Koh Phangan aka Party Island
Trip Start
Jun 06, 2008
1
9
23
Trip End
Aug 06, 2008
Ko Phangan,
Thailand
Monday, June 30, 2008
After laving Phuket at 7 in the morning, we got picked up on a van that seats 12 people and started our journey to the other side of Thailand which includes the islands of Ko Phangan, Ko Samui and Ko Tao. All sounds good until you realize the minivan will actually pick up 12 people so you can throw the comfort factor out the window. The we had to switch minibus at a rest area where a bottle was marked up at least 300%. Ont eh second bus we met up with a guy we met in Phuket and 2 Canadian girls who were awesome and actually have a very similar itinerary to us (Adrianna and Tracy). After another semi short ride we switch again but onto a bus. the problem is that we4 had to wait about 2 hours sitting in this room when our bags were in another room. Finally the bus arrives that will bring us to the pier where get the boat and when we went to get our bags, it was clear people had gone through them
Buckets upon Buckets sold on the beach
. Lucky for me nothing was taken (i guess no-one wants my sweaty dirty Tees) but one of Shady's flip flops was taken (the left the other one, I guess they were nice) and Dom's money from previous countries she was keeping as souvenir was taken (a total of no more than 3 dollars). All and all it's not as bad as ti could have been but knowing someone when through your bag is a pretty shitty feeling. Anyway we boarded on a boat after the bus where we met Jordan (a crazy Canadian you either love or hate). Finally at 8PM we arrived to Ko Phangan, and island world-famous for their fullmoon and halfmoon parties. Exhausted and with no place to stay us and some people we met got a tabel in a restaurant and figured out where to stay after walking around a bit. that night we went out on the beach and saw how the drink of choice there are buckets which are about 5 dollars for a bucket full of hard alcohol and a mixer. Although this, we decided to stick to beers. Also they love fire there so we proceeded to jump a rope on fire and watch crazy fire shows. All for free, they just do it to attract people to various bars on the beach. At about 1 Am we decided to call it a night and go in to our bungalow. We needed some rest after that long traveling day and before the halfmoon party.The following day we went on the beach and with the weather beaing about 100 degrees it was nothing but glorious
Jumpin rope
. The Water was amazing. These Thai Islands are real impressive. For lunch while on Koh Phangan Calamari were a must and the restaurant was always picked bassed on what movies they showed. It's crazy but this is a great way to attract people. Basically outside of all the restaurants there is the list of movies and movie times for the day and inside it's packed with flat screen showing these bootleg movies..Indiana Jones, Hulk, Borat, etc.That night we got all ready, pregamed a bit just to get in the halfmoon party mood and off we went in the back of a pick up truck which are turned into taxis for the night. 10 os us, 100Baht each *the guy makes 30 Dollars each way which in Thailand GOES GOES A LONG WAY). The halfmoon party was lost in the forest part fo teh island on Ben Tai beach. When you are there you can pay a couple dollars to have glow in the dark paint anywhere you want it. I decided two bright green lines under my eyes would be enough. Jordan had a Superman logo on his chest and Shady aa 7Eleven logo on her arm. Past these first people trying to make money off of tourists (and being sucessfull at it), we proceeded to this big dancefloor int eh first surrounded byt tables and bars where people hung out getting their drink on untila certain time when I turned around and the dancefloor went from empty to really croweded. Techno blasting had us for the night (oh boy was that not easy on the ears) and then at 4AM we went back home
The beach in Ko Phangan
.The following morning at 10:30 AM Jordan thought it was a great idea to wake everyone up since he hadn't gone to sleep yet. So we got up and yet another just glorious day on the white sand beaches of Thailand. One certainly cannot get enough of that! In the late afternoon we walked aroudn the small city of Haad Rin, bought some postcards and got snacks for the road the following day. After that again a cheap dinner always based on the movie showing and another fun night on the bars on the beach drinking a couple beers, jumping fire ropes, playing stupid pop the baloon games and meeting backpackers from all over the world. We finished the night watching the game Germany-Turkey which started at 1:45AM and then sleep.
Then the day to leave arrived (a very sad day) and we got a cab at 7AM and to the pier where a boat took us to Koh Tao.
ps. on a side note, carrying your backpack with your life for the next 2 months is not bad but when you do it in 100 degrees weather....then that just plain stinks!
Comments
Jordan...
This Jordan guy sounds like Roman.