Hello, Sangklaburi

This is the first time for me to write a review for Readme Website. I'm a little nervous.

What motives me to go out to see the world is those wonderful pictures in travel articles I have read. I keep telling myself someday I will take great photos like this in these environments and collect some unforgettable moments. Every year I print out the photographs I have shot and send them to my friends as a New Year's Postcards ( I found it very creative and original). For this trip, I go to Sangklaburi on my own on the 3rd to the 5th of April, 2015.

Let's begin our 3 days and two nights trip.

I packed my stuff last night. I take three cameras with me: a cell phone's camera for a short VDO, a compact digital camera for a larger scenes and mobility, and a DSLR camera. I like the last one personally.

This morning, I get up at 5 am., take a bus to Sanam Luang, get off the bus in Tha Chang, and take a boat to Siriraj Hospital to get to the train station. I 'd like to take a free train from Bangkok to Sai yok Waterfall in Kanchanaburi. Actually, I can walk to the station but I didn't know. So I take a taxi bike which costs me 20 Thai Baht because I ask a nurse and she tells me it was really far.

It is not that far, actually. Believe me. Anyway, I take the taxi bike and have some time to shoot photos of the surroundings at the station. I am lucky enough to get an impressive picture. I reach at the station around 7 am. and the train leaves at 7.50. since it delays for almost an hour because the previous train is broke down. So, they need to send out the engine to bring it back and get it out of the way.

I choose to travel by train because it is free of charge and I love the scenery along the way. Moreover, I 'd like to get a special picture as I intended.

This is the first impressive photos I can get during the journey. It shows two girls talking about where to go in different platform before the trains leave. It makes me smile in their liveliness.

I always have a notebook for gathering good stories and moments.

The expenses in the morning.

The air-conditioning bus fare : 14 baht

The bus fare : 9 baht

The boat fare : 3 baht

The taxi bike :20 baht

Total : 46 baht

Now I pass the Songpol station.

At 10.40 a.m.

03.04.2015

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I have been on the train until I get to Kanchanaburi Station where I have to change the train to Kanchanaburi-Waterfall. There are a lot of foreigners continuing to get on the train. Its seats are so classic but can't be lain down.

One of the officers comes to tell me the train is not going to the Waterfall Station. So, I have to get off at Wung Pho and take a bus. I go past the River Kwai Bridge, Krasae Cave, and finally I am here, the Waterfall Station. The scenery along the way is so incredible.

On the other hand, the weather is so hot. The wind is like from the air-conditioning system.

It's about 3 o' clock in the afternoon, 2 hours late. I have to take a car to a bus station, costing 20 baht. You can ask someone around there.

It takes a few minutes to get to the bus station. I can take a break at 7-11 (a popular convenient store in Thailand). There are 2 choices to Sangklaburi. One is by a red bus, which comes every thirty minutes and probably takes so much time to reach the destination and the other choice is by car. Luckily, I meet another 10 travelers so we decide to take the second choice to go together. This makes 200 baht per person. The driver just stop at a petrol station and let us take photos at some beautiful spots as we wish. The devious road along mountains plus wonderful views make up great scenery.

Eventually, I am in Sangklaburi. Now it 's about 6 o' clock in the evening. I was like a young Korean guy when I left home but now look at me. I'm like a workman working in the smoke and dusts for the whole day. My hair is completely dry due to the hot wind. The driver drops off his passengers one by one at their accommodations. We are going to meet again tomorrow as we agree to share boat fare and go to other places together. Another two guys and I still don't have any places to stay, we then tell the driver to drop us off at the Mon Bridge.

I sang the national anthem in the morning in Bangkok and sing again here at the wooden bridge in the evening. Great!

I get off the car and walk around 100 meters to the bridge. I am stunned by the bridge and go directly to take plenty of photos without realizing I haven't had a room for tonight yet. While I am enjoying taking photos, there is a guy coming to offer me a room on raft with a restroom and kitchen stuff ready to cook. I follow him to see the room. It is in good condition so I agree to stay there. It costs 600 baht for three persons, normally it is 700 baht. I also tell the owner to rent a boat from him tomorrow.

After I unpack my stuff, the other two guys and I decide to get back to the bridge and take more photos. After that, we walk to find something to eat. It is quite far to get to the market. I am really tired.

