Pilgrimage – Kanchanaburi War Cemetery and Death Railway Museum
There are no bicycle racks here, no posts, pipes or loops whatsoever to secure our bikes. So we got creative.
Upon arriving at the museum, you won’t be entirely convinced with the signage – given the proliferation of piracy in Thailand.
Inside, it’s not too shabby at all. Too bad no cameras are allowed, but there’s a plenty of models to help you wrap your head around how massive the Death Railway is/was.
There’s even an actual reconstruction of the Bridge over River Kwai (earlier wooden version) and even 1:1 models of the prisoners’ living conditions. Historical photographs are worth seeing too.
It’s rather abrupt to see such orderliness and cleanliness in a country like Thailand, but it shouldn’t be surprising given that it’s managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
There are 6,982 POWs buried here mostly Australian, British and Dutch.
Having visited many World War II memorials sites, notably the ANZAC memorials in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, as well as the Ranau War Memorial in Borneo – I can’t help but feel a sense of connection between all of them.
I guess war amplifies differences but ultimately makes the world smaller.
