Phuket, Thailand
December 15-19, 2014
We had great winds sailing from Ko Phi Phi to Phuket.
And then it was time to pack our bags, go ashore, and say goodbye to our new friend Captain.
We would all be going our separate ways…Captain to decide upon his Thailand plan, some of us to climb and some of us to head off to northern Thailand.
We loved Phuket Town.
A common sight was photographers with huge cameras and Russian women striking poses amidst the columns of the coloured buildings.
Night time of course, held its own special magic.
Our favourite street under lights.
Our farewell dinner In Old Phuket Town.
This man sold what we liked to call "happiness in a glass" right outside of our guest house. It was iced cocoa. The recipe…Dutch cocoa, sweetened condensed milk, milk and ice blended into a yummy concoction that we truly would have sometimes three times a day. For how much…20baht a cup, about 40 cents.
Waiting in anticipation of that chocolatey goodness. We had these drinks in other places but none could compare to this particular stand. We think he truly had the best cocoa. Remember the price…check at the size of the cups…the big white ones in front of Jim.
We visited the Big Buddha, a dream funded solely by donations, and still under construction.
The statue of Lord Buddha is 45 metres high and 25 metres across. The body is layered with white Burmese marvel that shines in the sun. It is regarded as a natural symbol of hope.
A smaller Buddha image, 12 metres high, is made of 22 tons of brass.
We listened to the monks chant.
We received a monk's blessing.
We passed elephants,
on the side of the road,
and had beautiful sunsets.
We rode to Patong...
to the night market...
and the streets all lit in neon lights and music…
and entertainment of all kinds.
We visited the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project.
We met volunteers crazy excited about the work they were doing there.
Our little friend here is stuffed. The gibbons at the sanctuary are not allowed to interact with humans. We are allowed to observe them from afar so that they will eventually be reintroduced into the wild, once they establish a family unit.
(For those with keen eyes, you will see my Buddha blessing bracelet on my wrist.)
Jim and I adopted a young female gibbon. Our money will help to support her at the sanctuary for one year. We chose her in hopes that she would find a mate, they would start a family, and be set free to begin living in the forest.
A rubber plantation.
Rubber was once a big crop, but died down due to the introduction of synthetic products. With the high price of petroleum, it has begun a resurgence. Natural areas, like the home of the gibbons, have been cut to plant rubber trees, along with the oil palm tree. Humans are historically guilty of thinking about today without the consideration of how those decisions will affect tomorrow.
Our guest house in Phuket.
It was one of our favourites during our time away.
From Phuket we invested many dive opportunities. Without needing much convincing, the four of us decided we would jump on a live-aboard dive trip and visit the highly acclaimed Similan Islands.
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