Tiger temple
Petting a tiger is a pretty bizarre feeling, even when the tiger is sound asleep. There is something unnatural about petting a wild animal as if it is a domestic cat. Their fur is soft and smooth with a rough quality, the orange is more of a tawny shade, the black lines form striking symmetrical patterns.
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The tiger canyon at the tiger temple in Kanchanaburi is the weirdest thing. In theory, the temple is supposed to be a sanctuary with monks taking care of the tigers who have always been raised in captivity. But in person it’s hard to believe the tigers who remain comatose even with multiple humans walking around, stroking, petting and posing for photos with them, are simply asleep. At the same time, it’s impossible to have a black and white opinion on whether an endangered tiger is better taken care off and fed in captivity, or left open to the dangers of hunters and starvation in the wild.
Some of the LBWers paid extra to watch the tigers play. I headed back early and spent the afternoon walking around the war cemetery with the bodies of 1000s of POWs who died during WWII.
Erawan National Park
The incredibly cold and refreshing water sent shivers up my spine and caused goosebumps on my skin. Fish nibbled at my toes as soon as I stopped moving to take in the view: the waterfall, noisy behind me, the sunlight streaming through the trees and vines to shimmer in golden ripples on the water, the butterflies dancing in the humid air. Swimming in a waterfall at Erawan National Park is just as storybook wonderful as it sounds.
The park is home to seven waterfalls, and we hiked to five of them. One of them is a natural waterslide, and we all took turns sliding down the sleek rock into the water below. Another is multi-tiered, with small waterfalls spilling into shallow pools of crystal clear water. Each waterfall was more beautiful than the one before.
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Elephant Village
I love elephants, so the elephant trek was one of the things I was most excited to do. Sitting on the grey, leathery, sparsely haired neck of my elephant, Mama Baloy, with her large and surprisingly graceful body moving methodically below me made me feel like I had traveled back in time to when elephants were actually used for human transport. Mama Baloy, with her pink polka dot ears, was incredibly limber and made her way among tree canopies and through narrow passages smoothly and easily, as if she was a horse or a donkey or some other much smaller animal.
After the ride, which was probably about 30 minutes long, it was bath time. I got a different elephant, a 43 year old one with one blind eye. This one was just as graceful as Mama and rather excitable. Between all the back and forth and sideways dunking into the water, I felt like I was on an elephant roller coaster. At one point, the Thai guide instructed me to stand on the elephant’s back, which made me feel like we were in a circus or in a photo shoot for a fashion magazine.
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The night market
There are few things greater than walking through a market full of incredibly delicious and cheap food. I am fairly certain I was in a food coma for the duration of our stay.
Since it is in Northern Thailand, and therefore less touristy, Kanchanaburi has some of the cheapest food and shopping in the country. We only stayed here for two nights, and both those nights consisted of hours of walking around the night market and gorging myself on food. It was food heaven. Waffles filled with vanilla custard, crispy pork with sticky rice, chicken feet, deep fried sweet potato balls, donuts, and fresh rolls were just some of the things I ate. Most of these things cost less than a dollar.
The shopping was great too, with everything from knock off Chanel purses and Ray-Bans, to adorable rompers and lace dresses.
Free time
The little free time I had in Kanchan, I spent wisely. Me, and a few other people walked to the famed River Kwai bridge which was built by POWs and civillians during WWII, and bombed. I ate a coconut milk popsicle, we happened upon a Chinese temple, and a used bookstore where I bought, The Poisonwood Bible for less than 2 dollars.
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I was sad to leave after only two nights.
Next: Singburi
(Photos will come later when I have an internet connection that’s faster than a snail.)
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