The next stop was to the War Cemetery, which was dedicated for all the people who died constructing the death railway. These people consisted of people from various countries in SE Asia, as well as Australia and New Zealand. Then, we then went to the bridge over River Kwai, where we walked over the very old and narrow bridge which had plenty of spots that we could have fallen through the holes into the river below…yikes! I saw one woman wearing heals and I couldn’t believe the risk she was taking!
Next, we stopped into the Hellfire Pass Museum. The name was given to the railway cutting on the Death Railway in Thailand. It was known by the Japanese as Konyu cutting, and was built in WWII, in part by prisoners of war. They would work by torchlight at night, which gave the name. The Australian, British, Dutch and other allied POWs were forced by the Japanese to work 18 hour days. Many were beaten to death and many died from disease, starvation and exhaustion. The workers were made promises of good job conditions and high pay; however, these were never kept. The railroad was to end at Thanbuyuzayat in Burma, with the total distance within the Thai territory being 300km, and only taking one year to complete. It was built from October 1942-October 1943. It was sad to learn about Hellfire Pass, and I was surprised by the history since we had never learned it in school. Keith and I saw a beautiful view of the mountains in the distance outside of the museum, and then took a walk down a path into the forest where we were able to see the site of Hellfire Pass. There are no longer trains running on this stretch of line; and only this part of the railroad still exists. After a delicious Thai lunch which consisted of about 6 dishes that us and the Australian couple shared, we headed to my favorite part of the tour….the Tiger Temple!
Our tour guide made sure that we arrived right at 1pm, which was right after the tigers ate their lunch (turkey). These tigers have been raised since they were born by the trainers and monks. Although they are friends with their trainers who they grew up with, sometimes they can be playful and scratch (usually only the cubs and younger tigers though). Since it was probably the hottest part of the day too, the tigers were very sleepy and most were taking their naps. We took a few pictures with some of the smaller tigers and were able to pet them, but were told it was very important to press firmly on the tiger’s back because if you pressed too lightly it would feel like a tickle and the tiger might be playful and scratch you. I was a little nervous at first, but then I forced myself to feel comfortable, because I know that animals can detect when you’re nervous. There were many precautions by the many trainers who were there and they all made sure to have you stay behind the tigers at all times. The trainers were the only ones who took pictures and they did a great job of taking three quick shots for each pose. While we were taking pictures, one trainer put a cute hat on one sleepy tiger while Keith was taking a picture with him. How cute!
Next, we were put into a line and gave our cameras to the trainers and everyone took a turn walking one of the bigger tigers, with a monk on the other side, holding the tiger’s leash and leading him into the main tiger temple. This was definitely very crazy and exciting/scary! Once all the different lines were finished taking turns leading the bigger tigers into the Tiger Temple, a trainer shared some information with us about tigers. We learned that tigers will continue to double in size for the first 4 months until they are full-grown. Also, most the money from the tours goes towards protecting, raising and feeding the tigers. While he was talking, I noticed the trainers and some monks squirting water on the tigers to keep them cool. Although we only went to the afternoon session where the tigers are brought into this specific area to have pictures taken with them, they also have free time in the morning and in the evening to play in a different area of the temple. You can sit in a safe area and watch them play wildly, or you can feed the cubs.
We both had lots of fun having the photo shoot with the bigger tigers, which was next on the agenda. Each person was taken one at a time, and led hand-in-hand by two trainers around the temple, where about 15 big tigers were all laying around, chained up of course. There were about 20 or more trainers on site, but it was still a little scary; I’m not gonna lie, but definitely something you have to experience at least once in life! Afterward, before heading out, our tour guide walked us past where there was a 4-week old cub!! It was so adorable, and although it was not part of our tour, we spent about five minutes each being able to hold the little cub. It looked exactly like a kitten…check it out in the picture below. We thought it would be crazy if the cub accidentally got put into a kitten pet store and someone bought it and took it home thinking it was a kitten and then it grew into a tiger!!! We were sad to leave the Tiger Temple because it was one of our favorite parts to the tour and of the week.
Our last stop was to an Erawan waterfall/national park, which was famous in Kancharanaburi, and also a Buddha Cave and an old railroad. The waterfall is a major attraction, named after the three-headed white elephant of Hindu mythology. The seven-tired falls are supposed to resemble the Erawan.
After our busy busy tour day, filled with history, excitement, new experiences, and a dip into the Thai culture, we napped in the van on the 3 hour ride back to our guesthouse. That night when we returned, we grabbed some dinner and stopped by a few bars on our street to see the nightlife. We randomly met up with the German couple who we had met earlier on the overnight train from Chiang Mai. What a small world! We hung out with them, had a few beers and listened to a guitar player/singer at one bar. It was a fun last night in Thailand. The next day was all market/shopping time and heading back to the airport.
No comments:
Post a Comment