Our first taste of parridise.. & the Half Moon Party

Ban Tai beach

We arrived at Surat Thani at around 730, an hour late, but time doesn't really matter here.  After getting off the train, I was sick. Nice!  We went to a little shop where we bought biscuits and some water.  We got on a bus which took us to the dock at Don Sak, and then the boat to Koh Phangan.  This is where I felt the trip had begun, Dubai, Bangkok, the plains, tuktuks and trians were all just a way of getting here, not actually part of my trip, this was what I came for; deep blue ocean, clear blue skies, green islands and baking heat.  I was so excited on the ferry over to the island, the sun was so bright even through sun glasses, I couldnt stop staring out at what was ahead, where we had been, all around, it was pure parridise and I couldnt quite get my head around the fact that I was in it!

                                                                 

On the boat

We arrived at Koh Phangan, I think about 11am.  I'm not sure of the name of the peir, there are two, we were at the one on the west of the island, at the apposite end of the island to Haad Rin.

 

We had prebooked a room at the Blue Parrot Hostel on Koh Phangan, we knew this wasnt far from the port but were not sure if it was within walking distance or not.  The taxi driver we asked wanted 300bt to take us there which seemed like allot.  We couldnt decide what to do, we were a bit overwhelmed I think.  We decided to go to a cafe that was close by to get some lunch.  I had a tomato salad, (about all I could handle at that point!), it was de-lish-ious!! The fruit in Thailand is amazing, I guess because its so fresh.  I told the waiter where we were staying and he told us it was to far to walk with our bags in the heat so we got in a taxi, we managed to get the price down to 200bt for the 3 of us.

The veiw from the bar at the Blue Parrot

Taxi's on the islands are basically pick up trucks with benches down each side of the pick up bit.  There are no tuktuks on the islands but taxis are as cheap.  

When we got to the Blue Parrot we checked in, dumped our bags and ran straight down the the beach, we went swimming in the sea for the first time, it was so warm and clean, absolute parridise.

Later that night was the Half Moon Party.  Sam wasnt feeling well so she decided to stay at the bunglow.  Steph and I had a few drinks at the bar with other backpackers that were also going to the party.  Later, the hotel manager (an Irishman!), called a taxi and we all piled on... There were about 10 to many people on the back of that taxi, some had to stand on the back bumper, and were simply told to 'hold tight!'. I thought it was a bit dangrous and was glad I'd got a seat.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from the Half Moon Party, that wasnt the reason we were there, it just happened to be on on the days we were, and I guess it would of been rude not to go, yes?!  The party, or more of a rave, is in the jungle, the 'club' is built into the mountain, the 'ceiling' is the tree tops.  I think I was expecting it to be on the beach, but it was in the jungle.  Ive been to plently of raves before, but this was my first in the jungle, and the first I had attended in my flip-flops!  On the way in some girls passed us some pots of UV body paint and we cover each other in the stuff, There wasnt much skin showing by the time the pots were empty! The party was something I'm glad I experienced, although it wasnt really my thing,  It was a good night, something I would of loved 10 years ago, but not really the kind of thing I'm into now.

We got a taxi back to the Blue Parrot with some of the other people who were staying there.  Slightly tipsy, and never one to miss out on an experience, it was now me standing on the back of the taxi, 'holding tight', laughing and dancing all the way haha!  When we got back we went swimming in the ocean, it was still so warm.  It was just starting to come light.  We went back to the bunglow and after a good half hour or more of scrubbing the body paint off, it was time for bed zzzzzzzz