Nostalgia Soup

[drycatchmini]

It was October 11, 1988. I had departed from the harbour outside of Sutra Thani together with a few dozen other anxious backpackers on a speedboat cum ferry. When we stepped onto the run down jetty in Nathon, after an incredibly scenic voyage, there were perhaps half a dozen bungalow reps waiting to pitch their deal to us. Having spent most of the previous night -- my first ever in Asia -- awake on the bus down from Bangkok, I was so looking forward to a shower and a change of clothes.

The ride to Lamai Beach and finally the bungalow hotel owned by my Swedish buddy Peter was magical and frightening. The road was thin and traffic fat with motorcycles, trucks and school buses all competing for pole position in a palm tree lined raceway.

Peter was waiting for me at the lobby of the Golden Sand and after a short introduction to a few staff members, I was provided with a key to a beach front bungalow, complete with hammock, bamboo tables and chairs and a simple duster made out of a palm leaf.

A couple of days later, I think it was the following Monday, work began. My job was twofold. In the mornings I was to help decorate the Golden Sand by painting Dali-esque murals in and around the two rows of bungalows leading from the beach up to the “street” below the main road. In the afternoons, at around four o’clock, I would round up a dozen or so farangs to play beach volleyball close to the beach pub. The gig at the Golden Sand (and our closet competitor) was a sea breeze.

About ten days after my arrival, I experienced the massive monsoon that invaded and occupied Samui for three weeks in late October and early November of ’88. Pretty heavy weather. Lots of casualties – mostly on the mainland in or near Nakhon Si Thammarat.

I stayed on Samui well into the spring of 1989. A great working holiday. Then I just left. The heat got to me and I was frying and hating it and needed to leave fast. So, I headed for Bangkok and spent a couple of weeks there before eventually flying back home.

In a day or two, I’ll revisit the island. I’m sure to find an entirely new Koh Samui. What doesn’t change after almost two decades? I sure have.

I know the Golden Sand is gone and so is Mr Yi’s seafood restaurant and even if I met Ping-Pong, he probably wouldn’t remember or recognize me.

Still, both my family and I hope to find a nice house to rent and hopefully meet a few balanced locals, both foreign and native. We are looking for someplace where our five year old can attend kindergarten, where a decent Internet connection can be rented and a patio big enough so that I can take out a tube or two of oil colour and paint me a nice canvas full of bright yellow lemons on an warm orange background.

Any ideas, tips or suggestions? Please send ‘em in!

Edited September 6, 2005 by drycatchmini

[pluto_manibo]

Man, you are in for a big surprise, when you will see Lamai now.....You might want to stay somewhere else...

[Khun Jean]

Those times are long gone. Be happy you at least saw it like that. You will be totally shocked in horror when you see it now compared to what you described from the old days.

You probably don't find any kindergarten that you can trust with your children and instead sitting behind a canvas it might be a good idea to buy a few bags and start to collect garbage.

And don't let them see you work, it will be deporting time.

[drycatchmini]

Thanks for your ever-so positive comments. In all humbleness, I think Khun Jean and everybody else with so much negativity towards the evolution of life on Samui need to leave and move on...

Having travelled all over Thailand during two decades and having lived on Phuket for a year (Karon Beach) I am fairly accustomed to change and try to see it in as positive a light as possible. Taking part of our far-from-perfect civilization becomes so terribly hard otherwise...

Even back in 1988 people were complaining about how things had changed compared to the years before. And I am sure folks that visit today will notice change if they return in say, 10 yesrs. It's part of the package. And you either accept change and still manage to see the positives. Or, you refuse to let go of the way things once were and just hang desperately on to the past. Ironically, there seems to be plenty of the latter attitude going around among the senior members of this forum. Sad.

Edited September 6, 2005 by drycatchmini

[Khun Jean]

Maybe i just see this island not like 'paradise' but just another place on this world.

Give you opinion AFTER you visit Samui. And you are right , i am leaving this island to find a cleaner, more relaxed place. I gave it a try though, and after outweighing the many small positives and the few big negatives i decided that we will be leaving. This island is more like a spanish costa in one area and a garbage belt in another area. I don't like both.

[sbk]

Ooh, drycatchmini, don't say nearly two decades! I came in 1988 (after the monsoon) as well and certainly cannot face the concept of TWO DECADES!!!!

I stayed in Bo Phut at the World Resort (then a fairly fancy place, we had a large room with two beds and an indoor toilet) but came on to Koh Phangan where I have lived ever since. I think you will find alot of the changes disappointing, but then I get alot of people with romantic ideas of how great Koh Phangan must have been before there was electricity etc. I am sure the locals are thrilled to have power, a hospital and other modern amenities of life. It is only people with an unrealistic view of the world and its changes that expects everthing to stay static.

I do suggest not staying in Lamai however, unless you stay on the outskirts. Big Buddha and Maenam are alot nicer, not so many bars etc.