Kanchanaburi: Tiger Temple

Leaving Pai, everyone sadly had to start going separate ways...Ryan and Jo were off for a fast trip through Cambodia, with plans of meeting back up in the Thai Islands. Monica and Leah were off to Singapore where Leah would continue on to Brazil and Monica to India. That just left Elliot and I...We were both planning on heading south towards the islands. With a little peer pressure, I talked him into not booking a flight and heading down by land with me, making a stop in a little town called Kanchanaburi. It's about 3hrs West of Bangkok and is best known for the film "Bridge on the River Kwai," which is based on the prisoners of Japan during WWII who were forced to work on the "death railway." We had gone on recommendations from some people we met at Spicy Pai and were there for two things: to see some Tigers and climb some Waterfalls!

In Chiang Mai there is a place where tourists can pay to go and feed tiger cubs and pose with adult tigers. I really wanted to do it, but decided not to after talking with some people that had gone. They said the tigers were drugged to allow tourists so close and not treated very well. So I decided to pass on it, until...a girl in Pai told me about Tiger Temple down in Kanchanaburi. She had been and highly recommended it, saying that the tigers were really well taken care of and not drugged at all. So we decided to go! Its a huge complex with a section for black bears, tiger cubs, adult tigers and monks walking around, cigarettes in mouth, taking care of them. We spent some time posing with and watching some of the tiger cubs in action...

It was then off to Tiger Canyon...Where they kept the big guys! Each person is escorted by two staff members, one to hold your hand and guide you to each tiger and another to follow you taking pictures.

We decided to pay an extra 500 Baht to get to stay after and see the evening exercises. First we got to "walk" the biggest tiger for all of 5 seconds...

Then they built a not so sturdy cage around us and let the tigers loose. It took them a little bit to get going but will a little encouragement from the trainers with plastic bags tied to sticks they woke right up. We spent about 30 mins watching them chasing the toys, jumping into the water, and wrestling with each other. It was pretty obvious after seeing them in action that these tigers were definitely not drugged!

Being that close to such amazing animals was definitely one of the coolest things I've ever done!

Thailand's Best Kept Secret

Coming into Thailand, I had zero plans and not really a clue of what I wanted to do there besides lay on sprawling beaches on picturesque islands! I hadn't thought much about the northern region, much less ever even heard of the small town of Pai. But usually the best places you go when traveling are the ones you've never heard of but are recommended by fellow travelers. Pai was one of those places. About half way through our journey from Chiang Mai to Pai we all realized that not one of us had any clue of what it was like or what there was to do there. But, we had all been told by numerous people that we had to go there! We had also been told to make sure we stayed at Spicy Pai, a branch of the hostel we stayed in while tubing. So we headed straight there.

It was made up of huge bungalows with bunk beds, just like the last Spicy we stayed in in Laos. The best part about it was the huge hang out area equipped with hammocks and lounge chairs where we would spend most of our time! Immediately upon arrival we all had Changs in hand and about 20 new friends. There was such a cool vibe between everyone there from all of over the world just hanging out!

I had also been told that Pai was the perfect place to learn how to ride a motorbike, because there are long, open roads, with barely any traffic. So, the next morning we all set out to rent some bikes! Jo and I were both beginners and a little nervous. Our friends did terrible jobs of coaching us and just gave us the keys, showed us the gas and we were on our way. Within the first half hour of having the bikes, I almost ran over two pedestrians, Jo crashed her bike pulling into the gas station, and Elliot crashed his being a show off! Not the best start. But after a few shaky turns, I got the hang of it and was cruising with the rest of them!

We originally booked to stay 3 nights in Pai...by the time we left it had been a week. We spent that week cruising around on the bikes checking out waterfalls...

Having Shish Kebab Barbecues...

Many hours of card games...

Checking out Canyons...

and taking in the beautiful surroundings!

My week in Pai turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip. And I owe most of it to these great people!

Chiang Mai

After spending two days Embassy hopping in Vientiane, paying over $80 to get more pieces of paper taped into my passport and acquiring a 60 day Thai visa, I was off to Thailand, country number 17 of my trip! We jumped on an overnight minivan from Vientiane to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand located in the northern region of the country. Its known for its unique architecture and over 300 Buddhist Temples. Leah and I spent our first day just roaming through the city, taking in a few of the temples along the way. 

When we got back to the hostel that day, we met up with our friends Monica and Elliot, who we had met the week before in Laos while tubing. They introduced us to a couple from England, Ryan and Jo, that they had met that afternoon. This was the birth of what we called the "A Team." I had no idea at the time how close I would get to these people and the incredible times we had ahead! We spent that night getting to know each other over quite a few Changs and listening to techno music at a "Reggae Bar."

