Elephants, Trinkets, and McDonalds

Today we left the hotel around 0800 and headed off to the Saiyok Elephant Park in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, we all knew it was a tourist trap (like the ones we build in Rollercoaster Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon, etc. they are all the same) but where else can you ride an elephant. Our cadets along with the AFAPS pre-cadets rode on top of elephants that afternoon. It wasn’t as bumpy of a ride as horseback riding. Luckily this time I got more photos of your precious loved ones so I won’t be disappointing too many followers of this blog. After the elephant ride there was an elephant performance were some of the cadets and pre-cadets got to interact and feed the elephant.

Ben Krebs and Steve Liu on a elephant

After the trip we visited a section of railway connecting Thailand to Burma constructed by Allied prisoners during WWII which many perished during the process. We then traveled to the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery dedicated to those who perished building that railway connecting Thailand to Burma. The cemetery commemorated the Australians, Dutch, and also Indians who died as POWs as a result of sickness, malnutrition, exhaustion, and mistreatment.

Bridge constructed by Allied POWs during WWII

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery

Most of us were snagged in tourist market traps throughout the day and some of us who shall go unnamed has already blew most of their money on trinkets, so you loved ones out there should expect gifts when we get back. Unless those gifts are damaged through the luggage handling process, we forgot about you, or you weren’t worth the 300 baht.

After the tourist traps we said our good-byes to the pre-cadets since they had mid-terms for another two more days as soon as the weekend was over. Our group headed over to Bangkok. For dinner we ate at McDonalds. Apparently in Thailand you can get real fried chicken at a McDonalds, but the most surprising thing was the double fish fillet sandwich and the corn pie. I know you guys don’t want to hear about our adventure/tragic return to fast food, but I personally felt that our followers should hear about this.

Fried Chicken!

Respectfully.

Steve Liu