Tiger Petting Zoo?!?!?!

The Tiger Temple or Wat Pha Luang At Bua is a Theravada Buddhist temple in Thailand and has been a sanctuary for many endangered animals including several tigers that walk around freely once a day and can be petted by tourists. The temple received several tiger cubs where the mothers had been killed by poachers. As of 2007, over 21 cubs have been born at the temple and the total number of tigers is about 12 adult tigers and 4 cubs.

The tigers are tamed by being fed with cooked meat to avoid giving them a taste for blood. The staff keep the tigers under control and the abbot will intervene if the tiger gets agitated. They are treated as family members in the temple and visitors are asked to give a donation if they want to take photos with the tigers.

This looks like a great adventure. You always see or hear about people swimming with dolphins & I have swam with the sting Rays before and recently I put up a post about swimming with 1000's of jelly fish but would you rub the belly of a jungle tiger. I think I would but not with Siegfried and Roy.

A Fat Traveller!

There is nothing worse than being overweight and out of shape. However, you get used to it and find comfort zones in your own world. This all ends and can humble you when you travel. Sweating in hot locations, sitting uncomfortable in a "small" airplane seat, or struggling to participate in some great outdoor adventure cause you are too fat, is all the challenges of being a FAT TRAVELLER! Unfortunately, I have become a FAT TRAVELLER!
Therefore, I, Eric Gamble, the Travel Beggar am on a mission this summer to not only have great travel experiences, but also get in shape so that I can better enjoy my vacations, outdoor activities, and adventures. I am inspired. I have joined a new program at my gym. You can check it out online by CLICKING HERE. Erik Frank & his partner Rebby Riche are teaching essentially a training boot camp and they aren't letting me out of this program until I have become a lean, mean, healthy MACHINE!!! I want to be able to do great adventures without wondering if I can breath.
Here,you will see my before pictures taken on May 14th! You can see them closer, if you can stomach it, by clicking on any individual magazine
Therefore, I am starting Eric's 25 for Angel's Place . As many of you know, I also have promoted charity to children's charity. Often, I see and help others who are taking pledges or donations to walk/run or do something for Cancer Research, AIDS Research, Education Against Violence, etc. So I am taking donations to lose weight on behalf on Angel's Place.
Right now I weigh 224.5 lbs. My Personal goal is to get to 199 lbs. The program is a 14 week program that will essentially end on August 20th. I am asking for a $25 donation or $1 a pound. You can donate via paypal right now. If you donate now, I will note the amount donated & if by some horrible chance that I dont make the 25lbs, I will refund you a dollar per pound I missed. (ie: if I only lose 20lbs by August 20th then, the Angel's Place will receive your generous $25 donation & I will refund you $5 from my own money...not the Angel's Place. Please consider helping me on my mission to become a healthy Travel Beggar as well as a way to help these great children.