Vyrn & Betty Peterson - Lamma first-time visitors (highlights by Editor):

As to some notes on our first impressions for Lamma-Gung and the website, here are a few:

To set the stage though a little background is in order. We had of course seen photos and had paid several visits to the website prior to our actual trip. They helped but could not possibly capture everything, so our first experience was an eye-opener.

For starters, the day was clear and we got to ride on an open portion on the upper deck of the ferry. Both of these were more rare than we knew at the time. It turned out to be the only ferry we saw with that kind of deck and we also learned that almost unlimited visibility was also not the norm. In fact the next most clear day was the one we left on. At least we had great views of the island and village for both first and lasting impressions.

As we left the very busy but very clean concrete and glass maze of Central with its constant human flow, we could see all of the green of Lamma before us. Dan pointed out the windmill from a distance and that struck a chord with me as our community has had one for some ten years now as part of a larger venture. The one on Lamma soon turned out to be the same as the stacks of the power plant came into view. I looked closely in the clear air then as I would many mornings from Dan and Sharon's patio for signs that they were even operating as there were no visible emissions.

Very clean burning and obviously not a large contributor to the haze that showed up on most days. Our ferry then passed the village of Pak Kok and it appeared to be quite picturesque, but I could not help wondering how the ferry could dock there safely. We later learned about the head-on approach that works very efficiently.

As we continued toward our destination, Dan pointed out that the climbing crane in the bay was probably a first, at least for him. A sure sign of modern construction methods. By now we could see both the ferry dock, larger than expected, and the massive facility at the power plant. Off the ferry and through the honour guard of bicycles lining both sides of the pier, making it look very busy indeed. Couldn't help but notice the freshness of the sea smells. Having only been in a few ocean harbours, they do not all smell so fresh.

Dragged our bags to the village with some assistance from Dan and also from Sharon who had just met us on the pier with warm greetings. These were not overnighters as we were planning for a three-week trip. We stopped into the Island Bar for a coffee with Kumar. This was the only coffee we would have there as we soon saw how many fine draughts were on tap.

It must be noted that from the ferry and the pier the village looked neat but mainly comprised of residential elements. Even after marvelling at the scope of the live seafood display and looking around while having our coffee, this impression persisted. We finally made the move to get up the hill, not knowing just how far up we were going. We eventually made the house and saw the view from there, this certainly made the climb worthwhile. It took only moments to become friendly with the dogs who also greeted us in fine fashion.

After a short break, we were game to go for a "little" walk to the beach for lunch. Sharon gathered Spot and Toffee and off we went down the stairs and incline which is really a hill masquerading as a walkway. Noticed the stabilizing concrete on the hillsides and the marker numbers which implied a great deal of order existed here. Could not help but notice the above-ground water systems and the style and types of lines and fittings. Saw no leaks which is a very good indication that they had been well assembled. Thought this was good as it would be a serious job to replace some of the threaded sections that were partially embedded in the concrete walkways.

Finally began our walk through the Village and could not help but be impressed with both the number and the look of quality of the many stores, shops and restaurants along the way. The sheer number of establishments certainly blew away my first impression of mainly residential. We really enjoyed our walk-through with Sharon answering all questions with the voice of experience and the tone of someone who is both very familiar with and comfortable in the environment which was so new to us. After a couple of side trips to see the school and the fire hall, both of which are now in our photo collection and both of which also happen to be on uphill diversions from our path to the beach. We saw a lot on that first walk and were both absorbing new things like a pair of sponges. It was great.

From the friendliness of the people to the polite manner in which pedestrian, bicycle and small truck traffic behaved we never felt for a moment that we didn't fit. Each subsequent walk through the village unveiled new things to us and we became aware of just how self sufficient and enterprising the village really was. Had a great lunch with Dan joining us from a morning's work, plus the first beer on the beach, and saw the famous Pigeon restaurant up on yet another hill.

I seem kind of hung up on this hill thing but that is not always true. We both enjoy walking but remember this is our first encounter with the walking paths and it followed right after a 20.5 hour flight and a change in times and dates. We never had a bad experience during our several days on the Island and thoroughly enjoyed the people we met both at the bar and elsewhere. That just about covers the first impressions only. Not all of the others that followed.

We live in a great community of about 4,000 ourselves (it's called Blind River in Northern Ontario - some of you have the pins) and can certainly appreciate why people would choose to live on Lamma. This was our first venture out of North America and it was truly an enjoyable experience.

Betty's comment to friends back home is that she would go back in a flash, and that says it all. We may have to return someday as we just never got around to ringing the bell at the Island Bar.

Merry Christmas,    Vyrn and Betty