THAILAND-PHUKET/BANGKOK-10/0223 THRU 0303

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TUESDAY 0223:
I went back on the speedboat to the southern islands and I have to say they were all breathtking. Ko Phi Phi, to Bamboo Island, to Monkey island with all he Gibbon monkeys, to Maya beach where the movie The Beach was filmed, to swimming in the teal colored lagoons, to he limestone caves, and the snorkeling in the coral reefs...The whole day was such a delight, tiring, but a delight...I made the grave mistake of forgetting to put the battery back in my camera, so I bought a under water camera, and it worked to my benefit to take pictures of the coral reef...I will have to upload them later...
The whole thing has been an emotional journey for me as well...I can not believe I am in this beautiful paradise...I keep thinking about my path to this point...
Wednesday 0224:
Pearl in the morning, resting , and visiting Patong, Kata, and Karon beaches in the evening...Today I really helped Thailand tourism...But what the hell you only live once and even if you do not enjoy when you can...No buyers remorse...
I visited the Phuket Pearly Company, where they have their own pearl farms...They even educate you on how the fresh water and sea water pearls are made...Similar to diamonds, pearls have grades and qualities, and there are ways of checking to see if they are real pearls or not...Anywho it was quite educational...
In the evening drove to the Kata, Karon, and Patong beaches...Kata Noi beach is actually a beautiful beach, Karon and especially Patong are on a different league...if you are really intersted to know my views on Patong, you can send me a message to give you my private point of view...
Remember Thailand is very big on tourism...

Back to Bangkok: Wednesday 0303:
Today I am heading to the island of Penang in Northwest Malaysia...I have not written for a few days...But in short I left Phuket Friday and returned to BKK...The weekend was nice and relaxing, spent with my cousin and her husband...Monday I hired a taxi and visited the old and beautiful city of Ayathuya. Ayathuya predates BKK and was the capitol of Siam before it was ransaked by the Burmese in the 18th century. It holds several complex of temples, which are quite magnificant...Monday was a Bhuddist holiday, commomerating the birth of the Bhuddah, so a couple of the temples were busy with worshippers paying hommage. Tuesday I visited the Royal Barge museum, which is a small but very delightful museum. The way to get to the museum is quite the journey from pier 12 along the Chaya Phryar river...You have to go through an old neighborhood with small houses and very narrow alleys edged by the canals...In the evenings I met up with my childhood friend Ali who graciously showed me several areas in BKK with its intense nightlife...It is a city that truly does not sleep from the Shukhumvit area to the Khao San Area, there is life, food, music, color, people, till the wee hours of the morning...I love BKK...I leave today feeling already nostalgic for its whim and beat...I really hope I return...
I will add the pictures later...
Talk to you later from Penang...
m

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Photos

Photo 3
PLASTERING GOLD LEAF AT THE FOOD OF THE RECLINED BHUDDA

Photo 11
I REALIZED MY INTEREST IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD OF THE BHUDDA...THE DETAILS...

Photo 15
IN THE KHMER STYLE