we are at Kanchanurbi now where the river kwai is. we stayed in a room on the river the first night it was actually on the river i dont know how it floated but everytime a boat went past i felt sea sick!

we went to an elephant rescue centre the next day. the first day we had to go and help cut down banana trees for the elephants then later on we got the chance to ride them down to the river kwai and bath them!! there was nothing to hold on to we had to sit right on there back so it was abit scary! when we got to the river it was loads of fun i sat near the head with my feet tucked behind it's ears and held on as it kept on dunking itself and taking me under with it!

that night we stayed in a bamboo hut under a mozzie net. next morning we had to get some more food i cut down a banana tree on my own i felt like a real man!! then i got stung by a bee and had to stop, my finger swelled up a little but im alright!
then i got my second ride of an elephant to bath them again, i got on the platform which helps you get on instead of climbing up. the elephant came over but didnt stop, so i tried to jump on and i just bounced straight off i fell and smacked my leg on a solid piece of wood which is there to hold them steady(it didnt work this time!) i was ok though just abit bruised and swollen. but my fall didnt stop me i climbed back up the platform and got on another elephant, there was no way i was giving up so then i got to go down tothe river and washed them again it was an amazing experience, and loads of fun

today we went to a tiger temple. its where monks look after tigers i got some photos of me stroking them,i  think they might be drugged a little though because they just lay there. it was really good though and where else can you sit with a tiger that close! i felt a bit like Mogley, out of the jungle book riding elephants one day and sitting with tigers the next. tomorrow who knows...

today we wnt to the railway museum and the pow cementry. it was really sad some of the messages on the graves and most of the lads were british and my age too. the museum was really interesting and it just told us about how bad our Pow's were treated in the end the bridge over the river kwai (also known as the death railway) took 7000 british lives, but it also took 100,000 thai and local people's lives because they were forced to work just like the soldiers. Its so hot over here just sitting here writing this,i cant imagine what it would of been like to be forced to build a railway with no food or clean water to drink.

today we went to the waterfall instead of going on a tour we went on a local bus there and back it worked out alot cheaper but you still have to pay tourist prices everywhere instead of 25baht (20p) for the bus we had to pay 40. instead of paying 200 to get into the national park we had to pay 400 and they just gave us 2 tickets each so we knew we were getting ripped off but theres nothing you can do. imagine us doing that in England, we got told its even worse in Vietnam one price for locals 10x more for tourists!

The waterfalls were amazing though, but before i got in i was just paddeling my feet, and loads of fish where coming over and nipping me which was abit weird. I was scared they would all just attack when i jumped in so i did a bomb i think that scared them off abit. the water was so cold and refreshing it really sorted me out.

Today we walked on the Bridge over the river Kwai, i was whistling that song from the film. theres no health and safty over here everyone is just walking in the middle of the track and you look down and theres the river! it was really good though.

Back to Bangkok tomorrow for my birthday, getting a mini bus, should be interesting!!!

22 on Friday!!!!!!