I'm sorry I haven't updated my blog in the last few days. Its been difficult to get to a computer and using my blackberry to update is a pain in the butt. I arrived safely Tuesday morning and I can tell you its been non stop action. I've been checking the tourist sites during the day and the nightlife at night.
I'm enjoying my time here in Bangkok. This is an amazing city with so much going on at all times. It's a city with a mix of both traditional asian culture with the hustle and bustle that we come to expect from a modern city. From the street vendors, to the tuk tuk rides, there is never one dull moment to be missed. The temples here are gorgeous. I've never seen such a concentration of temples in one city! These are all huge monuments dedicated to Buddha. I've learned a bit more about the religion in general now that I've been exposed to it.
Food - I'm addicted to the food here in Thailand! The best Tom Yum soup I've had in my life was a little stall a few feet away from my original hotel. The flavor and spice of the soup made my mouth water...and my eyes tear up. The aroma alone could make a non spicy eater choke up. The perfect blend of lemon grass along with the thai peppers made this especially enjoyable. It is run by a mother and daughter team who were both very pleasant even though they did not speak English. I'm glad at least I'm fluent in Thai food. I came back for a second serving of Tom Yum a few days and again it did not disappoint. I wish I had learned a few words in Thai so I could at least have had an opportunity to have ordered other dishes. If I could only bring them back to open up a Thai restaurant, I know it would be the best in the state :)
Tiger Temple - I heard about this through my friend Cat. Tiger Temple lies around 3 hours outside of Bangkok. It's a sanctuary housing Tigers that are bred in captivity. Seeing these beautiful creatures up close was an opportunity I could not pass up. Upon arriving there, I participated with a group of other people to walk tigers down a canyon for their daily exercise. The monks living in this place are in charge of the well being of these tigers. I also was able to partake in playing with and feeding tiger cubs. This was so much fun! Tiger cubs are very active and playful. You just have to be careful since they are babies, they can cause some pretty big gashes with their claws or bite into your skin. I was given a pole with toys tied to the end to encourage the tigers to play with me. Just think of them as very large house cats! After playing with them for about 15 minutes, I was given a baby bottle to hand feed one. Such an amazing experience this was! After feeding the cubs, I went back to the canyon where I came in physical contact with adult tigers and took pictures with them. I wish I could post pictures now but will have to wait until I return from my trip.
Contiki - Yesteday was the official start to my Contiki tour of Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. I've met my travelmates and it seems we have a good group. Their is only 18 of us on this trip and most of us are from the states. Our first adventure was last night to an unofficial trip to Bangkok's more well known traditions, ping pong shows. Yes that's right, I went with some of my mates to this show. I've heard about it from other people and was curious to see what the fuss was all about. I have to say after watching it in person, it has to be one of the weirdest things anyone could ever come up with. For those of you that don't know what it is, I suggest you google it. But alas, when in Rome....
I would like to personally thanks Ju, Mel, and Nuchy for taking the time to show me their city during my stay here in Bangkok. Without their hospitality, my trip wouldn't be as fun or intriguing as it has been... Tonight I'm taking an overnight train to Chaing Mai in northen Thailand. Lets see what awaits there for me.
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