Vacation: Bangkok

I stopped in Bangkok for one reason, and one reason only.  I'm going to let look at my pictures and figure out what is was.  :)

Rocking the sunburn for an early morning trip down to the floating markets.

The pressure to buy was intense.  One woman started crying when I said I wasn't interested, another started pushing things into my hands.  The place was packed, so I know they were going to get buyers, it's just hard for me to walk (or float) away from that sort of thing.  I'm sure that's what they were banking on, though.

He was selling the opportunity to get your photo taken with this snake around you.  If not for my excruciating sunburn, I would have gone for it.  You win some, you lose some, I guess. :)

Next, I met up with my tour guide at a WWII POW grave yard.   I didn't realize WWII had touched Thailand, but apparently, the Japanese used POWs to build a railroad to carry supplies through the country.  They generally worked 20-hour days, with little to no food and water.  Most died from the heat.  It was tough, walking down the cross-shaped path, hearing people searching for specific names, counting the number of men who were younger than me when they passed...  It was very emotional.

At the Bridge of Death, where so many men unwillingly gave their lives, forced to fight for the side against whom they began their war; I can think very few worse ways to go.  I pray to G-d for His mercy, that, one day, this will not even be an option that crosses the minds of our leaders.

At the tiger temple, with a sweet little cub.  He wasn't the youngest I hung out with, but the other was too frolicky for me to get a great picture. 

Fully grown, and fully fed, so he wasn't too interested in play - just bath time, then nap time.

Speaking of bath time, I had to take this sweet girl down to the river for her bath.  It was, on the whole, much more scary than being around the tigers, as I had nothing to hold while I was riding her!  This, of course, left me incredibly sore, as I think my goal became to stay on the elephant, using my legs as my only semblance of a seatbelt.

Loving that rub down (I hope - it was a little hard to tell).  She started playing with me after a while, splashing me with water and spraying some out of her trunk.  I ended up feeding her in the end, and I think she decided she liked me then. ;)

So - can you guess what it was?  I know, it was definitely an eventful day that is leaving me smiling, even now.  I certainly wouldn't trade it in.  I would recommend it (link attached to the title, of coure).
<3