Birth of the "A Team"

Chiang Mai is famous for the huge market that takes over the streets every weekend. We were lucky enough to be there over a weekend and experience it ourselves. One can find absolutely anything and everything you could ever want in this massive market...scarves, jewelry, art, souvenirs, clothes, and even stuff to make you look this cool...

Mom, your lucky I'm not coming off the plane in this!

Not surprising at all...we spent most of our time in the food section of the market...

There are loads of activities and excursions to do just outside of Chiang Mai, like jungle trekking, white water rafting, zip lining, and elephant riding. But, my Aunt Margie is coming to join me in Thailand for the last two weeks of my trip, so I passed on doing any of these this time around so that I can do them with her when she comes! After 3 days in Chiang Mai, Elliot, Monica, and I were planning on heading west to a small town called Pai. With a little bit of encouraging peer pressure, we convinced Ryan and Jo to push back their trip to Cambodia and come to Pai with us!

"Tubing" the Mekong

It didn't take long being in South East Asia to realize that there was a sort of rite of passage one had to do to be considered a true SEA "Backpacker." This could be found right outside the small town of Vang Vieng in central Laos on one of the dirtiest rivers in the world, the Mekong. No matter what country you are in in the region, its hard to go a single day without seeing someone walk past wearing a "In the Tubing" tank top. It was also nearly impossible to have a conversation with a fellow backpacker without it coming up..."Have you done it? When are you going?" So needless to say, I couldn't wait to get there!

Leah and I set out from Luang Prabang in the afternoon for what was supposed to be a 6 hour journey to Vang Vieng. Another 3 landslides, 18 hrs, and a night spent in a minivan later...we made it in at about 7am. We had been told to stay at the hostel Spicy Laos, so we headed straight there. It was made up of 3 or 4 big huts crammed with bunkbeds, a big covered hangout area, outhouses with showers and mirrors and sinks attached to a tree. It definitely was not luxury, but we realized pretty quickly why it was so popular. Immediately upon arrival we met a huge group of people that we would end up becoming good friends with. Originally, we were going to pass on tubing the first day and see some of the natural attractions around the area. But after a looong night in a minivan it didn't take much encouraging for us to be persuaded into joining in with everyone else! Before we knew it we were the proud owners of our own "In the Tubing" tank tops, covered in red motorbike spray paint, and in the back of a pickup truck on our way to the river!

All Painted Up!

Spicy Laos group ready for some tubing

Heading to the river!

When you get to the river, there are three bars right at the beginning that can be reached on foot. Most people don't ever touch a tube the entire time they are there or make it past these first three bars. Upon arrival, you are herded onto a little boat attached to a zip line and taken across the river to the first bar. As the day progresses the crowd migrates back across the river to the next one where there is a zip line out into the river, dancing, and if you were with our group...human pyramid building!

Attempt #1

Round 2

Semi Success!

And we're down

As the day goes on the crowd moves on to the last bar that can be reached by foot where the dancing continues until the sun goes down!

The YMCA

Monica and I

 

This is what our first two days on the river consisted of. By our third day, we felt like we should at least touch a tube at some point while we were supposedly "tubing." So four of us went and rented some and headed out for our final day on the river. We started out at the usual spots, but didn't stay too long so that we would have plenty of time to make it all the way down. As you head down the river, there are loads of tiny shack bars being held up on stilts along the banks. All you have to do is wave to one of the locals on the shore and they throw out a long rope with a coke bottle on the end for you to catch and they reel you in! Each bar as some kind of activity to entice you in...a giant slide made out of bathroom tiles named the "death slide", giant wooden doors attached by rope to a tree to "surf" the river. We only stopped at a couple of them cause the sun was chasing us out of the river. After about 45 mins of tubing and it getting dangerously close to dark we started to panic a bit that we had missed the turn off and were headed for Cambodia! But, right as it was getting dark we saw a break in the river and little kids running out waving us in...who we later found out only wanted to try to rob us! We made it all the down and out of the river in one piece and managed to ward off the vultures after the $2 we had left in our "water proof" bags! I was really glad we did the tubes our last day. It was a good mix up and we got to really see the unbelievably beautiful surroundings that had been missed the two days before!

I see why this has gotten so popular with young backpackers...it was one of the highlights of the Asian leg of my trip, and I even contemplated going back for round 2 with my friends Natalie and Ryan who are there now!! But, three full days of fun was enough for us and we jumped in with the Taxi boys to re-enter civilization!