Exciting day today, we finally got out of Bangkok after 5 days and headed to the Burma/Thailand province of Kanchanaburi to visit the Tiger temple and River Kwai.
After breakfast we got picked up by a mini bus that was supposed to take us on our trip. We were given stickers to wear so we knew which group we were in - team exciting (well the sticker said exciting team but that's just a technicality!). If we thought the mini bus was just for people doing the tour, we were very much mistaken. In climbs a couple of monks and a few other thai's catching a free lift to Kanchanaburi. Clearly the ways to peace, eight precepts don't include abstaining from iPods and mobile phones because we've seen quite a few monks endulging in this!!
Two and a half hours into the bus ride and after the hitchhiker has jumped off our supposed tour guide turned around to us and asks "where are you going?". This led to a bit of hysteria from the French passengers who wanted to get off in Kanchanaburi. After a bit of map pointing, and lots of telephone calls by the driver, we finally get dropped off at a little restaurant by the River Kwai, where we are told to wait for our next bus transfer. "After lunch, you can get changed" the tour guide tells myself & Sam. Changed? Nobody told us we needed to cover up, we thought we were just seeing tigers!! Oh well, at least we have some nice new sexy trousers for the wardrobe/backpack.
At the tiger temple, they have over 100 tigers although only 25% of them are on show to the public. During the afternoon hours, when it is hot and after they have eaten, some of the tigers are taken to the canyon for their afternoon nap. It is at this time visitors are given the opportunity to touch the tigers and have photographs taken. Contrary to popular belief, we are informed the tigers are not drugged to keep them subdued but merely sleepy and chilled because of the heat/full belly! Having seen it, I'm not sure I like the fact that they spend most of the day chained up and have to put up with people constantly touching them.
Following our visit to the tigers, we jumped back on the bus and drove the short distance to the River Kwai where we got to explore the bridge and walk the length of it. We then jumped back on the bus for the 2hr drive back to Bangkok. We were dying to get back so we could have pad Thai from the street stall and the name we nicknamed Jo. It had been quite a long day, so after dinner we all headed back to the room for an early night.