Thursday 16 September

Bangkok - Kanchanaburi - River Kwai

After arriving at Bangkok Airport following an overnight flight from Brisbane, we met our guide, Jack, from J & T Tours. We then loaded our big red bus and it was straight to Kanchanaburi and the Bridge on the River Kwai.

The drive through Bangkok was an eye opener - a great contrast between rich and poor, with modern office buildings next door to impovorished shanty towns. And the traffic! In particular, motorbikes. They seem to be the main mode of transport - and not just for one person. Our record count was 5 people on a bike.

After a short stop at the railway station at Ban Pong, we arrived in the busltling city of Kanchanaburi. The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery (see photo links) is located in the middle of town on the main highway. A quick stop here (we'll be back on Saturday) and then it was on to the main attraction for the day - the Bridge on the River Kwai and the railway itself.

The bridge has become quite a tourist attraction. There are lots of hawkers and lots of people. However, the historical significance cannot be understated. The students enjoyed walking along the bridge, even though it was very hot and there was lots of hustle and bustle.

Our first real adventure was the train ride from Kanchanaburi station (just near the bridge) up to the Wampo Viaduct along the original path of the railway (the line itself has been re-laid). The train came early, so we had to high tail it in the bus up to the next stop. Once aboard we settled in to an old style 'clickety clack' ride (something few of the students had ever experienced). The highlight was travelling along the Wampo Viaduct, which snakes along the river almost scraping the sheer rock walls that were blasted & cleared by the POWs (see photo links opposite).

We alighted the train and had our first Thai buffet at the restuarant next to the viaduct. Great views and food at last. It was then time to explore the viaduct. Walking out along the track gives a great insight into the height of the viaduct and the rock wall and puts the construction difficulties into perspective. There is also a cave which serves as a Buddhist temple.

The sapping heat + having had little sleep for 30 hours was starting to take its toll on the group, however enthusiasm was revived when we moved on to the elepant camp at Saiyok. The 3/4 hour ride through jungle and the river was a real highlight, as were the antics of each elepant's handler. A real talking point for the rest of the day.

The River Kwai Village Resort was the perfect place to end the day. A swim, food and a few laughs was followed by some of the deepest sleeps these young people have ever had.

Friday 17 September

Hellfire Pass - Home Phu Toy - Kanchanaburi

This morning was the focal time for our Thailand visit - walking the Thai Burma Railway, visiting Hellfire Pass and conducting our first group commemorative service.

This new adventure began at the very impressive Hellfire Pass Museum which has been established by the Australian Government. Here we boarded a bus / truck for our (rather exciting) trip down the valley to the site of the old Hintok station.

From here it is a 4km walk back along the route of the Thai Burma Railway until you arrive at Hellfire Pass. Of course, there is no railway line, however the evidence of the track is easy to see. The walk, in oppressive heat, takes you over the 7 m embankment, into some large gullies that were once spanned by timber bridges, along mountain ledges and through a number of 'smaller' cuttings (see the photo links opposite).

This was where the nature of the POWs' experiences started to hit home to the students. The heat, the difficult terrain and the remoteness all combined to give some understanding of the conditions endured.

Then came Hellfire Pass. The students were genuinely shocked by what they saw. As they stood there, two things overwhelmed them - the sheer size of the cutting and the acute feeling of the tragic history of the place where they stood.

The group's first commemorative service took place here - in front of the Weary Dunlop memorial plaque. The service remembered 3 men specifically who had a close connection to our group (one was a relative of Lucy's) but who were buried in Burma or commemorated at Labuan. As the journal entries describe, this was a very special service - the first of many on the tour.

After lingering at the Pass, it then was up the many steep stairs to the Hellfire Pass Museum - and airconditioning + clean toilets. It is an excellent museum with some great audio visual displays and it was very much appreciated by the group.

It had been a tough, emotional but very rewarding morning. We then moved on to Home Phu Toy Resort for lunch, which was a real treat. The grounds of the resort boast the Weary Dunlop Museum, the Jack Chalker Gallery and a replica POW camp. After some quiet hours of exploration and further discovery, the big red bus took us back into Kanchanaburi to the Duen Shine Resort. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the floating restaurant next to the Bridge on the River Kwai and prepared ourselves for another big following day.

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday 18 September

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery - Chungkai War Cemetery - Bangkok

This morning was the most important time of our short visit to Thailand.

The students donned their tour dress shirts and we headed over to Kanchanaburi War Cemetery to conduct our group memorial service & to commemorate eight men at their gravesites. The commemorations were the reason for the tour and the students were acutely aware of the importance of the task they were undertaking.

The other highlight was our planned meeting of Rod Beattie, the cemetery supervisor and expert on the railway's history.

Rod organised two magnificent wreaths for our group and the service, held next to the Cross of Sacrifice, was very special. Under a fierce sun, the group then moved from grave to grave with the respective students undertaking solemn and moving tributes. These were the first grave commemorations of many for the tour and the eulogies certainly set a high standard in terms of genuine respect and emotion.

Between the eulogies, Rod provided us with historical backgrounds on the men and afterwards gave the students a great insight into the railway's history.

We then moved across the road to the Thailand Burma Railway Centre, a new privately owned museum and information centre. In very welcomed airconditioned comfort, the group heard more history from Rod and then explored what is an excellent museum. It was a great way to finish what was an emotional morning. All in the group agree that the centre is a must visit for anyone visiting Kanchanaburi to see the cemetery and railway.

Finding lunch in the hustle & bustle of a busy Kanchanaburi was the next adventure. You have to concentrate in the streets at all times - especially crossing the road. Cars, bikes etc come from everywhere - and forget road rules.

With full bellies and frayed nerves, the students then boarded long tail boats for a speedy run along the River Kwai down to the quiet and more secluded Chungkai War Cemetery (see photo links). This beautiful cemetery does not contain Australian soldiers, however the students found great interest in quietly reading the names, ages and epitaphs on the graves of our English and Dutch allies who suffered as much as any Australian.

It was then time to travel back to Bangkok Airport to catch a late night flight on to Istanbul. On the way we stopped at a Buddhist temple complex and then spent a couple of hours shopping & eating in the heart of Bangkok.

At the airport there was a sad goodbye to our guide and great friend, Jack, before we boarded a midnight flight to the next of our special destinations..... Gallipoli.