Tiger Temple

Tiger Temple gained its success and rampant popularity after a successful well done show promoting it featured on the Animal Planet.

Located 3 hours outside of Bangkok, it is no easy drive.
The temple itself, is in fact a temple. Don't let all the green and yellow shirted pompous volunteers fool you. Being such, you need to dress appropriately. Which you should be doing anyways when around animals that can tear your flesh when they simply roll over. Being appropriately dressed means that you should be wearing a shirt that has sleeves, short or long it doesn't matter, and longer shorts. No daisy dukes or denim cut offs in church!
Once you have accomplished clothing yourself, you are ready to enter. There are guards that prohibit you from entering before that if you attire is inadequate. You wander through the scant area that they call wildlife, consisting of mostly deer and boar and make your way to 'Tiger Canyon'. A depression in the land where they have build a fake waterfall and scenic landscaping for photography with the tigers. Use the term scenic lightly. But you do get to touch them! They are so lethargic that they seem sedated. One or two seemed actively paying attention, but not bodily so. You are lead through one at a time, but a guide whose hand you hold the entire time except during the photos. They take you to 4 or 5 tigers with which you take photos. You will always be lead around to the back of the tiger where you will crouch and pose. If you are lucky you can take a picture with a tiger on a rock or if it is working, a waterfall. There is no real need to fear for your safety since the tigers are chained to their posts with enough distance from each other that they will not scamp. There are probably a total of 15 or so tigers.
The guides themselves are largely untalkative and very restrictive, but remember it's for your safety. That couple shot you wanted with you, the tiger, and your honey. Not happening.

After the little photo session you can move on to see tigers playing in the water on a good day. These tigers are young adults therefore think it is still fun so frolic, and therefore are too dangerous to let the public near. Therefore, it should be needless to say that these tigers are in an enclosure that is not open to the public except for viewing. All through out here and the rest of the park you will now find the wildlife again: deer, boars, and even horses. You will also find a tiger cub encampment. These little guys too are chained to the ground and are open season for cat lovers. You can pet them, take picture of them, bath them as much as you like with out a hovering guardian. That isn't to say there isn't a care taker nearby, there is, but there are perhaps 30 people to the one or two of them. The cubs too are tired and lethargic. Possibly they wear them out early in the day when the temple is closed ( it opens around one I think). Personally, I think it is a bit expensive to keep ordering tranquilizers to keep the animals so calm, but it is definitely a theory that is out there. But it you have ever had a dog (yes dog, not a cat) you know how to get an animal to respond. I got one the little cubs rolling over and snapping at me a bit, but the spirit was short lived as it returned to its sprawled rest.
The park advertises that you can feed and bath the little guys, but I had no such time. Also I am betting that these advertisements did not include the fee that I bet comes with them. Lastly there is one more thing you can do, which is to take a photo with a monk who feeds an adolescent tiger milk from a bottle. This tiger is very awake, upright, and active. And will adorable paw the monk to get a better angle on the bottle.

In my opinion the trip was totally worth it. How often will you get to pet a tiger after all? Well now I have pet 8. The entrance fee to the temple is 600Bhat and they will of course try to get 'donations' from you as well. If you are looking for a somewhat longer experience than a day trip. The temple seemingly has a plethora of volunteers and added help. I am not so sure how to go about getting such a position, but I know they can be acquired.

Lastly as a word of ...?
Don't touch the monks if you are a lady. Monks are not allowed to touch female flesh and took vows and such. Respect them and honor their wish.

Talismans in Thailand

These function almost as a rosary would a Catholic.

In Thailand it would be uncommon if someone were to not be in possession of one, and sometimes you will even find collectors. These little figurines are often resembled after different Buddhas or Hindu gods and serve different purposes. Protection, prosperity, fertility...etc They are one of the unique aspects of Thailand. You can find these being sold at temples in brand new condition in their glass casing, or sold on the street in varied condition and casings. 

Of a personal belief, the ones on the street are far more interesting. I saw a few men with literally hundreds of little wood and stone and gold icons all splayed out over a mat. I honestly wonder where he ever came across that many. But the more surprising thing is that he was not the only one! There were many Thai men with similar spreads. And among them all were the shoppers who wandered between vendors with a little glass eye piece determining the worth of these small tokens. I cannot personally look between one and another and tell which was better but it was fascinating to see. 

If you are ever in need of so luck I would stop by a vendor and select one. They are about 20-30Bhat on the street and perhaps 300-400 at temples. Though the ones found on streets are often in pre-loved conditions and lacking of casing and you have to wonder if there is any luck still in them to give?

