The Alternative Roads of California

A local Thai man slides the heavy metal bolt to the right, unlocking the thick metal cage door. Pulling the cage door to the right, he nods his head towards the grass area ahead of me, gesturing me forward. I look back at him disbelievingly. He expects me to walk straight into a Tiger cage? He didn’t react to my look of horror, he must receive this response from every tourist foolish enough to enter a tiger sanctuary in the northern Mountains of Thailand.

I hesitantly step forward, the three tigers remain crouched on the grass but their eyes follow every movement I make. I hear the clanging of the metal door closing behind me. The grazing sound of the metal bolt slowly locking us in the cage. There is no escape now. Suddenly the grass enclosure I have entered has shrunk. The 3 tigers laying in the grass no longer seem so far away. I look nervously at the Thai man that has followed me into the cage. “Go pat them, they are friendly” he says. I walk towards the closest tiger and sweat starts dripping down my back, I don’t know if it’s because of the 30 degree heat or the fear of being savagely ripped apart and eaten.

I kneel down behind the tiger and run my hand down its back. Its fur is like velvet. Its head quickly turns to stare at my hand. I stop, startled by its gaze. It yawns revealing its deadly teeth. Suddenly it stands and runs around the enclosure, circling back towards me, the tiger starts charging directly at me. My heart stops. What were the safety instructions the Thai man read to me before we entered the cage? “Don’t look directly at the tigers, don’t make sudden movements, and don’t run”. Don’t run!? Desperately trying not to run, I stand still while the tiger charges at me. As it approaches me I move to the side so it narrowly misses me and its velvet fur rubs against my left leg. My heart is beating fast. Keeping my eye on the tiger I start walking backwards towards the exit. Bang! I trip over a tree root and fall on my back. The tiger walks towards me, its paw placed right next to my shoulder. Staring down at me its large orange eyes burning through me like the sun. I should look away but I can’t. I am transfixed by its beauty.

Time passes and it still stands above me. Eventually the tiger loses interest and walks away. I scramble out of the metal cage that is its home. I cannot believe what I have just experienced and to think this all happened because we couldn’t get accommodation for the famous full moon party.