For Argyll

Hello,

Have been in Kanchanaburi for the past 4 days, we were originally only going to stay for 2 but changed that as soon as we got here, it’s great! Our accommodation is lovely (Jolly Frog Backpackers), we’ve each got our own room for 70Baht (a pound!) a night, there’s a lawn with deck chairs and hammocks and a raft on the River Kwai! We sat on the raft on the first night drinking the local rice wine and watching the karaoke boat go past! It was so lovely.

On Tuesday we went to the Thailand Burma Railway Centre which was excellent but really sad, then we took a Songthaew (a pick up with 2 benches in the back) to the railway (Death Railway/Bridge over the river Kwai) and did the ultimate tourist thing of taking a trip in the train over the bridge!

Wednesday we got a bus to the Erawan Waterfall which is a huge waterfall with 7 stages, on geting to the 2nd Lindsey and I decided to go for a swim and were about to jump in when someone told us the fish bite! So we sat on a log for about 10 minutes arguing over who was going to go first, then eventually jumped in together! Someone also told us that if you keep moving the fish won’t get you so after about 2 minutes, we were exhausted! Anyway, they were lying, the fish didn’t bite, they just try and suck you! Lindsey got one but I managed to avoid them! After our swim we carried on up to the next levels and were almost at Level 5 when it started pouring down! We decided to be on the safe side and head straight back down, but by the time we were back at the bus we were soaked through, as were the contents of our bags! Poor Lindsey’s passport got wet and her stamps have washed off so she’s going to have to go to the embassy, hopefully she’ll get it sorted okay!

Today (Thursday) Charlotte and I went Elephant riding! I wasn’t sure at first as I wanted to be sure they were happy and well cared for, they seemed to be, so it was fun. We just went on a short trek then in to the river where the elephants go right under the water, taking you with them! Then mine decided to spray me with water from his trunk! This afternoon Lindsey left to go to Bangkok to then catch the bus and boat to Koh Tao, so Charlotte and I sat in the sun then I went to my room for a wee snooze! When I woke up it was absolutely pouring down again! It’s bizarre weather here!

We’re catching an early bus to Ayuthaya tomorrow for the day then geting the sleeper train up to Chaing Mai which I’m looking forward to, Charlotte os going to spend a few weeks there then go to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and I’m going to come back down and joing Lindsey on the island for the last of my holiday! It’s going so quickly!

Apologies for the lack of photos, my camera (actually my sisters camera - sorry Julie!) has decided to stop working today so all my pics of Kanchanaburi are no more! In fact, all my pics are no more! Luckily some are on here but I think the rest are beyond saving which I’m pretty gutted about, Lindsey has a lot of the same pictures as me though so I’ll hopefully be able to get some off her. I’ve had a wee spell of bad luck since being here, it turns out I’m allergic to mosquitoes and come up in a big blister whenever I get bitten so my legs are covered in plasters at the moment and I’m on a combination of mosquito coils, extremely strong repellent, wipes and garlic tablets in a bid to stop them eating me! I thought they were sick of me in the pharmacy in Bangkok but they’re seeing much more of me here! This is just after the swollen ankles and sunburn have gone! Then yesterday my phone broke so I had to go and buy a new one, even though I’m due a free upgrade at home! I’m sure it’ll turn around soon! I’m still smiling and having a great time though, despite it all!

I have another camera with me (luckily!!) so I’ll hopefully get some more pics on soon!

Keep your fingers crossed for me and my blisters!

Emma x