Sa Wat Dee (hello) From Phitsanulok - Nov 16, 2007

We found that this new hotel has free high-speed internet, so we will catch you up on our travels so far.

NOV.12 Bangkok

Got to sleep in til 7 a.m. today then left the hotel by bus to the floral market.Walked thru the market and saw lots of beautiful flower arrangements. We then boarded a motorized sampan for a ride thru winding waterways. Went past lots of homes. Some were very rich and elaborate and others were very poor with tin roofs.Stopped at a temple called Temple of the Dawn.Very pretty with lots of inlaid pottery and glass pieces.very steep steps leading up to the top. I(Jean)impressed everyone by being the only one to climb to the top! We continued on to a private home for a Thai cooking demonstration. This was lots of fun. The lady of the house showed us how to make red curry chicken. A very mild variety and we also all made our own appetizers.We then sat down for a delicious lunch prepared for us by her, her son and husband. Their home was all teak and very fancy.

NOV.13 Bangkok

Took an optional tour called Essential Bangkok. Walked thru Chinatown with all the normal sites and smells that Chinatowns in all cities have. We then saw the world's largest pure gold buddha. Fifteen feet tall and five and one-half tons of solid gold. Very impressive.We then went on to visit Bangkok's oldest temple, Wat Po, where we saw a giant reclining Buddha. Probably 1/2 a football field long. After that we stopped at the Jim Thompson House for a most delicious lunch.The absolute best Pad Thai ever,followed by Chocolate ice cream or orange sherbet for dessert. Delightful!! We then toured the home of Jim Thompson. He is famous for revitalizing Thailand's silk industry and expanding it's international markets in the 40's and 50's. The home is filled with lots of priceless antiques. Had a little space time in the late afternoon so we found our way to a photo shop to have our memory cards downloaded to CD's. Dinner was on our own and we opted for grilled ham and cheese on rye!! At 7:30p.m. we went to a show called Calypso Cabaret. All the performers were female impersonators. Strangely enough, most of the songs were in english. All were lip-synced not actual singing. It was quite enjoyable.

NOV.14 Kanchanaburi

Departed at 7:15a.m. by bus for Kanchanaburi. Along the way we made several stops. 1st stop was to see how coconut oil is harvested and processed. Next we stopped at the floating market. Boats up and down the canal selling foods and wares. We did not get into the boats, just walked along the side of the canal. Our guide bought fried banana, palmetto and small bananas for us to eat when we got back on the bus. He promised it was safe to eat and it was yummy. Our next stop was at a teak wood carving factory. Got to see the process of making everything from small statues to massive furniture. Very expensive but the workmanship was worth it. Had lunch at the River Kwai then walked across the bridge. Ollie and I started walking and it was raining lightly. Got somewhat wet but not drenched. Others in our group were about 1/2 way across when it started to pour. They had purchased lightweight ponchos but they still got soaked. We also visited the war museum and the war cemetery, very sobering.

Continued on to our next home away from home for the next two nights, the Siam Buri Resort. It is located in a jungle setting with individual teak cabins. Very rustic and basic and each have a unique bathroom with a huge open roofed shower that had screen across the top to keep out the bugs. Mosquitoes are a huge problem and it is imperative you use repellent at all times.

NOV. 15 Kanchanaburi

Today we departed at 7:15a.m. to travel to a boat launch where we boarded 2 boats (8 to a boat) to go upriver to Hell Fire Pass. This was one of the most difficult sections of the River Kwai Railway. To lay track the POW's and Asian conscripts carved thru over 325 feet of solid rock, almost entirely by hand. When we got to the area of the pass we got off the boats and transferred to the back of pick-up trucks for a ride to the trail-head.

We walked on a woodland trail until we came to the Hell Fire Pass. We then walked on for about 45 minutes to visit the museum. There were 600 steps along the path. Very hot and sweaty when we got to the museum. Lunch was at local restaurant near the train station. We then rode the train that traveled over the tracks laid by the POW's until we came to a section of trestles built over a ravine. We got off at this point to take pictures and get back on the bus. This catches you up to the point where we went to the Tiger Temple.

If you are interested in more information on the Tiger Temple, go to www.tigertemple.com.

Well will sign off for now.

Love.......Jean and Ollie ..........Hugs and Kisses