Picto Diary - 20 December 2023 - Phuket

Above: Promthep Cape. Phuket, Thailand. 20 December 2023.

Elephant observes golden animal statues. I always wear a baseball cap when traveling abroad because I don't want to be mistaken for a Canadian.

We enjoyed our day of touring in Phuket. Sites seen today were first time for us. Previous cruise stops have taken us to elephant parks for elephant rides and to pearl stores.

Above: Big Buddah, Phuket Thailand. 20 December 2023.

Big Buddah and unidentified statue on right. The statue is 150 feet in height. Get perspective by observing the people at the lower right-hand corner of the statue. Big Buddah was completed only twenty years ago. Big Buddah has concrete innards with the outside being layered in polished four-inch square, quarter inch thick, marble plates from a Myanmar quarry. Our guide said that most of the workers on this project come from Myanmar. The cost of the statue was raised from private donations. There is no shortage of new religious edifices and monuments going up in the world. The magnificent Sheikh al Zayyad Mosque in Abu Dhabi is one that comes to mind. The Mormons are putting up quite a lot of temples around the world. Seemingly paradoxically, Russia builds more Christian churches today than any other country.

Above: Chaithararam Temple Complex. Phuket, Thailand. 20 December 2023.

Orchid. At right, unidentified flower hanging from tree.

Above: Chaithararam Temple Complex. Phuket, Thailand. 20 December 2023.

Above: Sam, Shana and Hilary at Dee's gravesite. Provo, UT. 20 December 2023.

Brother Dee's birthday. During our adult lives Dee and I rarely missed calling one another on our respective birthdays. I couldn't call Dee this year, but I sent a "happy birthday, Dee" note to Shana and got this image in return.

Above: Dee Taylor. 20 December 1948 to 20 February 2023.

Happy Birthday!

Addendum:

Steve,

Don’t mean to pry; curious. In the past, my Mormon co-workers shunned coffee but liked Coca-Cola. Is coffee still off the list?

“I enjoyed a cup of the coffee prepared by the fellow in the image.”

I wonder if the longer the arm, the better the coffee.

Welcome back,

Panama,
Los Angeles, CA

Coffee verboten for Mormons in good standing.

I agree with you travel is key to knowledge of the world.

Bridge,
Palm Beach, FL

Wow!
Such illustrious writing. Thank you Steve .

Brand Man,
Ventura, CA