Paradise Where Time Stood Still - Part 2

Fast forward 20 years later, with family in toll, we headed to this Paradise Where Time Stood Still. Everytime, when we are at some beaches somewhere, I would them the story of Koh Samui about how beautiful it was like some old grandfather (I'm not). Sure enough, they asked me why keep talking about it? Just bring us there. Me and my big mouth.

Samui now has an airport but only Bangkok Airways fly there. As a result, they just tell you how much to pay. While you would have to walk on the tarmac last time, now you ride in a tram like those at the Night Safari to take to to Immigration and Customs which are made of wooden and attap huts with open space.

Arriving In Style

Idyllic Calm

Rustic Charm

Pristine Beaches














Meandearing Streams at Low Tide














Island Tranquility

Picturesque Postcard Pix
 













Shopping ... Yes, Versace tailors too

Birdpark Where You Are Sure To Get Your Birdie

You may wonder what's a Hog's Breath?

The Art Of Cool

And When Time Stood Still ...

Here Comes The Sun...

The Glorious Sunrise

It's Hard to Say Goodbye To Such A Lovely Paradise

If a picture paints a thousand words.....here is David Gates with Bread - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a_4fBH_7dk

This time armed with a better camera which uses Leica lenses we chose a hotel with better security at Chaweng Beach. When you see the golden arches of McDonald's and Haagen Daaz, you knew that you are in for something different. This place has been commercialised!

The original old charm was gone but it was still a beautiful place with modern amenities and conveniences. You can still get a good lunch for 4 persons across the street for local food with fried rice and fried fish and vegetables for S$20. 24 hour tailors are aplenty. Many bistros and fine dining restaurants have sprouted all over the island - you can have Japanese, Italian, French, etc. And this was a time where everyone in the family is gonna be doing the same things and would not be distracted or having separate programmes like back home.

You can still walk out to the sea and for quite a distance you could still see your toes and the water would be still waist-deep. I thought it was vivid in my memory that the water was much clearer. Small fishes would swim around your legs as you walk out to the sea.

The road now have pavements on both sides but they have become really busy. Revellers who partied too much and having one drink too many have made the road dangerous.

We went to the Birdpark cum Zoo. Along the way, I saw a tall sign theat screamed "Aloha Hotel" but am not sure if it were the same one that by now have been rebuilt.

There were some 5 families there and more birds than people. During the bird show, you have a high chance to work with the birdies. The performance and tricks were conspicuously similar to the ones at Jurong. I found out later from the performers that they made training trips to Singapore to learned from Jurog Birdpark. We toured about the small Zoo. There was a tiger enclosure where two trainers can bring the tiger out for a picture with you. For so long I have wondered - why would people like to have such a picture of a tiger sitting next to you where its powerful jaws are positioned so close to your neck. This is how animals attacked and kill their preys instinctively. Of course we didn't get down to that as the smell was enough to send us packing.

Now my family believed me when I described to them Paradise and Where Time Stood Still.

Where we don't need watches and just live life instinctively - eat when hungry, etc. I spoke to an old German couple who would go there twice a year and would normally stay for 3 weeks.

When I showed the photographs that I have captured to some friends, they do not believe that it was all in Samui because they have been there before and they had never seen what I had.

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder my friend, and yes you do need a dose of imagination. Finally, as I walked down memory lane, I harboured a wish in my heart that someday my family and many friends would be able to join me here to turn the clock back and have a big party!