Hi all, I woke up early the next day and went to the southern bus station to get a local bus to Kanchanburi. The trip only took a couple of hours and before I knew it I had checked into the Jolly Flog and I was off the visit the Tiger Temple. Before coming to Thailand I didn't want to go the the Tiger Temple but Im glad I did as these animals are fantastic and pretty scary when one of then got the arse and roared a bit and show us his claws. But at the same time there isn't something quite right about the place as it seems that these animals are being exploited. I read all the gunf and the long term goal is promising but the tigers that are here for show currently will not be able to return to the natural habitat unlike their cubs. Everything in Kanchanaburi seems to be half the price of Bangkok and Kho Tao so I thought it would be a good idea to exploit this by eating well and having thai massages. The following day I started with an elephant trek which was amazing just like the last one in the Kho Sok Jungle. I seemed to have the Alonso of elephants as I started at the back but I was some passing everyone. On one occasion I turned round and a guide on the neck of the elephant behind me was flinging a sling shot. I didn't think to much of it but when I started talking to Stephan and Katherine they were telling me how he was shooting birds and collecting them from the trees. Then plunking them while they were on the trek! When he passed his hut in the jungle he throw the birds to his son. Nice - the pictures were funny Once we had finished the trek we when bamboo rafting down the river which was nice and relaxing but nothing spectacular. When we had finished the rafting we had a 45 minute journey to the seven-tiered Nam Tok Erawan waterfalls - Erawan National Park. I trekked through the park to see the waterfalls with Stephan, Katherine and Simon. Stephan and Katherine are from German and spoke impeccable english and were lovely people and Simon was a right character. He started drinking at noon and was hammered and asleep by four! The waterfalls were beautiful and I've never seem water so crystal clear and blue. You could swim in the rock pools of most of the waterfalls but unfortunately I couldn't as I still not allowed to get my @#?*;!% ear wet. We spent a couple of hours climbing the jungle to reach the next stages of the waterfall which was cool. After the National park we headed to the Death Railway and explored a small cave that the Japanese soldiers and engineers use to sleep in. The railway that the Prisoners of War (POW's) were forced to build was spectacular and this section of the railway was still in operation. The setting of the railway was cutting through the mountains and following the River Kwai and really highlighted to me how over 100,000 people died building this railway in only 16 months. The Japanese engineers estimated that it would take 5 years to construct but forced the POW's to build it in such a short period of time, through ridiculous terrain and in the tropical climate too. We took and 20 minute train journey along the Death Railway line too. Next we headed for the Bridge over the River Kwai. This was very interesting to see and was made famous by the movie - The Bridge over the River Kwai. When the war ended the Allied forces bombed the bridge and destroyed the middle section which today has been replaced. It had been a amazing and interesting day so it was time for another extremely cheap full body thai massage. I visited the JEATH War Museum in the morning and found it fascinating! Most people just zoomed round quickly and left. I read every single article in the build and i was there for two hours. I really found it interesting and gripping. After the museum I visited the cemetery which was so humbling and made me think and life and how lucky most of us are! I found the experiences really relaxing as I do when I visit my old man in the garden of remembrance. I wish that the cemetery in Gorleston was kept like this one as it was impeccable. After this it was to the local bus station to catch a bus to Bangkok... I really enjoyed Kanchanburi! Bye for now Miffy x x x Ps. When I get back to Kho Tao, I'll sort the picture situation out!