Tigers and Tourists in Kanchanaburi

First and foremost I would like to inform all of you that I have gotten Mexican food, and it hit the spot.  I split quesadillas (not really but close) with another person and had chicken enchiladas with rice and beans.  Everything was very close to how it tastes back home.  I'm guessing this was probably because they actually had hispanic people working and cooking there.  It was very expensive, but so worth it.  I definitely know where to go for my cravings from now on.

Quesadillas.  Interesting, but good.

Chicken Enchiladas.  The meat marinade was different, but the rice and beans were spot on.

The next day a group of us headed out to Kanchanaburi.  It's about 2 hours west of Bangkok, and is home to the Bridge over the River Kwai (pronounced Khwae like hey).  When we arrived in the late morning, we had lunch and headed off to the Tiger Temple where I got to pet real life, grown tigers!!!  I couldn't stop smiling the entire time it was happening.  Two staffers guide you around.  One holds your hand at all times besides when you're petting them, and the other takes your picture at every tiger.  So cool.  So, so, so cool.

A lot of people opt to not go to the Tiger Temple when they go to Kanchanaburi; 1) it's expensive and 2) there are serious rumors that they drug the tigers.  After being there myself and seeing it, there's definitely something up.  The tigers just lay there, not moving.  However, the park opens at 12:30 and they have exercise time at 3:30, so I'm guessing it's like a mild sleeping pill that's supposed to knock them out for a couple of hours.  I don't know though.  They did also seem very hot and were panting a lot.

Anyway, we continue through the reserve and find cubs!  They're so precious.  They fight and play and are everything you want baby tigers to be.

Later that night we walked for forever to the Bridge.  It was cool to just see it and be there.  The other group that came to Kanchanburi this past weekend took the train and the stop is right before the bridge.  However, they stayed on to go over it and the next stop was like two hours away.  Shwoops.

Your welcome, Mom and Dad.

I digress.  Today, everyone wanted to go to Erawan National Park to see this impressive seven layer waterfall.  However, it involved hiking in a forrest so obviously I did not participate.  Instead, I went to a temple that features some limestone caves.  I thoroughly enjoyed that experience; well, except for the stairs at the end.  I've loved caves ever since I went on a field trip when I lived in Minnesota.  They're just so cool looking.  Afterwards, I headed home.

The thing I disliked most about Kanchanaburi is how much the locals try to take advantage of tourists.  Sometimes, I feel like stapling my Thammasat student ID card to my forehead so people know I actually live here and don't have the patience to deal with their scheming.

I think I've narrowed down my list of travel destinations:
Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Ko Phangang, Ko Phi-Phi, Phucket, Ko Samui, Chiang Mai, Pai, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

6 countries in 5 months?  Let's do this

This was written yesterday (Sunday) but something so great happened today I had to add it on.  I went to class and one of my group members surprised me with a jar of salsa!  She shares my same passion for food and I had told her how I had gone to this western market and they didn't have any salsa and she brought me some!  So nice!  And then as I was heading home I got on the ferry and the driver offered to let me drive.  Obviously I declined because someone needed to think wisely in that situation, but still, pretty cool.