Bangkok Day III - Tiger Temple and Floating Market

Another early day in Bangkok. We woke up at 5.30am as we were expecting our tour agent to pick us up at 6.20am. After refreshing we went down to the living room. We were very pleased to be greeted by our landlady. She bought us a croissant and a packet of milk each. We did not expect this as it was stated that breakfast will be serve from 7am onwards and in fact we have already packed some sandwich from the 7-eleven the night before. I was really glad to be here in Urban House even only for 2 nights and having all the troubles moving over to New Siam II later.

Our tour agent came and picked us at about 6.30am...we got to experience what Bangkok traffic was really like. Besides the jam, we were kept waiting for a while for some others to join in the tour. Finally the van was filled and we left Khao San area for our first destination the Floating Market Dumnoen Saduak.

The journey was about one and a half hours long. Our guide Noi explained our itinerary to us. Besides, she explained to us on the dressing needed to visit the Tiger Temple. We were expected to wear knee length pants, no sleeveless top allowed and no red, orange or pink clothing allowed in. She suggested that we buy our clothing at floating market or at River Kwai...t-shirt for only 99Baht and pants at 150Baht. After the briefing, we got a power nap...so nice!

We were really excited to be at the floating market. First we were transported on motor powered boat from the terminal to the market. It was a cooling ride with soft breeze. We passed by many local houses...each have a small pier in front of their house. Then arriving at the Dumnoen Saduak Floating Market, we were transferred into man powered boat.

Stella and I on the front seat

This monkey look so 'tao' but actually very pityful...being chained there

Peaceful 'Klong'

This market was the central business place of the local. All necessities and daily groceries can be purchased here. Fruits, meat, cooked meal, u name it, they have it. This was indeed a different experience...different from what I have seen in Vietnam. Interestingly most of the boat rowers were females and users or purchasers like us could be very fast at bargaining and buying. We didn't want to make everyone on the boat to wait long for us. Each boat could not stop too long on at one shop or else all the boats would get jammed up...the 'klong' could only fit 3 boats side by side at one time....however at times the 4th boat manage to squeeze in between pushing others away.

all sorts of things available here

our boat seemed to be on top of another

busy market

A:22...d boat that we ride

We did not buy much while in the boat. I bought only a spring roll...Phaik and Stella have Bangkok belly.. in need of toilet badly.I continued to shop for my pants when we were back on the ground...bought an ugly pants for 150Baht, fresh fruits and coconut pancakes. Wished I could have a longer time here to taste their noodle soup.

while waiting for the aunty to pack our pancakes

We continued our tour to the Snake Farm. The show was ok but we were not in interest with snake show...only if I knew this was the outcome, I would surely save up my 200Baht.

Mr Snake...he can catch 3 snakes at one time...2 on his hands and another using his mouth

Then another long journey to our dining place. We stopped by a restaurant and served with simple Thai meal...some paprik like chicken, fried mixed vegetable, omelet with white rice and rambutan for dessert. 3 of us enjoyed the meal but most foreigners just could not enjoy the meal...

We continued our journey to Kanchanaburi...to the River Kwai. We were there to see the rail bridge or the Death Railway. The bridge was built during the WWII to connect to Burma. This was a site that marks the brutality of Japanese invasion back then...hundreds of young men gave their life to this rail. There were also a musuem sits next to the bridge but with our short stop there, we could not make it to find out more about the history of this deadful place.

Stella, Phaik and me on the Death Railway...not that errie here...

River Kwai Bridge...beginning of the Deat Railway to Burma

another shot on the bridge

there goes the train

Our next stop was the Tiger temple. We were on the van for another half hour before arriving at the Tiger Temple...tired of traveling from one place to another. We had about an hour within the Tiger Temple Complex.

The Tiger Temple Complex or the Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yanasampanno Forest Monasterywas not what I imagined of...not physically a temple, not wat...just a few monks around. It was a huge secondary forest...lots of cows, bulls and goats running wild. As for the tigers, they were all chained up...unlike those in zoo, they still got to roam around. These tiger were taken care by the monks and volunteers. I was glad to be able to get so near with them...to touch and pet them. I love the cubs...they were as tame as a cat can be. This was the best of our tour today.

3 of these tigers were playing when I approached

he was so quiet

didn't realize that he wasn't chained up...not sure if he was taking a nap...perhaps I pet him to sleep

it's only a cub...no harm kissing

see my cat?

3 of us...couldn't wait to take this photo with him

this was the largest tiger aound...4 yrs old

We left the temple at about 4pm and headed back to Bangkok. We arrived Bangkok or specifically the Khao San area at about 7pm, thanks to the Bangkok traffic :S. Upon arriving at Khao Shan, we droppedby at the AirAsia office to confirm our flight. Glad to confirm that our flight has been cancelled and we were scheduled into the next flight of the day...giving us another morning in Bangkok.

Then...the worse part of the day...we have been walking from one pier to another to board the Express boat to Saphan Takshin but to later learn that the last boat was at 8pm...very frust...tired and hungry. Finally, we just catch a taxi back to Urban House and to our surprise, it wasn't expensive at all.

Grab our bags and thanked the landlady, we left Urban House for New Siam II. Checked into our room...202. After a quick shower, we went to a stall nearby for dinner. I enjoyed my fried rice. :P On bed at about 11pm...

This was one of the most exciting day so far in Bangkok. I loved my first encounter with the tigers...didn't mind paying 500baht on admission...hope that with this, the tiger will soon get a better place to roam around. For more info of the temple, please visit http://www.tigertemple.org/Eng/index.php

he is smiling to me :D