GoBackpacking

Wow! What a morning. I woke up sore from the muay thai but got washed and breakfast at The Corner Restaurant. I wanted to go to Tiger Kingdom when it opened, and my plan paid off. I was one of the first people in the cages. I decided to go all out and pay for 15 minutes with the big tigers, small, and cubs, plus a photographer for the big ones.

The big ones were BIG! No safety speech given, just walked into the cage and told to pet them from behind - tail, body, or rear feet. No flash photography. And because it’s clearly not obvious to some people, no putting body parts in the tigers’ mouthes.

The Tiger Kingdom has been open 6 years, and once the tigers reach about 16 months, they’re turned over to a Thai zoo because they’re deemed to big and strong for photo ops with tourists (and to control in general). The older ones were about 10-11 months old, weighing around 160-180 pounds. I remember one was named pancake. Big paws.

The staff had me lying down with them all. I felt incredibly vulnerable. Somehow sitting up, I felt slightly better positioned to fend off a wayward paw, though either way I sensed the tigers could knock my head off in seconds.

While getting my last photo with 2 big ones, I started to smell a foul odor, only to realize the one nearest me had farted. I took that as my queue to exit their regal presence, while the staff member nearby laughed and said they like to do that a lot.

Flickr set of photos by cameraman (big tigers only)

The smaller 5-month old tigers were just as docile, though more malleable in their deep sleep, according to the staff.

The 1-month old tiger cubs were cute and playful. One even started nibbling on me, biting the inside of my right arm (ouch!), leaving a noticeable bruise as a reminder of our time together.

There were 4-5 other tourists in the cage while I basically had the first two to myself. Eventually they left and I had a few minutes alone with the cubs (aside from the handlers).

Visiting the Tiger Kingdom was one of the coolest experiences of my life, and I highly recommend it if you’re planning to visit northern Thailand. Spending time up close and personal with the cats was incredibly intimidating, as even the cubs proved to have a strong (albeit playful) bite.

The enclosures where we saw the tigers seemed small, though they were immaculately clean. I didn’t think to ask if there was additional land in the surrounding area for them to stretch their legs. All of the tigers looked healthy, and while big cats are known for their sleepy tendencies, I didn’t in any way sense that they had been drugged (as has been rumored at another tiger facility for tourists in Thailand).

My photos on Flickr (all tiger sizes)

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#15 - From Jay:

I dare you to take a Walk In Muay Thai class for one day. It will be the best workout of your life, and it is fairly cheap! Since you are in Phuket, may I suggest Rawai Muay Thai, or Tiger Muay Thai? They are the most Americanized. I’ll buy ya a beer.

Reward: A beer

Status: Completed

Jay’s dare provided me with yet another experience I wouldn’t have sought out on my own, especially given a complete lack of martial arts experience in life and an aversion for fighting in general. I first heard about muay thai boxing in the context of The Travel Channel’s “5 Takes” show which sends 5 lucky travelers to a region of the world equipped with laptops and video cameras. The sporty guy on the show went through a 2-hour training, and now it was my turn.

A few blocks from Kent’s Guest House was one of Chiang Mai’s boxing stadiums (think boxing ring inside a large bar). Fresh from 6 hours of cooking and eating Thai food, I took on the dare knowing I’d have to work for that beer.

Mr. K, the 1987 muay thai champion of Thailand, was my trainer. A couple of other real Thai fighters were also hanging around, with one in particular helping me out. He went out to buy me some tape to wrap my wrists (an additional cost for any other novices out there) and took all of the photos while I punched and kicked with all my muay thai might. A young Texan guy also joined the training session, trying to work off the weight gained from being on the road for 6 months. I could relate all too well, having recently confirmed a weight gain of 20 pounds (9 kg) since leaving home 11 months ago.

Before Mr. K showed me a single move, he had me spend 10 minutes bouncing left and right around a tire. A few minutes later, my calves were burning and I lost any sense of shyness, removing my already sweat-soaked shirt. The boxing shorts were on loan, after a quick smell from Mr. K, deemed they were wearable by a customer.

Mr. K taught me the basic moves - right/left jab, kick, knee (to opponent’s face), and arm/leg blocks. We started without the gloves in the corner training area, then with gloves on the heavy bags, and finally Mr. K donned the training pads and we got into the ring. He gave commands, and I did my best to follow, forgetting to keep my arms up to protect my face after each move.  He was incessant about reminding me to keep my hands up.  If I were in a real fight, I’d have been KO’d within seconds of the opening bell. The thought scared me. The thought of the Thai fighters kicking and kneeing the hell out of each other on a regular basis also didn’t sit well with me.

The Texan and I swapped time with Mr. K, and then a fighter set to headline a 100,000 Baht ($2,900) fight in a few days did a demo. He even took a few minutes to help me with my technique. The personal attention made for a great experience.

The next day, I had a sore right shin from my more forceful right kicks, and a set of ridiculous photos. Hopefully I lost a pound in the process too.

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I purposefully skipped the numerous opportunities to take a Thai cooking class in the islands so I could take one in Chiang Mai, and there were no shortage to choose from. Some were located on organic farms a short drive outside the city, while others were easily within walking distance of the main tourist area in the old city. Prices were all the same, so the only other variables were slight differences in the dishes you could choose to cook and the image presented by the brochures.

I opted for an old city school housed in a 100-year old teak building. All of the classes convene at the same market for a brief introduction to the most common vegetables, curry pastes and tofu used in Thai cooking. Spotting the chef of another popular school, I noticed he had a bigger group than mine, a good indicator he’s listed in Lonely Planet!

