Tuesday, July 9

First Week Off

Sangklaburi, Thailand
It is now vacation time. After a grueling last few months of school, it is now time for a break. So I left the city and travelled six hours away and ended up along the river banks of Khao Laem.  The weather was great and with a little mist from the sky, it was the prefect day to start my vacation. The scene was breathtaking just outside my hotel room. Nestled atop a hill, one is offered an awesome masterpiece created by nature. A place rich with history, as the lake was shaped by the flow and ebbs of the water. It was like a postcard and I am included in it. 

Sangklaburi is in the border of Thailand. It is populated by Burmese, Mon, Karen, Thai and a small group of Lao. The Khao Laem Dam is fed by three reservoirs and it is in this watery patch where the people settled as one community.

Kanchanaburi, Thailand
After staying for a night, I left Sangklaburi and travelled another two hours to see the majestic River Kwai. I went again to my fave spot, a rustic abode to let where the oldness of the place must be now teeming with stories and memories. I slept in a boathouse and this awesomeness greeted me in the morning. A mountain laden with fog while the clam coldness of the water was silhouetted by the green colour of the trees. It was like a painting and I am part of the subject.

Kanchanaburi is a town in the west of Thailand. Although the main attraction are the Death Railway and the Bridge over the River Kwai, it is the waterfalls along with its river ways that are the most interesting to me.

And some more photos and facts:

The Mon Bridge was built entirely by hand 442 meters long,
 linking the Mon Village to Sangklaburi. 

The Buddhakaya Chedi shines like gold early in the morning
as the sun rises, giving it an enlightening glow.

Hindad Hot Springs are three different pools can be used
but one of them is reserved for monks only.

Krasae Bridge/ Railway is still used for travelling via train
but mostly for scenic viewing. The original trestle construction is still intact and of good use.

Bridge Over River Kwai was built by allied prisoner of war spanning  258 miles.
 There were about a hundred thousand conscripted Asian labourers and
 16, 000 prisoners of war who died building this structure.

And so begins new places and adventures for the next five weeks. Life is short so I have to be happy. May these coming weeks bring forth vigour and positive vibes wherever my feet takes me (with my shoes, of course). Have a great day!

31 comments:

  1. Awesome !

    Beautiful pictures of exotic places in Thailand:)

    Thank you for sharing with us such beautiful places in Thailand. Looking forward to your travel stories !

    Thanks
    Rajiv
    www.magnificentdewdrops.blogspot.com
    www.magicalpresent.blogspot.com

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  2. Thank you for the comment. I am to share my coming travels and adventures and you are my first companion through this blogventures. Please share some of Kerala's beautiful places as well. Have a great day!

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  3. Wow! I love such serene places - they define the word "vacation".

    You are currently living in a postcard - make the most of it! As you said:
    "Life is short so I have to be happy."

    Enjoy! and more stories about this vacation please?

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  4. Hi Balut, I will definitely be writing and blogging about my weeks off. I wanted to visit two bloggers, one from Tarlac and one from Pangasinan so that will be two more stories to tell. I will be visiting other places before I go back to work. Yehey, excited lungs!

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  5. Hi Izdiher,

    Please come or you may join me in my adventures through this blog. It would be great if you can share some interesting places in your country too. Have a wonderful day!

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  6. I've been to Thailand but it was a guided tour and everything was a rush. At bilang younger years ko pa ako nakapunta dyan, shopping ang pinaka naenjoy at napagkagastusan namin noon. I'm going back there and I will make sure to visit beautiful places like you did! The photos are lovely and very calming to look at! :)

    Enjoy your vacation, Jonathan! You deserve it!

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  7. Great place! Perfect kung may kasamang lovelife para romantic... Pd rin namang alone tapos senti moment...

    Dito naman sa Pinas Sir!

