A Walk on the Wild Side

Day three started very early.  We boarded a minibus, picked up a few others around Bangkok, drove down Khao San Road (complete with people still drinking at 7:30am!) and headed off to Kanchanaburi.

In 1942 Kanchanaburi was under Japanese control. It was here that Asian forced labourers and Allied POWs, building the infamous Burma Railway, constructed a bridge; an event immortalised in the film Bridge on the River Kwai. Almost half of the labourers and prisoners working on the project died from disease, maltreatment and accidents.

Bridge on the River Khwae Yai to be precise

30 minutes further north in the middle of the countryside we turned down a small dirt track.  We were greeted by a man with a pet monkey who helped us mount our beast and with a flick of an ankle our mahout manoeuvred Nelly out into the wilderness

Amy with Dumbo

The ride was really quite uncomfortable to be honest but still something that we will probably never get a chance to do again. 

After lunch, and for reasons that are still unclear, we decided that it would be a great idea to take one of the bamboo  rafts out onto the river. Never again.

Crystal clear

Poser

Thankfully we stopped before the Sai Yok waterfall and left our raft behind forever. 

Our final stop of the day was the one we had been looking forward to the most, Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua; Tiger Temple.

At first we were dubious about how and why the Tigers were so relaxed. Were they sedated?

It appeared not! One of the Australian volunteers at the temple explained that all of the tiger cubs had been born on site and had been hand reared by the monks and all cats sleep alot too! Although 'accidents' did happen now and again, no one has ever needed more than an artificial limb or two! 

We headed back to Bangkok, all limbs intact!

Walkies!

Who doesn't like water?

All fur coat....