January 20 and 21 - Phuket, Thailand

So… Patong Beach was kind of a pit… it’s just bar after bar… after bar… makes Burbon Street look like Main Street at Disneyland… not really my thing. A little overwhelming!

The next day I was on an organized tour … a lot tamer :). Highlights of Phuket here is my traveling togs:

Saw the following sites:

• Laem Promthep
• Wat Chai Tharam
• Cashew Factory
• Yet another rubber plantation
• Talat Yai

Some photos from a few of the places. But now I know why cashews are so expensive !!

Elephant shrine at Promthep Cape.. make a wish if it comes true… you need to bring back an elephant… I wonder if the size of the elephant has to do with the size of the wish?

Wat Chai Tharam… Chalong temple.  You place gold leaf squares on the statues for blessings
I thought the flower arrangement was beautiful… and there sure were a lot of buddhas.!

And my favorite part… the fire works …in an ‘urn’… didn’t see any extinguisher around??

The cashew factory…. The first photo is the ‘fruit of the cashew tree’. The nut is the brown thing sticking out… the next photo looks like a contraption that Grandma Rosie may have had… but it it the nut cracker… and the video is of how each nut is shelled (by hand) and that is the first step… then the boil them, then they hand peel them… Now you know why cashews are so expensive.  There was a lovely gift shop :)