Road Trip: Phuket, Thailand - Part 2

On to the afternoon of our Phuket road trip. We stopped for lunch at a fish restaurant on the coast and then headed up the mountain to see the Big Buddha. For my US readers, the Big Buddha is a bit like the Crazy Horse monument in South Dakota. The construction is all funded by donation and as a result is taking years and years to complete. We then visited a few different overlooks to get some gorgeous views of the island's coast and we topped off our fabulous day with one of the best massages of our lives. More in the photo captions below.

 The view from our table at lunch. The tide was out and I can imagine it would be even more stunning with the water higher.

 On our way to the Big Buddha, we passed this group of monks getting ready to enter the zoo. They're all reaching for drinks here before heading in.

 Gorgeous view from the top of the Big Buddha.

 Along the way were strung hundreds of bells. Our guide said that people hang these to represent a wish. The scarves or ribbons signify that the individual believes an ancestor's spirit inhabits this tree.

 Construction on the Big Buddha is done primarily by Burmese laborers. This kind of work is rarely done by Thai.

 Our guide said this god was covered until the whole project is finished. There will be an unveiling ceremony at that time and the god will be allowed to 'see'.

 Absolutely stunning views of Phuket coastline.

 This is an elephant shrine at the top of one of the lookout points. Our guide explained that the elephants aren't strictly part of Buddhism, but more likely inherited from such close ties with India.

After a bit of hiking and viewing, we headed to Patong Beach for massages (a must when in Thailand). We each had a one hour mixed Thai and Oil massage and it was honestly one of the best I've ever had. Now it's possible that this had something to do with the price tag. For the two of us, our total bill was $23.50. We decided that if we lived in Thailand, we'd get massages a couple of times each week!