My first visit to South East Asia was in 2011 - to Vietnam and then Thailand, and like most tourists, specifically Bangkok and Phuket. I went back home to Cape Town totally smitten with South East Asia.and with every intention of returning and exploring more of SE Asia sometime in the near future. And then somehow within the next year, Thailand became my new "home" destination. In a very short space of time I had packed up my old kit bag, sadly said goodbye to family and friends, and was soon boarding my Emirates flight from Cape Town International airport via Dubai and Bangkok to Koh Samui.
Samui airport is the smallest and cutest airport I've seen, with one carousel and a small airport building where a variety of Thai pre-paid sim cards are available for purchase, and taxis are patiently waiting for a fare. I took the taxi and along the drive I was drinking in everything I saw until we arrived at the first of my accomodations - this one for 5 days and which I had booked blindly over the internet. Of course what you see is never what you get but nonetheless I was soon seated in a simple but lovely guesthouse in Koh Samui close to Wat Chaweng. Pen's guesthouse is little off the beaten track of Chaweng Beach and the holiday makers, and is owned and run by Pen, and her lovely daughter. Pen's is within a pleasant walking distance from the Tesco Store - on a cool day. Failing that songtaews are all over the place offering a cheap and reliable transport service around the island.
The first sight of Pen's Guesthouse is a little confusing, as the reception area is also a shop selling everything from petrol to toilet paper and food. Pen is also the cook, and has a very large menu which seems to keep her tirelessly cooking and feeding the many guests, visitors and locals. It's a true treat watching Pen at work, totally un-phased by the amount and frequency of the meals ordered.
Pen had offered me the use of her motorcycle for the duration of my stay, but since I would only be staying for a few days I opted to make use of songtaews and motorcycle taxis to get around and explore some of what Koh Samui has to offer. These guys are used to tourists, and for a price they do take you to all the tourist hot-spots. Koh Samui is extremely hot, so the next morning after breakfast, I figured a waterfall would be a good place to start my sight-seeing expeditions. A short walk to the main road, onto a songtaew and I was off, heading towards Lamai area where my choice of one of the many waterfalls is located. Needless to say I was dropped off at the entrance, and then had to walk the 2 or 3 kms to the waterfall. Note to self, I should have accepted Pen's offer of the motorcycle.
Along the scenic roadway that meandered towards the waterfall I passed a quaint little house, and was soon greeted by a little old lady who offered me fruit and berries from her garden. Being a little sceptical about eating anything unfamiliar, I hesitated at first but then accepted and enjoyed the fruit and a short conversation with this delightful lady. After promising to stop off again on my way back from the waterfall, I wondered off in search of a well deserved Singha beer. I frollicked around in the cool water, had a snack and another beer, and before I knew it, it was hours later and time for me to head back along the pathway, pay my respects to my friend along the way, and head back to the familiarity of Pen's Guesthouse armed with my gift of a packet of fruit and a few flowers.
First mission accomplished.
The next couple of weeks saw me accomplish many more sight-seeing missions. I didn't intentionally go anywhere, I quite simply just went somewhere. I got lost but was never lost, I experienced a tourist kind of lifestyle, and then the more peaceful and satisfying Thai kind of lifestyle. I didn't have to remind myself that I was no longer a tourist, it came naturally. Going shopping at the Tesco-Lotus stores, Makro or Big C for daily essentials and foods that I would cook at home soon had me out of the tourist mojo and into the reality of living in this country. After my short and very pleasant stay at Pen's I moved to Mae Nam, and that was probably when the transition happened for me.
Living in Koh Samui was a treat, so many things to do and see, and although I'd settled into a more domesticated mind-set, I continued to explore and discover people, places and things at leisure. After all, there was no need to cram anything into an intinerary. There was never a shortage of food vendors and restaurants, beaches, bars, souvenier shops, fake brand name clothing and accessories if I was interested - I wasn't.
I cannot begin to remember how many temples I visited or how many waterfalls I discovered en route to somewhere. The beauty of having your own form of transport is that it allows you the freedom to stop and see, ride and discover hidden treasures, and explore at your leisure. I estimate that I explored Samui on a day trip at least a couple of dozen times. It's a smallish island so the round trip is very do-able in a day. The usual route would take me from Mae Nam, via Chaweng to Lamai. The trip from Lamai to Nathon is probably the least interesting, with Nathon being the main sea-port and a more industrial type of area. It's not without its own share of attractions, but certainly my least favorite place on the island. A 20 km winding trip over the pot-holed mountain road gets you back to Mae Nam.
Anyone who has spent a Songkran festival in Thailand will know that it is in April, the hottest time of the year - considered summer. I know now that it's never anything but hot here, but at the time I presumed that there would be a time of the year when it got cold. I was wrong.
