First I need a driver because only here for one day. Google reveals Bobstransports. Give them a call and they're soooo down. I decide to head for Tiger Temple because duh, when else can I pet a tiger mid-back to base of the tail firmly?
It does cross my mind that this sounds fairly exploitative you know with tigers being magical big wild animals. My gut tells me this is bad but the prospect of chilling with tigers overrides this. I go to see what interwebs has to say before home brew picks me up. Everything I read sounds fairly subjective which honestly just makes me want to go even more so I can make the judgement for myself.
We make a pit stop at this tourist trap thing called the Death Railway which is like some bridge Japan built in WWII that people died working on. Not the most fascinating thing in the world, but I play ball and walk across it. There's a marketplace right next to it where I stop for lunch. There's also a leopard chilling by some swimwear and some shades I buy.
I'm not completely retarded though because this definitely sets a red flag off. No way does this fool like sitting on a coffee table all day with no heady art books. There's also 2 cubs in cages behind him which isn't very fun either. However, I'm not not going to take a selfie in front of this obscenity. Plus, it's not like I tipped him and promoted this sort of thing. Where was I going again?
Oh right the not so transparent tiger sanctuary/photo booth/zoo.
This species could totally become extinct in ten years and that's a huge bummer. Watching them play like house cats was pretty awesome but not where they belong I suppose. The whole thing seems more complicated than people want it to be. Like is this where otherwise would be extinct animals will end up? Stuck entertaining tourists with no chance of returning to the wild? If we're going to keep being fuckers and it's this or no more Indochina tigers, obviously the former sounds better. Oh, and people that care about endangered animals that eat meat? Huh?
As for abusive handlers and poor living conditions I didn't get that vibe. If a zoo focuses on just one or two of these beasts and there's 100+ here, granted this space is much bigger than any zoo enclosure, could they be cared for adequately? The cats seemed pretty into it. Again though you want to free Willy, not watch a sad housewife straddle Willy for her Facebook's 37 friends.
But I digress.
After this moral dilemma, we head back to Bangkok. First to the Temple of Dawn and then take a ferry across the river to the Grand Palace complete with giant reclining Buddha.
I get dropped off and see a cork board with a vegetarian places to eat recommendation. I can actually only find one and it's Indian food. They don't have a menu but why would I need one when they're serving Indian food style pizza.
On the way back I grab some beers to drink in the hostel's chill spot where I do exactly what it was intended for.
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