THAILAND - Thong Pha Phum and Kanchanaburi (4)

30-11-05 - Today we drove around two hours to see a nearby Karen village. We stopped off at the local market on the way to get some sweets and fruit for the kids. Once we arrived they put on a show for us were they sang and danced. Then we met the school kids and gave them their sweets and played games wiv them!some of them were so cheeky! and some soooo cute!it was a real laugh!then the karen people made us a massive lunch, for starter soup and then about six different dishes, I could only have one of them because the others were to hot!!And lots of fresh fruit for desert, they are very welcoming people. We had a look round the village and saw how they live. I tried this thing that old people in the village like to chew and was almost sick!the most disgusting taste, it was some leaf wrapped round in some thing and was foul! After spending most of the day at the village we went back to stay in the small town of Thong Pha Phum. Our guest house was quite nice but we got woken up at 4 in the morning to the monks chanting!
1-12-05 Today we went by bus to the Hellfire pass museum!It was very interesting and I learnt so much about the lives of the POW's during world war II. It was very sad hearing what the people of the war went through and unbeleivable how many people actually died building the Thai-Burma railway and the conditions and torture they were subjected to! We then got on a train on the Thai-Burma railway which took us to the 'Bridge over the River Kwai'. Then we got on a rickshaw(bicycle) to the Apple guest house where we were staying that evening.
That afternoon we went to the tiger temple. This is kind of a bit like a zoo there where animals just wondering round, horses, wild boar, chickens,deer, cubs!But the main reason we came was to see the tigers! This has to have been the most craziest thing ive ever done, it was really sureal but so amazing!We went into this place where there were about five or six tigers and one at a time we were allowed to go up and touch them. At all times we were with one of the guys that worked there. Then we got to sit next to the tigers and stroke them while the people that worked there took photos for us!You are properly thinking these tigers were chained up?but they werent! and at any time they could of eaten us!!!! So amazing! We were all scared but really enjoyed it!Thailand is so crazy but such a wicked place.
That nite me and the other girls on the trip (another Laura and a girl called Asun) shaved Steve's head! It looks good by the way!He was moaning it was getting long so we thought why not!
2-12-05 Today we went to the Erwan Water falls in Kanchanuri. This is a seven tier waterfall. As soon as we got there we saw monkeys!The waterfall was so stunning, you are allowed to swim in it aswell. We went up and swam in levels three and four as these are the best for swimming in! I couldnt stay in for long because as soon as you get into the water you get attacked by fish and they start biting you! It doesnt hurt but feels really really wierd!
That afternoon we got the bus back to Bangkok which took around two hours. Then went to the place we were staying for the nite which was a Traditional Thai teak house. It was a lovely house and so big. We had a traditonal thai meal that evening and had to wear sarongs.