BOATS, TIGERS AND TRAINS

Matt was hammering on my door, it was 7am and I was late. Knew those buckets were a bad a idea.

The day was going to be a long one, leaving at 7am, going to the floating market, then the tiger temple, then onto the Death railway and the Bridge over the River Kwae. We were due back at 7pm, a 12 hour day, and I wasn't really feeling up to is. But it seems it was more up to it than Joey, who couldn't get out of bed, Jesse made it on one hours sleep.

The floating market was just like you see on TV, loads of boats with fruit, veg, small stoves cooking various meats, all slowly making their way through a network of small canals. Didn't buy anything though, the produce was pretty much all what you can buy in town anyway, so I didn't fancy wasting what little money I had left.

after another 90 minutes on the bus and a stop over for a not too bad lunch, we got to the Tiger Temple. I'd heard bad things about this place, that the tigers are poorly treated and drugged. They all seemed happy enough and were pretty sleepy while it was hot, but started to liven up when it started to rain. we all got pictures with some of the tigers, I got the best shot as one of the bigger ones was yawning, and it looks like it was growling, a facebook profile picture for a long time yet.

The bridge over the River Kwae was also good. It had been the thing I was most looking forward to doing, the museum was a little disappointing, quite small, but tells you evrything you need to know about the forced labour by the Japanese of Allied POWs and thais during the second world war. Although the bridge is still working for trains you can walk the length of it quite happily, it's not the safest thing in the world as there are no barriers to stop you falling into the river if you slipped.

2 hours later we were on the way back. natalie was in a different bus to Matt, Jesse and me so we didn't see her again, as we never arranged to meet up that night, and she was leaving in a couple of days, maybe not actually saying goodbye is better than a long and drawn out farewell. We'd befriended a group of Canadian teachers on the bus, Sharon, Pam and Nancy. We'd bonded over telling riddles, geography questions and dirty jokes. I was in charge of the geography questions, obviously.

Joey was waiting for us in the lobby, he'd had to check out by 12 and had been waiting around for us for about 6 hours.

We all went out for an indian, us lads and the Canadian teachers, we sat at a roadside restaurant, a rat ran between Joey's legs which made everyone scream and jump up on their chairs like the maid used to in Tom and Jerry cartoons. we went for a couple of drinks in Gullivers at the end of Khao San Road, and had a good game of 'I have never', which always helps you get to know new people, a little bit too well it turns out! The dutch lads had to leave for the airport at 11.30, so we said goodbye and everyone else turned in for the night.