Puhket. Previously the only city in Thailand I had heard of was Bancock. I am truly impressed by this spectacular town. To be fair, with its deep water port, Puhket has been built up to accommodate tourists and sailors, and all the business they bring…. And yes, I did briefly rub against the less legitimate side of the town, from the offer of ocean jet skis (clearly marked UNINSURED,) to the offer of dance shows and recreational substances. That said, I really did not have time for these pursuits or patience for the risk that these activities bring.
We also learned about the great tsunami five years previous. Our guide explained how he survived the spectacular wall of water. He was startled when the ocean receded. And it receded far. Fish were exposed on the ocean bed, unable to swim as fast as the receding water. Some people were excited about the free and easy food, and they went into the ocean bed, to collect these fish. Knowing that the tide does not go out that far, and even if it did it was not time for low tide, our guide urged those around him to leave, and he fled for higher ground. Shortly thereafter three large waves engulfed the beach areas of the small island. The greatest wave crested at 12 meters (about 36 feet) preceded and followed by large waves. On the at fateful December 26th, hundreds of people died in the very beach communities we visited.
In the areas we visited, it is impossible to tell that a few short years prior they had been devastated. Our guide explained that aid flooded in from the world. Amreicans and Canadians and Germans and British and the people of many other lands donated money, materials and time to reconstruct this special place. The areas we saw were superb for their function.
It is apparent, that some unrest continues to linger, possibly fueled by the damage from the tsunami. I had an interest in visiting a tsunami memorial on one of the northwestern beaches, but this was not possible. Apparently, there had been recent rioting and so our driver was unwilling to go that vicinity. He would allow us to walk past the police barricade if it was that important to us, but it was not.
Puhket proper is overseen by a protector. Like Rio de Genero with the statue of Jesus looking over the city, Puhket has a large marble Budha, atop a hill sitting cross legged upon a lotus flower (the flower is yet incomplete, needing donations to finish the marble work.) To my delight, a geocache was located nearby and so I bagged my first international cache. I think Shreeyash was less than impressed, and our guide was confused why I was climbing out of the van and into the woods at a random stretch of road up to the big Budha.
We could have had lunch on the ship. But why? If I only have one day in Thailand (and I do!) I want to eat some authentic Thai foods! In the end we selected a restaurant with a secluded garden. Shreeyash and I shared the water from a green coconut. For my lunch I had Pad Tai, Shreeyash had he had Thai green curry. All together delightful.
We also learned about the great tsunami five years previous. Our guide explained how he survived the spectacular wall of water. He was startled when the ocean receded. And it receded far. Fish were exposed on the ocean bed, unable to swim as fast as the receding water. Some people were excited about the free and easy food, and they went into the ocean bed, to collect these fish. Knowing that the tide does not go out that far, and even if it did it was not time for low tide, our guide urged those around him to leave, and he fled for higher ground. Shortly thereafter three large waves engulfed the beach areas of the small island. The greatest wave crested at 12 meters (about 36 feet) preceded and followed by large waves. On the at fateful December 26th, hundreds of people died in the very beach communities we visited.
In the areas we visited, it is impossible to tell that a few short years prior they had been devastated. Our guide explained that aid flooded in from the world. Amreicans and Canadians and Germans and British and the people of many other lands donated money, materials and time to reconstruct this special place. The areas we saw were superb for their function.
It is apparent, that some unrest continues to linger, possibly fueled by the damage from the tsunami. I had an interest in visiting a tsunami memorial on one of the northwestern beaches, but this was not possible. Apparently, there had been recent rioting and so our driver was unwilling to go that vicinity. He would allow us to walk past the police barricade if it was that important to us, but it was not.
Puhket proper is overseen by a protector. Like Rio de Genero with the statue of Jesus looking over the city, Puhket has a large marble Budha, atop a hill sitting cross legged upon a lotus flower (the flower is yet incomplete, needing donations to finish the marble work.) To my delight, a geocache was located nearby and so I bagged my first international cache. I think Shreeyash was less than impressed, and our guide was confused why I was climbing out of the van and into the woods at a random stretch of road up to the big Budha.
We could have had lunch on the ship. But why? If I only have one day in Thailand (and I do!) I want to eat some authentic Thai foods! In the end we selected a restaurant with a secluded garden. Shreeyash and I shared the water from a green coconut. For my lunch I had Pad Tai, Shreeyash had he had Thai green curry. All together delightful.
Our guide also took us to an interesting cashew factory. I will upload a picture of the cashew fruit on the tree. I had never known that there was a useful fruit associated with cashew. Very interesting, and I will never eat a cashew quite with quite the same casualness.
After some shopping at a Thai discount keepsake store where I purchased several wood statues, I received a massage and we returned to the ship.
As night fell, gathering thunder clouds and the occasional flash suggested storm at sea. We get underway tonight. Another adventure awaits.
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