Elephants, the Death Railway, and an emotional family story
By
Within moments of booking our flight to Thailand, we were researching something we’ve both separately wanted to do for years: spending a day with elephants. Now we’re both very conscientious about this kind of thing, and we did plenty of investigating to find a legitimate, ethical, reputable sanctuary where the care of the animals comes first – AKA – none of that riding or circus shit. It sickens me to see tourists on the backs of elephants, or having photo’s cuddling a sedated killing machine. You know who you are. Travel conscientious – don’t start forest fires, take your litter home with you, and don’t lie on a tiger.
Lots of this was about to happen
So we found a wonderful place about an hour outside of Bangkok called The Elephant Nature Park, close to a town called Kanchanaburi. We paid about $70 for the full day, including transport, feeding and swimming with the elephants, and an astounding traditional Thai lunch. Also included was a trip to the infamous Death Railway and the River Kwai – but more of that anon – and you’re not going to believe it.
So after rising super early to leave the bustling Bangkok metropolis for the jungle, I was still a little shaky from the Singha beers the night previous. However I believe I have stumbled on the greatest hangover cure known to man. Elephants. Why has nobody told me this before?! They’ve been around for centuries! Just roll me out of bed after my 48 hour bender and show me a trunk! Hilarious! All joking aside, these peaceful, serene, outstandingly beautiful creatures will cure you of any ills. It was mesmerising and unforgettable.
Ladies who lunch
We began the day shoving handfuls of “appetizer” leaves into greedy trunks, before preparing their main morning meal. This involved slicing and dicing pumpkins and watermelon, as well as rolling hot rice balls with added nutrients for their health. Then it was a free for all to “make the elephants happy” before they escorted us to the water to drink and cool off. We were giddy with joy as we packed trunks with food, and watched with glee as they slurped and squelched the fruit into hungry mouths. Woe betide you if you happened to turn your back for a second with food in your hand – you’d get the shock of your life as several trunks battled for pumpkin supremacy. I can safely say it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.
Alex prepares the feed
Oh but it got better. We wandered with the beasts to their drinking hole, slowly plodding through the jungle, scratching themselves on trees, dropping large piles of poop, and rubbing their feet on roots. You had to always keep yourself in their sight line – and never get caught between two of them. They did have a tendency to stick together, lurching randomly around, and if you’re caught in the middle you’re a human smoothie.
Welcome to the jungle
I was being a smartass and firing out a couple of facts I’d learned from doing a pub quiz. They’re the only animal in the world that can’t jump, and they’ve got around 40,000 muscles in their trunk. Nobody was that impressed – and rightly so. This was their show, and we were given so much time to just walk with them, observe them and touch them that it was at times – emotional. They’re so gentle and slow, that to imagine anyone who would want to harm them is beyond comprehension. They, like most animals on this planet, need our love and care – perhaps now more than ever. It was a pleasure in some small way to contributed to their comfort and happiness.
Eye eye…
But the highlight was still to come. After a delicious Thai lunch, we returned with the elephants to a mud pool, where they proceeded to get themselves covered in muck. This was hilarious to watch, especially if one of our party got too close and got a dousing. But they are very clean creatures, so off they marched to a cleaner part of the river Kwai to wash themselves off – and we were the ones that were going to assist. Swimming with and washing elephants is up there with the greatest of my great travel experiences. As several of us blasted the creatures with bucket after bucket of water, soaking wet and laughing like we were five years old – you could actually see that they were smiling. That is a moment I will never forget.
Swimming with flumps
And yet it wasn’t the only such moment today. Here’s an incredible story you will scarce believe, and one that gave me more than a glassy eye.
Lest we forget
Many years ago dad told my sister and I of his desire to visit Thailand – for the sole purpose of visiting the memorial gravestone of his favourite uncle – Allan Jameson. Growing up (and as a WW2 aficionado and film buff) I knew of the infamous “Death Railway” – and in particular – “The Bridge over the River Kwai”. This was a 415 km track also known as the Burma Railway, which was vital link to the Japanese during conflict. Thousands upon thousands of POWs died in the construction of the track and its bridges, many because of the appalling conditions they were subjected to. One of those people who perished was my great-uncle.
