"Is very raining" (20 - 28 February 2016)

....is the refrain on every Thai's lips as they look disappointingly at the sky as more back clouds roll in. There's been an odd pattern of weather over the last six weeks. Every two weeks, a pulse of stormy weather is pushed down into the Gulf of Thailand leaving extremely cold weather in the North of the country and stormy conditions around here. There's a few days of high winds and heavy rain with small craft told to stay ashore and cancelled ferries. The high winds mean the narrow strip of beach disappears under them meaning all the small beach places have to close up for a while. The snorkelling boats can't go out, but on a positive note neither can the dangerous jet skis! Such a pity as a lot of these small businesses depend on this, the high (and dry) season, to make their money. But the massage parlours and beauty salons will be making loads as people look for alternatives to the beach and the pool. But this time the stormy stuff has gone but we are left with heavy clouds and that persistent rain. It's also quite cool. Now I know I am not going to get any sympathy but even though the thermometer says 26 (very low for here in the day), the winds coming in from the sea mean it feels such a lot cooler - and yet again the long sleeved t shirt is out. But this rain is having one other consequence - the "pool is fix" miracle that I thought had happened is in danger of being declared a failure. I think all the rain is diluting the chemicals and a faint tinge of "gareen" is coming through.....

Returning guests returning... (14 - 19 February 2016)

... home that is. The continual stream of Brit's Abroad on the sunny side of the pool access wing that has been here since 2 January has finally run out. Carole came and went, Sue and Tim came and went and now Trevor and Gill have come and gone. They have gone back to Phuket early as they were fed up with the promises that the pool will be "fix tomorrow" and it never has been. Strangely enough some work was done on it again today but I'm not hopeful... To stop me being Norma Nomates again, I now need Tina and John to appear and move in next door for a few weeks! I don't think I constitute a quorum for a returning guest party!

And even the dragon who returned for a day seems to have gone away again. It was a week after Chinese New Year's Eve when the drums started up again at lunchtime in the village. I went round to see and found a huge procession again wending its way down the hill on the other side of the main road. I've tried to find out what it was all in aid of but had no luck. It seemed to be the domestic end of the dragon market as he only visited domestic premises this time, last week it was all the businesses here. Each house had a table in front full of the usual offerings, chickens, ducks, fruit, drink, whiskey and cigs for the gods. After the drum cart at the front of the procession was a man, dressed in ordinary clothes who has what appeared to be a very narrow sword piercing his cheeks. 

He was led, understandably, very gingerly by another man who took him behind each table. Rice was thrown everywhere. People cheered. Then a red sedan chair was used as a pretend battering ram up to the offering table. Then the dragon had a dance around the table. Then the loudest and biggest firecrackers were lit (I had to make a quick escape into a bar's kitchen to avoid being caught by one of the firecrackers - no Health and Safety here). Then there were huge cheers and the procession moved off to the next house to repeat it all over again. Great spectacle again here in Samui's Chinatown.

I also read that the Thai government are encouraging more Russian returning visitors. As a result they have just agreed to allow an increase from 40 flights a week from Russia up to 70. Seemed a very odd decision all round as due to the rouble falling value, Russian tourists here are down 48%. On a positive note though, Pattaya and Phuket are their destinations of choice, not Samui. But if things continue on in the way they have been this year, it's increases in the Chinese flights that are needed. When I went into Chaweng last week even I was amazed at the sheer numbers of Chinese here, but I suppose with their new year it would be expected.

