the break

In need of respite, I jump at Brittany’s suggestion that we take a road trip to the countryside – to Kanchanaburi. The team consists of me, Brittany and Jessie (our new teacher at School who looks incredibly like my uncle Simon – Jessie is American, originally from Hong Kong). To get to Kanchanaburi we take a two hour taxi. At Brittany’s recommendation we check into the Riverside Guest house. The sun is shining, we have rooms with balconies overlooking the river and it is quiet and pretty. We have lunch a little way up from the Guest house at a Café stilted on the river and then, again at Brittany’s recommendation we hire motorbikes and head off to the Erawan waterfalls. Brittany drives me (I’m too chicken.) and Jessie bless him, learns on route. Arriving so late in the day, we only make it to the height of the second waterfall, where Brittany and I can’t resist a little swim before we head back. (We have a mental appointment with the wine shop in town and we’re not sure what time it closes).

The drive back takes an hour and during this I marvel at Jessie’s sudden ability to ride a motorbike. Back in town, we turn into the road for the wine shop and there’s a crashing sound behind us, breaks screech to a halt. I look back and I can see a truck full of people looking cautiously over the trucks sides and down to the road. There is no sign of Jessie. “Jessie’s down!” I scream, jumping of the back of Brittany’s bike and running towards Jessie. Jessie and bike are lying on their sides. He’s not been squashed. The truck stopped just in time. Everyone is waiting with bated breath. He gets up and say’s “I’m OK.” and everyone exhales. We get the wine and head back to the guesthouse the same way we came, again passing the turning where Jessie was nearly squished. There it is again. Crash, screeching breaks. Look back. No sign of Jessie. ““Jessie’s down!” I scream, jumping of the back of the bike and running towards him. Again he gets up and say’s “I’m OK.”

Blown out by the sun and the fresh air and Jessie’s two near death experiences, we opt for dinner at the guest house – at the tables on the balcony with that bottle of wine.

Next day, Brittany has Kayaking the River Kwai in mind. A phone call is made by the guesthouse owner and next thing we’re picked up by a truck, we stop off to load kayaks into the truck, we drive on for 10 mintes and next thing were paddling down the river. We’re to call again when we get sighting of the Chinese temple. The Company will pick us up at the temple. The paddle is lush. It is quiet, scenic and sunny. It is a million miles from Bangkok and School.

kanchanaburi

written by

Yee Ling Tang on September 18, 2010 from Kanchanaburi, Thailand

from the travel blog: the break

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a travel blog by Yee Ling Tang

Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi, Thailand