Kanchanaburi:

We got up early on Monday (21st Feb) to catch our train to Kanchanaburi, but despite giving ourselves and hour to get to the station, the Bangkok traffic had other ideas, and we missed our train by 5 minutes. The next train was in 6 hours! Luckily we found out there was a more regular bus service, which actually took an hour less than the train - good result.

We arrived at Kanchanaburi around mid-day and it felt even hotter than Bangkok (36 degrees), so we headed to our great little guest house (the Jolly Frog) before we both melted. We didn't stay at this place, but it did the best cheap food that we found so ate here most nights. We checked into the Ploy guest house a little further up the main tourist area. Decent little place, not so busy, but with a pool (a must requirement from Em!) and 3-level 'tower' with great views over the Burmese mountains. That day/night we explored the main streets, including a walk around the main POW cemetry - a mark of respect for all those that lost their lives (some 100,000 mainly British, Austrailian, Thai, and Burmse) during the construction of the of the Thai-Burmese railway during Japanese occupation of Thailand. Combined with a trip to the Railway Museum, which gave a full account of the atrocious conditions suffered by the POWs, this was a very humbling experience.

The next day was a "lazy day" since Em was a bit worse for wear (we didn't realise that Chang Beer is 6.4%!). I popped to the Railway Museum, and then met Em by the pool around lunchtime. That evening we went to the night market and had some amazing food - all you can eat BBQ with a twist. The BBQ is in a clay cylinder containing coals with domed metal plate over the top. You pour stock into the bottom of the dome, along with whatever veg you choose, and then BBQ the meat on top. So you go up as many times as you like grabbing a selection of veg and meats - all for 89 baht each - so just under 4 pounds for both of us. A great meal, we were even thinking of importing these BBQs to the UK as we've not seen them before. That evening we met a couple from Germany, John and Ivone, and shared a few beers before heading off for a reasonably early night to go to the Erawan National Park in the morning.

Wednesday was the start of a truely amazing day for both of us. We took a mini-bus to the Erawan National Park, home to a beautiful 7-tired waterfall along a 2km trail. The scenary along the trail was stunning, so difficult to describe and fully do it justice. We must have taken at least 100 photos. The best thing was being able to swin in the crystal clear water pools that formed below each waterfall. And then there were the fish! This place is famous for the fish that swim around people a nibble your feet (this is where the fish massages - one has just opened in Clapham - derive from). Em was a little apprehensive, so I gave it a go first, sticking my feet into the water. Now, either the fish were super hungry or my feet super cheesey, but within seconds a load of fish were nibbling away at my feet. Felt amazing, although I could only assume that these fish don't have any tastebuds given my horrific sweaty feet! Having reached the 7th tier (I was very proud of Em - although had to bride her with beer) we headed back down and swam in the largest of the pools. Here we left our little bag of bananas, only for this thieving monkey to run across with lightning speed, grab the bananas, head up a tree and scoff the lot in one go! We had been warned by various signs about the monkeys, but this guy was clearly a professional thief! Made us (and everyone else around the pool) laugh though.

That afternoon we took the train back to Kanchaburi, which travelled over the famous Death Railway (so named because of the number of POWs that died building it) and finally the bridge over the river Kwae. This fantastic day was rounded off by the two of us watching a thunderstom over the Burmese mountain from the guest house tower, sharing a couple of cold beers and talking until the early morning. This is what honeymoons are all about...

A big thanks goes out to Pete and Xuan, who bought us this trip for a wedding gift. As you can tell, we had a brilliant time.

So, just arrived in Chang Mai this morning - will update you all soon.

Mark and Em xxx