The bridge over the River Kwai...constructed at the cost of over 100,000 lives at the hands of the Japanese Army. It is a pretty awe-inspiring site if slightly unspectacular, but really the gravity of the war conveys the message to most...except, bus loads (and I mean they even had a coach park for them - at least 10 buses) of yup, you've guessed it, JAPANESE TOURISTS...

It was a truely sickening site to see them clambering all over it for 'that picture for the top of the telly or the hallway', smiling inanly not stopping for a moment to think of the people that died and suffered in the building of this bridge. These same bussed in, bussed out 'tourists' where conspicuous in their absence from the beautifully maintained allied-war cemetaries and the museums dedicated to the memory of those brave POWs.

Anyway I've vented my spleen now, it's Saturday so off to get a footy fix and some nice Thai food (for a change)! Incidentally I had pie egg and chips for tea in an English restaurant last night - HEAVEN!!!We had tea with an Kiwi bloke called David (the 'youngest' 38 y.o. I have met), and an English girl called Ali (from Gloucs). They were both good company and we're meeting up with them again this evening. Dave is pending 3 months in SEA and it looks likely our paths may cross in Laos or Vietnam.

Back to BKK tomorrow after going to visit the floating nun in the morning (she's a local 'celebrity' who mediates in a large pool of water in a cave and she is meant to bring a kind of karma/peace to those who visit...)