Pat and I took a two-night trip up to Kanchanaburi province, about 160 kilometers northwest of Khrungthep.  This is the same province I visited with my cousins Brad and Silvia in July.  This time, however, I didn’t get to the Tiger Temple or the Monkey School.

Instead, Pat and I made it all the way to the top tier of the seven-tiered Erawan Waterfall.  This was quite an accomplishment because with the recent heavy rains, the path between the fifth, sixth, and seventh tiers was missing in parts or under water in others. 

Here are some views:

Right: This is at the second tier of the waterfall, which offers a very large pool in which to swim.  It was much busier than July in part because the weather was much more pleasant, and also due to this being a weekend. 

This picture is very telling: notice that in the sunny portion (to the back of the photo) nearly everyone is farang and skimply dressed.  In the shady portion, nearly everyone in Thai and well covered.

Below: Taking photos is a very popular activity – not taking photos of the scenery but instead taking photos of each other!

As we made it up to the fifth level – there’s quite a distance between the fourth and fifth waterfalls – we stopped to rest a while and to get some pictures of this absolutely gorgeous spot. 

Best of all, most people didn’t make the effort to get past the second or third level, so it was very quiet up here.  I had Pat pose for some photos, which turned out very nice:

Finally, we climbed all the way to the top.  It was pretty hairy at a couple of points, having to use some large vines as support as we worked our way around a flooded-out portion of the trail.  I didn’t know that Pat would be so adventureous, but she was right there every step of the way.  Way to go!

There were only a half-dozen other people at the seventh fall, including three young monks who had climbed up wearing flip-flops.  Two of them decided to go for a swim, fashioning their robes into bathing trunks, while the third stayed on dry land. 

I asked if I could take some pictures and was able to snap a few good shots that caught some interesting contrasts between colour and shadow.

The two monks in the pool were rough-housing around in what didn’t seem to be very characteristic, monk-like behavior.  But then I guess that’s a difficult thing to judge and it was all in good fun.

Afterwards, they climbed out and refashioned their robes, heading back down the mountain dripping wet.

Is it me, or do I see monks at this waterfall every time I’m here?

Pat and I drove back to Khrungthep on Monday afternoon, arriving back at the hotel about 4:30.  That evening we met up for dinner and went to Face, a stylish Thai restaurant (there’s a bar and Indian restaurant, too) built into four restored northern-style Thai houses on Sukhumvit Soi 38.  Here are some pictures:

Above: Interior of the Thai restaurant at Face.  Below: Pat and Tawn sitting in front of a very large spirit house.  

 Below: Birthday dessert tray arrives, followed by the other three desserts we ordered!

This morning (Tuesday) Pat is on a tour of the major temples including Wat Phra Gaew (the Grand Palace), Wat Pho (the Reclining Buddha) and Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn).  It is giving me an opportunity to post this entry as well as to get some work done.  This afternoon we’ll go for the first fitting of the clothes she’s having made.