Thailand's "Pearl of the South"

Trip Start Jan 10, 2008
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Trip End Apr 22, 2008


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Flag of Thailand  ,
Monday, March 17, 2008

Tall jungled hills with mahogany, bamboo, palm, ficus & rubber trees, stunning beaches, crystal clear warm water, picturesque coconut plantations, rice farms & a shopper's paradise, Phuket (poo-ket) has it all. No wonder it is one of the premier travel destinations in SouthEast Asia. I hope to return here again someday.
Six of us negotiated a minivan for $8. each to tour the island, stopping for 2 hrs. at Patong Beach. This is my last chance to go snorkeling so I chose to spend the time at the beach. Powdery sand with flecks of mica made the beach sparkle. I rented a double chaise lounge with a large umbrella. Vendors strolled by selling trinkets, food, sodas or offering to give you a massage. Most of the (topless) tourists were Europeans escaping their cold winters. Two hrs. went by very fast.
There were no signs of the devastating Tsunami here. The damage was replaced or repaired within a year afterward. Phuket needed the tourism.
We stopped at Phuket City & I bought sundresses for my granddaughters & other souvenirs. We have to check labels carefully everywhere we shop-labels often say "Made in Korea" or "Made in Taiwan". The dress labels said "Made in Thailand". I hope it wasn't referring to the label. I also bought a 6 pack of Singha lager beer. A few of you know I am not a beer drinker but a glass of Singha filled with ice cubes (the custom)....yummy!
We are now cruising across the Indian Ocean. We were supposed to stop at Sri Lanka but because of civil unrest there, we are bypassing the island & continuing around it to Cochin, India where we will arrive Mar. 21st. I will disembark for an overland tour to the Taj Mahal, a dream of my lifetime.
Time onboard is 11:45 am 3/18 & 11:45 pm 3/17 in Calif.
Linda
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