I arrived at Tonsai 18 December 2015, after two years of absence. Girls from ticket office at Ao Nang remember me- "100bath as always" - smiling, they said. "Welcome back!" - They said. I sat and waited for the boat. I was thinking about everything that happened to me in this mystical place. I could not understand my own feelings. Put my backpack in the longtail (the name of the boat) I noticed a sharp change in the weather - overcast shore lit up samples from the clouds ... the sun and the rain! "Yes, exactly ..." - I thought - "... the sun and rain at the same time. How much joy, so many tears. How much pain, so much joy. This is Ton Sai for me."
Longtail with the usual roar ranged the Andaman Sea, and now should appear Tonsai Beach but .... I do not know this place ... Beach was completely empty - the distance I see preserved Freedom bar (by the way, now it's the only one bar on the beach), but no other buildings on the waterfront is not observed. My jaw hung down involuntarily getting lower as it approaches the shore, but my head was pounding thought "What the f..k? !!!!"
Here's how the beach looks like now:
Without giving myself time to recover, I went inside Tonsai from the left side of the Boat Station and then my eyes appeared IT - "The Wall" or "Concrete Jungle Wall", as it is called here, although it looks more like the Berlin Wall ... . This is the beginning of it, right near Boat station:
I walked along the concrete road along the concrete wall, and did not believe that I am on Ton Sai ... In a state of utter confusion I went to the hotel Andaman Nature and settled in a house - resort was an island of stability - it was wild as always.
After throwing things, I ran to the side of "Mama Chicken" and "Sunset Bar". All the same - on the pavement along the wall .... The path to the "Mama" now looks like this:
Thats is how now looks, in fact, "Mama Chicken" and "Ting-Tong Coffee" if anyone still does not know:
I was terrified .... I expected all sorts of things, but not this for sure. After talking with boatmen and found that buildings was torn down a year ago, and the wall is not less than 7 months, I sat under a rock and smoked a spliff ... Tonsai Wall is in place, yeah ....
I could not hold back the tears ... People rustled around, drinking beer, climbed, laughing, but I cant stop crying... That's real- "past has passed," ... I guess it's like lose a good old friend - life around continues, it seems that the people around do not see any changes, but your soul hurts soooo much ....
By the way, none of the locals do not know what will happen "behind the wall" ... Someone says - hotel, some - shopping center, Toffee said that they change the decision every day, and I heard the version that will be forever in "a jungle" ....
"The Wall", meanwhile, is gradually covered with graffiti ...
New map of Tonsai
Hotels and cafes from a "second line" were now the "first" - Andaman, Paosook, Montain View +here moved Chill Out Bar and the Viking Bar:
Mama Chicken is now at the top, right in front of Country Side Resort .... I never thought that would ever be able to walk for dinner from our house to 'Mama' directly across the street ... Everything changes ....
Btw, now "Mama" have a separate "Papa"))) Are u emember Excellent tofu-burgers from the Daddy? I remember))) Now it is a separate restorant!))
Backyard Bar is gone, June and her husband moved because of the noise around their house. Now all Tonsai night life is centered on this way to Rayley.
Sunset Bar is there and Toffee there too))) Yes, I saw where is freefall jumps taking place now))) No stairs, but the site and construction on the trees looks good, better than it was at the Eagle Beach.
Keep it up!
A real tattoo-studio at Tonsai now:
The next day, in a much better mood, I went to Rayley. The "beach pass" also changed - we cut down the ladder.
(right side - new way for tourists, on the left - traditional way).
Some of the changes I would call "positive"))) For example, now there is a doctor, what ever it was impossible to imagine:
I remember how I keep Tonsai clean ... Took huge plastic bags and collected bottles and cigarette butts from the beach after the high tide, scavenge the main road on the way from the bungalow to the beach, sometimes someone joined me, sometimes I did it alone ... because "tourists do not realize what they are doing, but I am live here" ... Now it's really works here and it is good))) Keep Tonsai clean!
At first glance, Rayley and Pranang remained the same, well, maybe added more fun and shops, but, in general, everything is as it was.
Here's some pictures from there:
In general, Tonsai life continues. Someone left, others stayed and built a new future of this amazing place.
Of course, I was glad to see, of course, I was delighted to learn about the fate of the "old friend", although the news is not comforting
Ahead Phangan, Goa and Pokhara so no time for sadness. Everything is changed and we all need go further, by own way.
The main thing that the way must have a heart ...
