26 December 19 - Scenic Cruising, Annular Solar Eclipse

Today we were at sea but we had a special event, an ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE!!
                                          Image result for what is an annular solar eclipse

An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon covers the Sun's center, leaving the Sun's visible outer edges to form a “ring of fire” or annulus around the Moon. The characteristic “ring of fire”. The ring of fire marks the maximum stage of an annular solar eclipse.

It was very exciting as people gathered on deck with special sunglasses provided by Princess to view this event which lasted a few hours.






                    I got a picture with my cute waiter . . . . . . .




                                         

25 December 19 - Christmas At Sea!



Today was Christmas and we are at sea. There were a lot of events all over the ship today and I even got my picture taken with Santa! All the kids got a present from Santa and so many families were dressed in matching Christmas pajamas or sweaters. There was holiday music and carolers, it was a magical place.















           

24 December 19 - Ko Samui, Thailand

Today we arrived in Ko Samui, Thailand’s second largest island, lies in the Gulf of Thailand off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus. It's known for its palm-fringed beaches, coconut groves and dense, mountainous rainforest, plus luxury resorts and posh spas. 











We visited a beautiful temple. . . Wat Phra Yai Ko Fan















We had a fun excursion to an elephant farm and I got to ride an elephant as well as see a monkey demonstration on how they are trained to retrieve coconuts from palm trees.


















When I returned to my cabin I saw we were given a Christmas corsage and a small Christmas stocking filled with candies.




23 December 19 - Bangkok, Thailand


Today we arrived in the port of Laem Chabang, Thailand which is 2.5 hours from Bangkok.

Bangkok is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand, and has a population of over eight million, or 12.6 percent of the country's population.



Bangkok traces its roots to a small trading post during the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 15th century, which eventually grew and became the site of two capital cities: Thonburi in 1768 and Rattanakosin in 1782. Bangkok was at the heart of the modernization of Siam, later renamed Thailand, during the late-19th century, as the country faced pressures from the West. The city was at the centre of Thailand's political struggles throughout the 20th century, as the country abolished absolute monarchy, adopted constitutional rule, and underwent numerous coups and several uprisings. The city grew rapidly during the 1960s through the 1980s and now exerts a significant impact on Thailand's politics, economy, education, media and modern society.

We got a late start leaving for the city but I still managed to get in some interesting shots.




















I even went on a Tuk-Tuk...lol...