Scams, bridge over the Kwai and tigers

---

What a weird few days, quite surreal... Pan, I am behaving impecably!(Almost, slip up on my trip out,but intentions were good!).

A young Burmese LD working at this hostel is so funny, he clears a few glasses, gets his mirror out and tweezers his eyebrows, then does more work!

Today I had organised to go to the bridge over the river Kwai but The only way I could find to do that was to add in a trip to tiger temple straight after, apparently run by a very important monk. It is supposed to be a tigers sanctuary, rescuing tigers from throughout Asia and hand rearing therm.

If you get the chance to go on this visit DONT go!!

The surroundings are appalling, the tigers in very bad condition and seemed to be drugged. One of the notices, a Q&A board said "are the tigers drugged" totally avoided answering the question. They get visitors to take the tigers for a walk, then let the tiger cuddle the visitor but the tigers did not seem aware of anything; we were walking to the "cuddle area" a tiger stopped next to me and pooed blood. When the "teacher" was saying about the tigers he said how healthy and happy they were... They wern't... He asked if people had questions so I asked why a tiger shitting blood was thought ok to be paraded and forced to do this... I was told to leave! I did. DisgustEd

The bridge over the river Kwai was interesting and quite awe inspiring though it was much smaller than I imagined. Had a 1 hour train trip seeing where the death railway was built. Lots of photos, these will be added later. I have no idea how prisoners of war worked in those conditions... Think Imay find out more of the family history about this when I get home.

Yesterday spent most of the time trying to get to the palace... I gave up after being taken to f....... Scam jewelry stores with fantastic tax free bargains. Tey set up a mark, follow them with fake tourists saying how much money u could make blah blah.... I sia do I had no money, they offered to take me back to the hotel to get money, I let them take me back to the hotel, I left them outside, had a shower,a beer and food.no idea grow loNGO they waited firmly money but they didn't get it! I can't believe people get take in by these scams!

Bangkok does strange things to people. I was going to leave this morning but wanted to go tithe river Kwai so now am traveling to Cambodia tomorrow, leaving at 06:30, so, tomorrow I am braving the border by bus instead of plane and hoping there are no visa problems.

---

Photos

TIGER TEMPLE - DO NOT GO!!
drugged tigers, denied by the monks!

Comments

[Pan]

OMG
And hehehe. .. Can just hear you at the tiger hell place! Awful, but had to smile at mental image of you. And as for going back to,hostel and leaving them........ermmmmm. Sorta reminds me of something to do with a laptop? And other things? Lolololol. All why I luv ya lol Maz and I are now friends on FB so we can worry about you together hehe keep blogs coming, we are checking!

[kay]

Sounds like you are having a right adventure!!! xxx

[mazbluebell crocker]

scams,ladyboys,bridge over the kwai and tigers
Hello happy wonderer .just read your blog . made me smile . not the bit about the tigers though . poor things .ppl i work for holiday in south africa .michelle showed me pics of them walking tigers . wondered how they could train them like that .now know its drugs . its horrid tigers suffering for ppls pleasure .well on a happier note . seems like your having a fair time out there .take care and behave lol :) xxxxx

[helen]

tigers
hi sooo pleased you're having a good time. there was something on the TV about these tigers and they said that they weren't drugged, however, they looked very drugged. Hope all went well going over the border. keep on having wonderful time love Helen xx

[charli]

those poor tigers. lets adopt them and form a big family!