Phuket, Thailand

March 21^st

Phuket, Thailand

We anchored in Patong Bay, which is on the west side of Phuket Island. The island is located south of mainland Thailand which is connected by a bridge. There is no port, so tender in we did. The beachfront town of Patong is crowded with tourists. They have a beautiful white sand beach, but we could barely see any of it through all of the lounge chairs, umbrellas, water sport stalls, food stalls, and anything you can think of stalls lined up on the sand. This is Phuket’s most famous and developed beach, and most of the major hotel chains were represented. Even off the beach, all I could see were bars, restaurants, and stall after stall selling junk. More than 3 million tourists spend their annual holiday here. We were on an all day tour so we did not have a chance to walk through it. I don’t think I wanted to anyway. I am sure this was not a very good first impression of Thailand. We drove to Phuket town which is about 12 miles east of Patong and took about a half hour. The roads are very good here and easy to navigate, but the traffic is heavy at times. We had to drive across the island which took us upland and then down into Phuket town. It was very pretty, with great views of the other beaches. Phuket town is bustling with locals and tourists who live there. It has almost totally recovered from the tsunami of 2004. It even has a ‘western’ section, where stores and shops sell all things western, such as food and clothes. This was something that I never thought of before, but we have certain parts in our US cities named after the majority of the people living in that area, such as Chinatown…why not Westerntown, this was a first for me. Thailand is a Buddhist nation and once a part of the Kingdom of Siam in the 13^th century. Our major stop was the Siam Elephant Safari. It is an ongoing conservation, and protection project for the Thai elephants. Unlike most ship tours, almost the entire excursion fee was going to the camp. We learned about the lifecycle, and the history of the elephants of Thailand. There were some babies, but most were older and wiser. Unlike a zoo where they are confined, this was much like a retirement home for elephants. Instead of killing them they are free to roam the many acres of the camp and give the tourists a ride. This was well regulated. The animals were never prodded, hurt, or under any stress. They chose their own way on the path and they did. Sometimes going into the bushes with all aboard. All of the workers respect these magnificent creatures, and were proud to show what they are doing to protect them. The ride was pretty bumpy and slow, but very peaceful once we got into the rhythm of the movements. I never thought I would ever do something like that, but I am glad I did. It was an amazing experience. We went through a rubber tree plantation, and saw how latex was harvested. Much like sap for maple syrup, but this was snow white and very thick. Did you know that the best quality latex is used for the manufacture of condoms? Well, we were told that fact with a little giggle. We watched how rice was harvested, and how they make their version of curry. Everyone has their own concoction, and personal tastes. Much like our many different versions of spaghetti sauce, but oh so spicy….yum. First time I have ever seen a turmeric root or a bergamot leaf. Sadly the ship was calling and we had to get back on board. I wish I could have spent more time here. The people are friendly, and what little of the island we saw was beautiful. Exploring Thailand away from the throngs of tourists would be ideal, but maybe very primitive. I am sure that there are very nice beaches to snorkel and dive in without the uncontrolled development in some areas. Looking beneath the sunning bodies on the beach this is a very lovely place. And by the way…. A massage on the beach is only $10 for 50 minutes. How can you beat that……on to Sri Lanka.

Shipboard Meanderings…….

The ship is sailing across the Bay of Bengal, round the southern point of India, north up the coast, across the Indian Ocean into the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea to Egypt. This means pirates. As passengers we have already been instructed on what to do in case of an attack. Mostly, just stay away from any windows and open decks and sit down in case the captain has to do a quick maneuver. I was wondering if we were going to have to do anything or if the ship had to prepare. I know that the possibility of attacking a cruise ship is low, but there is always a first for everything and I am glad they are being cautious. First of all we were told that we are going to speed up through these areas. Almost full speed and we have a high freeboard. Because of the speed we will be arriving in Egypt early. We are being tracked by the coalition forces and warships are in the vicinity. I have already seen a few. All of the open decks have extra security walking around 24/7, with binoc’s during the day and night vision devices at night. And all of the lower deck fire hoses are charged and ready. There are also 2 manned long range acoustic devices rigged and ready to go. The only thing I haven’t seen are guns, but I am sure they are around. It will be an interesting week or two.

Patong beachelephant ride