The Death Railway along the banks of the river Kwai
Of course dad never got to achieve his wish to pay his respects – although his son and our half-brother Mick visited many moons ago and brought back a picture – which dad got to see. That picture lay gathering dust down the years, until a short time ago while sorting through dad’s belongings in a storage unit in London – my sister found some medals. They belonged to Allan Jameson. The War Medal 1939-45, the 1939-45 Star, and the Pacific Star, were sent to his mother, Mary, in honour of his service. My sister did some digging, and found some interesting information.
The Buddha in the cave – it used to serve as a makeshift infirmary
Alan served as a Gunner in the 125th Anti-tank Regiment, Sunderland. In October 1941 the soldiers were shipped off to battle; not to the Middle East as expected, but to Singapore. On the 4th and 5th of February 1942 the ship, the Empress of Asia, was attacked by Japanese bombers just miles from port, and the men were forced to abandon ship and swim for survival. Every single member of the Regiment was captured by the Japanese, with most sent to the work camps of the Burma Railway. Allan died of dysentery on the 9th July, 1943.
The river Kwai – I will return to the bridge another time
Now obviously being in Thailand I was going to attempt to track down the last resting place of my great-uncle, but I had no idea that when we booked the elephant sanctuary it was in the same place as the memorial grave site. As we speed out of Kanchanburi in the morning, I turn to gaze out the window to my left, and nearly blow a fuse when I spot what must surely be the war cemetery.
My great-uncle Allan’s war medals
“THAT’S IT! ALEX! THAT’S IT! HE’S IN THERE!” I exclaim like demented madman. Upon returning from the amazing elephant experience, our guide very kindly drops us at the records room. I fill out a form with all the information I know (only his name) and I’m shaking when I hand it to the researcher.
“Is he alive?” The young lady asks, prompting something of a shock, to which I exclaim that I’m sure he isn’t. She apologies profusely when she realises her error in looking up JAMES and not JAMESON. It’s not for the first time. After scrolling down a little further, sure enough – there he is. Gunner Allan Jameson: plot 2, row F, number 71.
The war records print out
I get a printout of all the details and directions to where he lies, and we make our way into the beautifully kept cemetery. There’s a handful of tourists scattered about, shuffling between the stones, taking a few snaps. Locating the correct row, we begin the walk to stone 71 – and pass by so many that I start to believe there’s some mistake. But just as we’re coming to the end, our family name comes into view, and the tears begin.
Cleaning Allan’s memorial
Dad wanted to stand here. I’m doing it in his stead. I never knew my great-uncle – I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a picture of him – but here I am, cleaning his memorial with a bit of wet tissue and some drinking water. There are flowers aplenty, and I scrape off the mud and flick away the ants. For what it’s worth, Allan, for what it’s worth. Thank you.
Allan Jameson – rest in peace great-uncle
It’s getting dark by the time we’re ready to head back to Bangkok. I will return in the next couple of weeks to visit the Burma Railway Museum here – and really learn what it was like for these men. I will take the train over the river Kwai, and I will spend a few more moments in the cemetery alone. Allan’s medals are entrusted to our half-brother Chris, and what I find the most emotional, the most remarkable thing about this incredible story – is that there are hundreds of thousands more like it. “At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them.”
It’s been a rollercoaster of a day. To cap it all, Alex is leaving to return to Bishkek tomorrow, and these are our last hours together – for the time being at least. I’m going to miss her – but it’s a so long and not a goodbye. As a special treat, we finish the day having a Thai massage together before passing out exhausted back at the hostel. It has been an incredible weekend, full of emotions, full of experiences but most certainly one that will be hard to top. Today the bar was raised really high.
Please enjoy the photo’s from the day dearest readers – no captions required. It was a special one.