Tuk Tuk

Thailand, Bangkok especially, is a fools errand.

Luckily for you I am a fool! 

Let me start by saying I loved Thailand! So much to explore so little time. And so many weird weird things. But let me talk about their prices. In Thailand, the grand majority of places really like to rip off over privileged 'farangs' (the local word for foreigners). But since in comparison to our own expensive cultures, everything is already cheap that we don't notice that the Thai person two seats over is paying perhaps half of what we are. For those who are wondering how cheap is cheap, a meal on Khaosan Road ( the popular farang district of the town) costs about 30 Bhat. A Bhat is roughly equivalent to a third of a yen. so what is a 30 Bhat meal might be 90 yen or so. Roughly a dollar. 

What's a gal to do?

Bargain. You have to bargain anything and everything, especially when the goods are not so legitimate. You might think but wait its so cheap why not just give them the price they ask. If you have the coin and the conscious to do it, then do it, but if you don't want to be walked all over or possibly robbed ( if you don't bargain prices it shows you have money which some people are on the lookout for). I bargained everything...except food... I didn't want them to spit in it or anything!

But one of the key things you need to bargain are the tuk-tuks. 

A tuk-tuk is a device that is much like a motorized rickshaw. It is like a Vespa with a back wagon for people to sit. People modified their scooters when they figured out they can make a quick buck by people looking to beat the heat from walking and take a alternative method. These are not taxis per se. Thailand has those too. Some of these tuk-tuks are fanciful with flashing lights, colors, and flowers. Most have a general rule of an overhead covering and cushioned seating for between 2-4 seating. They are a fun thing to take, but not the most cost efficient way of travel. That would be walking. 

In order to take one of these, a price must be negotiated first. A standard con-rate is 100Bhat. If you are fool enough to take that then shame on you. Metered taxis start at 35Bhat and will likely get you there quicker and way cheaper and more importantly air conditioned. You need to negotiate a rate that is lower. Try for 30 and don't go too much higher. You will notice that only foreigners take these devices. Locals know better. 

So now you have negotiated a rate, now what?

Only go where you want to go. Yes that sounds dumb, but tuk-tuks are notorious for taking you on detours where they get commission for customers that a particular place receives. Such places often include gem shops and tailored suit stores, or even restaurants. No you don't want to go there, and no you will not likely buy anything (unless you are a huge sucker for things), so it is really just a waste of time, money, and gas. The tuk-tuk often will take you to where you want to go after one or possibly more of these detours...that is if they don't leave you there (if you paid first)! If the driver is particularly ridiculous and takes you to more than one place, just get out and walk away and refuse to pay. You can find other transportation for cheaper. 

A personal experience involved a moped-taxi service who kept trying to interest me in a boxing fight. Thai boxing is decently renowned. I was on my way to a showing of a movie and agreed that I would go see the boxing the next night. If you have to ask if I went...

Lastly, one of the more clever ways the tuk-tuk drivers try to fool you ( which nearly worked in my case) is by telling you something is closed. On that particular day, I was on my way to the Grand Palace and the consequent golden Buddha temple. I was trying to negotiate with an unoccupied tuk-tuk or two, when one told me that it was closed until the afternoon, but that he could take me on a day trip and we will arrive there in the afternoon (in other words he would take me to a lovely gem store or five). Well the walk was 2-3 kilometers and I decided what the hell I would walk and if it was closed there are other attractions nearby I could visit. As I was walking I noticed that the streets were in fact closed. I had several moments pause over this and contemplated what the man said. Nevertheless my original plan stuck. And I carried on. Not long after a woman approached me, speaking English as any Thai person would to a farang in Thailand, telling me that the temple was closed. I was even more inclined to believe her. But another warning to the wayward traveler is of walking tour guide. They may take you to a few nice places and then into an ally where they will relieve you of your belongings. Please note that this is not true for the majority of Thai people, and indeed she looked like a well-wishing woman, but as a female backpacker, I take most precautions. And carried on. About a kilometer later I discovered that the temple and palace were in fact open. However, there was a procession that day for the Thai princess who died one year to the day earlier, which was the cause of the blocked roads. 

In a nutshell

• bargain your prices
• pay after your trip
• be wary of commissioned side-trips
• and don't trust them if they tell you it's closed
• and some extra special advice of: try to get a tuk-tuk that has just deposited people or one that is already on the go. Just wave it down. They typically will negotiate better than someone just bumming around with their tuk-tuk parked.