Mind you, the hotel might put up the "No Vacancies" sign when I next try to book in! I've had a few battles with them over rates and complaints about the pool that still isn't fixed and another battle royal this morning about credit card payments. They are insisting that all payments are done by dcc, dynamic currency conversion, yet another scam to extract more money from the consumer. Effectively, you pay in your own currency but are charged 3.5% for the privilege. Now if you have a duff credit card or are paying by debit card this, whilst still expensive may not be too bad, but if you have a good card then it's a huge amount extra to pay on a big hotel bill. My issue is that whilst they make you sign the slip that says you have been given a choice of how to pay and understand that the 3.5% is not a Mastercard charge but a hotel charge, they actually won't give you the choice! I first queried it with the little weasel of a General Manager who lied his head off and informed me that he had had new machines installed two days ago which means he couldn't charge in Thai Baht, and that the Government just changed the law two days ago and all foreign payments had to have this 3,5% surcharge - a complete fabrication. So I saw Sukrit this morning, the son who now runs the place and had a long discussion. We managed to meet in the middle and for the rest of the money I will pay him, I will do in Thai Baht. What I tried to get him to understand that suddenly charging all guests an additional 3.5% on their bill just as they are checking out and can do nothing about it leaves a rather bad taste. That and other niggling things together with a really unpleasant General Manager are seeing the hotel's further decline on Tripadvisor and a lot of returning guests saying they will not return. Such a shame as it really is a great place in a good location, but wouldn't recognise good customer service if it hit them in the face! I just hope all the hard work his Mum and Dad put into building up the business all these years isn't thrown away.

But last night I felt in danger of not returning at all. On my early evening walk I often see the handlers taking their rather large buffalo for a walk, held just on what looks to me to be a rather thin rope through the nose - of the buffalo that is! Last night one was a bit frisky having just got out of a pond after a wallow but the handler looked as if he was having a bit of difficulty controlling it as he tried to pull it off the road. Then I saw the problem, another rather large buffalo coming along the road in the other direction, also trying to pull away from his handler.... like they wanted to do what they are bred for and fight - as they say, I made my excuses and left, walking quicker than I ever have in the opposite direction!

And talking of returning, the most welcome return has just happened. It's now 2 pm and since about 4am this morning the power (and hence the water as the are no pumps to move it round) have been off. Big cheers all round, hooray! Looks like I didn't need to corner the market in baby wipes at the darkened 7/11 this morning. Perhaps I can "mark 'em up and sell 'em on at Walking Street...

Mae Nam = Chinatown (7 - 13 February 2016)

Well for a few days at least. Over the Chinese New Year period Mae Nam seems to be the centre of everything dragon related. On the New Year's Eve it seemed that it was the business end of the dragon goings on. From about 5 pm the loud, rhythmic drums began and for the next three hours they continued. The parade started with the drum cart followed with some Disney like Chinese characters followed by the red lion. The long, dancing golden and red dragon brought up the rear. 

The long dragon visited every shop and restaurant in the two small streets that make up the village here. It really had to squeeze itself up to fit into some. I assume at some point money changed hands in return for this blessing. As the dragon left each establishment the loud firecrackers hanging in the doorways were lit. They really are loud! When the dragon had completed his visits he followed a man carrying a ball on a stick. This is the dragon chasing the "pearl of wisdom" which is how he pursues insight and knowledge, clever boy. Then the parade finally stopped under the colourful archway leading into the village from the main road and the acrobats came out. They did their usual death defying balancing acts the main one being the human tower, topped off by a tiny, tiny tot who looked about 18 months old. Health & Safety eat your heart out! Loads of people were out, westerners, locals, Chinese tourists in their red outfits. And I know everyone thinks it's just me who feels the cold but the little kids in their red party frocks were complaining of feeling cold and the locals had their hoodies on! The high winds made the thermometer really drop and I was in my long sleeved t shirt. The crowds and the dragon spilled out on to the main road and stopped the traffic in both directions for a good 15 minutes. Given this is the only main road round the island I guess a few people, especially if on their way to the airport wouldn't have been too pleased...

New Year's Day was party day. A huge party was planned for the evening on the beach but the high winds and waves had temporarily covered up the narrow strip of sand, the water was right up to the edge. That was the beach that was...

Some quick pre planning changes cordoned off a big area of the streets instead so everyone could squeeze into that. A big stage was built for the band, a big gazebo put up for the food, tables and chairs laid out. It was a great party! I even ate the food and survived to tell the tale. So not me to be eating food served out of huge vats which had probably been cooked hours ago.... Especially as there was no why why on offer.... The lion (2 men) did his dance, really clever leaping from one high podium to another. 

