fuzzy hair is like broom bristles. it was so much fun to ride bare back, though it was tough to balance. again our guide was snapping away.

we dismounted lady and then walked over towards the river, where we met up with ren and kelsey. kelsey was already in the water, with her life jacket on, riding her elephant bareback. they even had shampoo for us to wash their hair! one by one, each of us entered the water on our own elephants. i was the last in, so i got great video and photos of the whole experience.

here were 4 american girls, on top of big elephants, squealing and laughing hysterically. it was so much fun and i think the guides were laughing at us; they had fun too. everyone was splashing, the elephants would dunk underwater, causing us to get pulled down into the water. it was so much fun!

after a good amount of time in the water, we reluctantly dismounted from the elephants and showered off. a few group photos later and we were back into our truck.

a perfect afternoon! bathing elephants!!

we drove back to the jolly frog and decided to get oil massages. kelsey laughed hysterically the entire time, and her masseuse was certainly provoking her. it was so relaxing, the perfect way to round out our evening.

we changed and showered before heading down to the hostel's restaurant for dinner. i had chicken with pineapple & french fries, which were all mixed together in a sweet sauce and served in a half of a pineapple. the other girls had rice, noodles, tofu soup and other yummy things.

i'd seen a night market on our drive home, and was determined to see what they are all about. so we walked along the rather empty streets and found ourselves at a big market with clothes everywhere. it was actually too overwhelming, its hard to know where to start when there is so much! we browsed for over an hour, settling on watches, of all things. from dvds, to sneakers, to housewares and bunnies; the market had a little bit of everything. i even held a puppy -- the smallest little guy i've ever seen, so cute! too bad puppies are not allowed on the ship! i was so sad to say bye to the little one!

overheated and overstimulated, we left the market and attempted to stop at some bars. unfortunately, though it may have been a blessing, the bars were no good. they were all very sleazy feeling and filled with older american men hitting on young thai women. i found it difficult to be in the presence of such disgusting behavior and we soon left, opting for an open air concert. we were the majority of the audience, being it was a tuesday. we did dance to the jamaican-inspired band and chatted with ourselves.

being that there was not much nightlife, we made our way back to the hostel and sat on the dock, looking out over the river. ren and i were exhausted and headed in earlier than the other two. it was so incredibly hot trying to sleep, we just sort of layed there in our t shirts and shorts, hoping to fall asleep as soon as possible.

it was a wonderful day, so many exciting new experiences and sights. our plan for the morning was to be up early, to head to the bus terminal and to make our way to erawan national park, to spend the day at the waterfalls before taking a bus back to bangkok.