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  8. Thanks for sharing these marvelous pictures and the stories behind.
    Have a great vacation:)

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  9. By the way, I had also some days vacation. You can see the pictures here:
    http://joysnotepad.blogspot.no/2013/07/on-road-again-part-two.html

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  10. bet ko yung mga ganitong klaseng lugar lalo na kapag medyo makulimlim at mahamog.

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  11. @ Cyron- romantik lang o scene from a horror movie? Gusto ko din yan kaysa sa mainit. Ikaw naman ang share ng puwedeng pasyalan diyan.

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  12. @ Ishna - there are many places to visit. Diyan nga lang sa Pinas o Finas, thousand of islands to visit. Siyempre shopping muna at kain when we visit places. Puwede kang model for clothes that you can buy here tapos post mo, then i market mo.

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  13. @ senyor - oo nga pero friends puwede na. Mas masaya kung tawanan lang to the max. Malapit na, malapit na.

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  14. Hello Joy,

    Ilan ba ang blogs mo? Anyways, will visit this one for the adventures ng magaya, lol! Kailangan talaga natin ng adventures o bakasyon every now and then to recharge.

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  15. Wow. Thanks for taking me in your summer travel. I wish I'll have the opportunity to see these places in real life.

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  16. Hi Lili,

    You can and it is a good bonding moment for your family. Go around there first and when you are in Asia, then go around here. I will try to post some more escapades next time. Thanks for joining me.

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  17. napawow naman ako sa view, a piece of heaven on earth! anyway enjoy your vacation

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  18. Akala ko nga nasa heaven na ako, wala nga lang mga anghel. Puro isda pero wala ring sirena.

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  19. Sleeping in a boat house...ooooh. I envy you because you did this. I never had a chance to do this when I was in Thailand.

    I am glad that you got the chance to relax a little. Thank you for sharing us this. I got some glimpse on other parts of Thailand that I haven't visited.

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  20. I know the song - Bridge of the River Kwai. Saw the movie too...but I was so young then, can't remember much of it now.

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  21. wow ang mga ganyang scene nag very province ang dating... haizt namiss ko ang province ni mama at ni papa...

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  22. Hi Ish,

    You must be very busy now what with the coming wedding. You can come back for your honeymoon and try Chiangmai, Phrae or something nearer Hua Hin. You can hire a floating house with karaoke if you want. Just bring us all with you.

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  23. Hello sui,

    I am having a difficult time accesing wordpress and my face is there except Everytime I write a comment and then I will be told unsuccessful. I have to make a new profile.

    I wish I can visit more of Malaysia than the usual KL and Penang. You have an extensive rainforest to my knowledge.

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  24. Hi Rix,

    Saan bang province ang may ganyang view ng madalaw naman? Yan pupunta ako ng Baguio base sa experience mo duon. Ako naman ang may Baguio post.

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  25. sa provice kasi ng mama ko eh may lumang riles ng tren papunta sa isinarang pagawaan ng asukal. Kila papa naman eh madadaanan ang San Juanico bridge kapag magttravel via land papunta sa kanila :D

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  26. Maraming salamat for sharing. Sana nga unti unti akong mapadpad sa magagandang tanawin ng Filipinas. Na miss mo na naman mom mo, ako naiiyak muli.

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  27. Huwaw bakasyon grande na pala kayo jan sir Jonathan. Ayus yan! para relax relax din ang katawan pag may time hehe :))

    Ang sarap maligo dun sa Hindad Hot Springs.

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  28. Naks! Travel blogger ka din ser? Ganda naman ng place na yan! Sarap puntahan!

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  29. Yes fiel, sobrang sarap at maraming makikita wink wink. Post ko ba? Bakasyon na nga, sana grande but I opted not to travel much, hanggang Pinas lang.

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  30. Hi Mars,

    All around ako puwera lang cooking dahil hindi ako marunong magluto. I can be a traveller, a poet, an artist, a singer but never a cook or a techno expert. I like to observe things, therefore, I blog.

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