Kanchanburi Trip – pausing to remember

About 2-3 hours West of our home is Kanchanaburi, Thailand.  For World War II history buffs, names like “Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Hellfire Pass,” and the “Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery” will be familiar to you.  I honestly didn’t know much about these before our trip, but I’m really glad we took 2 days to visit the sites and feel the tangible sacrifice these people gave with their lives.

Kanchanaburi is not a tourist town.  Besides the sites, there isn’t much in the way of things to do.  If you don’t speak some Thai, it could be hard to get around and find food that you like.  That being said, our Thai was good enough that we were readily able to find the sites, get some safe/good food, and enjoyed ourselves. 

The first day was traveling to the region and then walking the trail through Hellfire Pass.  I can’t imagine the condition these men had to work in.  The name is appropriate for what went on there.  War is always sad and devastating – even more so when you visit the places where so many died in such brutal ways.

They have a great memorial there (run by Australia) and the site is very well maintained.

I really love the mountains/hills that just jut up out of the flat ground in Western Thailand.  On the way to the hotel from Hellfire Pass, we grabbed this quick shot to give you an idea of the countryside:

The next morning, we had a nice breakfast outside and then went into town to see the famous bridge and walk across it:

When we got to the other side, a guy came up and asked if we wanted a boat tour.  I initially told him no, but after thinking about it some more and speaking with him in Thai, it sounded like a great deal.  For 600 baht, they took us on this amazing Thai “speed” boat about 5-10 km down the river to a cave.  It was my favorite part of the whole trip.  The boat ride was a great/fun way to see the river life, REALLY fast, and the cave was quite impressive with some great views after the hike:

After our boat ride back, we grabbed some blah food at a local shop and then wrapped up the day at the Allied War Cemetery.  That was a powerful place.  You can literally feel a difference as you step onto the grounds.  Deep, personal sacrifice lasts far beyond life.  We took the opportunity to sit with the kids and talk about war, sacrifice, and honoring those who died and learning from the price they paid.  It was a good family moment.  3 cheers to Thailand for maintaining such beautiful grounds.

After that, we drove home amidst MANY sugar cane trucks and fields, rice patties, and yes, CRAZY Thai drivers.  Good to be home and a great last trip with Grandma and Grandpa Ball before they went back to the States.