Famous Bridges and Cuddly Tigers
Trip Start
Nov 17, 2007
1
19
29
Trip End
Feb 28, 2008
Kanchanaburi,
Thailand
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The trip costs a cheap 1800 baht and represents very good value. First on the agenda is the cemetery where many of the soldiers who died building the bridge are buried, before viewing the bridge itself. The original was bombed during WW II and has since been replaced by a concrete version, but you can still walk on the last remains of it on one side of the bank. Also included is a train ride along the current rail line beside the Kwai river and later I plant my backside uncomfortably on the head of an elephant and drive it around a field for about an hour, which was a lot of fun - particularly as it seemed significantly better treated than the ones I saw on Ko Phangan a week ago. The day ends with a river raft and a dip in some artificial falls before we are driven to our floating hotel on the river for the evening.
I have since had lengthy debates with a few travellers since about whether the tigers at the sanctuary we went to the following day are drugged for the visitors. Most of the tigers handled by tourists are younger than 12 months and were born in the Sanctuary, hand reared by the monks and volunteers and are very used to not looking at humans as a tasty snack. The brochure says no, as so does the Aussie volunteer worker I talk to, but it is difficult to get your head around how these creatures could be so tame around people even if big cats are naturally sleepy and inactive during daylight hours. Regardless it was a hell of an experience being up so close, and unless you're against any animals being in captivity, really recommended.
