Bridge Over the River Kwai

After one day in Bangkok, we took a day train to a village called Kanchanaburi, which is on the River Kwai. Now you history buffs should recognize the name, and for the others (like me, who has no memory for history, or much else for that matter – in fact, I'm writing this blog so I can remember what I visited when I come back!) here is a short description: This is the area where the Japanese forced thousands of P.O.W.s to build a train track during the second world war – the terrain between Thailand and Burma is extremely difficult : the prisoners had no equipment and basically had to lay track through the mountainous jungle with their bare hands, and a few chisels. They were mistreated, underfed, disease was rampant and the living conditions were atrocious. Sixteen thousand people died over the span of about three years, and the prisoners themselves built cemeteries all along the railroad. After the war, the remains were repatriated to Kanchanaburi in two large cemeteries, one of which we visited. There is a famous movie called the Bridge Over the River Kwai, and the now famous bridge is also in this village. It was bombed and destroyed by the allies in 1945, but was subsequently rebuilt. We walked over it : it's not such an amazing structure in itself, but this part of history, I will certainly remember!