Whilst in Kanchanaburi we've learnt lots about the Thailand-Burma railway that was built by POWs ( mainly Brits, aussies, dutch and a few Americans) and local people in 1942. We visited the Hellfire pass, where the men had to cut through a deep rock using really rudimentary tools, and read all about their lives in the POW camp. It is really moving and quite shocking how badly they and the local men were treated. But there are some great stories of how ingenious the men were, especially the doctors who fashioned instruments out of anything going. And, as per war films, how they hid radios in broom handles. They really did whistle the tune that you hear them whistling in the film The Bridge Over the River Kwai, except in reality they also put words to it "b******s... and the same to you" which offered some light relief when the Japanese and Korean guards asked them what it meant.

We visited 3 museums on the subject of the railway in total, and rode on the railway itself, now named death railway. Part of the railway is still used, especially by school children on their way home!

Yesterday we had a relaxing evening hiring bikes and cycling down to the night market. It was refreshing to be the only westerners around, as you could quite easily never move from the tourist trail. We didn't have our phrase book so we chickend out of ordering our tea there.... next time.