An Epic day out or an Epic Mistake!

Determined to see something of the countryside we opted to make our own way to Can Gio, what we believed to be a nature reserve in the mangroves. We should have done more research!

After an Uber to district 1 and a good 40 mins trying to find the relocated bus station we get on Bus 1 which takes about 50 mins.

Then it's on the ferry, at 13p each, it's a stretch!

How many bikes can you cram on? This is where our day starts to turn sour as we witness a lady chucking her rubbish into the river and she's not the only one. 

After another 50minute bus journey where the boys are taunted by some old geezer who picks his nose and rolls bogeys at them, I'm serious!! And another guy on the back seat with mark and I convinces the conductor we are paying for him!! And the thermometer reads 42°c. We arrive at the end of a long road in the midday heat.

We pay to enter the park and grab a bite to eat then head off to explore.

The monkeys are great, the people are stupid. Despite signs and a tannoy message constantly saying don't feed, pester, aggravate the monkeys, that's all people seem to be doing! There is litter everywhere most of which comes from people delighting in flinging it to the monkeys. 

So many baby monkeys!

The monkeys were not aggressive to us but then we weren't bothering them. We did witness them grabbing stuff off some people, but these folks were provoking them. 

There were countless staff at the place sitting around chatting with sling shots ready to scare monkeys who get too close to people eating. 

Perhaps they could have been cleaning up the litter, fixing the place up abit. Talking to people about the monkeys and why it's important not to feed them nonsense!

We cool off with an ice cream. Yum pineapple, nope, it Durian flavoured. A taste that lingers!! Think onions and cheese.

We enjoyed watching the monkeys hanging out in the mangroves. We didn't enjoy  a watching them being taunted by idiots!

We didn't get to see the crocs, that area was closed. Maybe a blessing as we've since read reviews on how the are treated.

There was also a Museum full of rotting stuffed animals. And a circus which as also closed. We've since found out that the circus has monkeys dressed up, chained, riding bikes etc. 

We are saddened to think we paid for this visit. To see people treating animals like toys for fun is horrible. We left the park in another storm heading for the bus home.

Boys get cosy on the bus. It fills up even more than this until we can't see the boys. Freddy gets abit upset as he is touched and prodded by locals and can't see us!

The ferry, again. More  crap floating in the river!

Even busier than before.

Bus no. 4 and we are back in the city.

We decide not to celebrate the day with a Fanny cake 🍰!

PS, reading this back I feel abit bad about my rant. Some people are idiots for sure, but others are just ill educated. At a designated UNESCO biosphere reserve you would expect certain conditions, standards and elements of education.