Today we are up and ready to head to see the rest of Kanchanaburi before we leave at 130.  Sage is feeling better and ready to go this morning.  We get all packed up and check out and head out with a driver for the morning.  We are on a seongtow (pickup truck with a cage on the back and seats installed)

It is very hot today, but the seongtow is open so there is a breeze as long as we are moving.  First we go to the war museum for the bridge over the river Kwai.  It is an Australian museum and very well done.  One of the many cemeteries is right beside it.  Many thousands of Aussies, Brits, and Tamils died as POWs here making this railway.

Next we headed to Wat Ban Tham which is a temple inside of a dragon.  It was about 7 miles oustide of town.  On the way we passed fish “sanctuaries” and several Thai graveyards.  The dragon temple is on and up the side of a mountain.  You climb up between the dragons arms and enter through his mouth and then climb up his body to the temple inside a cave in the mountain.  There is a large sitting Buddha in there.  270 steps to the cave and 270 down–totally cool.  And a monkey at the entrance.

Entering the mouth of the dragon

Monkey at the entrance

View from the top

Buddha in the cave at the top–belly of the dragon

Walking back out of the mouth

Very unique experience!  Next we went to the actual bridge over the river Kwai which was anticlimactic and swarming with tourists and a whole village of schlock sellers surrounding it.  Here are some pictures–notice the pock marks on the pillars from the allied bombs

Finally we went to Wat than Khao Pun which is a temple in a series of caves down inside the earth/mountain.  This temple is 3000 years old.  This was a little creepy and claustraphobic for me as the passageways inside the caves were for small Thai people.  Anyway–the large reclining Buddha in there was impressive and very spiritual.  There were 10 cave rooms, each with a Buddha or spirit attached to it–here are some of them.  Interestingly, the Japanese commandeered one of the caves to use as a hospital during the war.

Cave room with crocodile spirit

View from the top of this cave mountain

“Large” Buddha overlooking river at the cave mountain

After this we headed back for lunch and boarded our air conditioned minivan to go to Ayutthaya.  This turned out to be an excellent choice over the non-AC local buses.  The trip was pleasant and only took 3 hours.  We are staying at the Park Ayutthaya–right on the unesco historical grounds.  Here is our room

The view outside our window

Sunset over the ruins

temp today 98 degrees, 9,900 steps. 4.1 miles