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Mission Impossible? <br />To travel the world and give you all a run down of adventures, experiences, things to see and the best bars in town! I may even stop here and there and earn a few bob...but after this who would have me...

Asia, part IV: Thailand

Richard Rosss
2006-04-03 13:42:57

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July 6th to 21st

After sorting out my travel arrangments and life in Bangkok for a couple of days I headed south with the throngs to Koh Pan Ngan. The bus ride south was eventful - the back seat always is. We drank whisky and beer and chatted all nite (kept the bus up with our antics) and we eventually slept at 3ish. At 5ish we arrived at Surat-Thani. Caught the boat across to the island. For the next week I stayed on Haad Yuan beach (next beach to Haad Rin).

The beach was fairly secluded and was set in a cove with golden sands and azure seas. My bungalow was on the beach. My daily diet consisted of, sunbathing, reading and eating. The nightlife on the beach was a few chilled bars where drinking, smoking were the only entertainment [or exterminating mozzies]. The beach next door had a retreat type place, which offered Shamistic holistic healing. I noticed on the menu that colonic cleansing was available...new age hippies!

Went out in Haad rin a couple of nites with some folks I met in a few bars and on the boat. The beach is full of bars playing banging tunes with everybody drinking buckets of vodka/red bull and coke. People just sat on the beach and chatted or danced in the bars/clubs. Cool scene!

Its also the scene for the headonistic full moon party. It was legendry...about 10,000 folks crammed on the beach, dancing and drinking all over the place. The jungle beats that nites were particulary phat! Everybody was drinking heavily or on other illegal substances. By 3am, things started to get messy. People got ill on the beach and a few fights broke out.

When the sun rose, the beach looked like a battlefield. Bodies lay everywhere, where they slept. Trash was everywhere. Still a few folks partied on...

The next day I headed to Koh Samui. This family orientated resort is nice but too commercial (McD's etc) and full of Europeans. Ko Pan Ngan is mainly full of UK backpackers and a nicer, more secluded beaches with a great nite life if thats your bag. Nice place to top up on tans and swim.

So back in Bangkok now, preparing and planning for Vietnam. Should be there for one month then cruise into Cambodia. I am looking forward to continue my dead dictators tour - seen some guy in Uruguay, Mao in China and now Uncle Ho in Hanoi. Last one is Lenin, and I get a prize!

Read "stupaid white men" by Micheal Moore and "The Quiet American" by Grahame Greene. Two recommendations for u from my book club.