We climbed on our bus and visited a couple of Buddhist temples. One of them was the Big Buddha Temple. There were 72 steps to climb to stand next to the statue so I decided to enjoy the big guy from the patio below and browse through some of the shops. I am NOT climbing up 72 stairs in 93 degree weather. Of course, Bob was adventurous and made it to the top for photos. He said it looked the same but he did get a good view of the shoreline behind the statue. Next, we visited a much more elaborate temple, newly built in 2004. Rather than go through the details of the elaborate decorations and adornments of this temple let me just say it was quite lovely. I am hesitant to admit this, but I am a bit "templed out" at this point. I can't begin to count the number of them we have visited on this trip. They are always exceedingly detailed, with beautiful carvings and bright colors. Most of the time there is fresh fruit, flowers and burning incense sitting on an altar. However, at some point I'm more interested in seeing other sites in these countries. The uncomfortable part of our visit to this last temple were the massive number of dogs running around the grounds who belonged to no one. Evidently people on the Island like to buy cute little puppies but get tired of them when they get older so they just let them run wild around the town. There were dogs EVERYWHERE. She told us the people in town do feed some of them, but it's still very sad. Running free they have more puppies and the problem is intensified.
Next, we continued our tour with a lovely drive along the coast. Evidently, these beaches are the nicest ones on the Island, with white powdery sand and beautiful coconut plans for shade. Vendors walk up and down the sand frequently selling cold drinks to the tourists (bet they did a brisk business today)! Since the Island has been opened to tourists since the mid 1980's conditions have changed greatly. Previously there were no paved roads and no large grocery stores or other retailers. There were certainly no fast food chains. Our guide told us there is conflict between the residents and the foreign investors who see Ko Samui as a prime investment due to all the tourists who now visit. There are now dozens of luxury results, restaurants with air conditioning, and a paved road all the way around the Island. She told us that the older residents are upset because the younger generation doesn't want to eat the traditional healthy vegetable and rice diet. Instead, they want a Big Mac and fries although such food is expensive on their budgets. Also, with the influence of the young backpackers and surfers who come here from all over the world, Island young people are not dressing as modestly as in the past. They see young female tourists riding on motor scooters wearing skimpy bikinis and think it's quite cool and sexy so they want to dress the same way - NOT a big hit with the locals who are quite concerned about the changing morality. I'm afraid that the locals are probably fighting a losing battle. There are increasing numbers of tourists, particularly young people who enjoy backpacking and surfing, who visit the Island. Food and lodging are still very inexpensive and the beaches are breathtaking and relatively uncrowded so it makes Ko Samui an attractive destination for many people in neighboring countries.
Our last two stops were quite interesting. We spent some time at an elephant camp where they allow tourists to ride the animals, as well as watch a demonstration of their skills. On one hand, it's fun to see what these animals can learn and the skills they possess. In addition, they are well fed and cared for by their owners/trainers. On the other hand, I wish the environment for the animals were a little more spacious and they had more freedom. They are such magnificent creatures and in some ways it's disturbing to see them being used constantly to take pictures of tourists riding on their backs and impressing everyone with the skills they have learned.
Our final stop today was a working coconut plantation. Ko Samui produces over 3,000,000 coconuts a month. Islanders have a unique way of life and daily work as they harvest the vast amount of coconuts needed for export. On Ko Samui, man and pig-tailed monkeys work together as a skilled team as they pick and collect the coconuts. When monkeys are young they are sent away to a monkey training class on the mainland of Thailand. The class can last for a couple of weeks to a few months, depending on how quickly the monkey learns the skills needed for harvesting coconuts. They are taught to climb the trees, select the coconuts that are ripe, pic them, and throw them down to their human partner waiting below to receive them. While they remain in class, separated from their owner for some length of time they take a piece of their owner's clothing with them so that they will be ready to work with their partner/owner and respond to the commands when they return home. It costs about $350 for each monkey to attend class, but once trained they can pick up to 500 coconuts a day.
I have one story to share that our guide told us. She asked us if we knew what magic mushrooms were. Most of us who were young adults in the 1960's were quite aware of magic mushrooms (a hallucinogen). She said they are found all over the fields on the Island where the water buffalo roam. Islanders dig up the mushrooms, dry them and pound them into a fine white powder. Then, when they welcome special visiting guests into their homes they prepare dishes using the powder which makes everyone relax, laugh and have an enjoyable time. She said the next morning everyone is back to normal - no problem! It was hysterical to listen to this traditional middle aged lady talking about enjoying magic mushrooms and feeding them to guests! She then continued to tell us that today some of the young people on the Island, as well as tourists, use magic mushrooms in the wrong way. Every month, when the moon is full, they sail out to a nearby Island to spend the night and smoke the mushrooms. Of course, she said there is also alcohol and sex. These gatherings are called "full moon parties" and she explained that it was the reason the traffic on the road was so light today. The young people had not yet returned from their Island party!!!
As we made the drive through the countryside to return to the ship I realized that Thailand was one of the rare places we have visited where the scenery I had always imagined actually matched what we found during our visit. The emerald green waters surrounding the Island were clear and calm with a combination of white sandy beaches and rocky shores. The weather was certainly hot and humid and has the effect of slowing down the pace of life to deal with the heat. Humans and animals do not work in the heat of the day. Most of the field work is done in the early evening. Lush green valleys flush with thousands of coconut palm trees are surrounded by beautiful green mountains in which monkeys and other tropical animals run wild. It is an absolutely exotically beautiful place. Although there are certainly new housing developments and some major retailers moving in, there remains a very strong sense of traditional Island life Most of the population is Buddhist and there is a spirit of gentleness and hospitality that emanates from the residents. People meet each other with a greeting of respect and broad smile.
As we tendered back to our ship, anchored offshore about a 30 minute boat ride from the jetty, we enjoyed the slightly cooler weather due to the strong ocean breeze. We passed individual rock Islands jutting up the ocean surface, some with a rocky shoreline and a few with a beautiful and deserted white sandy beach. So thankful we got to spend some time in Thailand. Now it's on to Singapore, which we hear will be a beautiful, clean, but hectic big city. First, though, a restful day at sea to catch up on this blog. We keep looking for the missing Malaysia aircraft as we sail. We are definitely in the area being searched. Feel so bad for the families waiting to hear about their missing loved ones. Can't being to imagine how difficult it must be for them. We'll continue to pray that they are found and are safe.
Interesting place. We have good friends who have 2 teenagers that arrived tonight from Thailand to live here in the US . Kind of like Misha. Looking forward to meeting them. Love the monkey picts.
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