Bangkok April 1st and 2nd

We docked at the port of Leam Chabang, about two hours drive south of Bangkok. We had prearranged with three other couples to hire a van and a guide for our two day trip north to the Bridge on the River Kwai, and Bangkok. The van was waiting for us as we debarked, and we started our trip North. Our first stop, other than a short rest stop, was the Tiger Temple located near the town of Kanchanaburi, almost four hours drive from our port. The Tiger Temple, operated by Buddhist Monks, is essentially a tiger sanctuary for protection of the endangered Bengal Tiger. We were given the opportunity to have our pictures taken with some of the tigers, and tour the grounds where other animals such as a herd of water buffalos were kept.

From the Tiger Temple, we headed off to the Elephant Village, where we rode elephants along the Kwai River. By this time, it was time to check into our hotel, which was located on the river and included several floating rooms as well as a floating bar and restaurant.

The highlight of the day was our visit to the railroad bridge constructed during the Japanese occupation of the Malay Peninsula, by prisoners of war and thousands of asian laborers during WWII. The Japanese wanted the bridge to move military personnel and supplies from Singapore to Burma for a possible attack on India. The bridge, known as the Railway of Death, was completed on Christmas day 1943, and was bombed in 1945 by Allied bombers, knocking out the two center sections of the bridge.

Over 16,000 Allied POWs, and as many as 100,000 asian slave laborers died during the construction of the bridge, due to the harsh conditions, malaria, and intensive heat and humidity. Many of those who died are buried at various military cemetaries in the are. After the war the bridge was repaired, and remains in use today as a railroad link to Singapore.

On Friday we got an early 6:00am start for our drive back to Bangkok. After a drive of about two hours, we stopped at the famous Bangkok floating market where we were able to board boats and float through the market. Aside from the numerous souvenir stands, all sorts of fruits, vegetables, and cooked on the boat specialties were available. A little touristy, but well worth the stop.

Next we headed into downtown Bangkok for our visit to the Grand Palace. We noticed that the Thai military had set up inspection check points on the highways leading into the City, due to the ongoing protests in Bangkok. Once into the downtown area, we noticed several streets in the governmental area blocked off to accommodate the protesters expected over the weekend. Our guide advised that the protests usually took place during the weekends, and were usually confined to the one area of the City.

I don’t think any of us were prepared for what we would see once we entered the Palace grounds. We all agreed, however, that the Grand Palace was easily the most awe-inspiring site we had ever seen. Built in the late 1700s, the Palace and associated buildings are far beyond grand.

Photo opportunities were everywhere with gold leaf, glass mosaics, and intricate porcelain designs on a spectacular scale. As we strolled through the grounds thinking we had just seen the ultimate highlight, something more wondrous would appear, until we finally entered the Emerald Pagoda, where the Emerald Buddha resides. Unfortunately photos were not allowed inside the Temple, but the Emerald Buddha alone, is worth the trip to Bangkok.

After the appropriate number of oohs and ahhs, we headed off to a Thai lunch at a restaurant on the river before heading back to the port. Traffic in downtown Bangkok was very congested, causing us to arrive back to the ship with very little time to spare. We were all exhausted from the long two day journey, the heat and the humidity, but all very glad we made the trip. Now it’s off to Singapore.