WEDNESDAY 9th (continued): The diesel powered train showed up on time with its whistle blaring away. Must have been towing at least 20 or more carriages and there was plenty of room on board. Very much a rickety ramshackle job; very basic but it trundled along well if not very noisily. All the windows were wide open which helped in the heat. Initially, it crawled over the famous bridge so people could take lots of photos.
The scenery on the journey was quite varied at time through gorges, others high up over the Kwai, others across flat farmland. The train slowed a lot through the 'trickier' sections and all the time I tried to remember the POW's who built this railway and how many suffered and how many died in the process. It must have been hell!! Some sections cut through thick jungle which must have been difficult to hack through.
TOP LEFT: Waiting for the train at Kanchanaburi Station.
TOP RIGHT: &The restaurant we used (dead center) a few times taken from the train crossing the Kwai.
SECOND: On board.
THIRD LEFT: Typical view taken hanging out of the train window.
THIRD RIGHT: Typical of the many vendors on the train. This happy chap was selling pancakes and donuts.
FOURTH LEFT: Aom on the move about the train.
FOURTH RIGHT: A view of the River Kwai... one of many.
FIFTH: The River Kwai.
SIXTH RIGHT: View showing how aruous it must have been constructing this railway.
SEVENTH: Photos again showing most hazardous sections of track on the original timber trestles.
BOTTOM RIGHT: The end of the navigable track at Nam Tok. The border with Burma (Myanmar) is not that far beyond.
A movie of the train journey can be viewed below:-
Once we reached the end of the navigable track at Nam Tok station, Saiyoknoi village (the original line had carried on and into Burmah, the border of which wasn't that far away). On arrival, we organised an open sided taxi a short haul up to Saiyoknoi Waterfall. This, I'm afraid was a bit of a let-down because although very pretty amongst the huge forest trees it was a mere trickle. Spent an hour or more here taking pics and then taking Aom off for her favourite food, papaya salad.
Another stroll though the forest and back for the taxi back to the station.
Return trip uneventful other than a downpour at one stage which quickly dissipated. Some really good views as we were seated on the other side of the carriage; fantastic in fact.
TOP LEFT: On a local Saiyoknoi taxi, shared part way with a local 'old dear'.
TOP RIGHT: Yours truly cooling his pins under the waterfall which was a mere trickle.
SECOND LEFT: Posing with the "pathetic" waterfall behind.
SECOND RIGHT: Old steam locomotive on the original Death Railway left where it was last used many years ago. The tracks beyond Nam Tok are unusable.
THIRD: Posing on the old steam loco'
FOURTH LEFT: Aom enjoying her lunch of her papaya salad and a plate of pork 'bits'.
FOURTH RIGHT: Aom shopping for savoury crispy thingys which seem to be a speciality here... very tasty!
BOTTOM: Buying tickets at Nam Tok station for the return trip to Kanchanaburi.
