War and peace >> Travel: Laos, Myanmar, Thailand 47

Nov 26: Morning, Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi is a surprise, a very pleasant surprise. It is not as choked with backpackers (disco nights at guesthouses and watering holes down river) or as kitschy (tacky Bridge Over River Kwai souvenirs) as the impression we get from guide books and fellow travellers.

We arrive just in time for the week-long annual festival to commemorate the sacrifices of World War Two. Banners annoucing the festival adorn the roads in town. But the heart of festivities centres on the grounds next to the River Kwai Bridge. This is a half-an-hour walk from leafy Apple Guesthouse, where we plan to stay for the next two or three days.

After settling in, we decided to check out the surroundings. It was very hot when we started walking and there was little shade along the road. Luckily, there were enough distractions along the way, one of them being lunch in a shop by the road, next to a patch of parched land.

In this heat, it was difficult to work up an enthusiasm for food, especially of the hot, soupy (or porridgy) variety. But, the noodles were so tasty! We realised we were quite hungry after all and ended up sharing three bowls of noodles and a bottle of ice-cold Pepsi.

Replete and rejuvenated, we tackled the rest of the walk to the Bridge. There, a very different sight awaited us. Gone was the somnolent and almost isolated air during our walk. It was somewhat of a shock to see so many people milling about.

The carnival was already in full swing, spread across the ground on both sides of the small train station (more a stop really). The stalls were packed with all sorts of goodies for sale, from the edible to the usable. The sights, sounds and smells were incredible.

A few of the food stalls selling doughtnuts, cakes and pastries were making them on the spot! Meanwhile, other stalls peddling deep-fried snacks, bubble tea and crispy insects competed by offering as bewildering and colourful a spread as they could display at their compact stalls. There were mountains of food.

As if not to be outdone, the non-edible sections brought out a vast selection of casual and more formal clothing, from rugged jeans and funky (or rude, depending on your sense of humour) t-shirts to smart pant suits and slinky dresses. Looking around, we also saw loads of household items on sale. If we wanted to, we could even order custom-made curtains!

Meanwhile, entertainment (besides people-watching and snacking) came in the form of performances on the open-air stage. There was some kind of schedule posted, but we could not read Thai. It was all so fun-filled and lighthearted that we found it difficult to remember that countless prisoners of war toiled and died constructing the Death Railway during the Second World War.

However, once we walked away from the carnival and towards the JEATH museum and war shrine, a much more sombre air permeated. It was moving to see small groups and couples entering the shrine to lay a wreath or burn some incense. In space and time, how far removed this tranquil and leafy nook must be from the rousing festivities a short distance away, and from the human suffering in the not-too-distant past.

In the evening, we headed back to the Bridge for the Light and Sound show. It was drizzling, but that did not deter the audience, who packed the muli-tiered stands, wearing rain coats or carrying umbrellas. Some did not even bother, seating bareheaded in the rain.

The Light and Sound show was an impressive display. Action flowed seamlessly between the river, the Bridge and the two floating stages by the river bank below the spectator stands. One of the highlights included the dramatic entry of the gleaming locomotive, steaming regally out of the woods from the other side of the river and pausing just after crossing the Bridge for spectators to admire.

Midway through the show, Annie whispered to me, "I wonder what the Japanese are thinking about when watching this display?"

It must not be easy watching the segment depicting Japanese aggression in Southeast Asia, even in this watered down version.

Pillage and plunder, terror and torment. That is the dominant nightmare for many Asians, especially the older generations, who have lived and suffered through the Japanese Occupation. Although there now seems to be little outward anger towards the Japanese in Southeast Asia, it is obvious that many Asians still remember their tragedy, as is evident from the outpouring of anger every time a Japanese leader visit a war shrine where major military figures of the period were interred.

So no, not water under the bridge at all in this part of the world, and not for a long time, I suspect.

Especially as some seem intent on fanning the flames of hatred to fuel their own ambitions. With Japan seemingly on the road to sheding the 'shy' military mein it has cultivated so scrupulously after its defeat by the Allied powers in 1945, such anti-Japanese sentiments can very easily warp into darker impulses. All in all, a potential minefield that, if detonated, may destablise and destroy everything this region has achieved since the end of the Second World War.

I should stop. Enough speculation. However, I am now reminded of a danger, more immediate and definitely closer to home, to travellers visiting Kanchanaburi. Dogs have dogged us since Ayuthaya. Having said that, the dogs here are less of a problem, but we have still been stalked by the occasional over-zealous one.

Budget (for two in baht)

Nov 24
Room >> B500 + Breakfast >> B115 + Entry (Wat Mahathat) >> B60 + Entry (Ratchaburana) >> B60 + Drinks >> B35 + Lunch >> B160 + Dinner >> B40 + Supper >> B65.25

Nov 25
Room >> B540 + Breakfast >> B115 + Minibus to Bangkok >> B90 + Taxi to hotel >> B71 + Lunch >> B199 + BTS (Sala Daeng to Nana) >> B50 + Drinks >> B120 + Dinner >> B105 + H20 >> B10

Nov 26
Room >> B250 + Breakfast >> B105 + Taxi to Southern Bus Station >> B110 + AC bus to Kanchanaburi >> B158 + Songthaew to War Cemetery (for guesthouse) >> B12 + Lunch >> B55 + Internet (2 hours) & Pepsi >> B90 + Dinner >> B200 + Tuk-tuk (Guesthouse to River Kwai Bridge) >> B30 + Light & Sound show >> B200

Next... Iron Rooster on the Death Railway