Bridge on the River Kwai...

The next morning I hit the 41 again for Kanchanaburi - to see the bridge on the River Kwai. I bypassed Bangkok since I need to go there later to fly the bike to India (I'm now convinced that a land route through Burma or China is not possible / feasible). I was passed on the highway by some guys on sportsbikes doing about 140kph (the Transalp runs out of steam at about 130kph). Further up the road, I caught up with them at a petrol station - they're the 96 Superbike club from Nakhon Si Thammarat, and had managed to accumulate a Hayabusa, a Fireblade, a Blackbird and an '82 Katana (on its 4th engine) - quite a turnout for Thailand! In due course they left me behind again, but not after I'd collected a club sticker for my bike...

96 Superbike club

I seem to be making a habit of ending each day by arriving at my destination after dark, on a dirt road, with the petrol gauge past the 'E', and this was no exception. Having spent most of the day on the highway, I left the 41 at Ratchaburi and cut across country for the final 100kms or so to Kanchanaburi via Chom Bung. It was approaching dusk and there was a distinct Saturday night feel to the place - everyone heading home, the smell of woodfires hung in the air, the local party spots lit by neon lights... The countryside was very flat and criss-crossed by roads, so it was fairly easy to keep zig-zagging north east (although one stage, the 'road' was a 4ft wide concrete bike track on a ridge between paddy fields).

Temple at dusk

As usual, I took my role as ambassador for international motorcycle travellers very seriously by shattering the peace in every village with my loud exhaust, although one group of locals got a laugh when I encountered a ~6ft snake writhing in the middle of the road - my feet were round my ears faster than you could say "perhaps a snakebite to the foot is preferable to one in the arse".

Probably the most annoying thing about riding at dusk is the fog of insects that manage to find their way into my crash helmet. By and large I've been fairly pleased with my swanky Arai XD3 lid, but it does have a large number of vents which scoop up bugs and propel them directly into my scalp and ears, which necessitates frequent stops to remove the helmet and scratch frantically (and even if there wasn't a bug, the feeling that there might be is just as motivating). After trying in vain to figure out how to close the vents, I just got out the insulating tape - haven't those clever folks at Arai figured out that when a biker wants a breeze, they just open the visor???

I finally popped out on the River Kwai, and I could see Kanchanaburi on the other side. After mild concern as to how I was going to get the bike across a rail bridge, I was relieved to find that there are numerous road bridges these days. In fact, the 'Bridge' is not at all like in the film (which was fictional), and is located in the centre of a busy town.

Bridge on the River Kwai? Just past Tesco...

However, Kanchanaburi does mark the start of the infamous Thailand-Burma death railway, and there is a very large (and exceptionally well-maintained) allied cemetary in the town. Even more incredible is Hellfire Pass about 60km away, which was carved by hand in 12 weeks. I walked along the railway for about 8km, and it was bloody hard work, even with the embankments and cuttings in place. It wasn't helped by the fact that it's about 35 degrees in Thailand at the moment, which means I can sweat my way through my entire wardrobe in about 48 hours...

Allied cemetary in Kanchanaburi

Hellfire Pass

I've been staying at the Rainbow Lodge, which has clean, air conditioned rooms on the riverbank for 450 Baht. The two old ladies were kind enough to let me park the bike in their lobby / living room, and were polite enough not to laugh too loudly as I dropped the bike as I wheeled it in...

There was so much to see in Kanchanaburi that I stayed for a couple of days, but the sound of 'Colonel Bogey' has started getting on my nerves, so it's time to head up-country. I'm hoping to ride up to Umphang along the Burmese border. According to the maps, it can't be done, but nothing ventured, nothing gained...

A quick update on the score - 27 days on the road (plus 30 while the bike was in transit), and over 8,500km covered...