Here Kitty, Kitty

We rented another motorcycle and returned to the Chinese Embassy. We gave them our applications and passports, something we did not like one bit, but we had no choice, and were told to return in 4 days. As we waited for our Chinese visas, we fell into a pattern of staying up late watching TV, and sleeping late. Then we'd lounge on the chaises in the breeze way and drink coffee. As we drank our coffee, we'd watch the comings and goings on the street and the other guests going to and from their sightseeing destinations. As they passed, we'd chat about where they'd been and what they thought of it. This morning we spoke to a couple who had been to Tiger Kingdom. We hadn't planned to do this because it is very expensive, but after speaking to them, and knowing that Connor did this and loved it, we decided to go.

We rented a motorcycle, donned our oversized helmets, and took off. I had looked it up on line and written down the directions. I was a little nervous because it was outside of town and we'd have to ride on a highway where the traffic moves much faster than just around town. This is exactly what I did not want to do. We again debated who would drive, and ultimately decided that Phyl would continue to do so. The one great thing about being on a motorcycle in Asia is that motorcycles are the transportation of choice for so many people that cars know to always look out for motorcyclists. Also, drivers are much less aggressive here. There was a thin motorcycle lane, on the far left of the 2 lanes headed in our direction, and we primarily stayed in that lane, but we'd often have to go around stopped tuk-tuks, turning vehicles, slower moving motorcycles, or street food stands.

G- Why do you keep stopping behind the cars when we stop at red lights?

P- Call me crazy, but isn't that what you're supposed to do when the light is red?

G- Well, smart ass, that is debatable in Asia because often they do not stop at lights, but on his road, I'd agree that you do have to stop. That is not my point. Have you noticed that all other motorcycles go up to the front and stop in front of the cars? You are the only one stopping within the line of cars. I think there is safety in numbers.

P- I thought it was safer and I don't like driving between the cars.

G- I thought I was the one who was more afraid. I think you need to do what all of the other motorcycles do and stay in that group. The cars expect us to be there, not here. Go up there. Just go slowly through the line of cars and don't shake your handles.

P – Alright, but it makes me nervous.

G- You'll be fine. Next time we stop, don't let yourself get in the middle of the cars, stay on the left and drive, up the side, to the front.

We expected to arrive at the turn off for Tiger Kingdom within 45 minutes, but it had been an hour and we were still headed down the highway.

P- I think we've gone too far.

G- I can't imagine how we missed the sign, but I think you're right, stop at the gas station.

I climbed off the motorcycle and took a few steps like an old lady getting out of bed in the morning. Phyl laughed at me. Motorcycle riding hurts my ass and knees!! Maybe it has something to do with the tension and the way I have my legs clamped onto the seat and Phyllis. I went inside and learned that we had passed it up. The turn was 10 kilometers back. Of course, we never know exactly what they're telling us when they talk in terms of kilometers, Celsius or kilograms, but we just guesstimate.

We turned around, drove the 10 kilometers, and even though we still did not see the sign, turned on the street at the light. Halfway down the block we saw the sign.

P- What the hell? Why is there no sign on the main road?

G- That would make too much sense. Apparently we should have seen this sign, or been psychic.

We arrived at the front of Tiger Kingdom, which kind've looked like the outside of the lodge/main tourist center in Jurassic Park, parked the motorcycle up by the front, and stood working out the kinks in our legs, butts and backs. We were greeted and told about our options. The visits were broken down according to the size of the cat: visit the babies (2 -4 months old), visit the full grown cat, visit juveniles, or get a package to visit 2 or all. We selected the babies and paid our 600 Baht ($18.00) each.

We then walked around the area and looked at the other cats whose cages we would not be entering. Initially we had been concerned about the way the cats would be treated or if they were drugged, but the whole area was very nice, and the cats did not seem drugged. Their coats were beautiful and they looked very healthy and most importantly well fed. This helped to ease our minds because we did not wish to support a place that mistreated the animals. It is why we will not ride, in a chair, on top of an elephant; the chair is heavy, metal and often cuts into their skin.

The line for the babies was long and we had to wait 40 minutes. We were required to take off our shoes, leave all bags outside, and scrub our hands good before entering. The two 4 month olds and the two 2 month olds were separated by a small fence that we stepped over. There was a Tiger Kingdom worker with us the entire time and our total time spent inside the enclosure was 10 minutes. It went by quickly, but the experience was phenomenal! The 4 month old seemed distracted, and after letting us pet her for a few minutes, began to pace. Just as we got up to move to the 2 month olds' side, we learned why she was pacing.............she had to pee. A worker quickly ran over and wiped up the mess.

Thank goodness we had just gotten up or it would've been all over our shorts.

The 2 month old was still larger than a domestic cat, with a body probably twice the width and 8-10” longer. We sat playing with her, brushing a long, green leaf over her nose while she bit at it. We were instructed not to allow her to chew on our hands, but she tried constantly. Her paws were slightly larger than my hands, which are not small. We were constantly amazed at her size at only 2 months old. Basically, she acted just like a domestic kitten. At one point, she climbed onto my lap and draped her paws across my thigh. I petted her while she looked up at me. The dark black markings on her gold face were beautiful, and we wished that we could pick her up and squeeze her, but it was not allowed. We were surprised that the fur was not as soft as we expected, but was coarse and thick.

Our time was soon up, but we hated to go. The experience was incredible and we were very glad that we had made the drive out here. We headed back to our guesthouse and the drive was without incident except that as we neared the moat, the street became one way and we were not allowed to return the same way we had come. We followed our road off to the left and ended up lost for a little while.

Eventually we found our way bank and sat in the breeze way, drinking a cold Chang, while we uploaded a few photos to Facebook. We were pleasantly surprised when Kosta walked in. We were happy to see him and to learn that he was not trying to scam us. He was much more relaxed. His friends had deposited the money into his bank account and he had paid his portion of his hospital bill. We told him about our experience at Tiger Kingdom, then we went off to dinner at a restaurant he recommended in the Night Bizarre. The food was good and we got naan and a thick bean soup into which we dipped our naan. After dinner we returned to the breeze way where we sat talking to Kosta about getting over his break up and his sadness about having to leave Thailand.