October 29, 2006
It’s the end of the dive season in Malaysia and I was just getting started! I have now taken an underwater photo class and a fish identification class—not doing well in either. The fish swim too fast to be photographed and I still can’t get past “it was a small pretty yellow round fish” which doesn’t clearly identify much at all.
These pictures were taken at the Perhentian group of islands. Lots of jungle and the South China Sea are met with a little beach that I called home for this dive trip. The row boats we dove from had all the modern conveniences: air conditioning and a motor (the faster the motor, the higher the air-conditioning.
I celebrated my 35 (??) birthday in Bangkok, and would like to start the explanation of that with “so I’m in a bar in Bangkok, and in walks an elephant” Now that is something I never thought I would say… or would ever be true. But it was, and it happened twice! I was beginning to think I was being followed when I realized that even an elephant in Bangkok wouldn’t notice me. Thai women get much more attention, if you know what I mean! Well, there he was this elephant. It was dark so a picture was difficult, even with flash.
My birthday trip was off to see the bridge over River Kwai. About 2 hours out of Bangkok, my friends Melissa, Jan and Caroline came to visit the historical bridge, forced by the imperial Japanese army to be built by POW’s and civilians of Asia, who also were forced to work on the death railway linking Burma to Thailand. This train is still in limited use (after some rebuilding since the 1940’s) 13,000 allied prisoners and 80,000 Asian laborers who died building the railway.
6,982 POWs are buried in the cemetery shown here, the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, most of them in their early 20’s. The conditions of the POW camp probably left few survivors. Those that did go home sent pictures they drew from their memory to the JEATH museum set up by Monks who want to preach memory of war, and a push for peace. The drawings are remarkable, and really show you the life conditions, vs. the propaganda of the photos that were taken then. It would be good if the Monks get their wish for peace.
After looking over the past listings on this blog, as it has been awhile, I know what you are thinking….that I must love that green shirt! I would like Asia so much more if I actually liked to shop. So perhaps I will go to a store and get a new shirt today!
I’ll be home for Christmas… hopefully see you then!