Dear Ron, We’re staying at the Villaguna Residence, a collection of upscale cottages nestled by a big pool with a view of the ocean. We walked into our cottage to find flower petals scattered across the bed, with white towels on top folded to look like kissing swans. Welcome to idle time. The front of our cottage is all glass. From our windows those travel-poster islands look like distant remains of a lost civilization. The beach, bordered by groves and jungle, sweeps left and right. The tide moves in an out, leaving amorphous pools of water to catch the reflections of sunset and sunrise. We are less than 100 steps to the beach
and right by the road. We wondered at first if our idle time might be marred by traffic noise. But this is Ya Noi, traffic is a half-dozen vehicles per hour; far fewer past sunset. Villaguna is a few miles from town but walkable to a kayak rental place, a dive shop and restaurants. Olivier Masson, the resident manager, is a young Frenchman, who works in shorts, flip-flops and an ever-present smile. Great guy, always helpful. A few years ago he ditched a boring IT job in Europe and journeyed here. One day he saw a lovely local girl at a restaurant and decided “this is the place.” He and Joy Wichakoon have been together for three years now (English is their common language). He’s no longer bored. “Every day there’s something different. Different
guests, different problems,” he says. But we met Joy and think she is the real reason. Across the street is a raised beach-side wooden platform. Couldn’t figure out what it was for. Tiny bandstand? Late yesterday afternoon we got it. Two Villaguna residents, wearing white bathrobes, walked to the platform, lay down on mats and got his-and-her massages as the sun sank down, turning the blue water into gold. We’d write more but there’s an empty hammock hanging by a tree near the platform and it’s calling to us to idle time. Love, John and Jody
Wine Dine & Travel Summer 2014 101