Bridge Over River Kwai

It is so great to have time to see something from a movie...... and today was that day in Thailand

I went to see the actual bridge from the movie BRIDGE OVER RIVER KWAI...

At the very beginning of this adventure, the English speaking guide told us, that it is not

KWI WITH A LONG I, AS I AM LEAVING,  it KWA , a long A,   and all this time I have been saying it wrong.

The Museum of Kwai is located beside the grave yard of marked soldiers, there is second graveyard of unmarked soldiers.  The second graveyard has research of DNA to identify the remains.

As you enter the museum, I was told no phones, so from my memory.......

The train was to be a vital link for Japan going west to conquer more countries and building this railway was to take 3 years by engineers..............no thought the Japanese Army, so they bought in in over 90,000 prisoners of war to expedite the process.  

I was amazed to learn, there were less than 700 American POWs.

The statues and the actual photos were so moving.   What conditions.......

In the middle of the exhibit, there were interviews of actual prisoners, who now are dead.   The British soldier told of whistling the famous tune portrayed in the movie......he just laughed as he explained it was the POWs way, to stay be strong, we will do this, we will survive, as a rallying
hymn.

He explained, how the Japanese soldiers like the whistling and wanted to hear it more and who the POWs would rally with their little strength left from very little food and water.

The museum took about 2 hours to go thru, but really one could have been there longer......

There was information booth leaving the museum where I asked the lady to let me know the sites of any American soldiers that where there.   She explained when the remains were identified as Americans, the families were notified and then they were sent back to American.

After time in the grave site, it was a short walk to the bridge.....GOSH, what a sight, there were booths and people everywhere, what a carnival atmosphere

The King is death, and the Thai people were celebrating that the King instrumental in restoring the bridge and other contributions to preserve this sight.   And for the next 10 days, there would light shows and many reenactments at the bridge.

Not what I expected, but I did somewhat understand.

The Kings death is a real BIG thing here........I am even wearing a black ribbon.  This is given to us each day by the hotel personnel.