Elephants, the Death Railway, and an emotional family story
Within moments of booking our flight to Thailand, we were researching something we’ve both separately wanted to do for years: spending a day with elephants. Now we’re both very conscientious about this kind of thing, and we did plenty of investigating to find a legitimate, ethical, reputable sanctuary where the care of the animals comes first – AKA – none of that riding or circus shit. It sickens me to see tourists on the backs of elephants, or having photo’s cuddling a sedated killing machine. You know who you are. Travel conscientious – don’t start forest fires, take your litter home with you, and don’t lie on a tiger.
Lots of this was about to happen
So we found a wonderful place about an hour outside of Bangkok called The Elephant Nature Park, close to a town called Kanchanaburi. We paid about $70 for the full day, including transport, feeding and swimming with the elephants, and an astounding traditional Thai lunch. Also included was a trip to the infamous Death Railway and the River Kwai – but more of that anon – and you’re not going to believe it.
So after rising super early to leave the bustling Bangkok metropolis for the jungle, I was still a little shaky from the Singha beers the night previous. However I believe I have stumbled on the greatest hangover cure known to man. Elephants. Why has nobody told me this before?! They’ve been around for centuries! Just roll me out of bed after my 48 hour bender and show me a trunk! Hilarious! All joking aside, these peaceful, serene, outstandingly beautiful creatures will cure you of any ills. It was mesmerising and unforgettable.
Ladies who lunch
We began the day shoving handfuls of “appetizer” leaves into greedy trunks, before preparing their main morning meal. This involved slicing and dicing pumpkins and watermelon, as well as rolling hot rice balls with added nutrients for their health. Then it was a free for all to “make the elephants happy” before they escorted us to the water to drink and cool off. We were giddy with joy as we packed trunks with food, and watched with glee as they slurped and squelched the fruit into hungry mouths. Woe betide you if you happened to turn your back for a second with food in your hand – you’d get the shock of your life as several trunks battled for pumpkin supremacy. I can safely say it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.
Alex prepares the feed
Oh but it got better. We wandered with the beasts to their drinking hole, slowly plodding through the jungle, scratching themselves on trees, dropping large piles of poop, and rubbing their feet on roots. You had to always keep yourself in their sight line – and never get caught between two of them. They did have a tendency to stick together, lurching randomly around, and if you’re caught in the middle you’re a human smoothie.
Welcome to the jungle
I was being a smartass and firing out a couple of facts I’d learned from doing a pub quiz. They’re the only animal in the world that can’t jump, and they’ve got around 40,000 muscles in their trunk. Nobody was that impressed – and rightly so. This was their show, and we were given so much time to just walk with them, observe them and touch them that it was at times – emotional. They’re so gentle and slow, that to imagine anyone who would want to harm them is beyond comprehension. They, like most animals on this planet, need our love and care – perhaps now more than ever. It was a pleasure in some small way to contributed to their comfort and happiness.
Eye eye…
But the highlight was still to come. After a delicious Thai lunch, we returned with the elephants to a mud pool, where they proceeded to get themselves covered in muck. This was hilarious to watch, especially if one of our party got too close and got a dousing. But they are very clean creatures, so off they marched to a cleaner part of the river Kwai to wash themselves off – and we were the ones that were going to assist. Swimming with and washing elephants is up there with the greatest of my great travel experiences. As several of us blasted the creatures with bucket after bucket of water, soaking wet and laughing like we were five years old – you could actually see that they were smiling. That is a moment I will never forget.
Swimming with flumps
And yet it wasn’t the only such moment today. Here’s an incredible story you will scarce believe, and one that gave me more than a glassy eye.
Lest we forget
Many years ago dad told my sister and I of his desire to visit Thailand – for the sole purpose of visiting the memorial gravestone of his favourite uncle – Allan Jameson. Growing up (and as a WW2 aficionado and film buff) I knew of the infamous “Death Railway” – and in particular – “The Bridge over the River Kwai”. This was a 415 km track also known as the Burma Railway, which was vital link to the Japanese during conflict. Thousands upon thousands of POWs died in the construction of the track and its bridges, many because of the appalling conditions they were subjected to. One of those people who perished was my great-uncle.
