Ko Samui: Almost Unspoiled Paradise and OUR APOLOGY

NOTE: For anyone who had wondered why we have not done a blog entry since the second week in March, we ask your apology. We had three port days in a row, followed by one sea day before we arrived in Singapore with a port day in Kuala Lampur the next day. Then we had one day to pack for a seven-day overland trip in India from March 16 to March 22 before we arrived back to the ship. Okay, we know that you are not feeling sorry for us. Every adventure has been wonderful, and we are enjoying the trip of a lifetime. Here is our entry on Ko Samui, Thailand. Next, we will do India, followed by Kuala Lampur. We are very sorry and hope you will keep looking for our entries.

Until the late 20th century, Ko Samui, an island off the east coast of Thailand, was an isolated, self-sufficient community that had little connection to the mainland of Thailand and was visited only by backpackers. Ko Samui is the third largest of the islands of Thailand with Phuket, which we visited last year, being the first. The 31-mile Ring Road around the island was constructed in 1973. Today, Ko Samui, with a population of 45,000, lives on a successful tourism industry of 1.2 million tourists annually, as well as exports of coconut and rubber. Most of the tourists come from Thailand because Phuket is too expensive and attracts world class tourists.

We had a half-hour tender ride on one of the ship's tenders. One of the tenders provided by the port was broken so we had to board it first and then go downstairs to board the ship's tender in very rocky waves. When we arrived on the island, rain poured down but stopped shortly after our bus pulled out of the parking lot. On our second day in Thailand, Regale International Travel provided the tours. Our guide, who told us she had both a name and a nickname that no one could pronounce, said to call her Jennifer, like in Jennifer Lopez. She and her driver, Mr. L.A., and busboy, Mr. T.I., had given a tour the day before in Phuket and then crossed Thailand and took a ferry to Ko Samui to greet us.

Jennifer counted two extra people on our tour but everyone said they were on the tour until the one couple realized before we got to the first stop that they were not on the tour with the elephant ride. Sandy, the tour escort from our ship, told them that they could stay on this tour and the Pacific Princess would reimburse them for any difference in cost. But the woman kept complaining that the only reason they had taken the tour was to ride an elephant. Just to demonstrate how accommodating Princess is, the tour guide made a number of cell phone calls, and our bus backtracked to join up with the bus they should have boarded.

The coconut palm trees on the island are harvested twice a year. The residents use every part of the coconut tree: the trunk for housing, the leaves for roofing with the leftover part being used as a broom and the coconut for ingredients in many island delights. If the coconut milk is left overnight, it becomes coconut oil, which is used for cooking and fuel for lanterns. The straw-type material in the coconut shell is used to stuff mattresses while the shell is made into buttons and costume jewelry.

Domesticated monkeys are trained when they are young to harvest coconuts. Monkeys are born color-blind so they learn which coconuts to pick by the textures and the sounds they hear from inside the coconuts because the young coconuts have more water inside them. The first step of the training program is to let the monkeys play with the coconuts and reward them. Then the monkeys learn to spin the coconuts until they come off the branches.

Monkeys can work much faster than human beings because they can jump from tree to tree. A well-trained monkey can pick between 700 and 1,000 coconuts a day while a human being can pick about 200. Their owners treat the monkeys, who live to between 26 and 30, like members of the family. Watching a monkey on a leash harvest coconuts was really fascinating. Seeing all the products made from some part of the coconut tree was amazing.

After a pleasant stop for a soft drink at Rajapruek Samui Resort and a drive past Chaweng Beach, Ko Samui's most popular beach that boasts four miles of powdery white sand and crystalline waters, we stopped at the Plai Laem Temple. which was renovated 15 years ago by a monk who lives on the island. The only way to describe this site is as an Oriental theme park that could be called Buddha World, if it added rides and shows with the concessions and souveniers that are already there. With the Happy Buddha and the multiple colored temple and other structures trimmed with mosaics, it looked like the happiest place in the world. When we entered the temple, we saw a sign that stated, "Please polite dress," so we removed our shoes and ensured our shoulders and knees were covered. In the temple, one of the offerings made to the Buddha was a clock. Jennifer explained that a clock is a luxury item and must have been donated by rich people.

Every holiday in Thailand celebrated the Goddess of the Water. April 13 is Thai New Year when people bring food and offerings to the temple. The people want to keep themselves pure in body and mind with the five major sins being killing, stealing, lying, committing adultery and getting drunk. The second week in March is also the last week of school for the students before the summer vacation that lasts until May 16. It is the year 2,553 in the Thai calendar.

Monks live at the temple complex, and we had the opportunity to speak with one who has committed to being a monk for life. Cats and dogs also occupy the living spaces. If a family in Thailand cannot take care of their animals, the family brings them to the monastery. Because the monks must have their final meal before midday, they have plenty of food to feed the very well-fed animals. Sara wants to make a cat she called Ms. Calico the mascot of the Pacific Princess.

Then we went to visit the Big Buddha, which is a combination temple with multiple steps and shopping mall--very interesting. After climbing the steps to see the Big Buddha that is 13.5 meters high, we purchased a brick for $2 to support the temple and wrote our name on it. Shopping seemed to be very good in the vendors stalls around the Big Buddha but unfortunately, we did not have much time to shop. Ken bought a beautiful cotton shirt that he has enjoyed wearing in the hot weather.

On our trip back to the ship, Jennifer explained to us that the structures that appear to be bird houses are really for the spirits. She also gave us a small mother-of-pearl spoon so we would always be wealthy and have enough to eat and a mother-of pearl turtle pin because families paint turtles red, write the family name on it, carry to the temple and make a wish. The Thai people are so friendly and provide such wonderful service that our travels in Thailand have been wonderful.