After the market tour, we walked back to the cooking school with a few baskets of fresh ingredients, and hung out for a bit. I was happy to spend the day with a young American couple from Texas (currently living/studying in China), a very tall (and characteristically friendly) Canadian man, and a French couple.

We each prepared 6 dishes from a total of 18 options. The class had a slow and relaxed pace which marked a pleasant departure from the faster-paced classes I’d taken at home with Sur La Table. We would prep the ingredients (except the chicken), cook them, and then take the finished product to the dining room. All of the locations were open air so we had plenty of room to play the role of Swedish chef.

First up was the classic hot and sour prawn soup which I ate far too little of in my first two months in Thailand, followed by spring rolls.

Papaya salad is another classic dish from the region, and it’s the spiciest salad I’ve ever eaten (though the chili peppers are optional).

Panang curry with chicken was a dish I first tried at a Thai restaurant I’d frequent with a coworker on lunch breaks, however tasting it on Chaweng Beach in Koh Samui, I knew I had to learn to make a better version for myself.

It turned out delicious, though I’m not sure how easy it will be to find tamarind sauce and palm sugar back at home. I remember looking for tamarind paste for a Thai recipe one time and not having much luck. My attempt at making the paste from the whole pods was dreadful.

Pad thai with chicken is another dish I previously made at home, though I took a shortcut by using a Harris Teeter (grocery store) package of glass noodles and sauce. I may return to it someday, however not before ensuring I can make a mean sauce from scratch first.

And for those who saved room for dessert, sweet sticky rice and fresh mango finished us off for good!

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In the interest of time and energy, I decided to take the one hour flight from Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai via Lao Airlines. The popular alternative for crossing the western border is to take a slow boat (literally) for two days along the Mekong River. By taking to the air, I was also making the final decision to skip a unique experience I first heard about from an American couple back in Indonesia. The Gibbon Experience allows you to live in 100-foot treehouses for two days. They’re joined together by ziplines, and you spend your days looking for gibbons in the trees and/or trekking on the jungle floor. As it is not explicitly referenced in Lonely Planet (out of respect for the operator, it is written), I wanted to share it here since I know a few people will be heading to Laos in the near future.

The flight went like clockwork, and I was surprised they even had time to serve a decent lunch given the one hour duration. Jetstar’s Asian contingent could learn a thing or two. Yes, I’m still bitter about the lack of complimentary water on that four hour Singapore to Hong Kong flight!

As the plane ascended and headed west, there were beautiful views of Laos’ northern mountains. While you can’t see graphic indications of borders from the air as though you were flying over a Google satellite image, the distinction between development (or lack thereof) in Laos and Thailand was clearly visible.

Once we landed, I grabbed a taxi to the backpacker part of town which was chock full of inexpensive guest houses and travel shops. I took a basic room in Kent’s Guest House, the first one I stumbled across. As Kent showed me to the room, he talked with a bird on his shoulder (which talked back, of course). Once in the room, I told him I’d take it if everything worked (fan, toilet, etc.). Kent assured me everything in the room worked fine, it was just him that didn’t. Despite the flock of pigeons in the courtyard, I felt overdue for an eccentric experience and took the room.

It was great to be back in Thailand, where you can get so much done in such a small amount of time. After a quick rest, I tracked down a Lonely Planet South Africa, paid under $20 for a routine dental visit (using the recommendation of the book shop sales woman), and picked up a pile of brochures from which to choose my Chiang Mai activities. There were so many appealing activities, and so little time.  I was forced to prioritize.

First up, the low impact, highly caloric, full day Thai cooking class.

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Before arriving in Laos, I had mentioned it as part of my itinerary to a fellow traveler. He asked me what was there, and I said I didn’t know, but was about to find out. I traced the Mekong River from 4,000 Islands near the southern border to the mountainous north. Along the way, I grew to appreciate the slow pace of life. If you see a driver swinging in a hammock fastened under the roof of a tuk-tuk passenger cabin, you know you’re in Laos!

Highlights -

• crossing the southern border with Cambodia
• meeting Nicholas, Caroline, and Celene
• walking across Don Det and Don Khon
• meeting Noy
• taking the Frankenferry to/from Champasak
• bicycling to Wat Phu
• my room at The Inter City Hotel in Vientiane
• fine French dining at Le Central, Le Silapa, Le Cote D’Azur, and L’Elephant
• visiting MAG and COPE to learn about the effects of UXO (unexploded ordinance)

• my room overlooking the Nam Song (river) and limestone mountains in Vang Vieng
• rock climbing
• meeting Sandrine
• tubing down the Nam Song
• celebrating my birthday with a few Beerlao
• walking around Luang Prabang
• mountain biking
• my first elephant ride
• slipping into the very relaxed way of life
• Lao massage at Aroma Spa

Lowlights -

Getting stung by a hornet after eating my last dinner in Vang Vieng.  It was black so I didn’t identify it as a stinging insect.  It felt like a hot syringe was jabbed into the middle of my left shoulder and left there for a few hours.  As a consolation, the waiter applied some Tiger Balm and gave me Paracetamol.

Eating -

Laap lao chicken, sticky rice, Beerlao, fresh fruits (banana, mango, dragon fruit, papaya), papaya salad, fried rice, cheeseburgers, filet mignon, foie gras stuffed ravioli, white fish with orange and tamarind sauce (not together!), chocolate mousses and cakes, croissants, Lao-style coffee (with condensed milk), cappuccinos.

# of Days Couchsurfing -

0

Average Cost Per Day -

$61 (this would be about $10-15 lower if I didn’t splurge on a hotel in Vientiane and a handful of fine French meals!)

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