Sa wat dii! (Hello!)

We've just got time to let you know what we have been getting up to for the last 2 days before we go off on an adventure out of the safety net of touristy Bangkok! oo-er!

As we slept all day monday (oops), we were wide awake early tuesday morning (from 2am onwards!). This was good thing as our driver was picking us up at 7am for our day trip to the River Kwai floating market and the Tiger temple in Kanchanaburi (West of Bangkok). We shared the journey in a minibus with 6 aussies, which made it abit more fun!

First stop was the Damnoen Saduak floating market. It was strangely peaceful in all the mayhem, but i wish we'd got there a bit earlier as we arrived with the rest of the tourist from Bangkok about 9am and it takes the magic out of it a bit (major canoe jam on the river on our way back!) We got to go on two boat rides which was good, (glad i didnt know about all the resident crocs and other fauna at that time!). When we got out of the boat after looking around all the stalls, (which were heavily geared for tourists and not so traditional which was a shame), the lady asked Dan if she could keep his Coke can ("me some keep" ). Dont know what she wanted that for... but it makes you think whether they are actually really struggling to get buy coz they were all desparately tring to make money.

I bought some fresh mango, efficiently cut up ready and packaged with a fork inside, which was yummy if not a bit warm! we also bought some weird fruits that i'd never seen in my life and some lychee. Definitly not gonna find it hard to get my 5 a day here.

Next stop was a surprise visit (as it wasnt on our itinary) to the WW2 museum/Jeath war museum right next to the Kwai River Bridge or 'Death Railway Bridge' which the POWs in the war had to build in 16 months instead of 5 years, and thousands died in the process. it was a hertfelt little place full of memorabilia set up by buddhist monks to remember the atrocities of war.

Last and most definitly least was the Tiger Temple....i dont know what to say really. When we booked the trip here i had visions of deeply spiritual budhist monks living in a temple in harmony with many animals including tigers which they had tamed and become frineds with or somesuch. (in my fairytale head it sounded lovely ok) but the nearer we got the more i realised that such a tourist attraction had to me a bit more commercialised than that, and i started to regret going. When we got there we definitly wished we hadn't given them our entry fee to fund it.... 5 ot 6 tigers in a man made canyon exhibit all chain to the floor in the baking sun with a bowl of hot water each, while visitor after visitor waited to be taken round each one and get a photo taken of them touching them. Some had a bit of shade but one poor soul was at the back in the direct sun and was pacing around trying to get out of it. When we walked up to the rest of the land we saw that they did that every day from 10am to 3.30pm. Their cages for the rest of the time were not better, like concrete jail rooms literally, with open fronts where even more visitors could stare at them and the floors were soaked with urine. They got no 'down time' to relax at all, and to top it all off they had a 4 month old tiger cub on a table that on closer expection had been heavily sedated. A que of people waiting to stroke it and get more photos taken crowded him. We thought buddhism was about protecting animals and respecting them. These cats weren't even allowed simple welfare rights of shade, rest, water and a comfortable resting area. we were deeply disappointed. The other animals such as deer, cattle, buffalo and wild boars were all free but were all a bag of bones and one deer had his head gushing with blood where one of his antlers had been ripped off somehow. I'll stop ranting and raving now but spread the word of what an atrocity it is. Whats the point in breeding an endangered species for them to live out a life like that....

Wednesday was much better you'll be glad top know! Got up and had banana pancakes for breaky (our new firm favourite!). Then we went to the King Rama's old gaf from 50 years ago. Its the biggest teak mansion in the world apparently. It was very posh and we had to take our shoes off and i had to wear a sarong and big blouse as i wasnt covered up enough. Dan was given some groovy trousers to wear too! The highlight was seeing the water monitor lizards in the moat. They are big mamas!

We left there early and went off to Bangkok Zoo! :) it was fab. They are a zoological park with conservation programs galore, and needless to say their tigers were happy as larry, as were all the animals as you can see from the photos! Uncle Sam we got the pic of the hippo for you, he was very happy sleeping there and blowing bubbles out of his nose he he. it had a beautiful lake in the middle with pedle boats which we sadly didnt have time to go on, and huge monitor lizzards sunbathing in the middle that looked like crocs. We learnt of all the native nastys in Thailand and are now afraid of all coastal areas! all in all t his was a gorgeous day out.

When we got back i packed off a huge box of stuff back to you mum, so look lively it should be arriving in 3-4 weeks! (well i wasnt going to pay for express delivery i'm on a budget!). The rest of the day was dedicated to my coursework which HOORAH! i've finished and sent, 4998 words i thank you.

Okay well there might not be another entry for a few days coz like i said we going on an adventure towards the North to eventualy end up in Chiang Mai. The Bangkok Inn on Kao San rd has served as well, and we have our fingers crossed for air con as good as theirs wherever we're going!

Mum and dad can you leave me a message on the blog site or email e so i know you're alright and let me know of any progress on the house.

Love to you all, by for now,

Hayles and Dan xxxx