A Little Corner of Paradise

Saturday 2 September

All packed up and ready to change venues again. We have definitely enjoyed our stay in Hong Kong and I am sure we will be making a return visit – the list is getting ever longer.

We had booked a place on the Airport Shuttle Bus, which runs half-hourly – at about half the price of the luxurious taxi we arrived in. The coach, when it arrived was brand new, with about 20 large leather executive seats and very comfy. We only called at one other hotel to pick up a couple of guests, and then we were speeding along the highway to the airport. The new airport is just over an hour’s ride outside Hong Kong City on Lantau Island. I think it has been open about eight years. The old runways now lay derelict in the middle of the harbour in town as they were too short for the larger planes to land on. Apparently the British negotiated the new airport, and China was very anti the project as they thought the British were just trying to spend all the money, before the handover. But they were appeased when it was opened after the handover took place and they received all the accolades. The old airport is destined to be an executive area of high rise apartments in the near future.

On arrival at the airport, and through security, we were immediately accosted by a youth – he looked no more than 16 and just out of nappies – who was doing a survey of where we had come from, where we were going and why, etc. Having satisfied all his questions we ventured on and found Gate Number 42 fairly easily after taking a high speed train ride. I went looking for last minute bargains in the shops, and when I returned Colin had been accosted by yet another person doing a survey – but this time a very attractive young lady and when he went wandering, yet another young lady came to ask me some more questions – perhaps it was for a University project rather than being of any assistance to Hong Kong.

The plane, when it arrived – slightly late – was like a toy aircraft – the smallest we have traveled on so far – a 717 – which carries just 100 people – and could hardly reach the corridor extension that connects the plane and the airport. We hoped it would be able to accommodate our luggage – which had escaped extra payment again. The actual flight was longer than we had anticipated – about 2 ½ hours - and we lost another hour on the way (now only six hours in front of England) - but looking on the map, it is quite a way, across the South China Sea, Hainan, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Gulf of Thailand. Whilst over Cambodia we saw a large muddy brown river winding its way through green fields and plains which we presume was the Mekong.

Landing at Koh Samui, the airport hadn’t changed at all from when we visited last year. It is still very parochial, with thatched huts and beautiful gardens with goldfish ponds and coconut palms. We were relieved to see our luggage on the trolley on its way to the collection point. We passed safely through security - still at the same Koh Samui pace – slow, to almost full stop – and were immediately waylaid by a taxi driver, who agreed to take us to the Smile Resort – I don’t think he wanted this other lady’s fare to the far side of the island.

Bophut was also further from the airport than I remembered – it must have taken at least 15 minutes. It is also known as the Fisherman’s Village for the obvious reason that there’s lots of fishing here – particularly for lobsters, prawns and garoupa (a large trout size white fish). There is just one main street – just wide enough for one car - along the edge of a white sandy beach, with the sea lapping just a couple of feet away. Shops, restaurants and bars line both sides of the road. Smile Bungalows, where we are staying, is at the far end of the village and doesn’t seem to have changed at all. There’s a large swimming pool at the front of the property, surrounded by bungalows. We booked in and quickly settled into our home for the next five weeks. It is quite basic, but comfortable and clean, each bungalow surrounded by gardens and cocunt palms, and has everything we need, I think, for a relaxing time. Breakfast is taken in a thatched hut actually on the beach opposite.

By now it is just after 18.00 and time to find a cocktail or two before dinner. We ambled up and down the street, peeking at all the menus on the way. Several bars were filling up with people waiting to see the rugby, football or grand prix. Eventually we decided to start at the end of the street, where the bungalows are. Opposite Smile is a bar called “The Frog and Geek” advertising 25 different cocktails – seemed perfect for us. I had a couple of Groggy Grekkos, which had rum, kalula, malibu and pineapple juice, which were delicious and very prettily presented with lime and orchid flowers. Colin had his usual Long Island Tea and a Mai Tai. Sitting on the verandah by the beach, watching the sun set over the islands in the distance was pure heaven. Feeling distinctly woosy – we had only eaten our airplane meal today as we were still feeling sated after last night’s banquet – we hit on The Happy Elephant Restaurant, which had been under construction when were here last. We again chose a seat near the beach and selected our food. We each chose a starter (shrimp cakes and vegetable spring rolls) a main course (beef musselman peanut curry – ‘musselman’ means it has potatoes in I think – and squid with salted egg) and a share of pad thai noodles. We definitely don’t need so much in the future.- one starter and one main course would have been sufficient – or we are going to be like Billy Bunter by the time we go trekking.

Soon after we started eating, a man and a young boy – aged about 9 or 10 – entertained us by playing guitars and singing to some Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash songs – well, as you can imagine, Colin was in his element, singing along. We clapped at the end of every song – I don’t think anyone else did – and when they went to take a break, they came over to our table to thank us. Colin asked the man if he could sing “Love Me Tender” and he went and got his guitar immediately and sang to us personally at our table. It was really sweet. Colin has been singing Elvis songs ever since and I guess we will be revisiting this restaurant regularly.

We are here now until 7 October – five weeks of relaxation, soaking up the sun, and just having even fun. Juz and Dave arrive later this week and our friends Jean and Ray in two weeks. I guess the blogs are going to be much shorter during most of this time, so don’t forget to join us again in October if you can’t take the pace over the next month or so.