Well, we’re off again and this time it will be for a trip to the Mediterranean and WWII battle fields. We have several goals for this trip. Starting with the Thai-Burma Railway, then Gallipoli then some Greek Islands, onto Italy to try to find out a bit more about my maternal Grandfather before France and the WWII battlefields.
Because of the flight time between Townsville and Istanbul we decided on a week at both ends of the trip to break the long flights between Townsville and Europe. So on day 1 (to Bangkok) we travelled from 0500 (AEST) to 2300 Bangkok (BKK) time a total of 23 hours. After a long day with nothing but airline food even a midnight snack of Burger King was welcome before bed.
We slept in till 10:00 am but still caught breakfast at the dining room downstairs in the Siam Heritage Hotel where we are staying. With a belly full of food we wandered up the street for a walk but Shane was so tired and leg weary we about faced and headed back after a few hundred metres. Just before the hotel we sighted a good value massage salon where an hour’s foot massage was blissful. The girls were so happy to have customers they even threw in a head and shoulders rub gratis.
With our legs feeling much better we decided to take a taxi to Icon Siam, a huge shopping mall that would take days to fully explore. The food markets inside were mind boggling. They even had ‘river prawns’ that were around the 45 cm length. We’ll probably head back again before we leave BKK. Then again with so much to see maybe we won’t.
The next few days were hectic to say the least so I have bunched several of the temples and palaces together in the photo album below. We thought Wat Ratchanaddaram was brilliant before venturing into the Grand Palace a few days later. At Wat Ratch (don’t make me retype the whole name again) I ascended the main spire going up 100 steep, spiral steps to the top level for a 360 degree vista of Bangkok. We were allowed to take photos inside the main temple here and the architecture and attention to detail are mind boggling. Two days later we got to the Grand Palace and what we thought was beautiful aat Wat Ratch before was pushed back to second class compared to the Palace.
This particular weekend was the birthday of the Queen of Thailand and so it was a 3 day weekend and the crowds let us know it. Nevertheless we dodged and weaved through the throng to get some exceptional photos. Bejewelled towers launched skyward sparkling in the sunlight. At some locations the walls were covered from stem to stern in murals with the important parts highlighted in gold. Gates were guarded by towering mythical sentries and monkey and demon figures supported the plinths everywhere. The entire city of Bangkok was awash in colourful pomp and ceremony.
Of the hundreds of photos we took at these marvellous locations I had to cull the numbers to fit them in. I do hope you can get a sense of the majsty of these places.
Another highlight for us was our day to the infamous River Kwai, Thai-Burma Railway and Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. Over 60,000 Allied POW’s were subjected to horrific, inhuman slavery to build the railway so the Japanes Imperial Army could march on through the S E Asian Peninsular. Of these over 12,000 perished. There was also around one quarter of a million local Asians force into slave labour as well. Our photos show what is left of the original wooden bridge as well as the new iron bridge which we walked across along with hundreds of others. The solemnity and emotion has not been lost over time and nor should it be but after following paying our respects to those lost souls we spent the remainder of the day on an elephant’s back then in the river on a bamboo raft. I have grouped these pictures into this next gallery.
Rafting wasn’t our only water adventure. We took a canal tour in a long tailed boat to see life (and wild life) in Bangkok’s waterways. Seeing 2 metre long monitors and even larger pythons swimming next to residences it is not difficult to see how over millennia tales of dragons and serpents forged Thai mythology. Similarly these wild creatures resided in the canals of the Floating Markets. Absolutely amazing. This next gallery is a compilation of those two boating excursions.
That’s about it for Bangkok and week 1. I am typing this at our second location, Istanbul and I have yet to edit the hundreds of Thailand photos we have for entry into this blog. (What you see is about 1 in 50 photos.)
Okay, I’m onboard now Week 1 read and I always wanted to get to the Bridge but due to some naughty folk wandering around the place on both my visits we had to stay in town…Many years ago I took a coach load of exPOWs to a reunion, great bunch of blokes, laughter and they looked after me well, a close mate of my Dads being a survivor of that ordeal its amazing to see the zest for life they had, of course by now they have crossed the bar…Lest We Forget.
Bum boats always a favourite ride for me….have to wait to view the pics at a decent size, Telstra has been doing up our tower for the last week or so, our internet is iffy but hopefully improve better than it was previously…….
Ian………….
Thought you might enjoy Bangers. My Dad’s 2nd partner – her husband was a Changi POW. Beryl always said he was a changed man (for the better) after surviving that ordeal. Those blokes are our true heroes. Not some footy or cricket player.
thanks for the comment I really do enjoy the feedback.
Garry