| Volunteer experience | | | | come up to the cage, to go into the cage, clean it and |
| About a month ago I returned to Denmark after | | | | wash the cubs - that was really something that could |
| almost 2 months in Thailand, most of the time spent in | | | | make me get out of bed with a smile!! For me |
| The Tiger Temple. It has been a fantastic experience, | | | | mornings and evenings were the best times of the |
| and I would like to share it with whoever wants to | | | | day, so peaceful, and so beautiful! The nature around |
| read it!! | | | | the Temple is amazing, and the fact that lots of half |
| It all started as a crazy idea in my head sitting at home | | | | tame animals roam around freely inside the temple |
| in the dark and cold winter in Denmark. I had the | | | | walls was something I really loved! The view from our |
| opportunity to take two months of in school in the | | | | house was fantastic, I spent a lot of time just sitting |
| spring. I wanted to travel, to see something new, to do | | | | there watching all the animals. |
| something meaningful and to work with animals without | | | | And the tigers... Wow!! I love tigers, I always have, and |
| spending too much money (since I'm a student I don't | | | | to be able to get so close to them was really a |
| really have any to spend...). Different things came into | | | | mindblowing experience! I have walked and washed |
| my mind, but after having seen an ad for the Animal | | | | the cubs, walked a full grown tiger (Vayo and Techo), I |
| Planet program about The Tiger Temple I wisited the | | | | have had a tigers head (Herfa) in my lap, I have had a |
| websites there was no doubt in my mind - that was | | | | grown tiger (Techo) suck my finger and I have spent |
| where I wanted to go!!! To be able to work with these | | | | hours watching tigers play in the water, unbelievable, |
| big majestic cats, to be part of a project set up to help | | | | good thing I have pictures to prove it!! And I've also got |
| save these beautiful endangered animals, and to get to | | | | a really cool scar to show off since I got bitten by one |
| see some of Thailand at the same time, what more | | | | of the tigers (Dau Ruang)!! ? Another great thing was |
| could I wish for? So I sent an e-mail and asked if it | | | | the possibility to get to know a lot of very nice people |
| would be possible for me to come and stay, and as it | | | | from all over the world and to get to know a lot about |
| turned out, it was actually possible!! I bought my tickets, | | | | a culture and a religion so very different from what I'm |
| got my vaccinations and packed my bag, ready to go, | | | | used to here in Denmark. I regret that I didn't learned |
| not really knowing what to expect when I arrived. | | | | any thai before I came to Thailand, some very patient |
| After 2 days in Bangkok I went with one bus to | | | | thai people tought me some, but I would have liked to |
| Kanchanaburi and with another bus out towards the | | | | be able to speak some more!! |
| Temple, and there I stood looking at the big sign saying | | | | I also got to see some of all the things in the area |
| that this was the road leading to the Temple, beginning | | | | around the Temple and Kanchanaburi, some of the |
| to realize I was finally there after months of waiting. | | | | very beautiful scenery like Erawan National Park with |
| I went to the office signed some papers, got a key to | | | | the amazing 7-tired waterfall and some of the more |
| a room and Maha followed me up to the nice little | | | | scary things like The Hellfire Pass and The Death |
| house inside the Temple walls that were to be my | | | | Railway. |
| home for the next 7 weeks. After that I went down to | | | | All together it was a lifetime experience, and I had a |
| the canyon to meet the other volunteers, the monks | | | | very hard time leaving it all behind, and a hard time |
| and the staff - and of course the tigers!! Such an | | | | getting used to being back in Denmark, and I want to |
| impressive sight - big grown tigers laying calmly | | | | go back!! To see how the building of the Tiger Island is |
| sleeping in the beautiful canyon, tourists padding them | | | | going, to see "my" cute little cubs and all the other |
| and having there pictures taken next to them. Very | | | | tigers again, to once more feel the peacefulness of |
| impressive, but also quite scary in the beginning... The | | | | meditating in the Sala in the evening, and to meet |
| first two days I spent watching and learning the basics | | | | some of the wonderful people I got to know there |
| about tiger behaviour, and then I started actually | | | | again. I feel very lucky to have had the chance to |
| working, amazing!! To wake up in the morning, knowing | | | | work in a place like this, and I hope that one day I can |
| that 4 "little" cute tiger cubs are waiting for you, hearing | | | | come back. Please visit the website and check the |
| them great you with that special prrrr sound when you | | | | photos and if you can donate. |