Advertisement
Published: March 2nd 2008
Edit Blog Post
Ok, I won't bore you to death. This blog will be short and sweet. Today we went to Khanchanaburi about 2 hours West of Bangkok. We set off at 7am this morning driving through the dawning Bangkok sunrise. It was amazing to look over the city at the start of a new day. Firstly we arrived about 9.30 and we went to the floating markets, which was really just a market on water, but cool and different none the less. You could b uy all kinds of exotic fruits and foods there, and of course the standard sovenuirs. Next A cobra snake show, saw some pretty cruel things to do with snakes, including a fight with a mongoose, swirling a python round by its tail and catching a snake with teeth. I didn't enjoy this at all as it was really unfair for animals to be kept locked up and used as a circus like this. The best part was the museam where you could get up close and personal to some big snakes, crocodiles and dragons. All very interesting.
Then we went in our minivan for some food, and take a break from the midday heat. It was roasting.
The hottest day of the trip so far and the humidity didn't really help. Every drive to the next place we were all wiped out and asleep. Then we'd have to wake up and brave the humidity again. After lunch, some chicken and peppers in a sweet and sour sauce, we jumped back in the bus and promptly all fell asleep.
Next on our one day tour was the Bridge on the River Kwai, which I was particularly interested in. Built during the Second World War by the Japanese in order to transport more firepower into Eastern Asia in India, it was built by Allied POWs. It was a keystone in the Japanese effort to win the Eastern War and a huge threat to the Allied forces. Despite repeated bombings and the bridge collapsing several times the bridge was repared over and stood again. The Japanese even tied POWs to the bridge to try to stop the bombings. Imagine being tied to the burning steel of the bridge in that heat it must've been hell. It was fantastic to walk along the bridge and experience the historical past of the structure. The Bridge itself is not long a couple
of hundred of metres, but the only thing to walk along were old creaky wooden planks, so one false step and you would go plunging into the rive itself. Great fun! It was particularly cool when a train used the track, as there is no room for people and a train so you have to hide away on little platforms just to the side of the track. Pretty scary.
Next the Big One. The reason why we had come to Khanchanaburi. Tiger Temple. It would not do justice to the place for me to ramble on for hours, which I could do. It is a shelter for tigers, which are pretty much tame for people to stroke and play with. You can sit with them and tickle under their chins. I never ever thought I'd be able to get this close to Tigers without losing a limb. They are looked after by the carers there and treated very well. We spoke to an American who had been working there since 2002 and loved the job. He said a typical day for the tigers was to be up in the morning and have roaming time where they are free to
run around and jump. They even invite a handfull of tourists each day to observe this. 200 pound tigers jumping full pace metres from you. He said occasionally they lept at people but the team know the cats and their character so have to jump in the way and tackle. He had a scar down the left of his face. He really loved his job and claimed it was the best in the world stating "Karma" as the reason how he landed the job. In the afternoon they move to Tiger Canyon where they are fed and then too lazy to do anything for the rest of the day. The Temple then opens its gates to the public who are free to come in and observe the animals and take photos with them. It's great. They are then moved back their enclosure about 5 for more feeding and then sleep. Currently the Temple is in the process of building an even bigger Canyon for the tigers so they can have more room and the centre can look after more of them. After we played with the big cats, we found two Tiger cubs. They were so cool and cute. They
just wanted to play and be cuddled so as we sat round in a circle they came and sat on your lap and rubbed up against your arm. Just like a domestic cat, although even at a young age, alot bigger and more powerful. Look at the pictures. Just look at them!! They are just out of this world. Today has been one of the best days so far of the trip, if not the best. Tiger Temple was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
Driving back the 2 hour journey to Bangkok the day ending the way it had started. The sun low on the horizon giving fantastic shades of orange and red against the greenery of the roadside whilst I was kicking back listening to my iPod. It really doesn't get any better than that.
J x
Advertisement
Tot: 0.096s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 11; qc: 49; dbt: 0.0486s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Mum
non-member comment
I don't believe it!
This is just amazing. My envy is registering new shades of green. I don't think Buffy will ever talk to you again James. One concern though, are the tigers always chained up?