We go to different shop and find something I 'd like. I have a look at the Burmese vermicelli and finally order one for myself. I is so good. Really! (Maybe I am so hungry at that time). I eat 2 bowls of it, 2 spring rolls, and a piece of crispy flour. It costs only 35 baht, not expensive at all.

Followed by some Burmese pork on sticks, I eat 15 sticks which is 1 baht a stick. They are pork, entrails, and something like pig's ear with some cartilage in it. They come with a small cup of red sauce and chili paste.

For other dishes, I think they must not be too expensive . I'll see them in the walking street tomorrow.

After we are completely full, we go back to our room. This is the room we are staying tonight. I let the other 2 guys sleep in the room. I sleep outside the room with the bedding they have prepared for me. It is not hot at all. I don't even need a fan. Besides, there is no mosquitoes.

I have spent...

20 baht on the fare from Waterfall Station to the bus station

45 baht on drinks

200 baht on the fare to Sangklaburi

200 baht on the room (600 baht divided by 3 persons)

15 baht on the Burmese pork

35 baht on the Burmese vermicelli.

So I spent 515 baht in total.

My cell phone has run out of the battery, so I have to get the photos from cameras after it has been charged.

How is it like for you? Now do you want to visit here? Tomorrow I will show you what it is like in the morning when local people offer food to monks.

At 10.50 p.m.

03.04.2015

EP 2 Nitvigator

Today is such a busy long day. We get up very early at 5 a.m. It is foggy and very cold at the raft. There are some drops of dew on my arms (I slept outside the room without any mosquitoes.) I first grab a camera to shoot some photos before going to take a showet and get ready to go out to experience the local life style in the morning.

I meet the owner and he tells us that he is going to prepare us cups of coffee and some deep-fried dough stick. The other two guys ,called "Bell" and "Book", go to take photos on their own. For me, I follow a group of monks to the Mon village until I get to their temple. I also go up to Wat Wang Wiwekaram (the underwater temple). I'm not sure if it is closed.

So I ask a lovely local girl. She is called "Look Mee", a talkative girl. I also ask to shoot her photos.

Then I see a boy who is selling bananas. I decide to buy a hand of bananas. He seems to choose one for me very carefully. It turns out unripe and I need to keep it for a couple day.

After that, there is a call from people on the same car yesterday, called Grace, Paw, Joy, and Ting. We talk about the boat trip at 9.00 am. So, I have them follow me to my raft.

We spend some time chatting and enjoying coffee. Everyone seems to like the place so much that they want to stay there tonight. Unfortunately, the rafts are fully booked as it is Saturday as usual. I myself need to move as well even though I haven't washed my clothes. They are still in the big bowl waiting for me to get back and finish them.

I pack my staff and check out. We walk around to find a place to sleep before we get to the boat at 10.00 am.

There is another raft on the other side of the river costing 1500 baht. However, I decide to stay with my friends at P Resort.

This is what the surroundings look like when we walk through the village. I get to know two another guys on the boat, Pim and Duk, make us up to 9 people. It costs 600 baht. We go to three places: Wat Somdej (the old one), Wat Wang Wiwekaram (the underwater temple), and the underwater village.

The highlight part of this trip is I meet the ENTER EXHIBITION Team. They bring a plenty of gifts for children like some sport equipments, dolls, and water guns before Songkran Festival. They have been doing this activity for many years. I have seen their works on the Mon Wooden Bridge once. And now, here is their work at the Underwater Temple.

Photos by the ENTER EXHIBITION Team. Thank you so much.

On the way back to the land.

After the boat trip is done, I get back to the raft, pick up my stuff, and get to the resort. Then I take a shower to get fresh and go out to Three Pagodas Pass. Ting is the one who take me there by bike, which is not very far. There is a river along the way where travelers can stop by to play the water. At the Pass, there are alot of goods sold including trees, accessories, refreshments, Tanaka (a yellowish-white cosmetic paste made from ground bark, also known as Thanaka), and so forth. We also can go to Burma, which is on the other side. I don't go anyway because I 'd like to enjoy the evening atmosphere at the wooden bridge and go to the Bodh Gaya Pagodas and Wat Wang Wiwekaram again to visit inside the temple.

