Big Buddha and Monkeys

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Thailand's third largest island, Ko Samui. has been attracting international travelers for less than half a century. Before then, this island in the Gulf of Thailand was noted for its coconut plantations and rubber production. Today, Ko Samui's premier charms are its powdery white beaches, its Buddhist temples or wats, and its crystalline waters.

Temple of the Big Buddha

For our final stop in Thailand, we selected the most popular shore excursion, the Temple of the Big Buddha & Monkey Demonstration. The temple is located on the small, rocky Fan Island. This wat or temple has become a major meditation center for both local residents and foreign visitors. Erected in 1972, the temple's centerpiece is a massive seated Buddha that stands 39-feet high.

Unlike most temples in Thailand, it wasn't necessary to remove our shoes before ascending the staircase to the large Buddha statue.   There is a magnificent 360 degree view of the surrounding area from on top.  After taking some pictures, we headed back down the staircase. 

Since we had two more stops on this tour, we used the restrooms at the temple.  They were like port a potties back home except that they didn't have traditional toilets, but Asian style instead.  As typical in Asia, you need to have your own toilet paper with you.

We had time to browse the local gift stalls before continuing on to Wat Plai Laem.

Wat Plai Laem

Once part of the Temple of the Big Buddha, Wat Plai Laem is home to a superb statue of Kwan Yin or "Guanjin," the 18-armed Buddhist avatar of Mercy.This is a relatively new temple but the art techniques used in its creation are centuries-old and based on ancient beliefs. We especially liked our visit here as it was set on a lake which afforded some great photo opportunities.

Monkey University

After a short drive from the temple, we arrived at a local venue where we watched a demonstration of how monkeys are utilized in the agricultural production on the island. For centuries, monkeys have been trained to harvest the ripe fruit in Samui's coconut plantations. The agile monkeys are able to quickly climb the tall, slender trunks of the coconut palms and pluck the coconuts for their handlers.

We were there with another tour bus. One of the guides assisted in a coconut splitting demonstration. They explained and showed how they harvest the coconut milk and meat.  We had some time to browse their gift store before boarding the motorcoach for the return trip to the ship.

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Wat Phrayai
Wat Plai Laem
Monkey Demonstration

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The Acropolis a Journey Into Antiquity

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 Athens, Greece

The greatest of all archeological sites, the Acropolis dominates the Athenian landscape. Ascend 80 steps, take in the views, and marvel at such glorious monuments as the Parthenon and the Erechtheum.

Propylaea or Propylaia,  the monumental gateway that serves as the entrance to the Acropolis, is now in our sights as we walk along the path from our motorcoach.   We leave the modern world behind us as we enter ancient Greece through that doorway.

The Propylaea survived intact through the Greek, Roman and Byzantine periods. Today the Propylaea has been partly restored, and serves as the main entrance to the Acropolis for the many thousands of tourists who visit the area every year.

Erechtheum

Upon entering the complex, we see the Erechtheum or Erechtheion, an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis. This image shows a general view of the Erechtheion from the southwest, showing the North Porch (at left), the "Olive Tree of Athena" (modern replacement!), and the Caryatid Porch ( "Porch of the Maidens").

One of the caryatids was removed by Lord Elgin in order to decorate his Scottish mansion, and was later sold to the British Museum (along with the pedimental and frieze sculpture taken from the Parthenon).

The Parthenon

is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. It is one of the greatest monuments of ancient civilization and a perfect representation of Doric-style architecture.

The white Pentelic marble temple was built 446 - 437 B.C. and has served as an enduring symbol of ancient Greece.  The Parthenon has survived the passage of time, and its architectural sophistication still impresses all who study it.  A restoration project was begun in 1983 and continues today.  If you are ever in Nashville, TN, you can see a replica which is in pristine condition, unlike the real temple in Athens.

Preservation for the Future

After a century of excavations and improvements of the site, the Acropolis is now a testing ground for the most innovative open-air conservation techniques aimed at safeguarding the marble sections, which have been affected by heavy atmospheric pollution.  UNESCO World Heritage Centre is working to help protect and preserve the world's greatest landmarks.

We could easily have spent the entire day at The Acropolis, but there was much more ahead.  Read about the rest of our day in Athens and view our pictures on our Facebook Fan Page as we continue our  12 Night Greek Isles & Mediterranean cruise on Star Princess.

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




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