words and wanderlusts: THAILAND: Ostriches & The White Temple

My last Saturday in Thailand I wanted to check off some things I had been wanting to before I left Chiang Rai. Eve and Annie were in the country visiting Hudson so they came along to do the touristy stuff with me since most everyone else had already done it. First stop: ostrich farm. I had heard some nasty things about the others' experiences with riding these things and I was prepared for the worst. And it was even raining that day so we got to ride wet ostriches. Butttt actually it wasn't that bad at all. Yes a little awkward, a little hard to hold on, and a little gross...but not awful. There weren't as many feathers stuck to me legs as I thought there would be, especially considering that they were wet. Anyway, they workers help you get onto the bird but stepping on a stool and then mounting it like a horse. They then put the wings over your legs and you wrap your legs around the front of the body and hold onto the wings with your hands. Not going to lie I was extremely tempted to hold onto the neck...but I think that could be a good way to be pecked to death. So enjoy some of the pictures, I know I laughed my head off going through all of them that day when we got back.

Mitch's face is that of pure excitement

So Mitch slid/fell off the back a couple of times. Pretty funny stuff. But he was the first one to ride. You had to sit in just the right spot and hold on tight with your legs or else you would start slipping. My legs were even sore the next day from doing that haha.

hahaha i love that. to me he looks like he might be saying giddyup.

Courtney haha

THIS right here is the BEST. gold.

me getting on...

hahaha okay i had to include this. although it is not the most flattering picture of me i laughed so hard when i first saw this. he was trying to take the bag off of the ostriche's head once i got on but it wasn't working out.

every now and then they would take off running. when mitch was riding his would actually chase the other ostrich in the corral.

notice my feet. one is missing something. when they run they kick their feet up and it hits against your legs (and hurts) so it knocked my shoe off.

eve's crazed look.

haha sometimes it feels like they are going to butt heads with you.

one false move and you could be pecked to death.

After we went back home and washed off we rode up to The White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) on scooters, again in the rain. It was later in the day and by the time we got there they said it was closed. So we couldn't go on the grounds or inside, so I only got to walk around it and take pictures. I was pretty disappointed, especially because of the uniqueness of this temple. It is a modern buddhist temple and on the inside there is even a mural(?) of some sort of Keanu Reeves. Weird right? It's beautiful though, I just wish I had gotten a closer look.