Traveling Tolins 2

Clad in lush jungles and skirted by endless sand shores, Phuket is Thailand’s original island resort. Often called the “Pearl of the Andaman Sea,” Phuket was a major stop on medieval trade routes.  The Thai island was long a major stop on trade routes between India and China, often mentioned in ship logs of European sailors.  Around 1545, one Portuguese explorer called the island Junk Ceylon, and the name stuck for decades.  Later, the French, Dutch, and English competed for the island’s tin trade.  The French East India Company won, following which the French played a major role in local politics until they were expelled in 1688.  Today, old Sino-Portuguese shop-houses and monuments to Buddha dot the island. Views from our cruise ship upon our arrival at Phuket; Phuket is an island off the west coast of Thailand. On our way for the day's shore excursion via bus. Wat Chalong, Phuket’s largest and most sacred temple.  Inside its tall spire lies a