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(Actual posting of this blog is Monday, January 18, 2016 @ 7:00 AM . We are on the second day at sea out of Phuket, Thailand and over half way to Chennai, India. The following script was our visit to Phuket, Thailand.) The Phuket, Thailand, experience by Nelly:

Saturday, January 16, 2016, was an early rise and shine day. We had to shine since it was a cloudy day. However, it was plenty humid so sweating wasn't an option for me. Good thing the Phuket tour bus was air-conditioned. The town of Phuket is situated on the southeast side of the big island of Phuket, which belongs to Thailand. We took a 1 ½ hour tour ride from the south of the island to the North end of it. We crossed the Thao Thep Krasattri Bridge to our destination: the Phang Nga Bay National Park. This ride was far from boring. On the way to the park we saw the city, the country side, the pineapple groves and plenty of rubber tree plantations. In parts, it was a tropical jungle. We also saw very plain housing built with an array of materials and in the contrast, opulent villas fenced in with ornate ironwork . We passed some beautiful temples, and our over enthusiastic tour guide, with the nickname of VIP, informed us about anything, everything and things you really didn’t need to know. For example, Thai boys who are now girls.



By 10 am we got off the bus at the Phang Nga Bay and boarded, if you can called it that, our 30 passenger long boat. First, in order to reach it, we had to climb down a long wooden, steep chicken ladder to a floating wooden dock. Now picture this, 30 senior citizens trying to board this typical Thai boat. There was no way you could do that in an elegant manner. You saw everything from climbing to rolling over the edge of the boat. There were also some helping hands from the tour guide and the captain of the boat, while another man held the boat by a rope close to the floating pier. That was quite an undertaking, but everyone got in the boat with dry clothes. Then off we went, but not into the sunset. We sailed for a 90 minute tour around the bay with the motor cruiser. At least we didn’t have to row. Right away we saw all those different limestone formations that jut vertical out of the emerald green water. That was absolutely spectacular. The highlight was to circumnavigate the Khao Ping Gun Island, also known as the James Bond Island. As you might know, the Khao Ping Gun Island was the setting of the final scene from the film "The Man with the Golden Gun" with Roger Moore . We also had a perfect photo opportunity as we cruised by Koh Tapu, a.k.a. “Nail Island”.   A collision with another boat, which tried to beat us to the island, made this tour rather interesting. We didn’t need to know the language, but we could tell that our captain wasn’t too happy about the incident or the other boat’s captain. This bay is huge, but the heavy boat traffic is another story. At one time our captain even raced with another tour boat, trying to beat him to the Koh Panyi Island, which was our next and only stop on this boat tour. This island is home to about 250 people. It is a traditional Muslim fishing village built on stilts over the waters of Phang-Nga Bay with an elaborate Mosque. Of course that meant again rolling off the boat onto a floating dock and up a wooden chicken ladder. We went through the crowded maze of the market place. Wow! The sights, the smells and the colors that met us was once in a life time experience. The smell stays with you the most. After an hour on this stilt island and safely back in the boat, we made our way back to the starting point, where we were invited to a typical Thai lunch . That was great food and even Jim was able to eat it. After our tummies were all filled up, we took the ride back to the pier.



Never mind taking a little siesta, all of a sudden right behind and below my seat was this POW!!! noise, almost like an explosion. Needless to say that made us all very alert and we all stared at each other with big cow eyes and raised eyebrows. Quickly, the driver pulled over and saw that we had a blow out on the right rear tire. It seems on this trip the darnest stuff is happening. Well, we drove slowly down the highway with a clunkedy, clunkedy noise until we were dropped off at a pre-planned tourist spot/trap:  “The World’s Biggest Gems Gallery”. After 45 minutes, we were picked up by the same bus, now with a brand new tire. We made it all the way to the pier without any further incident, just in time at 5:15pm, because we had to be on board by 5:30 pm in order to sail, this time literally, toward India.



That meant also no time to send the blog and no time to upload any pictures.  Since it is difficult to send pics while on the high sea, we will send them at a later date. Let me warn you, there will be plenty.



After two days at sea, our next adventure will be Chennai, India, on Tuesday, the 19th of January . I bet there will be plenty to report from there. I just hope I will be spared from the snake charmers. It is known and we have been warned, that some Indians just drop out of nowhere and place a basket with a cobra in front of you, thinking that they are pleasing the tourist by their magic of their flute playing. I will make sure I am wearing my running shoes.



More later from somewhere in southeast India.







Sun Princess Stats:

Passenger capacity         2,272 (1,984 passengers on board)

  (Majority (90% +) of passengers are Australians; We have met one other couple from Albuquerque, New Mexico)

Crew                                     924

Maiden voyage                December 2, 1995

Length                               32.25 m (105 feet)

Tonnage                            77,441