Ko Samui, Thailand

Ko Samui is actually a small island in southern Thailand. I was able to go on another tour today, which I really enjoyed. We had two leisurely stops at two different temples to admire the architecture and culture there. One temple was outdoor, and you climbed up steps toward a huge Buddah image - the place is literally called "Big Buddah Temple". Next we went to a complex of temples that our guide informed us were more Chinese in style, and they were stunning. They has been built on the fringes of a lake, and the setting was really beautiful. In both places we had a lot of time to wander and take photos of everything, it wasn't rushed at all.

The highlight of the tour was a visit to a coconut plantation, coconuts and their products being the main export in Ko Samui. At the plantation we observed a demonstration of coconut picking - by trained monkeys! Each monkey takes 5 months to train, at the end of which they scurry up the trees, take the coconut in their hands and/or feet, and spin it around until it comes loose from the stem and falls to the ground below. It was fun to watch!

When the tour was over, I took a little time to walk around the port area and explore a little bit. At my guide's recommendation, I went to a certain restaurant in town for lunch. It was wonderful food! I had pad thai with tofu, and some fried rice with pineapple and raisins in it. And a mango drink that was to die for. I was told that the time for mangoes is only 2 months of the year, March being one of them, and that they just don't taste as good other times of year. I can definitely vouch for this smoothie being amazing, and I really enjoyed eating the couple of mangoes that I bought in a market. They really do taste great when they are fresh, local, and in season! Yum.

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Bangkok, Thailand

For anyone who might be wondering, I've skipped blogging about our stops in Vietnam, since I didn't actually get a chance to go ashore. In Chan May, heavy fog prevented us from docking at all, so the day became a sea day. In Phu My, the port for Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon), I had port manning, so stayed on board and had a rather productive day instead. Cleaning and laundry, etc.

So now on to Thailand! Yes, I have been to Bangkok before a couple of times, but that didn't stop me from hopping on another tour since I had the time. We docked in Laem Chabang, which is about a 2 hour drive to Bangkok, Thailand's capital. My tour was called "Highlights of Bangkok", and was a little less heavy walking that the others, and saw some different places. We visited a couple of beautiful temples, and a Pavilion and grounds of the cremation and burial for Thai royalty. We had a lovely lunch at the Siam City Hotel, and did some shopping as well. I got to see a few things I hadn't seen before. Unfortunately, something was amiss with my bus, and we had to switch it out and wait for another one. We were back to the ship an hour and 15 minutes late, and I missed my rehearsal. Luckily my boss was very understanding, and the rehearsal was only a run of one of the 15 minute cast bumpers that kicked off the show. This particular one is a tribute to Swing music, and I must admit that I absolutely love it. Love the music, love the dancing, even get chills a couple times during it. It is definitely my favorite thing that we back up the cast on. I really play my heart out on it.
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