Exploring Caves of Murder

Day 26 (25/04/08): Kanchanaburi & Bangkok, Thailand

Another lazy morning. I didn't sleep very well in the night, the foreign food finally starting to play havoc with my stomach (it was only a matter of time). As such, I didn't get up for the dawn service (no real suprises there!). There is another famous cemetry just outside of Kanchanaburi, as well as a well known Buddhist Temple with a cave. The recommended way to explore these is to rent bicycles, so shortly after a late breakfast, Helen (my current travelling buddy) and I rented two bicycles and proceeded to explore the Kanchanaburi countryside.

It was great to be back on a bicycle, even if it was a crappy rent-a-bike. We cycled down a country lane, passing through some farmland before coming to Chungkai Cemetry. This cemetry was very similiar to the one from yesterday, a very neat and immaculate garden, with a large number of graves for the Allied Servicemen who died in the construction of the Thai-Burma Railway.

Back on the bikes and up a small hill (no mean feat in the heat and humidity) to the temple complex of Wat Tham Khao Pun, one of many cave temples in the area. This one is particularly famous for a 1995 incident where a drug addicted monk murdered a British tourist and dropped her body in a sinkhole. The cave system itself is very impressive. Small little holes lead through to big chambers which house statues of Buddha, altars and other Buddhist iconography. The floor has all been leveled and concreted in places, and a number of lights provide illumination. A large number of stalactites hang overhead the large Budda statues. It is hard to describe adequately, and photos can't really do it justice, but it was very impressive. It rained briefly while we were in the cave, and we emerged to the end of a short rainshower.

Back on the bikes and down the hill. We had passed a sign that said 'Kanchanaburi Monkey School' and decided to investigate. Down the end of dirt road was a small place that had a few monkeys chained up. It didn't look very nice, and neither of us wanted to support that kind of animal treatment, so we didn't enter. However, the dirt road had taken us down to the river, and so Monkey School aside, we were treated to a beautiful view of the river and the mountains. Made the whole side trip worthwhile!

Back to Kanchanaburi, and I did one quick bike ride to see the bridge for the last time. It was mainly just an excuse to go fast on a bicycle again, something I am missing dreadfully. I raced down the street, and even overtook an old lady on a scooter!

We had checked out of our hostel, and caught an organised minibus to Bangkok. Normally tourist transport like this is a rip-off, but in this case it was about the same as a taxi to the bus terminal, and the bus ticket. So a good deal, and a lot easier! We arrived in Bangkok in the early evening, right at the (in)famous Khaosan road, the mecca and gathering place of all travellers, backpackers and hippies. The street itself is a sight to behold. Packed to the gills with all sorts of people, from all age groups, nationalities, cultures and backgrounds. Street vendors hawking food, drinks, clothes, jewellery and other tourist trinkets. The buildings lining the street are all restaurants, pubs or hostels. Neon signs light up the night, and music fills the air, as each streetside bar tries to woo their customers. The cheapest drinking places are merely some plastic tables on the side of the street, with someone selling all sorts of cocktails and drinks from a small cart. Walking down the street is a minefield, as you try to ignore all the touts trying to sell you taxi rides, tuktuk rides, tourist trinkets or trying to get you into their bar. It is a crazy, mind-blowing, strange, exciting and disturbing experience. It makes Oxford Terrace in Christchurch look like a Kindergarten.

We found a hostel, right on Khaosan road that is really cheap. It is little more than a square room with two beds, a door and a ceiling fan, but you get what you pay for (a beer from a restaurant costs the same as my room for the night, about $3.75NZ). Apart from that, it is actually reasonably clean, although the term 'steel re-enforced sandbag' would be more appropriate than the term 'mattress'.

The night was spent drinking in one of the roadside 'pubs' (some plastic chairs under an umbrella) and talking to other travellers. Perhaps the craziest, yet sanest thing of all Bangkok, is that all the places shut at 2am, and shortly after this the place is pretty dead. The good news means that you can actually go and get a good sleep, wake up in the morning and be ready to explore and go sight-seeing. Even if you are sleeping on a sandbag.