Travel inspiration – he retired in this amazing place in Thailand
By Simona 30/03/2016 No Comments
Many times inspiration comes from where you least expect it! A few days ago we met Paul.
Paul is one of the many people with inspiring stories we met along in our journey. But his story is special because it’s not just about another young man who decided to take on the world!
Let me tell you a little bit about the place where we are right now, his place. The island is called Ko Jum (just between Krabi and Koh Lanta) and the beach that stretches between Bonhomie Beach Cottages and the sea is not very wide, but long enough. The bungalows are spread out on a little hill, right in the middle of the jungle and you can hear the waves even from the farthest cottage.
He came here with a friend 16 years ago. He spent a few nights and was so impressed by the raw beauty of nature that he acted based on impulse. He instantly decided he wants to buy a place and asked around if anyone is selling. Turned out someone was indeed looking to sell, and even though the owner asked for a higher price than the actual value and Paul’s friend advised against buying, he agreed and bought it right away. He barely had any information about the place, apart from what he saw with his own eyes. But looking back, Paul says it was the best snap decision he ever made and doesn’t regret it one bit!
This is how he decided this is the perfect place for him to retire, to live a simple life managing this little piece of heaven. He happily takes care of everything here, from watering the plants to tending his guests, from wood carving to putting up hammocks, taking it easy, at his own pace.
And I think his decision couldn’t have been better!
He’s 76 now, but could easily pass for 65, he has a special cheerfulness and likes to talk about any subject. That’s how I got to know his take on politics, religion, spirituality! It’s not easy discussing these matters even with friends, let alone with strangers while traveling and I usually just avoid them. But around him, I feel like I could ask anything!
He’s a mature, wise man. Why do I think he’s wise? Because he knows he doesn’t know everything and likes to challenge what he thinks he knows. He still loves to travel and he travels! As much as he can!
He doesn’t like concrete, so all his bungalows are made of wood and stone. He doesn’t like cutting trees, that’s why he was so upset when he accidentally killed one. One of the toilets was clogged so he put some caustic soda inside to unclog it. Later, when a nearby tree died, he found out it’s roots grew inside the pipe and the caustic soda had poisoned it.
I don’t know about you, but I really liked and felt inspired by his story. Not everyone buys a place without having enough information about advantages and disadvantages. But his openness was probably the reason everything fell into place so neat!