Then the dragon came in to do his bit. He came in with fireworks going off all along his back and then he breathed a firework fire. In the dark this looked great. He then managed to climb a high telegraph pole and breathed even more fire from the top. The acrobats that do all this stuff are so well coordinated but I think it's one of those things they practice year round. More acrobats followed and then there was a huge firework display. 

After all that the band came on. And the price per ticket for attending this extravaganza, including the food was all of 200 baht, less than £4. Bargain of the (new) year! And the rest of Mae Nam was heaving as well. All the stalls that normally come on Thursdays for Walking Street came and opened up, and people who weren't paying the 200 baht to go into the party were eating, drinking, shopping and wandering, a lovely atmosphere.

But all is back to usual here now, the temple shops that were selling Chinese lanterns have swiftly replaced their displays with red plastic roses, hearts and huge teddy bears ready for Valentine's. I guess Carrefour have also taken down their welcoming Chinese arch. And in Thailand of course there's always lots of new romances to celebrate.....

All things Chinese (27 January - 7 February 2016)

An early Chinese New Year has meant that the Western Xmas decorations were cleared away earlier than usual to make way for the bunting and red lanterns of Chinese New Year. As well as the increased number of Chinese tourists generally in Thailand, their new year holidays mean even more. I've documented their "cultural insensitivity" here before but another example stands out. A few evenings ago I was happily walking down the road when a young, well dressed, middle class Chinese family stopped on the front lawn of the very posh Santiburi hotel, right on the main road in full view of everyone. The child, a girl of about ten years old promptly removed her trousers, squatted down and did what she needed to do. She used the bundle of loo roll handed to her by her mother, stood up, dressed and as I was walking by they started to walk away leaving the mess and used loo roll right there in an unsightly pile... My inner memsahib came out I'm afraid! A very imperious two finger point at the mess and then at them and an even more imperious "move, move!". They had the grace to look sheepish and walked back to pick it up. Shocking behaviour. But at the other end of the hygiene scale another young family, Mum, Dad, child and Granny checked in here for a few days and promptly decided to wash everything they possessed, creating their very own Chinese laundry as everywhere was completely festooned with drying washing. There was so much we were all convinced they were actually taking in washing! It's really unusual to see Chinese people here at the Florist, mainly I think because most travel here as part of tour groups and stay in the bigger hotels whereas here everyone are independent travellers, so so far no Chinese returning guests. The hotel are very good at looking after their return guests and you have read the posts before about the returning guest parties with the juggling bartender. But this time they decided to do something different and treated the return guests to a day out on Koh Tan, an island a few hundred metres off Samui. The idea of me in a long tail boat going over just one hundred metres of open sea let alone a few hundred didn't work for me so I had to decline. Not sure if the juggling bartender made it either... But very kind of them to do something like this. And the hotel obviously do something right as many guests do return year after year. But they are getting something really wrong in the Tripadvisor stakes as they are dropping like a stone down the rankings. When I first stayed here they were up the top but the last couple of years there's been a steady decline and now they are at number18 of 28 hotels in Mae Nam. Yes, it's not perfect, the breakfast isn't up to much, there's an ongoing "gareen" problem with one of the pools (there are three and the other two are sparkling) but it's clean and the staff are nice and it is such a good location. And it's not overly expensive. Such a pity as any further down the rankings and they could be in trouble.

But all the bunting and lanterns are now coming into their own as the Chinese New Year gets underway. This morning, instead of the usual morning chorus of "cock a doodle do" we got the incessant sound of the rat a tat of the fire crackers going off at dawn. I think today (7 February) counts as New Year's Eve as tomorrow is the day when the Lion Dance and the Dragon thing happens. Mae Nam where the Florist is, is a traditionally Chinese area, an old Chinese fishing village and tomorrow there are the big celebrations. This morning seemed a bit more spiritual with lots of houses and shops having tables outside with cooked chickens, pig's heads, fruit and pop laid out as an offering to the gods as well as the loud firecrackers and red clothes are the order of the day. Many of the Chinese tourists are spending their holiday here in the large Carrefour hypermarket I was in earlier - not sure what they are buying but they are doing a very good impression of a ferry load of Brits in the Carrefour in Calais...

Happy New Year everyone!