Island Tour....

The next morning we woke up feeling refreshed and headed over to the restaurant for breakfast.  Unlike the Panda Hotel (in Hong Kong), the breakfast was included.  We were able to get waffles--soooo yummy.  They were served with real fruit.

At nine we were picked up from the lobby for our tour around the island.  The first stop was a small safari zoo where we got to ride an elephant!  Since it had been one of the things we had been bummed about missing in Chiang Mai (I still want to go back because they have some amazing elephant trekking tours), we were really excited when our drivers suggested it.  We got to ride the elephant for an hour.  About ten minutes or so in, the elephant caretaker got down from his seat and had Nikki slide down and actually ride the elephant.  Then after a while, we switched.  It was a lot of fun and definitely different from riding a horse.



The safari park also had the option to pet a tiger, which we decided to take advantage of.  I think both of us wish we had not.  The tiger, though bigger than the ones we were able to pet in Chaing Mai, was not free roaming as Tiger Kingdom's tigers had been.  Instead he sat upon a concrete block that he was chained to.  He did not look very happy, and both of us remarked how strange it was to feel more comfortable with free roaming tigers.  So, I will not be posting those pictures, sorry.

After that, we went to the butterfly museum and looked around for a bit.  It was kind of cool to walk around with all the butterflies.


Then came our lunch on the beach, which was really nice.  The driver and his helper set up the picnic and then sat a ways away so we could enjoy our lunch.  It was a lot of food, though.  Afterwards we went to the zoo and saw a seal show.  They were so cute.  Following that was a bird show, which was really impressive.  In the middle of the bird show, there was a tiger show--not so impressive.  We were happy when the birds came back.  I will never understand or feel comfortable with forcing an animal to jump through a ring of fire....  Any way.

They concluded the tour of the island by taking us to a temple and then to see the big Buddah.  We didn't realize until we drove past the airport that we really had driven around the entire island.

When we got back, we had a couple hours to hang out before our massages.  Three hours, complete body massage, facial and foot massage.  I have never felt so incredibly relaxed in my life.  I could feel her working out all the tension from my muscles, but my mind was for once blissfully empty.  I couldn't believe that it had actually been three hours, and after wards I felt so relaxed.  The muscles in my lower and mid back that usually ache a little bit were tension free.  Sooo nice.  I definitely recommend Thai massages.