Nam Tok to Hellfire Pass (part 2)

We woke early (15th) to join the monks on their barefoot walk down to the village. A good portion of the dog pack came with (definite at one with the pack vibes) but fell back once we reached the village, as each house had its own little pack and territory. When we arrived at the drive of each home, a family member would wander down and give a bag of some Thai dish to the monk, bow, exchange pleasantries than leave us to stroll to the next home. The monk explained that by giving food they gave happiness and received happiness themselves and each person we saw did seem genuinely happy to see the monk and give some of their breakfast!

We ate seperately to the monks, packed up and prepared to leave, but they insisted we take some supplies for bites, head and stomach aches, as well as water they had stockpiled. Incredible people.

They also advised we take the highway route for a while rather then follow the railway as the path was damaged and dangerous. We privately thought we'd loop back and follow it but honestly it was difficult to without being spotted... And they'd been too nice! So we took the highway and met the railway near the river again. Seeing that our path didn't return to civilisation again for most of the day we dipped our feet in the Kwai.

And so began the hardest section of walk so far. The railway, marked as a walking path but definitely not maintained, went into small ravines, under fallen masses of bamboo, it was a struggle. From start to finish, by the time we reached the Wat we were completely destroyed... And devastated to find it under construction! Managing to sign language a taxi, we sped to the nearest hotel, whiiiiiich was closed for pest control.

We turned to our last resort, literally. Covered in dust, scratches and bites we strolled into a gorgeous raft village floating on the Kwai, trying to ignore the fat rich Russians gawping at us from all angles. Pretending we hadn't just paid 4  times more then our previous hostel, we showered and went to bed instantly. It was definitely still the afternoon. Other than briefly rising for dinner, which must have looked like a scene from the Walking Dead, we were done for the day!

  

Kanchanaburi to Nam Tok

We're amid indulging in a variety of temples and foods (possibly going to this one amazing sushi bar too many times) we become regulars at the Royal Thai Survey Department. The first time we find it's closed, jet lag making us completely forget it's Sunday. The second day we acquire some maps but decide in the evening that they're not adequate so we sacrifice one of our days in Kanchanaburi to stay in Bangkok and try again. Rather then getting a little sick of us, they bring out strawberries, Thai snacks, we take selfies, if we ever want government jobs, we know where we're going!

Finally reaching kanchanaburi, we have a lot to squeeze into one day. The town is both the center of Thai museums and cemeteries related to the death railway and the sight of the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai. Jet lag proves useful and a 4am wake up allows us to visit all the sites by lunch! We gain a much greater appreciation of the suffering of the prisoners of war and also gain a couple museum maps to help us track the railway as we walk. With time to spare, we jump into a taxi to spend the afternoon at Erawan Falls in the nearby National Park and so ensues the longest taxi drive of all time, allowing us to listen to the same 14 track cd of Thai pop 3 times over. The falls were definitely worth it though and we were singing along by the end. 

After a big dinner to gain some last minute calories and a final check on gear, we pack to begin the trek the next day. 

Will post again the next time we have internet in 2 or 3 days!

Aaron Cris and Nic

#teamfarang