Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Chiang Mai, Thailand - Temples & Tigers - OH MY!

Uncle Smelly is the King! With him leading the way, we had the zaniest adventures and bought the most extraordinary non-essential souvenirs we could find. Our trip to Chiang Mai was nonstop fun from the moment we landed. We stopped at our hotel to drop off our bags and grab a quick breakfast. Then it was off to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (Temple on the Hill). This was quite the contrast to the temples we had spent the past few days exploring in Cambodia. We climbed the 300 steps to the top and were rewarded with a stunning view of Chiang Mai. Wat Phra That was built as a Buddhist Monastery in 1383 and is still a working Monastery today. We viewed the historic murals and were given a little information on each from our guide, Joey. We also saw an Emerald Buddha, a shrine to the White Elephant and were blessed by a Monk.
Chris was an instant fan of Wat Phra That as soon  he found this guy hanging with his pitchfork!
We had fun learning how to wear the proper attire!

Next stop, The Tiger Kingdom. The Tiger Kingdom is essentially a tiger park where visitors have the opportunity to get into the exhibits with tigers of various sizes. Admittedly, I was a little skeptical at first. I had no intention of feeding my 4 year old to a tiger and didn't feel like is was a particularly great day for my 12 year old to get mauled by a tiger either. I was also concerned about the treatment of the tigers. After watching the tigers while eating our lunch, we decided to go for it. Dustin was only allowed in with the baby tigers (2-3 months old). The rest of us were able to play with various sizes.
This guy was a little too interested in Emilie's hand for her comfort!
Um, I don't think he likes it when you pull his tail!
And now, we can all cross "hug a tiger" off our bucket lists!   

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