100 Buddhas

We had no plan for our stay in Phuket - just relax and recover from fatigue and jet lag. The unexpected whirlwind of activity in Siem Reap made this plan seem especially apt. However, once we survived the arrival we decided to sign up for at least one event at our resort, which was a cultural tour of the Phuket area.

The trip started with Khao Rang, a hill in the middle of town affording views in all directions, including our first glimpse of the Big Buddha, which would be the final stop of the day。

The second stop was a house/museum built in 1903, considered old by our guide. Apparently this region does not have the history of the ancient kingdoms of Asia。The “Sino-Portuguese” structure was designed for a wealthy Chinese banker, whose family still inhabits the place six generations later.

We had a free hour in “Old Phuket” where we lunched in air-conditioned comfort, and then headed for the Buddhist temple complex. Because it is relatively new, its decor is brightly colored and quite ornate - a contrast with the Angkor temples. The exteriors are reminiscent of gingerbread houses.

There were hundreds of Buddhas of all sizes,
mostly gold.

The interiors are lovely, too.

  

 

Finally, we went to the Big Buddha atop a hill south of town. There were lots of elephants and monkeys on the way. The big guy is 45 meters tall, limestone with millions of square tiles over his entire surface.The workers were standing on a stick scaffold.