The Death Railway along the banks of the river Kwai
Of course dad never got to achieve his wish to pay his respects – although his son and our half-brother Mick visited many moons ago and brought back a picture – which dad got to see. That picture lay gathering dust down the years, until a short time ago while sorting through dad’s belongings in a storage unit in London – my sister found some medals. They belonged to Allan Jameson. The War Medal 1939-45, the 1939-45 Star, and the Pacific Star, were sent to his mother, Mary, in honour of his service. My sister did some digging, and found some interesting information.
The Buddha in the cave – it used to serve as a makeshift infirmary
Alan served as a Gunner in the 125th Anti-tank Regiment, Sunderland. In October 1941 the soldiers were shipped off to battle; not to the Middle East as expected, but to Singapore. On the 4th and 5th of February 1942 the ship, the Empress of Asia, was attacked by Japanese bombers just miles from port, and the men were forced to abandon ship and swim for survival. Every single member of the Regiment was captured by the Japanese, with most sent to the work camps of the Burma Railway. Allan died of dysentery on the 9th July, 1943.
The river Kwai – I will return to the bridge another time
Now obviously being in Thailand I was going to attempt to track down the last resting place of my great-uncle, but I had no idea that when we booked the elephant sanctuary it was in the same place as the memorial grave site. As we speed out of Kanchanburi in the morning, I turn to gaze out the window to my left, and nearly blow a fuse when I spot what must surely be the war cemetery.
My great-uncle Allan’s war medals
“THAT’S IT! ALEX! THAT’S IT! HE’S IN THERE!” I exclaim like demented madman. Upon returning from the amazing elephant experience, our guide very kindly drops us at the records room. I fill out a form with all the information I know (only his name) and I’m shaking when I hand it to the researcher.
“Is he alive?” The young lady asks, prompting something of a shock, to which I exclaim that I’m sure he isn’t. She apologies profusely when she realises her error in looking up JAMES and not JAMESON. It’s not for the first time. After scrolling down a little further, sure enough – there he is. Gunner Allan Jameson: plot 2, row F, number 71.
The war records print out
I get a printout of all the details and directions to where he lies, and we make our way into the beautifully kept cemetery. There’s a handful of tourists scattered about, shuffling between the stones, taking a few snaps. Locating the correct row, we begin the walk to stone 71 – and pass by so many that I start to believe there’s some mistake. But just as we’re coming to the end, our family name comes into view, and the tears begin.
Cleaning Allan’s memorial
Dad wanted to stand here. I’m doing it in his stead. I never knew my great-uncle – I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a picture of him – but here I am, cleaning his memorial with a bit of wet tissue and some drinking water. There are flowers aplenty, and I scrape off the mud and flick away the ants. For what it’s worth, Allan, for what it’s worth. Thank you.
Allan Jameson – rest in peace great-uncle
It’s getting dark by the time we’re ready to head back to Bangkok. I will return in the next couple of weeks to visit the Burma Railway Museum here – and really learn what it was like for these men. I will take the train over the river Kwai, and I will spend a few more moments in the cemetery alone. Allan’s medals are entrusted to our half-brother Chris, and what I find the most emotional, the most remarkable thing about this incredible story – is that there are hundreds of thousands more like it. “At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them.”
It’s been a rollercoaster of a day. To cap it all, Alex is leaving to return to Bishkek tomorrow, and these are our last hours together – for the time being at least. I’m going to miss her – but it’s a so long and not a goodbye. As a special treat, we finish the day having a Thai massage together before passing out exhausted back at the hostel. It has been an incredible weekend, full of emotions, full of experiences but most certainly one that will be hard to top. Today the bar was raised really high.
Please enjoy the photo’s from the day dearest readers – no captions required. It was a special one.