Many captive gibbons have diseases that prevent them from being re-released, while others have had their teeth cut by former owners to reduce their aggressiveness. Cut teeth mean that a gibbon can never again live in the wild, because it will not be able to eat the fruits it needs to survive in Phuket's forests. Phuket is a warm island and most people here live fairly simply by our standards. Everyone seems to have running water and electricity of some sort, which is definitely not the norm in other parts of Thailand. Most homes are small and are often open to the air, as it's usually warm.
Shops tend to be small markets or open-air general stores.
There are no big supermarkets or department stores like we are used to, except for one or two in the tourist areas. We have had fun here traveling around on scooters, gathering parts and supplies, and learning about the local scene. Marc has learned to speak some Thai, but the rest of us are hopeless what with the unfamiliar alphabet and tonal quality of the language. We've also learned a game that young people play here, and of like hackeysack but using a woven wicker ball the same size as a large grapefruit. Marc and Andrew are big hits on their skateboards around the marina, and they're hoping to get in with the young folk and learn how to play their games.