EP 3 Nitvigator

The picture shows the sight looking upward from the raft.

looking downward from the bridge.

Ting and I ride back from Three Pagodas and run into Grace and Paw. We do a little bit of funny photo shooting.

Ting, Grace, and Paw

What are you guys doing?

After shooting the photo, we separate and will meet again on the wooden bridge at 4 pm. Ting and I choose to go to visit the Bodh Gaya Pagodas at Wat Wang Wiwekaram. Let's have a look at the photos.

At the evening, we get back to the bridge and keep taking photos in the soft glowing light in the sky.

This is Miss Yen. She is quite famous here.

These girls are working as tour guides on the bridge. We know the background of this longest wooden bridge from them. They also give us some moral precept about life which is very useful.

They are just like models on stage.

This is the one, called "Meth", who is going to show jumping into the river from the bridge. He is also the one who took me to the raft on the first day here.

This girl is so cute. A group of children come, so I don't miss taking them photos.

I'm a photographer who has a small number of photos .

I don't really look like a photographer today.

I like this picture the most.

After that, we go back to our room and get ourselves ready for the walking street. Before we go out, we sit and talk together.

It turns out that we came here by the same train and even the same bogie.

I absolutely have to take a photo of the terrace of the guesthouse.

There are a lot of things to eat and some clothes and accessories. There are also great shows from local children. We spend a moment finding something to eat and get back to our rooms.

I have known them just a day, but they seem like so close to me. You can see from their acting in the photos.

At 11 pm, let call it a day. I go hit the sack in this room. It is very comfortable with a private bathroom.

This is more beautiful than the starlight.

The expenses of the day is showed later.

In the morning of the last day, we get up very early at 5 am again. Book and Bell leave here by the first bus at 7.30 am. The rest of us agree to leave at 9.30 am. I get to the bridge and go to the Mon side directly to observe the way of the local lifestyle. A great number of people come and some Mon sell flowers to visitors as the picture shows.

I follow the line of the monks going to receive food offering.

I keep walking along the cement bridge to the northern part and meet Ms. Mee again (the Mon girl I have once met at Wat Wang Wiwekaram (Luang Por Auttma Temple). I asked her yesterday whether there were anywhere interesting around here. She told me there were nowhere but her house. I found her with her mom waiting for the monks. We have a small talk and say goodbye.

This land seem to be more locally Mon Style than one on the wooden bridge which are crowded with visitors. I get back by walking along the river and I walk past a house. People are having a Mon ordination ceremony. I have heard the music over the night from the other side of the river. So I go into the house to have a look how it looks like. I see a group of ladies are singing and dancing. The hosts are preparing foods for guests. I shoot some pictures for a while and then is invited to have meal together with them. There are a various choices of dishes like curry, soup, dry fish, and so on.

I am also invited to join the ceremony in the house so I have a chance to experience the Mon culture. This is completely worth coming here.

I keep taking photos outside the house for a moment.

It is almost the time to leave. We get back to the room, pack out belongings, and leave to the bus station. We thought we had plenty of time but actually time flies so fast that we don't know what to do first. We check out and take the rent bike back and go to the bus station to take a bus from Sangklaburi to Morchit, Bangkok. There are only 2 buses a day. The bus leaves at 9.40 am., costing 245 baht. It is so easy.

Look at me. I look so exhausted.

I reach Bangkok around four thirty in the afternoon.

Take a look at the expenses for today.

The bus fare: 245 baht

The food: 28 baht

The bus fare and taxi bike to my house: 23 baht

These make 298 baht.

All in three days become 1,280 baht in total

For this trip in Sangklaburi, I have been impressed by the definitely inexpensive food, the extraordinary local lifestyle, and incredible view. I totally believe that you will be impressed and have unforgettable memories.

For me, I will absolutely go back there again soon.

"Every journey, I just do what I am fond of. There is not any formulation for it.

I just want to be with myself and write down impressive memories. I want it to be an online diary that I can all time come back to read it whenever I think of it.

... Miss you all "

EP 4 THE END Nitvigator

Only me Backpacking to Sangkhlaburi

A special thank to:

Ting, Grace, Paw, Joy, Book, Bell, Pim, and Duke for the traveling

Ake for camera lens

Maprang for the travel inspiration

People in Sangklaburi and everything else related to this trip.

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