To truly experience a new country, it's important to understand all of its history. Learning what the people are most proud of, as well as the dark stories of events that need to be told so they are never repeated. On the first leg of our bus tour, we learned the tragic story of Thailand during WWII involving ANZAC prisoners of war & visited sites along the infamous "Death Railway".
Day Two - Bangkok to Kanchanaburi
It was busy start to the day as we checked out of the hotel in Bangkok and packed into our bus, excited to be kicking off the first day of our 8-day road trip that starts with a 4-hour drive to the western province of Kanchanaburi.
This region is of historical significance as it is the sole reminder of the events of World War II in Thailand, & location of the infamous "Death Railway", where Japanese forces planned a supply line from the coast of Thailand, through Burma, & into India.
Over 60,000 Allied prisoners of war (POWs), many from Australia, NZ, and Britain, initiated the project, & as the urgency to finish the railway increased, an additional 180,000 men were conscripted as forced labor from Asian nations including Burma, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, & Thailand. Suffering from insufficient food & medical supplies, & compelled to endure long hours in brutal conditions, thousands succumbed to cholera, dysentery, malaria, starvation, or sheer exhaustion. While the precise death toll remains uncertain, estimates by historians from suggest that at least 90,000 laborers & over 12,000 POWs perished. The harrowing statistics, which translate to one death for every railway sleeper laid, have led to the railway's infamy as the 'Death Railway'.
Our first stop this morning is the War Memorial Museum, detailing the transport of prisoners across Asia over days and weeks via train boxcar in sweltering conditions & the treatment of the imprisoned laborers under the Japanese rule through video testimonies, scene reenactments, exhibits & scale models. It was a sobering experience. Next door is the War Cemetary, where 7,000 war casualties are buried. on grounds that are immaculately kept, providing a place for quiet reflection.
From there we moved on to walk "Hellfire Pass", a section of the railway that was painfully carved through the dense jungle & mountain rock by the prisoners using basic hand tools over many months in sweltering heat. We walked the track, guided by an informative audio tour featuring the recorded testimonies of ANZAC soldiers who were the lucky few that survived the experience.
After another short drive we arrived at the banks of the river Kwai, where we boarded a couple of riverboats. These were different to the longtail boats we used to island-hop the southern seas, & the larger tour boat from our river tour in Bangkok. These are a smaller, sleeker racing version, so we zoomed our way along the winding river through the countryside to another famous landmark.
Spanning the river, stretches of iron & concrete form a bridge that bears a somber message, perhaps the most profound in all of Thailand. Known as the Death Railway Bridge. It stands as a grim reminder of the forced labor of prisoners of war and the terrible toll it took. Many westerners know of this bridge from the famous English war film "The Bridge Over the River Kwai" released in 1957. (Spoiler alert: It was not actually blown up by the Allied prisoners as per the end of the movie. That's just a "happy Hollywood" ending, folks!).
The boats took us under the bridge & continued our scenic jaunt downriver before returning to dock below the bridge. After disembarking we enjoyed lunch at a restaurant with a view of the bridge & the river.
After checking into our nearby hotel, a handful of us returned to the bridge at dusk to watch the crossing of the tourist train that runs through a few times a day. We were able to walk the track and find a spot on the viewing platforms that are available along the bridge, enabling a close-up view as the train passed slowly by just a few feet in front of us.
Note: After the war ended and Japanese forces left, Thailand promptly dismantled most of the railway, leaving this small section and the bridge as a memorial to those who died building it.
From the bridge we noticed a neighboring themed tourist spot was opening for the night. "The Prisoner of War Camp" sits on the riverbank at the foot of the bridge & has of a handful of fresh food stalls & outdoor bars providing cocktail specials as well as our good friend Soju (refer previous post).
As the rain had arrived with the train & was growing heavier; we found a spot under a large marquee surrounded by war planes & other army vehicles as night fell, enjoying a few hours getting to know one another, having a few laughs, enjoying the scene as the river captured the raindrops & reflected the lights of the quaint little town.
This day was a complete contrast to all of the other experiences we have had on our Thai travels to date in that it reminded us that the natural beauty of Southeast Asia and its people were not isolated from some of the worst times in modern human history, but it was educational & provided a spiritual connection to the collective histories of our fellow bus passengers from Australia and New Zealand.
Tomorrow, we begin heading into the northern regions of Thailand, & travel further back in time through relics of the ancient Kingdom of Siam.
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