Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua...aka THE TIGER TEMPLE!

We started off our day by taking a bus from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi.  Because of all the flooding leaving Bangkok, it took much longer than we were anticipating.  We had planned to get to our hotel, check in, have lunch and then head to the Tiger Temple.

Time being what it was, we sent our luggage with the Ashlocks to the hotel and hailed a songtao to the Temple with just a few oranges and some chips I had in my backpack.

The Meem's letting those golden tresses flow!

After about a 45 minute ride, we're HERE!

The temple actually has a lot of different animals.  Water buffalo, a few types of deer, horses, boar, etc
All of the animals are free to roam as they please.
(A bit disconcerting given the nasty disposition of boar!)

All of those are nice enough, but we were here to see the TIGERS!

When we first walked up to the tiger area, we found a monk with this little guy.  He invited us to pet and take pictures with the tiger.  He was quite relaxed and sleepy.

Just like Creampuff, right?

So can you see why Abby fits adult clothes in Thailand?
She's man-sized!  ;)
And why they would push me out of their store, telling me they have
nothing in my size!  (Thankfully, that didn't happen to me.  I would have
been mortified!)

The tigers were having a little playtime down in a pit.
I love the toys on sticks.  Just like we use to play with our cat!

They were quite rough with each other.
You can easily see how quickly a tiger could hurt you even if it was only trying to play.

So pretty!
(and a bit scary!)

LOVE the look on the guys face who is holding the stick right by the tigers!

Another sleepy baby kitty.

A very awake kitty.
Such beautiful eyes they have!
Can you believe that this photo was taken without a high powered lens or a glass wall or fence between us and the tiger?

The tiger is totally getting into the snuggle!
They are taken from their mothers at birth and hand raised by the Monks.
They begin attending temple every morning at just a few weeks of age.

The temple has over 90 tigers.
The first tiger they ever received was the victim of a botched attempt at live taxidermy.
Apparently the person who bought it didn't like the way the tigers looked if they were killed prior to
being stuffed, so he paid the taxidermist to inject the live tiger with formaldehyde to preserve it.
The tiger was rescued and given to the temple.  Unfortunately it was not able to recover from the chemicals it received, but word got out about the temple trying to save the animal and people started to donate them.  Apparently, the Thai people will occasionally buy an animal they would slaughter (not normally tigers, but that's where the other animals they have came from) and grant it a reprieve by donating it to the Temple, where the monks care for it through it's days.  This will give the person merit in their religious beliefs.  The monks place the highest value on life and are all vegetarian, so there is no temptation to eat the animals that would typically be slaughtered for food.

I didn't see this photo until we were home safe and sound, but isn't it hilarious?
It could totally get us investigated by children and youth services!

The tigers in this quarry-type area were there for pictures and petting.  They were bigger than the semi-baby tigers we saw earlier.  Some people think they are drugged, but I can tell you that they surely didn't look it.  Some were certainly drowsy, but it was the heat of the afternoon and they say that they become so used to having people around that they sleep just fine with all the movement and commotion.  When it was time to get up and move, they did so without any sluggishness or difficulty whatsoever.

Amelia with one of those tigers that is comfortable sleeping (not to mention exposing it's very vulnerable stomach) in the presence of people.

There were instructions before entering this portion of the park.
You were told not to run around or get down and look the tiger in the eye for 
pictures and if you touch them, you touch them with a heavy firm hand so as 
not to be just an irritant.  Last thing I want to do is irritate a tiger.

A huge cat
and a tiny teenager!

Just for size reference, Jeremy is 6'1".
I think the tiger has him beat.  ;)

Ok, so I MOSTLY trusted the tigers.
These two were quite active (one tiger is blurry and the other showing me his teeth.)
You can tell by the look on my face that I am trying to hold it together for the photo op.
Look at the guy behind me getting ready to swat at the hungry one.
Comforting!

So cute!

The five of us with the yawning tiger above.
(Dont'cha just love Marshall's Firemarshall Bill phase?  Great timing for his face to go all funky for posed smiles!)    ;)

Look at the size of the man pulling on ALL THAT tiger!

Not sure what they're doing to this cat, but I don't think he likes it...
I would not want to see this peeking at me in the jungle!

And really, is this not a ridiculous picture?
How often do you see two guys just walking along, laughing it up, walking a great big tiger on a leash?

Amelia walking her own tiger.

After we all had a turn at walking a tiger, they had a special playtime for them.  For about $15 USD, you could stand behind a very short fence (Amelia's head was way above the top!) and watch the tigers play up close.

Oh, and stalk up close!

They had a blast!
Playing all the ways a couple of house cats would play, just on a much bigger scale!

It was amazing how close they were!

Don't they look rather helpless when they're wet?

Just like the feathers we have on a stick for Creampuff.

Got it!

This one liked jumping up on the tree to get his prize.

Just another size reference.
Both the man and the tiger have their feet on the ground.

Amelia, asleep on the songtao!  I had to scoot over to the back end of
 the truck because I was paranoid that she would fall out!

The reason I was paranoid!  If she'd fallen over on her seat, she'd have
tumbled right out!  But they are fun and this guy had a real sense of humor
with his decor!  He must've been on an episode of "Pimp My Songtao!"