Highlights of Phuket, Thailand

On this Day 119 of our journey, we enjoyed yet another tropical paradise. My excursion of choice consisted of a stop at a very ornate Chinese Temple, a visit to a cashew factory, a visit to a Buddhist Temple, drive to Phromthep Cape with time to explore or shop, and a scenic tour of Phuket town's old Portuguese buildings.

The Island of Phuket is Thailand's largest, is located on the major India/China trade route, was noted in the ships' logs of Portuguese, French, Dutch and English traders for centuries yet was never colonized. Previously its wealth was derived from tin and rubber, but now those revenue streams have been replaced by tourism. According to our "Currents" daily publication, Phuket is world renowned for its beautiful beaches and soft white sand. Dr. Sherry's presentation on Phuket was equally glowing. Except for the breathtaking photos taken at Phromthep Cape, that does not fit the Phuket I saw. My bad. Chose the wrong tour. Win some lose some. I did see enough from that overlook, however, to realize there was much, much more to see and do here than I could accomplish. Another trip perhaps.

My first and lasting impression of Phuket is that while unique in many ways, it has seen better times economically. I did not get the sense of over abundance that I did in the other tropical paradises I've visited. The town as a whole was somewhat in need of a good scrubbing at a minimum or perhaps a thorough facelift. The terrain still spectacular, people still friendly and welcoming, same beautiful tropical climate, rich in history and culture just maybe a little tired. Nevertheless, I am very glad I had the opportunity to visit.

Our beautiful guide demonstrating the size and location of the actual cashew nut.

Our first stop was at the Chalong temple. VERY ornate! Very interesting. Very red. Very different from anything I've ever seen before. Their requirements regarding dress are much less stringent than any of the other temples we've visited as their only requirement is to remove one's shoes and be respectful. No problem. Inside were many elaborate, gold embossed shrines to different gods. Our guide explained each in great detail and with reference. Then it was time to retrieve the correct pair of shoes from the massive heap, don them and be off to the cashew factory. Beside the entrance to the factory was a lone cashew tree on which I spotted a total of five cashews. This reportedly is the only such tree in Thailand. Granted the prime cashew harvesting time has past but that one tree could not possibly keep their two ladies demonstrating the laborious process of peeling cashews busy for an entire year. Maybe they import cashews from the world's largest tree in Brazil? At least here we were able to purchase cashews to our heart's content in various flavors. Score.

The Buddhist Temple

Lighthouse at the cape.

Elephants, elephants and more elephants!

Purchases made, we moved on to a Buddhist Temple. As I had not dressed appropriately for entrance into the temple, I busied myself wondering the grounds taking pictures of the exterior and surrounding structures. At random intervals a huge chunk of firecrackers was thrown into a teepee shaped furnace startling everyone in a five mile radius. Particularly yours truly. Being in the tropics, the weather was typically tropical. Having sweated enough to thoroughly soak my clothing, I decided to return to the bus. First problem, I didn't remember the color of said bus nor the exact parking location. Problem two, I don't speak the same language as all the various drivers guarding their bus. What I did recall was that it was bus #1, so whenever one of the drivers looked at me inquisitively, I held up my index finger indicating bus 1. Ahha, one helpful soul pointed to a nearby bus with a sign in the front window with "#1" prominently displayed in the window. Problem three was revealed when I took a couple of steps onto the bus. This number one was an entirely Chinese tour bus. Oops! I beat a hasty retreat amidst much lively chatter in what I took to be Mandarin and soon found my number one bus. Once the remainder of my group returned, we were off to the aforementioned cape. Awesome, picture postcard quality vistas in every direction high atop a cliff complete with elephant shrine and another beautiful lighthouse. Why is there never anyone on these gorgeous beaches? If only our Texas Gulf Coast beaches were half this beautiful. Another day in yet another tropical paradise. Tough live but someone has to live it.

Today Is Someday! Make the most of it!