We arrived in Chiang Mai with absolutely no hassle but the first thing I noticed was that on the streets I could see more tourists than Thai people! Everyone insisted that this was the place to go over Bangkok but I am still a little skeptical.
Luckily we arrived on a Sunday and were able to enjoy Sunday Walking Street. These markets are always so fun, even if you had no intention of buying anything you are likely to come away with a few bags. In theory the stalls should be unique and overflowing with traditional handcrafts of North Thailand but I did notice that these stalls are available at the Night Bazaar as well. Nonetheless we had a great time bartering for deals (and resigning ourselves to shipping things back AGAIN or carrying another bag at some point!) and bought a few cute items like soap flowers that they carve in front of you and of course accessories which I can't seem to buy enough of and justify my obsession with the fact that they take up no space at all! Bartering here is much more difficult than in India where you know to reduce their price by over half. Each shopkeeper is different, some actually quoting a fair price, others a slightly elevated price, and others an exorbitant price. The difficulty is knowing which category they fall into but it is all part of the fun!
Walking home from the market was interesting because every two seconds you pass a Starbucks or a McDonalds. On one corner of the street, you can see a Burger King, Subway, McDonalds, Starbucks, and a 7-11. Are we in Thailand at all? It's hard to be sure! Anyone that knows me knows that I love Starbucks but to have so many western fast food chains out here really detracts from the authentic experience I wish we were having! We are going to try our luck in Chiang Rai tomorrow and see if we enjoy it more.
The best part about Chiang Mai is all the available excursions nearby. Truly if you had the means and the time you could do anything from trekking to waterfalls, riding on elephants, seeing tigers, visiting hill tribes etc. Naturally as animal lovers we chose to see the tigers at Tiger Kingdom and it was an unforgettable experience! At first I was nervous that it would be really mechanical and we would be shuffled around like a herd of people but that wasn't the case at all. We opted to see all the tigers, big, medium, small, and smallest and I was so glad we did!
We first ventured into the big cage and my heart was pounding since you are literally in there with three huge cats and one or two trainers who are only equipped with a stick! The tigers roam free and are clearly not drugged (something you should look out for when visiting) as they were jumping around, aggressively playing with each other. You must approach them from behind otherwise they will think you are engaging them in play and when you pet them it must be with a firm hand. I insisted that Josh sit with the tiger first (hee hee) but when it was my turn my heart was pounding. It's not as though these tigers have ever harmed anyone but sitting beside such a huge, majestic animal was quite the thrill. I wouldn't want to meet one in the wild that's for sure!
The next cage we visited was the medium cage and these tigers were especially playful! We could hardly lay down with one for a photo op before another one would creep up behind for a sneak attack! They were adorable playing so rough, literally clawing and biting each other and trying to get the other onto its back. I was a little nervous with their raucous play because it was difficult to stay out of their way! Before we had entered the cage we all had a good laugh because a tiger had grabbed hold of someone's purse strap (you have to leave your bag outside for obvious reasons) and he was not giving it up! It was almost as if the trainer had to play tug a war with him and unfortunately for whoever's purse that was the strap broke off!
After that cage, we visited the small tigers who were 6 months old. These little guys were unruly and exceptionally playful as well! The big ones we had visited previously were only a year old and it's unfathomable to me that these little guys will be so big in just six months! Really they just seem like big cats and these guys lived getting their bellies rubbed. They would just flop right over and bask in your attention for as long as you would give it, or until another stinker came over and wanted to play. Absolutely adorable.
The last cage was probably my favorite containing the smallest tigers. The tigers were just three months old and there were a mix of sleepy ones who were clearly tuckered out and rambunctious ones. At one point a tiger grabbed hold of Josh's sandal and was loathe to let it go! The sleepy ones were so cute and you were allowed to lay your head down and cuddle them. Their big paws announce the size they will become but for now, they are simply precious. Seeing these guys play was the best because they were so clumsy and it was almost like they forgot what they were doing half the time! Next to that we could visit a one month old tiger who was so adorable and had the softest fluffiest hair. He sure liked his belly rubs too and he also took a liking to Josh's shorts (see video)! It was impossible to leave these ones and we literally had to be told that our time was up!
Yesterday was just an amazing day. To get to Tiger Kingdom we resisted the pressure from the hotel and rented a motorbike (I know, again!). We weren't sure how driving would be compared to India but Josh did great especially considering we had to go on a Super Highway for a little while. I feel so lucky that Josh is willing to drive us around because I certainly wouldn't have the guts and then we would be depending on drivers! It's great to have the independence.
Tiger Kingdom was amazing and exceeded my expectations. Not only did we get to go into every cage ourselves (except once with one other person) we had a lot of time and didn't feel rushed out at all. Being that close to tigers of all sizes was the most amazing experience and something I would be eager to do again! Today we are not sure what we are up to but we might go see some elephants. We will keep you posted!
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