@SamuiHaus take two

I’m not a great believer in editing, let the words flow I say, I’m generally a first draft poster but sometimes I seem to be writing for someone else and whenever that happens the writing is wooden, if I may be so bold, crappy. The writers I am drawn to show a part of themselves in their writing and when I like what I’ve written I do too.
So here goes take two.

It seems apt that as a relationship started with @ names on Twitter we should start our adventures staying at a resort with an @ name. The journey over, in luxury, was lovely, marred only by the 3 short stocky bald northern men who chatted LOUDLY the entire time, and when they stopped chatting their snores reverberated around the entire cabin, if it hadn’t been so funny it would have been super annoying.

After we had disembarked and were rushing to immigration, the shoulder straps on our carry on bags, carefully and lovingly chosen, unexpectedly broke within minutes of each other. We have brought FAR too much stuff. We definitely need to be minimising our luggage and sending Ma home with a lot of it when she comes to visit in three weeks (yeehaw!). Bags slung over shoulders by the hand straps and Customs over, Thai SIM cards purchased, plasters bought (what was I thinking wearing relatively new sandals -doh!) we were on our way to Samui on Bangkok Airways. If you ever have the pleasure I would advise booking the fresh fruit platter as your meal, you get served first and it’s a lovely refreshing treat, if fruit is your thing.

Little train cars (best description I can come up with) that would not look amiss at a country fayre, take you from the plane to the perfectly small open air terminal (mind your boobs when stepping up into them, almost wiped one of mine out) where we waited in tropical warmth for our luggage. Bags collected, we were driven in air conditioned comfort and after twenty one and a half hours travelling we were deposited at the doors of @SamuiHaus to be greeted by two majestic horse sculptures and a welcoming staff. @SamuiHaus is located in a mostly unpopulated area, on one side of a not so large peninsula jutting off of Samui, in the distance the marine park of Mu Ko Ang Thong can be seen highlighted against the horizon.

The plan for the trip is to spend as little as possible on accommodation without staying in fleapits 🙂 but the first and last two weeks of our first three months had been an agreed exception. We had booked into a garden room but were soon convinced to upgrade to the only slightly more expensive poolside studio, twice the size and from which you can open the front door, take three short strides and tumble face first into the refreshing pool should you so wish. Which we seem to at regular intervals throughout the day. The room is large, sparsely and contemporarily furnished, it thankfully cools quickly once the A/C is switched on and the bed, a generous king, is firm and comfortable, ideal after a hard days relaxing. It is a perfect home away from, well we no longer have a home, so I guess it’s a perfect first home.

It is low season, although I cannot fathom why, the sun is hot, the sea is beautiful, the pool just the right side of cool, the rain when it comes, is refreshing and soon over. We are one of only four couples, the last an addition since yesterday and have had the pool almost exclusively to ourselves and have dined alone at each meal so far. The other couples seem friendly but we are all distinctly keeping to ourselves, which works perfectly for us. I’m not sure I would like it here when full but maybe that’s just because the solitude is what I am craving right now. The service is genuinely friendly and wonderfully relaxed in the typical Thai way. We’ve never had any bad food in Thailand and @SamuiHaus is no exception. JHubz had the Tom yum goon which he said was “delicious with loads of fricking prawns” and I had prawns with glass noodles, not as many prawns as JHubz but having eaten enough for four on the flight over it was just right (I am a sucker for airplane food and free snacks – yes I know you pay for the ticket so they are not free but I currently have a mini bar full of British Airways M&Ms and jelly beans so no complaining here). Anyway the food is awesome and I think I will most likely be having the fried chicken wings as a starter at every meal. The English is not great and misunderstandings arise (I ended up having two dinners last night after a barbecue confusion, desserts get brought as starters, starters never at all), but why should it be, we are in Thailand after all, we are being taught the basics, and using google translate for the rest.

After a jetlagged and restless first night in our huge and comfy bed and a very tasty breakfast of rambutan, watermelon and heavenly fresh hot cakes (the diet can start next week), we walked left up the beach past colourful fishing boats, following a trail of doggie footsteps made earlier in the morning until we reached a shrine, which we later learned is part of The Samui Naval Base that takes up the entire end of the peninsula . While we looked about, a young couple were making offerings of incense and attached a long wide red ribbon above an oil drum at the very end of the peninsula. After posing for photos with it they set it on fire, for all hell to break loose as a hundred fire crackers burst free. I was facing the other way at the time admiring the view, a foot or so from a sheer drop and nearly jumped out of my skin, which they and JHubz thought was vastly amusing 🙂 we’ve since heard the fire crackers every day.

I had possibly the most painful massage I have ever had an hour ago,. The ocean was in front as we lay in the massage cabana, the wind rising but still soothing and then she started. My relaxing massage turned into a one sided battle of wills, my British reserve preventing me from screaming ‘oh holy hell woman stop torturing me’ at the top of my voice, although I am not sure how I did. She pummelled and pressed and tried to contort me in ways my body resisted all the while I gritted my teeth and she merrily carried on oblivious. JHubz informed me his had been a work of art in relaxation… *deep breath* I know who I am having next time.

I always forget how noisy Thailand is, in a completely non intrusive non western way, the shriek of birds, crow of the cockerel, someone seems to nearly always be strimming (weed whacking) grass, but overlaying this is the sound of the ocean, people laughing and at the moment welcome rain on the plastic roof of the open sided restaurant and the sigh as my mind and body finally start to relax.

If you are seeking rest and solace in beautiful unpretentious surroundings with the sound of the sea as your background @SamuiHaus might just be for you.