Slowing down, kicking back.

We were both a bit worse for wear after four hectic days in Bangkok.  The combination of heat, jet lag, poor air quality, nasal congestion and poison ivy all added up to a dizzying experience.  So, anxious to get out of the city we board an ancient but colorful, funhouse-mirrored bus and rolled slowly toward Kanchanaburi. The bus putters along, spitting black exhaust and making frequent stops, but eventually we arrive.  This small town on the River Kwai sits about 2 hours west of Bangkok.  It's most well known as the home of the famous Bridge on the River Kwai, but there are a few other worthy sites and a generally more relaxed atmosphere that enticed us. 

Having my Iphone with us has been a real lifesaver so far. I don't have any cell phone service, but we can jump on free wifi whenever we find it, which is most any restaurant, coffee shop or guesthouse in Thailand so far.  So, once at the bus station in Kanchanaburi we dodge the nagging tuk-tuk drivers and use the free wifi at a coffeeshop nearby to call our guest house and get them to pick us up for free.  We spend the rest of our first day just relaxing and settling in.  We track down cheap vegetarian fare on the main drag, we lounge by the pool, we nap in our AC room.  We shake the flashing lights of Bangkok.

The infamous bridge

The next morning we're ready to go--we rent bikes for 50baht a piece (about $1.50), scarf down some breakfast and head over to one of several WWII cemeteries in town.  There's also a great museum next door that tells the story of the Death Railway (which the Bridge over the River Kwai is a part of) and the men who built it. During WWII, the Japanese put hundreds of thousands of POW's to work building a railroad from Burma to Bangkok to help transport precious resources for their war effort.  It was treacherous terrain, and thousands of POW's died from exhaustion, malnutrition and disease.  It's a compelling story that I'd never heard before.  After the museum we biked it down to the infamous bridge--not all that compelling, but worth a look nonetheless.

Cave Buddha

The heat is still brutal, so we take a pool/lunch break and then head off toward Wat Tham Khao Pun a few kilometers out of town.  The Wat (Buddhist temple) boasts a series of caves with various Buddha statues and images.  We get our first real taste of adventure, biking through small villages and trying to navigate our way to the Wat with a poor excuse for a map.  We cross paths with a herd of goats and several Brahma cows. Most signs don't have any English, so we take a couple guess turns and arrive eventually--out of breath and drenched in sweat but exhilarated.  The caves feel like a bit of a tourist trap, but the journey makes it worth it.  Plus, seeing Sadrah yelp and run from bats swooping overhead is worth every minute of pedaling. 

We decide to spend an extra day in Kanchanaburi.  400baht for an air-conditioned room and a pool--why not?! Besides, we'd developed quite a friendly relationship with the little lizards that decorated the walls outside our room after nightfall.  The next morning we board a bus to Erawan National Park to check out the 7-tiered Erawan waterfalls.  It's a beautiful spot with light jade-toned water surrounded by thick jungle.  Each swimming pond is brimming with little fish that swim up and attach to your skin and begin sucking/nibbling the minute you get into the water and stop moving.  It takes a little getting used to--actually we never really got used to it. But if you swim out into the deep water and tread water they leave you alone. We explore the first 5 tiers before having to rush back down and catch the bus back to town. 

And by the way, whenever you see a sign that reads "Beware Fierce Monkeys" you best take it seriously.  We had a monkey with baby in tow rip open a plastic bag filled with our picnic lunch supplies and steal off with our 7-11 cupcakes.  One of the park workers tried to get them back with a slingshot to no avail.  Later we saw another monkey go after a family and their bag of treats.  These are serious monkeys.

We finish our day with our first (of hopefully many) Thai massages at Suan Nanachaat, a relaxing spa/cafe about 10 minutes outside of town. We both change into loose fitting clothes and are lead up to a loft space and asked to lay down on floor mats.  Two small, but very strong Thai women then proceed to press, bend twist, and pound us into all sorts of wild positions for the next hour or so.  Thai massage is very different from what most of us are used to in the states.  The owner of the spa refers to it as 'passive Yoga' and the description is very fitting.  You're definitely not going to fall asleep during this massage.  By the end of it we are both worn out but also quite invigorated. The combination of yoga stretching and intense massage really works to loosen up the body and the mind.  It was a bit pricey for our budget  (16.50/person for 1.5 hours), but definitely worth the splurge to get away from the sleazy, sidewalk massage parlors in town. We return to Kanchanaburi proper for a late dinner, revived and ready to continue our journey north through Thailand.