THE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI

After the floating market we jumped in the car and took off for Kanchanaburi Province.  We stopped for our second lunch of the day at a restaurant overlooking the famous Bridge over the River Kwai.  I can't say I remembered much of the history behind the bridge before we got there, the only thing that really came to mind was the whistled theme song from the old movie.

The Japanese forced the construction of the Burma Railway during WWII using Allied POWs and Asian laborers.  Thousands of people suffered and died as a result.  The part that spans the Kwai River is one of the most famous sections of the railway because of the many attempts by the Allies to bomb and destroy the bridge, and also obviously because there was a book written about it, and then a hugely successful movie based off of the book.  It was a nice little history lesson.