One day on Bo Phut beach in front of our bungalow on Koh Samui (pre-Club Med 1986) there was a small rowboat, big enough for four people, dragged ashore.
I asked Lek about it, and he said that his friend from the fishing village had loaned it to him for a while for fishing.
I asked if we could use it (we being myself and a couple of Japanese guys I had latched myself onto).
He said sure.
Japanese can be pretty easy to talk into things if you're excited enough, and as willing as I thought they were at the time, it wasn't hard to be enthusiastic about such plans.
Pointing to the big island about two kilometers across the bay, I said, That's Kod Phang Nga; Let's go there in this boat! They were willing and off we went.
The Gulf of Siam is quite calm, for your information, more like a great big lake than the sea.
Still, it took us three hours or more to get there.
And when we finally made we had to navigate beyond the point where we could see Kho Samui in order to find a beach to land on.
We got out of the boat and sat on the sand.
In front of us was a white sandy beach, and behind us sharp rocks and bush.
There were also a bunch of bugs, but that didnt bother us.
The scenery was incredible.
So much nature and not a human to be found.
It was one of the most remote and beautiful places that I have ever been to.
Not much to do except relax.
We brought a picnic lunch and had a few beers.
After a nice sunburn and a full stomach, we were very content.
By the time we got back it was nearing dusk.
Lek looked at us and could only smile.
Its like tengoku (Japanese word for heaven).
Im not sure where he learned that word (probably from Japanese tourists), but it was the perfect saying for a perfect trip.
A slice of heaven.
Just wish we would have brought the fishing tackle.
Still, I think back on that beautiful beach and dream of going there again.
I asked Lek about it, and he said that his friend from the fishing village had loaned it to him for a while for fishing.
I asked if we could use it (we being myself and a couple of Japanese guys I had latched myself onto).
He said sure.
Japanese can be pretty easy to talk into things if you're excited enough, and as willing as I thought they were at the time, it wasn't hard to be enthusiastic about such plans.
Pointing to the big island about two kilometers across the bay, I said, That's Kod Phang Nga; Let's go there in this boat! They were willing and off we went.
The Gulf of Siam is quite calm, for your information, more like a great big lake than the sea.
Still, it took us three hours or more to get there.
And when we finally made we had to navigate beyond the point where we could see Kho Samui in order to find a beach to land on.
We got out of the boat and sat on the sand.
In front of us was a white sandy beach, and behind us sharp rocks and bush.
There were also a bunch of bugs, but that didnt bother us.
The scenery was incredible.
So much nature and not a human to be found.
It was one of the most remote and beautiful places that I have ever been to.
Not much to do except relax.
We brought a picnic lunch and had a few beers.
After a nice sunburn and a full stomach, we were very content.
By the time we got back it was nearing dusk.
Lek looked at us and could only smile.
Its like tengoku (Japanese word for heaven).
Im not sure where he learned that word (probably from Japanese tourists), but it was the perfect saying for a perfect trip.
A slice of heaven.
Just wish we would have brought the fishing tackle.
Still, I think back on that beautiful beach and dream of going there again.