This series is about places that we've been able to visit because of our freelance lifestyle. This isn't just so that I can share my travel photos; there is a larger point! We have been able to take more holidays or stay longer because we could combine our work with travel. I want more people to get involved in online freelancing and I hope that this series will inspire you. Yes, you.
We've Worked in... Kanchanaburi
So this time we headed off to Kanchanaburi with Agi’s parents. Kanchanaburi is famous for two reasons: astounding natural beauty and being the site of the “death railway” made famous by the 1957 film The Bridge on the River Kwai.
We had a few false starts here as we wanted to take the train. Trains to Kanchanaburi do not leave from Bangkok central train station but the southern train station. Which is in the west of the city!? Anyway, the first 4 taxi drivers I spoke to claimed to never have heard of Thonburi station which made me start to doubt my own sanity. Or my ability to speak Thai. Taxi #5 was a winner so off we went. The delay in finding a taxi combined with Bangkok traffic to make it close run thing as to whether we made the train. The last 400 meters was done on foot as someone had broken down at the entrance to the station. We made it with 5 minutes to spare and off we went on the train to Kanchanaburi.
The views from the train were wonderful; paddy fields and forests… and the occasional big pile of trash. We arrived at mid morning and were picked up by the boat to take us to our private island.
Well, not really private but our hotel in Kanchanaburi is on its own little island. A shower and a change of clothes later and we were off to visit the Thailand / Burma Railway Centre. The museum covers the building of the railway by the Japanese army during the second world war. Over 100,000 prisoners of war and civilians died during the process. Not a happy subject but an excellent museum. After the museum we went to see the famous bridge and enjoyed a beer in a floating restaurant. You can see a lovely photo here.
In the evening and the next morning we fit in a few hours work because we need to earn money to pay for private islands!
Erawan National Park is the other highlight of Kanchanaburi. We hired a driver and went off for an afternoon of hiking and swimming in the waterfalls. I can honestly say this is one of the best things I have done in some time! I loved it, the pools are gorgeous. After hiking up to step 5 of the waterfalls I was soaked in sweat. Jumping into the pool was a perfect remedy. Cold, fresh water full of fish which nibble your toes. We had a great time swimming, taking photos and acting like tarzan… sort of
On the way back down we stopped in the lowest pool for another swim when somebody shouted. We turned to see what Agi thought was a crocdile and I thought was a snake. There was a brief panic similar to the scene from Jaws before we realised it was actually a monitor lizard. I have seen monitors around south east Asia but this was the best for me. The lizard was beautiful black and gold and swam through the water so elegantly. We watched her swim and hunt for fish until she disappeared into the jungle. Unfortunately, we only had Agi's dad's phone with us and the camera... well, let's just say it isn't great:
The next day was a work day in the hotel lobby while we waited for the train back to Bangkok.
Another good day and another great weekend enabled by freelancing! Get in touch with us and see how you can freelance and have more holidays.