Bay View my 'home' from home.

The sign perched on the fence pole reads, 'Cool Spot', that it is, written in bright colours with a blue background. Above the two black metal gates, another sign spells 'Bay View Sea Food Rest' extending from the right side vertical support, I call it 'home'.

Entering through the gates, you are welcomed by a large fishing boat on the left, decommissioned now, only the hull left to rot. A casualty of the Tsunami that ripped through the coastal areas of Asia on the 26th December 2004. Made of glass fiber and painted in it's natural beige colour, except for a maroon line which runs down both sides and a maroon underbelly.

On the right stands the resturant, the bottom 1 meter is built from bricks, cemented over and painted orange. The top half is made from sliced bamboo, painted yellow with two windows cut out of each side.  The doorway has no door, tables and chairs lay scattered about on the black polished cement floor. Above the roof frame is crafted from coconut wood, painted black, with sheets of corrugated asbestos covering it. Here you can order delicious fruit juices and tasty local meals, we had a party for six a couple nights ago with great success, ordering the traditional 'Rice and Curry'.  


Following the grass pathway down, you come to the main house, though no one lives there now, a surfboard with the word 'ROOMS' painted on it in black, sits attached to the vertical wall, about a meter off the ground.

The walls are painted white and the woodwork in black, well weathered due to the close proximity of the sea. A doorway leads into the kitchen of the main house, which also doubles as the restaurant kitchen.

The garden carries on around the left side of the main house, which extends back, its longest way. Passing under a leaning coconut tree, stretching fifteen meters into the sky with coconuts shaded by its long fronds. You now enter the rear and main part of the garden, my favorite view.

Leading on from the end of the main house is a smaller building, this houses three guest rooms with attached bathrooms and an overhanging patio, perfect for my writing desk. The paint work is tastefully separated down the middle, dark green on the bottom with white on top and a polished maroon cement floor.

I stay in the last room, number 3, its basic but comfortable, with a mosquito net, fan and a wooden rack to hang clothes on. A single span one shelf bookcase sits attached to the wall above the 2 single beds, this houses my 5 books and anything small I want to keep from the floor.

Saving the best for last, the real joy of this place is the garden. Owners Dier and Deepa have sacrificed many hours to create the little oasis they have, which was totally ruined by the tsunami.
Grass runs the full 40 meter length of the garden, a beautiful green carpet, rare at this budget.

Flower gardens surround the green grass and host many types of evergreen bushes, shrubs and ferns, boarded with white painted large rocks. Banana trees run the length of the property, adjacent to the  house, their broad leaves creating a natural wall. I see mango trees here and there, one lone papaya hangs defiantly out of season in its tree.

Beautiful pink orchids, grown in coconut husks, adorn the the tree trunks they are strapped too. Bird life is plentiful, they enjoy the sanctuary of the garden too, nibbling on the insects.

We have frequent visits by the numerous mongoose and monitor lizards, they leave you alone if you offer them the same curtsy.

In all I am extremely happy with my temporary home, which offers a perfect balance of peace and inspiration for my writing, hope you enjoyed the tour :-)