Ko Samui, Thailand

Back in Thailand! Arrived in Ko Samui this morning. It’s a new port for us so we booked a ship excursion to take us to a coconut plantation and some temples. Ko Samui is an island and popular resort area with a population of about 70,000. Our ship was tendered so we took the tender boat to the island and set off on the tour bus.

The first temple we visited, Wat Khunaram, was macabre. It’s dedicated to a monk who left his family behind when he was 50 to become a monk. He was known for his meditation practice and had many followers. He foresaw his death and when he died he didn’t decompose. He naturally mummified 😲. His remains are in the temple. Quite bizarre.

We then went to visit a coconut plantation to learn about how monkeys picked coconuts in the area in earlier times. It was astonishing to see how the monkeys had learned to pick them. But watching this was disturbing and not something I’d recommend.

The next temples we visited - Wat Phra Yai or "Big Buddha Temple" and Wat Plai Laem - were so extravagant and photogenic. The pictures tell the story. Spectacular.

At the end of the tour, Brad and I opted to stay in town and explore and have lunch. We found a typical restaurant and had delicious cashew chicken. Wandered around after lunch and found a barber so Brad could get his hair trimmed. Cost? About $8.Read more