Page 101 - quebec
P. 101

Postcards from

 Yao Noi



















































          Dear Ron,                         and right by the road. We wondered at first   guests, different problems,” he says. But we
                                            if our idle time might be marred by traffic   met Joy and think she is the real reason.
         We’re staying at the Villaguna Residence,   noise. But this is Ya Noi, traffic is a half-doz-
         a collection of upscale cottages nestled   en vehicles per hour; far fewer past sunset.    Across the street is a raised beach-side
         by a big pool with a view of the ocean. We                            wooden platform. Couldn’t figure out what
         walked into our cottage to find flower petals   Villaguna is a few miles from town but walk-  it was for. Tiny bandstand? Late yester-
         scattered across the bed, with white towels   able to a kayak rental place, a dive shop and   day afternoon we got it. Two Villaguna
         on top folded to look like kissing swans.   restaurants. Olivier Masson, the resident   residents, wearing white bathrobes, walked
         Welcome to idle time.              manager, is a young Frenchman, who works   to the platform, lay down on mats and got
                                            in shorts, flip-flops and an ever-present   his-and-her massages as the sun sank down,
         The front of our cottage is all glass. From   smile. Great guy, always helpful. A few years   turning the blue water into gold.
         our windows those travel-poster islands   ago he ditched a boring IT job in Europe
         look like distant remains of a lost civi-  and journeyed here.        We’d write more but there’s an empty ham-
         lization.  The beach, bordered by groves                              mock hanging by a tree near the platform
         and jungle, sweeps left and right. The tide   One day he saw a lovely local girl at a restau-  and it’s calling to us to idle time.
         moves in an out, leaving amorphous pools   rant and decided “this is the place.” He
         of water to catch the reflections of sunset   and Joy Wichakoon have been together for   Love,
         and sunrise.                       three years now (English is their common   John and Jody
                                            language). He’s no longer bored. “Every
         We are less than 100 steps to the beach   day there’s something different. Different








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