Hidden Treasures in Central Thailand
Trip Start
Apr 23, 2005
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2
12
Trip End
Jun 22, 2005
Kanchanaburi, Thailand
Friday, April 29, 2005
This town has an amazing ambience to it- really laid back & neat sights to see. Quaint by day & loud by night; as there are many back packers here that they cater to. It's tucked into limestone mountains & has a tropical feel to it. It's so lush! No taxis here- either saamlaw (riding in the back of a hatch back truck) or on the back of a motor bike. And of coarse- lot's of negotiating on price before hand! Everything here is negotiable!
The sights have been fantastic- we were only planning to do one night & it turned into two. Our accommodations are super. Check out the pics of the little huts we're sleeping in! No A/C here! I was pleasantly surprised this am- I thought i'd wake up hugging the fan! It actually cooled off on the evening. The bathroom has been daily entertainment for us- we just figured out how to flush the toilet.! HAHA!! How exciting! So the bucket beside the toilet is to dump water down it & then it will flush?? We've met some fabulous people here- staff & back packers. It's so exciting to swap stories as most have already come from where we will be going.
Other hits here were the tiger temple & water fall hike. The tiger temple is run by monks & was the most incredible experience. Real live tigers roaming freely- and I'm walking amongst them, petting them, feeding the little ones from a bottle! Sort of a se real experience. I'm not sure if they were drugged or what the deal was. It would clash with Buddhist tradition to drug them, however it was so bizarre that they were completely dosile & tame. Possibly being raised around humans and not in the wild has created these "Tiger Teddy Bears". On an ethical note, I was having a dilemma with this being a "good" experience as these tigers were in captivity and used daily as a tourist attraction. I'm sure I'll feel the same way about the elephant trek I'm planning to do in Chiang Mai. It's a tough one. But it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to cuddle with the tigers & I am really glad that I took part. Returned safely with no missing limbs!
The water fall hike was nice- nothing in comparison to our hikes in the mountains at home though. We met two fun girls from England on the tour & the day flew by as we were having a great time chatting about life in England with them! We're going to hook up in Chaing Mai with them in a couple of days
The most memorable experience here however was not the tigers, the bridge or the waterfall it was our dinner tonight. There is a photo of the 29 year old woman that worked at the restaurant where we ate. It was a family run business and this woman spoke very good English (the first Thai person that we've met that we can communicate wit instead of playing shirades!). After a good meal her & the chef (which was a woman that was quite fond of me. She wanted "Thai Kiss"!) joined us at our table for a good hour of chatting. It was amazing to finally speak to someone about Thailand that could speak back to us in English! It was the most authentic experience of all! They were curious about us as well; asking all kinds of questions. It's neat that as curious as I am of them, they are just as curious of me. Everyone stares at us here- not glares, just look at us, because we're North Americans. Every single time I've seen someone stare at me I smile. And the smile has always been returned. After of late dinner chat they even drove us home on the back of their motorbikes & gave us photos of them as gifts. Again, the Thai people are an amazing kind. So genuine & generous. They seem happy, but looking deep into their eyes I can see a sadness. No real opportunity for the people here. I think it bothers some & not others. This woman at dinner expressed her desire to pursue an education in travel & tourism. However she is a mother of two and can not afford to go back to school. She said she has found happiness within. It's such a shame because she is bi-lingual & would do very well in tourism here with all the english speaking tourists. In Canada everyone, through some means, can persue an education if they so desire. Opportunity is everywhere for us- we just have to go after it. I am so fortunate and grateful that I am able to live my dreams. For most of these people here they will continue to dream... Perhaps that's the sadness I see deep in their eyes???
On that note, I will leave you. Kanchanaburi has been an authentic Thai experience & I am so glad we visited. Flying to Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand) later today! More from there in a few days!
