a seat at the table: taken for a ride.

More appropriately, I should say we went for a taxi ride and got taken. Friday we, along with another family, decided to venture over to the Dusit Zoo to see the animals. I was most excited to see the royal elephants! Anyway, Miss Oh told me it would be about a 100baht taxi ride over to the zoo, so we hopped in taxis and started out for the day. Our drive seemed to go on an on, and I finally noticed the taxi fair well over 200baht. We asked the taxi driver where he was taking us, and he said "I am follow that taxi" pointing to the taxi with our friends ahead. Once we figured out from signs along the way he was taking us to the Safari World, I grabbed my travel guide and looked it up. It told me Safari World is "a long way from city center"... hence the 400 baht taxi fare.

Notice our driver checking me out in the mirror, probably wondering how quickly I will become aware of his scheme. :) K unsuccessfully tried waiving down the guy in front of us to get him to pull over, and all we could get from our driver to help was two cursory honks and a helpless "I follow him."

I'll admit, I was annoyed. I don't like being a tourist if it means I am going to be tricked into doing something I never intended. We thought we were going to the zoo and ended up very far from there... but thankfully Safari World was worth the trip and we had a really fun time!

If I remember right, we arrived just past 1:00pm and missed all but the final dolphin show.

Meet our new friends T and J, their adorable girl D who was adopted from China, and their newest baby C.

We ate lunch overlooking a canal filled with black swans. D is so stinkin' cute and I wish Peanut were here to play together!

Minus the phrase at the bottom of the sign, K was pretty sure this indicated a "bird squashing zone."

Sweet P was her usual somber-and-staring-in-public self until we met up with these hairy guys. She pretty much flipped out at the sight of them, and I guess I have to agree. They were crazy big orangutans!

I walked down the way to let Sweet P calm down after the monkey encounter. We took a little snack break and then kept on our way...

Who knew the elephants would be out and about with their trainers, getting ready to go in for the day? She caught one peek of them and was back in wailing tears. The only animals we saw around the orphanage were a few stray dogs that are common around Bangkok.

T took the chance to feed the elephants while we tried to get a photo of Sweet P with her country's iconic animal of royal power. Didn't go so well.

While I took Sweet P to calm down again, the walrus trainer appeared to give them their last feeding for the day. The park was about to close so he gave an impromptu show for our group. Have you ever heard a walrus whistle or seen one give a wai?

Seeing these monkeys was the first time I realized just how close the park allows you to the animals. Until now I hadn't thought any of the animals dangerous but wondered if this guy would bite me if I gave him the chance.

By the time we arrived in front of this puma, I was a little frightened for any children whose parents aren't keeping a tight watch over them. The chainlink fence was the only barrier to him attacking us, and it's obvious how a tiny finger or child's arm would be devoured in an instant. Scary!

Have you ever seen so many giraffes in one place?

Have you ever been this close to a herd of giraffes?

T bought some bananas to feed them and their tongues are a sight! Yuck. I'd hate to get licked by one of those.

Once he finished, the workers urged him to wash his hands... then directed him toward a sink with no soap and a community hand towel. Sanitary? I think not.

Three tigers were leisurely resting in their cage as we approached. Once again, a mere chainlink fence separated us from their jaws. That wasn't a huge concern until they spotted D, cute as a button in her striped dress and started pacing back and forth along the fence. She got playful with them, running back and forth between columns just outside their fence, but they quickly began charging the fence and getting serious about dinner.