Saturday, February 12, 2011

Thailand from BKK to Koh Phangan

Traveling Thailand, especially southern, in comparison to some of the other countries in SE Asia was very backpacker friendly & therefore easy! It seemed as though everywhere I looked there was something I liked. A cheap, cold coconut from a street stand for a buck, clothing that I thought was made for me, and tons of cheap hostels and food carts. I think they pretty much have it down as far as supplying the demand.
One of the first things I did after the typical descent into Bangkok was head south to Koh Phangan for the months full moon party. This journey took a series of three buses & two boats to reach, but a lovely trip overall. The perfect opportunity to meet & greet your neighbors who are duh, going south for the same reason! As you can imagine it was absolute debauchery. An island paradise packed with thirty & unders like myself dressed in day glows & paint. Fire dancers or fire jump ropes are not uncommon, jump on in and test your skills! Buckets are sold every 3 meters or less for a around 60 baht ($2 usd) but if you don't get one, one will be shoved in your face on the beach while grooving, by a stranger saying ''hi! bucket?!'' To which the only answer is taking a swig of the over sweetened but strong juice. Drugs are easier to find than food markets & in fact advertised in most areas of Thailand. Psychedelic signs litter every walking street stating ''Happy shakes, pizza, & brownies!'' or ''shroom shakes inside.'' The night may pass quicker than intended with a few enhancers so dance the night away and enjoy your trip! Taking valium on long bus rides is a must & sold super cheap everywhere. I will however throw in a disclaimer here: One of the reasons locals love you to pass out on longer ventures is so they can rip you off so if you plan to doze off have a friend watch your stuff or keep a foot on your belongings. Also & more importantly remember you are in a 3rd world country, check the drugs you are buying, where they are made, make sure you know what's in them & what's supposed to be.
The music on Koh Phangan beach does NOT end so one of my fellow travelers and newest friends' bright idea was staying one beach over in Haad Rin a 15 minute sweet boat ride away. Of course you won't make it home before the sun rises but when you decide your parties ready to mellow, there will still be a lot of die hards who feel differently so it's nice to cruise out to sea and home to a quiet bungalow overlooking a view you'll have to pinch yourself to believe. Relaxing all day in the ocean and drinking fresh juices is my perfect recovery method so try swimming & sunning before making your next move.
xo
H

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