RIDING THE WOODEN TRAIN ON THE WOODEN TRAIL

It was my first time to ride a wooden train.

The two hour and a half journey is considerably slow but the magnificent sights on the way more than made up for the inconvenience. The train to Nam Tok, which is around 65 km northwest of Kanchanaburi, chugged through the Kwai Noi Valley, stopping frequently at old country stations. It was like time has stopped in this side of the earth. The lackadaisical mood matches the very laidback people of the small villages around.

Twenty minutes after, the train squeezed through thirty meter deep solid rock cuttings, dug at the cost of numerous "prisoners of war" lives. At Wang Po Viaduct, there's this 300 meter long trestle bridge that clings to the cliff face as it curves with the Kwai river. I was reading my travel book and it was noted that almost every man who worked on this part of the railway died.

The journey ended two hours after at the old sleepy town of Nam Tok which happenes to be the end of the Thai Line. I arrived there around 1pm really hungry. I forgot to make baon before I rode the train. In Nam Tok the street were lined with the local food stalls offering authentic Thai-Burmese food. I got myself a steamed cod with curry and some noodles.

The train back to Kanchanaburi was at 3pm. That roughly gave me an hour and a half to roam the small village of Nam Tok.

I was back in Kanchanaburi just before the sunset and I ended the day with a good Thai massage. One thing I noticed, that the old guy who gave me the massaged offered a prayer just before he started. Apparently the massage for them is very spiritual and a very holistic experience.

This is my last day in Kanchanaburi. Tomorrow I'll continue my journey up north to Chang Mai. I decided not to go to Sukhotai anymore, some English travelers told me that it's just realy more like the ancient ruins of Ayuthayya. I'm also running out of funds so if I want really go around the South East Asian region, I have to carefully plan my itinerary. The Chang Mai trip will take me another 12 hours on the bus. It'll be an overnighter so it saves me a room fee for one night. But then again I heard that the trip isn't that convenient. I still have to be the judge for that one.

I'm slowly learning a phrase or two in Thai and I'm hoping that before this journey ends I'd be able to say a paragraph or two in flawless Thai accent.

Sawasdee everyone!