Songrang is the Thai New Year, and is celebrated with a water festival (Songkran). The Thai people like to say "we play Songkran", and I can understand why. It is the official summer holiday for schools and universities, the festival is celebrated over a period of 4 or 5 national holidays - usually from the 12th to 16th or 17th of April. Children of all ages literally play with water for 4 to 6 days. Trucks are loaded with containers of water, plastic swimming pools for the little people are everywhere, water guns are the hottest selling item, and everyone has at least 2. From early morning to evening, people spray and squirt and throw water at anyone and everyone. People sing and dance in the streets amidst one soaking after the other. Loud processions fill the streets demarcated for pedestrians (revellers) only, local beers and local blends of whiskey / brandy flow almost as quickly as the water does, faces are painted with chalk and no one is spared a soaking - foreigner or local - you get soaked. Any vessel that can contain water is used for this very delightful celebration.
I had stupidly and unsuspectingly ventured out on my motorcyle along with my bag, cell phones and cameras at my feet. After the first drenching I realised I'd have to lose some of the luggage, but I was far enough away from home to endure a dozen more soakings before I made it back to Mae Nam. The main road was chaos, and although I was enjoying the celebration, I'd had about enough of being soaked. My cell phones were rendered trash items by this time, but luckily my camera survived. So it was, without further ado, that I settled at my "dry haven" restaurant, ordered food and beer, and watched the chaos around me. It's a common sight for 3 people to be occupying one motorcycle, but on Songkran it isn't unusual to see 5 or 6 bodies occupying one motorcycle. I noticed that some of the bodies were merely on board to prop up other bodies who had fallen victim to over indulgence, and were hanging limply between the props. While there is a police presence, it certainly isn't for any drinking offences. So it was that I spent my first Songkran, amid the fun and frivolity, in relative comfort until almost nightfall.
Mae Nam - Songkran 2012
The day after Songkran was the day I got my Lotus flower tattoo. I'd scouted around for a good artist for a few weeks, found him, booked him, and then sat through the 5 hours that it took to complete the masterpiece. There were a few smoke breaks and a couple of glasses of wine involved in the process. Alongside the tattoo I had the word "serenity" written in Thai - significant in so many ways.
Work in progress
and
2 days later
Samui airport is the smallest and cutest airport I've seen, with one carousel and a small airport building where a variety of Thai pre-paid sim cards are available for purchase, and taxis are patiently waiting for a fare. I took the taxi and along the drive I was drinking in everything I saw until we arrived at the first of my accomodations - this one for 5 days and which I had booked blindly over the internet. Of course what you see is never what you get but nonetheless I was soon seated in a simple but lovely guesthouse in Koh Samui close to Wat Chaweng. Pen's guesthouse is little off the beaten track of Chaweng Beach and the holiday makers, and is owned and run by Pen, and her lovely daughter. Pen's is within a pleasant walking distance from the Tesco Store - on a cool day. Failing that songtaews are all over the place offering a cheap and reliable transport service around the island.
 |
| Petrol pitstop at Pen's |
 |
| Pen |
 |
| Local fresh fruit vendor |
Pen had offered me the use of her motorcycle for the duration of my stay, but since I would only be staying for a few days I opted to make use of songtaews and motorcycle taxis to get around and explore some of what Koh Samui has to offer. These guys are used to tourists, and for a price they do take you to all the tourist hot-spots. Koh Samui is extremely hot, so the next morning after breakfast, I figured a waterfall would be a good place to start my sight-seeing expeditions. A short walk to the main road, onto a songtaew and I was off, heading towards Lamai area where my choice of one of the many waterfalls is located. Needless to say I was dropped off at the entrance, and then had to walk the 2 or 3 kms to the waterfall. Note to self, I should have accepted Pen's offer of the motorcycle.
Along the scenic roadway that meandered towards the waterfall I passed a quaint little house, and was soon greeted by a little old lady who offered me fruit and berries from her garden. Being a little sceptical about eating anything unfamiliar, I hesitated at first but then accepted and enjoyed the fruit and a short conversation with this delightful lady. After promising to stop off again on my way back from the waterfall, I wondered off in search of a well deserved Singha beer. I frollicked around in the cool water, had a snack and another beer, and before I knew it, it was hours later and time for me to head back along the pathway, pay my respects to my friend along the way, and head back to the familiarity of Pen's Guesthouse armed with my gift of a packet of fruit and a few flowers.
First mission accomplished.
