Tigers, Ruins, River Cruise and Shopping

---

It was midnight when we got to Thailand. The weather as I expected is exactly the same weather that we have in the Philippines. A lot less polluted though. Its pretty clean for filipino standards. We booked a room in Centrepointe serviced apartments near Pantip. Its in one of the shopping districts a couple of blocks away from Siam Center. We booked it online weeks before we arrived but when we got there there was no room available, but we already paid for it so they gave us the Presidential Suite! And sweet it was. It had a kitchen, big bathroom with bathtub, dining room, living room with big LCD tv. The bedroom was nice and it had a walk in closet. It was fabulous, I felt rich. They've got wifi too. The following morning a van picked us up and several other tourists from other hotels. We pay 1500 to 1800 a day for these tours. The van took us to a tour bus.

First stop was the Spring Palace. I think it was one of the residences of the royal family there. I dont know if they still live there. Its pretty, but nothing much to write home about. We rented a golf kart to go around it although we should not have had coz its not that big. Next stop was the ruins of Ayuthaya. My favorite place in Thailand. Its very tomb raider. The structures look like the Mayan ruins, made of red bricks. Its good for photo shoots, very dramatic. Didnt smell so nice but its not so bad. Bought Durian ice pops from a street vendor and it was good! Then I remembered I could get diarrhea. But i didnt. More temples in the next stop. They took us to this temple with this huge budha made of solid gold. More gold budhas. Finally talked to Spring the Asian-American girl I was sitting next to on the bus. She was travelling alone. She works for a spa company and she visits all the spas of her company all over the world. Fun job, paris, egypt etc. Lucky girl. But with that kind of job no wonder shes single. They took us to another ruin. My mom and my sisters were tired and didn't bother getting off the bus. It looks the same as the first ruins we visited anyway excepts for the huge reclining budha.

Last stop was a river cruise. The food was great! The guide asked us earlier that day who among us were vegetarians so I didn't have to worry. They served me vegetable curry. A lot different from the curry that we make here in the Phils but it was good. Lots of desert. I invited Spring to our table because I didn't want her to eat alone.

Back to the hotel. I went to they gym. Used the sauna. I love Sauna.

Day two. The van that was supposed to pick us up from our hotel was 30 minutes late. The tour guide said he wanted to give us more time to enjoy our hotel. Lame excuse. First stop was a museum. There were american prisoners of war there during world war 2 I think. They were starved to death like the Jews in Auschwitz. Its very depressing. There was a movie based on that event and it won an Oscar for Best Picture. My brother in law bought a DVD outside the museum. I didn't bother coz I'm not a big fan of old movies. Bad effects.

Next stop was the cemetery where many of them were buried. I didn't know why we went there. Who wants to visit a cemetery. Next was a train ride on the rails that the POWs built. It was my first time to ride a train that's not powered by electricity. Its the old kind of train with no A/C. But the point was to see the work of the POWs.
Next stop was the river kwai bridge. it was pretty but nothing much to write about. went shopping in the market instead. our guide told some of us to change clothes coz I was wearing orange and my mom and my sister were wearing red. he said we cant wear those colors inside the tiger temple, which was our next stop. It was so freakin hot. I think its like 33 degrees and we had to walk for about 10 minutes to get to where the tigers were. they were in a ravine of sorts. They were all asleep. I thought they were drugged. The volunteer said they're nocturnal. Lots of volunteers from all over the world. You have to fall in line to take pictures with the sleeping tigers. Theres a shorter line but you have to pay 1000 baht. We opted to pay coz it was sooo hot. I was sweating buckets. The other tourists didn't seem to mind. A pretty young girl from UK invited my family to see the tiger show in the afternoon. I asked her if they make them jump on hoops of fire. Coz that's the only thing I knew tigers did. There was a computer game that I played when I was young. She was a bit aghast that I thought that was what they made tigers do. Apparently its a tiger conservation place. The show she said was more natural. Tigers and their cubs playing on water with other animals. They don't eat the other animals at the end of the show. The rest of my family couldn't bear the heat so we said no. Although I did want to go. At the end of the day the van will take you to a jewelry store. Its how they get refunds for gas. You don't have to buy anything. Just stay there for about 10 minutes or so and youre good.

Day three was for shopping. Shopped all day. Great bargains at fashion mall. The clothes are very trendy. Much like Korean fashion which is hot all over asia. We all watch korean shows on tv. Thai girls are not as pretty as the girls back home. Or maybe its just a matter of taste. But they're all skinny. You wont enjoy shopping there if you're big. Fun shopping though. cheap clothes great style. Steal! Thai food is great. Too hot sometimes though but I love it anyway. Gadgets are cheaper than in manila and you get tax refund in the airport. @e bough an LCD tv and nintendo Wii.

---

Photos

market
this is where the train stopped

manila airport
at the airport with my mom and my sisters

thailand airport
family with my brother i law

Summer palace
gold pagoda in Summer Palace. fishes and turtles in the pond

Centrepointe hotel
our room

at the cemetery
dont go here. dead people in tombs are not fun to watch

train station
me and my sister Hairon

Tiger and Family
my brother in law holding the tigers head

surprised
the tail moved. i got scared

gaysorn hotel
its the upmarket hotel in siam center