kanchanaburi
To take advantage of my last long weekend in Bangkok, we went to Kanchanaburi. As we were only taking the bus, we left M's place at 6:30am and got to the Southern Bus Terminal at 7:30. Just like any other long weekend, people were packed like sardines - long lines at the ticket booths and people waiting at the bus docks woke up our systems. By 7:45, we boarded the bus, marking the start of our 3-hour trip to the River Kwai Resotel.
We got to the Kanchanaburi bus station in 2 hours, and were greeted by songtaew drivers eager to get passengers. We hired one old driver who looked trustworthy and told him to bring us to Thong Pa Phum, where the resort's boat was docked. We didn't realize how far it was - 120+ km away from Kanchanaburi - it took us another hour just to get to the small dock. No wonder the driver said that 500 Baht (for the whole songtaew) was the standard rate!
The resort's long-tail boat took us on a 10-minute ride along the River Kwai. When we got to the resort's pier, we were impressed by the sheer beauty of the view - 2 mountains divided by a river, and a beautiful resort with a rustic ambience. The resort's website does not do them justice - you have to experience the stillness and closeness to nature it offers.
After settling into our rooms and a hearty lunch, we walked around the resort and followed the trail to Lawa Cave. The trail itself was a path worthy of pictures since plants, flowers, shrubs, and herbs were in abundance. Apparently, Lawa Cave was in a small national park so we had to pay a fee at the entrance of the park. 100 steps (going uphill) later was the entrance to the cave. Although dark and damp, the deeper parts of the cave proved to be awesome. Curtain-like stalactites created odd walls and pillars that seemed to hold pieces of history - it felt like a scene fresh out of a Tolkien novel. The cave had big pockets which felt like a big empty room, and sometimes small pathways reminiscent of secret passageways in big houses. (I obviously watch way too much TV.) To top it all off, there were about a hundred SLEEPING bats in one part. I did not dare take a picture, for fear of waking up those ugly creepy things. The photos we took do not convey the beauty of the stalactites - much like seeing frozen waterfalls in Banff... you have to discover the beauty yourself. (Plus, it was dark so my camera could not take pictures properly.)
After breakfast, we rented mountain bikes and took the small, paved road at the back of the resort. Although it was a small road leading to the main highway (we assumed so since there were a few cars going up to the cave), the scenery was nonetheless breathtaking. We were practically biking thru a meadow filled with trees on both sides, and a view of other mountains in front of us. Getting on a bike again took me back to my younger years when riding bikes under the hot sun was an everyday activity. I loved the sound of the bike's tires gripping the gravel and pebbles, and its gentle hum while we were going downhill.
Before we knew it, it was time to head back. After lunch we made our way back to the concrete, crowded, and polluted streets of Bangkok, armed with a healthy dose of tranquility and calm to last us (or them) til the next long weekend. As for me, it was a fitting goodbye to fun long weekends in Thailand, and a gentle reminder that there will always be memories and places to come back to when the right time comes.
We got to the Kanchanaburi bus station in 2 hours, and were greeted by songtaew drivers eager to get passengers. We hired one old driver who looked trustworthy and told him to bring us to Thong Pa Phum, where the resort's boat was docked. We didn't realize how far it was - 120+ km away from Kanchanaburi - it took us another hour just to get to the small dock. No wonder the driver said that 500 Baht (for the whole songtaew) was the standard rate!
The resort's long-tail boat took us on a 10-minute ride along the River Kwai. When we got to the resort's pier, we were impressed by the sheer beauty of the view - 2 mountains divided by a river, and a beautiful resort with a rustic ambience. The resort's website does not do them justice - you have to experience the stillness and closeness to nature it offers.
After settling into our rooms and a hearty lunch, we walked around the resort and followed the trail to Lawa Cave. The trail itself was a path worthy of pictures since plants, flowers, shrubs, and herbs were in abundance. Apparently, Lawa Cave was in a small national park so we had to pay a fee at the entrance of the park. 100 steps (going uphill) later was the entrance to the cave. Although dark and damp, the deeper parts of the cave proved to be awesome. Curtain-like stalactites created odd walls and pillars that seemed to hold pieces of history - it felt like a scene fresh out of a Tolkien novel. The cave had big pockets which felt like a big empty room, and sometimes small pathways reminiscent of secret passageways in big houses. (I obviously watch way too much TV.) To top it all off, there were about a hundred SLEEPING bats in one part. I did not dare take a picture, for fear of waking up those ugly creepy things. The photos we took do not convey the beauty of the stalactites - much like seeing frozen waterfalls in Banff... you have to discover the beauty yourself. (Plus, it was dark so my camera could not take pictures properly.)
After breakfast, we rented mountain bikes and took the small, paved road at the back of the resort. Although it was a small road leading to the main highway (we assumed so since there were a few cars going up to the cave), the scenery was nonetheless breathtaking. We were practically biking thru a meadow filled with trees on both sides, and a view of other mountains in front of us. Getting on a bike again took me back to my younger years when riding bikes under the hot sun was an everyday activity. I loved the sound of the bike's tires gripping the gravel and pebbles, and its gentle hum while we were going downhill.
Before we knew it, it was time to head back. After lunch we made our way back to the concrete, crowded, and polluted streets of Bangkok, armed with a healthy dose of tranquility and calm to last us (or them) til the next long weekend. As for me, it was a fitting goodbye to fun long weekends in Thailand, and a gentle reminder that there will always be memories and places to come back to when the right time comes.
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