The next couple of weeks saw me accomplish many more sight-seeing missions. I didn't intentionally go anywhere, I quite simply just went somewhere. I got lost but was never lost, I experienced a tourist kind of lifestyle, and then the more peaceful and satisfying Thai kind of lifestyle. I didn't have to remind myself that I was no longer a tourist, it came naturally. Going shopping at the Tesco-Lotus stores, Makro or Big C for daily essentials and foods that I would cook at home soon had me out of the tourist mojo and into the reality of living in this country. After my short and very pleasant stay at Pen's I moved to Mae Nam, and that was probably when the transition happened for me.
Living in Koh Samui was a treat, so many things to do and see, and although I'd settled into a more domesticated mind-set, I continued to explore and discover people, places and things at leisure. After all, there was no need to cram anything into an intinerary. There was never a shortage of food vendors and restaurants, beaches, bars, souvenier shops, fake brand name clothing and accessories if I was interested - I wasn't.
So it was, when I moved from Pen's I made a lovely 2 bedroomed Thai-style cottage my home. It was situated in Mae Nam, about 15kms from the popular Chaweng area. I had the best of both worlds in my cottage which was in a tropical forest area, but also only 1 km from the Mae Nam beach. I rented a motorcycle when I moved to Mae Nam, and explored various parts of the island daily. It wasn't unusual to see me scooting over the mountain to Lamai discovering restaurants and galleries and places of interest as I journeyed along. The daily tropical storms didn't deter me, and I usually found a scenic spot that sold beer or semi decent wine, and waited for the storm to pass. I didn't escape all the storms, and sometimes negotiated my way home in zero visibility conditions. The gods were with me, and I always arrived home safely.
Living in Mae Nam was peaceful, beautiful and very convenient. Thursday evenings would find me strolling around the street market around Mae Nam beach. Food and drink - mostly cocktails at 60TB each - were the order of Thursday evenings. A few Long Island Iced Teas later, and I would venture to my usual restaurant for dinner whilst watching the activity on the main road to Chaweng (south) and Nathon (north). Again, a simple and inexpensive restaurant with lovely owners and delicious food, who soon got to know me very well, and usually had a beer open and waiting for me before I had parked my motorcycle outside their entrance. I spent many happy hours there watching the world go by, and it later became my "dry" haven during the Songkran festival.
Anyone who has spent a Songkran festival in Thailand will know that it is in April, the hottest time of the year - considered summer. I know now that it's never anything but hot here, but at the time I presumed that there would be a time of the year when it got cold. I was wrong.
Songrang is the Thai New Year, and is celebrated with a water festival (Songkran). The Thai people like to say "we play Songkran", and I can understand why. It is the official summer holiday for schools and universities, the festival is celebrated over a period of 4 or 5 national holidays - usually from the 12th to 16th or 17th of April. Children of all ages literally play with water for 4 to 6 days. Trucks are loaded with containers of water, plastic swimming pools for the little people are everywhere, water guns are the hottest selling item, and everyone has at least 2. From early morning to evening, people spray and squirt and throw water at anyone and everyone. People sing and dance in the streets amidst one soaking after the other. Loud processions fill the streets demarcated for pedestrians (revellers) only, local beers and local blends of whiskey / brandy flow almost as quickly as the water does, faces are painted with chalk and no one is spared a soaking - foreigner or local - you get soaked. Any vessel that can contain water is used for this very delightful celebration.
I had stupidly and unsuspectingly ventured out on my motorcyle along with my bag, cell phones and cameras at my feet. After the first drenching I realised I'd have to lose some of the luggage, but I was far enough away from home to endure a dozen more soakings before I made it back to Mae Nam. The main road was chaos, and although I was enjoying the celebration, I'd had about enough of being soaked. My cell phones were rendered trash items by this time, but luckily my camera survived. So it was, without further ado, that I settled at my "dry haven" restaurant, ordered food and beer, and watched the chaos around me. It's a common sight for 3 people to be occupying one motorcycle, but on Songkran it isn't unusual to see 5 or 6 bodies occupying one motorcycle. I noticed that some of the bodies were merely on board to prop up other bodies who had fallen victim to over indulgence, and were hanging limply between the props. While there is a police presence, it certainly isn't for any drinking offences. So it was that I spent my first Songkran, amid the fun and frivolity, in relative comfort until almost nightfall.
Mae Nam - Songkran 2012
The day after Songkran was the day I got my Lotus flower tattoo. I'd scouted around for a good artist for a few weeks, found him, booked him, and then sat through the 5 hours that it took to complete the masterpiece. There were a few smoke breaks and a couple of glasses of wine involved in the process. Alongside the tattoo I had the word "serenity" written in Thai - significant in so many ways.
Work in progressand
2 days later
End of first blog
Lovely read! Looking forward to more!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood writing and a nice tattoo :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Arek. The China trip diary has been posted as well.
ReplyDelete