Read Chapter 10: “Elephant Ride”
There were many tourists at the railway station. All around them there were vendors that sold fruit, snacks, ice cream and soft drinks.
“From now on you’re on your own,” said the guide. “The train will take you to the bridge. I wish you a pleasant journey. I hope to see you again soon.”
“Good bye,” said everybody.
“Thank you for your assistance,” said Mom. “You’ve been of great help to all of us.”
The Lesters bought their tickets. The train was leaving in 30 minutes, so they had enough time to eat something.
“I want some ice cream,” said Brandon.
“Me too,” echoed Alice.
The children ate their ice cream under the shadow of a big Banyan tree. As soon as they finished they looked around the station with their parents.
The trip by train to the Bridge on the River Kwai took one hour and forty minutes. The children enjoyed the view from the open window.
“Don’t bend over the window children!” said Mom.
“And don’t throw anything outside of the window. Collect your garbage in a bag, and we’ll throw it away when we get off. We have to protect nature,” Dad reminded the children.
The train stopped many times in small railway stations. It never stayed in a station for more than one minute. During this period people got on or off the train. The controller wearing a navy blue uniform always checked the new passengers’ tickets.
The train slowed down when it got near the Bridge on the River Kwai. There were many people walking on the bridge. The train conductor blew the whistle. Everybody on the bridge stepped into the safe area, where they watched the train slowly go by.
When the Lesters got of the train they visited the Railway Museum nearby. This museum was right in front of the bridge. The museum displayed engines used during World War II by the Japanese army. Apart from engines there were many other things the visitors could look at, like: old bicycles, old motorbikes, maps, photos, and models of the bridge.
Around five o’clock the Lesters took a songthaew back to the parking lot where they had left their car the previous day.
Illustration by Eric Barrientos
