After an awful nights sleep that involved hearing rowdy drunks stagger home, a family of pigeons settling on my window sill squawking through the broken glass, the streets being cleaned and then noisily set up for the morning trade I got up and ready to leave Bangkok yet again. God I am becoming to despise this place! My plan is to go and visit the last place on my Thailand list, Kanchanaburi, stay for a few days then return to get my flight to India.
Packed into a tiny minibus sat on top of my bag with my knees up to my chin for the two hour drive we arrived at Kanchanaburi. I was looking forward to getting some culture as this is the sleepy little town with the infamous bridge over the river Kwai. This bridge, also known as death bridge, was constructed in 1942 by prisoners of war and over 100,000 men lost their lives in the process of building it.
There are museums and memorial sites dotted across the town and you can jump on a tiny tourist train to travel down the length of the railway that still exists. I spent the day sightseeing and learning all about the horrific torture and hostile environment that these prisoners had to endure.
I also visit the ‘monkey tree’, which is hundreds of years old in the middle of this dusty field surrounded by scrawny cows that is supposed to be a sacred and lucky site. Colourful ribbons are wrapped around the sprawling trunk as a present for Buddha. It would make one amazing tree house for sure.
On the way back through the town centre I see a place called ‘peace cafe’ that has free wifi so pop in to get my tech fix and a cold drink. Whilst there I meet the owners who are a Portuguese guy called Pedro, his Thai wife called Thidarat and their three adorable children aged 5, 7 and 9 called Ismael, Benjamin and Pavarti.
We get talking about India as they have visited as a family many times, and I share my slight apprehensions of travelling their as a solo female traveller plus if I am honest I don’t feel ready to leave Thailand yet but unfortunately my visa is expiring soon. They explain that they have a room to rent in their house which is attached to the cafe and small boutique shop they own.
After a few more drinks we come up with a plan that I can stay with them for a fraction of what I was spending on accommodation, plus get a real home stay experience, they will help extend my visa and I can get a proper plan for India so I can be as prepared as possible. So from coming to this town to spend a few days I am now going to be here for some time!
I had already booked my accommodation for the first night in kanchanaburi, staying on the river in a raft house that actually bobs gently around on the water when a speedboat or long tailed boat travels past. It’s a really quaint little place but there was literally no one else staying there which was slightly unnerving. My mind was racing that in the dark it would make a great setting for a horror film.
The next day I pack up my stuff from the creepy river rafthouse and head to my new home, the ‘Peace Cafe’, I am welcomed with coffee, eggs and bacon and ice cream, I could definitely get used to this.
That evening it was the birthday of one of the peace cafe’s regular customers, a london expat called Jonny who lives round the corner, so we had an impromptu birthday party. Him and his brother Justin, myself and the family all got to know each other over Thai food, sangria and birthday cake that Thidarat had surprised Jonny with. As I am from a large family with lots of noise and activity going on I felt like I was back at home, handing out bowls and cutlery, topping up drinks, dancing round the kitchen whilst the food was cooking and chatting away over the rowdy noise. This was definitely going to be home for a while and I felt happy and settled with my newly adopted family.
