Tuesday
We see images of elephants everywhere we go. Statues of elephants, in textile patterns for clothing and bags, on storefronts signs, on the covers of books in bookstore windows, herds of toy elephants at sidewalk vendor stalls…virtually everywhere we look. So when we asked the helpful concierge at our hotel where we could see live elephants in a sanctuary, having heard so much about these elephant retirement parks before coming to Phuket, we were delighted to learn that we could combine two activities in one outing: we could see the famous Big Buddha, then take a bus to visit the elephants. The directions offered were a little vague, partly due to language difficulties, but we set out joyfully in hopes of satisfying our plans.
We got off the bus and looked for signage of some kind (any kind) indicating elephant activity, but this stop was just a typical drop-off point and one either has to know where she is going in advance or be able to find visual clues in the vicinity. We headed for most obvious attraction, which was Wat Chalong – one of the most beloved temples on Phuket Island. The day was already becoming oppressively hot, and the long walkway leading to the temple offered no shade other than the little shops along one side which sell religious relics and articles for devotees such as incense and garlands. With no obvious – or even subtle – clues as to transfer point for an elephant experience (which was really something only Greta longed for) we decided to abandon that idea and make a thorough visit to the temple. We were not disappointed.
An interesting – and extremely loud phenomenon at this place was the regular lighting of huge bunches of firecrackers in a special brick incinerator. Worshippers (or tourists, for the fun of it) would purchase long rolls of firecrackers wrapped in red shiny tissue paper, and a temple attendant would ignite them in the structure. The explosions would go on for a as long as 30 seconds and usually finish with one big BANG!!
We watched a couple of go-around with our fingers stuffed in our ears then hustled off to the main temple grounds to see the architecture and the interior. This really is a splendid palace and something extraordinary. to behold. The second level is a spacious room filled with gilded Buddhas, seated and reclining. Visitors enjoy sitting in front of them in mock poses. The monks are very tolerant of this rather disrespectful behavior, which to us made the place feel more like a theme park than a place of worship. There are signs posted asking that guests “do not hug the Budda”.
The perimeters of each level of this building are painted with scenes from the life of Buddha, all very colorful and seemingly finished quite recently. Most of the green and gold paint has a metallic glint. The top level of the Wat offers excellent views, particularly of the Big Buddha high on the hill 8 km away.
We trekked back to the bus stop through a line of taxis, tuk-tuks and motorcycles, all offering rides to the main attraction up on the hill for a price (ranging from THB 350 (about $10) to THB 700, but opted to head back to town. Standing in the blazing sun waiting, two “busses” passed us without stopping so we resorted to sharing a tuk-tuk with a Korean couple, which was fun, although the shared cost was THB 100 each (~ $8.75), triple the bus fare.
More tales will be posted when possible…We’re having a lot of fun and there is much to tell, but it takes time to put together on the phone. Auto-correct makes us appear illiterate or stupid, so if we don’t catch something we appreciate your amusement at those occurrences. We’ll try to post stories about our
- John Gray Sea Canoe excursion to the Hongs and sea caves,
- Phi Phi Island trip (its beauties and our disappointments),
- The Phuket Elephant Retirement Park adventure,
- Our arrival in Cambodia
Thanks for reading!
Greta and Carlotta
65 Adventurers 