Second part: The Tiger Temple!!

Here I am as promised, with the last part of my trip into the deep north... although I have to say that I am a bit disappointed that no comments have been posted... I was hoping for a bit more expectation... nevermind, here it goes. We went on a day trip (always rushing us around places!) to Kachanaburi, where we saw a floating market! it was quite spectacular, if you did not have a boat you could not buy anything, vendors and buyers both on their small but long boats crammed the tiny canals... selling nearly everything! they were even cooking food on the boats! I loved to watch an old lady rowing around looking for bargains...

And then we went to the temple, which was not a temple, really. Like a conservation park for unwanted animals that was run by monks and where the main attraction were the tigers because you could touch them!!! have never been so close to an animal so imposing, with their stripes and their whiskers, like gianormous cats! they were quite scary, and I even touched them!!! about 4 of them. I was led to them by the hand (literally) by one of the guides and told were to approach them... they were sleepy, but not asleep! what an adventure! and the best of all was that there was a baby tiger as well, playfully lying with his monk, which we could stroke as well... soo cute! and again soo strong, I mean his paws were like 5 times a cats, or so, he must have been as big as my dog, if not more! Finally, to finish the day we went to see the famous (or infamous) bridge over the river Quai, quite a sad story which I am not going to retell... but it was a nice day full of adventures.

Then Sukhotai, I haven't told you about it. That was an old capital as well (like Ayyuthaya) and full of temple ruins, very pretty. It was in a very peaceful environment, lots of lakes, trees, grass, and more temples. We rented some pink bikes to look around it and it was quite impressive. And then it started raining!! you don't believe it how it pours down, which such energy, so overwhelming. Luckily there was some shelters around for the occasion... and we took refuge, and so did the people that were cutting the grass! And I started communicating, even without language skills. I can't help it, for me that is what really counts about it all! And we had to pass the time while it rained! We ended up looking at my pictures album (as always, they love it! always so interested!) We made friends with a lady and a boy, who, after the rain decided to become our guide around the temples! What a lovely guy, Sum Kiat. He cycled around with us, taking us here and there, and he did not speak any english at all!!! he invited us to a coconut, to some lotus flower seeds (?) or something like that, and I even made an offering to the Big Buda!! (which is no easy thing to do, don't you think!) It was a very exciting day, I loved it in Sukhotai, and kind of promised my friend that I would visit in November...