Sidenote: Although a lot of Phuket was devastated by the tsunami in 2004, most of the area we were in had either been completely rebuilt or was not affected at all. There were some buildings near our hotel that were deserted and falling apart but I don't think that was due to the tsunami. What was amazing to think about was just how many buildings and stores and restaurants in Phuket are sitting, literally, right on the beach. We had dinner several nights at restaurants where our table and chairs were sitting in the sand a few meters from the ocean. I can't imagine how quickly that rising water must have completely washed away so many places like these.
A couple days after we arrived, we headed out to ride elephants through the jungle! I was a bit apprehensive because of the idea of cruelty but I like to think that the elephants are treated well. (Or maybe I am just trying to make myself feel better.) Our "driver" was a really nice guy who owned Natalie (our elephant) and actually lived with her right there on the mountainside. She followed his voice commands and was very sweet. Tara, Liam, and I rode her while Matt, Ethan, and Jonah rode another, and Rob and Ella rode on a third. It was very fun and the "drivers" even allowed us to "drive" the elephants, too - so Ethan, Jonah, and I all took turns riding and controlling our elephants. Very exciting. Once we got to the top of the hill, we saw the most amazing view of the ocean, then the elephants headed down for a pretty bumpy ride to the bottom again.
A few days later Matt, Ethan, Jonah, Liam, and I went on a day-long snorkeling trip out to Kai Island. It was about a 25 minute boat ride out to a very small island where we docked for most of the day. The kids had a great time wading in the water and feeding the fish that surrounded them. And Matt and I took turns swimming way far out with Ethan to some really great snorkeling. Ethan is so brave and once we'd get all the way out there, he'd even slip off his life jacket so he could dive really deep with the fish. Really cool. On our boat ride back to Phuket, we stopped for about 30 minutes for an open water snorkel and it was incredible. When we jumped out into the water, the boat drivers started throwing out bread which caused a crazy feeding frenzy among the fish. These fish were so thick around us that you could barely move. You could feel them nipping all over you and they were flipping out of the water every which way. A little scary. Once the fish had enough to eat, we could snorkel and we saw some of the largest fields of coral that we had ever seen in real life! Absolutely beautiful.
One of the mornings, Tara and I woke up very early to bring an "offering" to a local monk. We rode bikes out to a road where the monks make weekly walks to collect offerings along the way. As he walked up, Tara and I had to remove our shoes. Then he pulled out a large urn he was carrying under his robe and Tara and I placed the food and water into the urn. We then bowed down and the monk said a sort of prayer over us wishing us good health. The monk then continued his walk back to the temple. Tara and I then rode our bikes and walked through the grounds of the temple - it was very interesting. We saw several young children studying - it is apparently required that all young boys when they turn eight, to study as a monk. Then they decide later whether or not they will actually become a monk. It was a beautiful morning and a great experience.
Tara and I also took a Thai cooking class which was great! Our chef teacher, Su, took us to a local market and showed us many local fruits and vegetables. Then we came back and she taught us several Thai recipes - including a delicious green curry, an amazing spicy mango salad, and some fried bananas! Delicious! I don't know how we managed to fit so many great experiences into one week and still have time for plenty of relaxing and even a few spa visits! Great fun!
Once we got back to Singapore we had a few days to explore. We visited the Bird Park and ran a short 1.2k race with the kids - they all did a great job running! And we also visited the zoo, Chinatown and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Clarke Quay, and had a few delicious meals. What a great two weeks. :)
