Wednesday, November 08, 2006

River Kwai :: Tourists at Hellfire Pass, Thailand

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month is marked around the world with a few minutes of silent reflection on the enormous contribution of (mostly young) men and women in the various forces.

On one such morning, when I was touring the River Kwai, north of Bangkok, Thailand, quite by chance I found myself at Hellfire Pass, where servicemen were preparing for that morning's ceremony.

That is one Armistice Day I shall never forget. The image of a few simple poppy wreaths affixed to the rock walls of the pass (still marked with furrows from the drill that cut holes for dynamite), is all the more powerful for its simplicity.

If you're in Thailand, you should go. Or get the movie, the Bridge on the River Kwai.