THAILAND CONTINUED

So, following about a month of trekking and minimal internet access, I am able to get back on my grind to bring more stories your way. Here is the end to my time in Thailand, with Laos comming soon!

KOH PHANGAN

I made it to the ferry with only five min to spare and secured a corner of the top deck for the journey. Immediately, I was met by three gents from New Zealand who were all dressed as pirates and were well underway in the evening celebrations. I was inducted into the crew and was given a wig, bandana, and some lovely tattoos in order for me to properly play the part. They were fun, but definitely a handful and five beers later I was questioning my ability to keep up with this crew for the remainder of the night. It was only 8 pm and I desperately wanted a nap!

The pirate crew

Not having accommodation and knowing that everything doubles in price around the week of the party, I chose to follow the guys to their guesthouse on the far side of the island and found a cheap bungalow to claim as my own. It was 10 pm and after some food and a bit of relaxation it was clear that I could not put off partying any longer and met the guys in the restaurant. They had met a group of five girls from England and together we took a tuk tuk to Haadrin Beach. To the full moon party!

Perfect start to the full moon party

Immediately, after sneaking in and dodging the cover charge, people began to disband through distractions and personal desires. I found this to be my perfect escape as I decided I would rather take my chances alone than be stuck with the remnants of this motley crew. It was still early, so I was able to wander a bit and could see clearly through the crowd. I went from one end of the beach to the other to gain a somewhat sober lay of the land before all hell broke loose. On the north side of the beach were two bars perched atop the rocks, playing great house music and selling buckets, beers, and mushroom shakes. After a drink and some people watching I decided to make my way to the other end, passing food stands, bucket stands, and people sitting around mini bonfires or in the water. As I came to the main entrance, situated in the middle of the beach, there was a small stage with a large full moon party banner and some black light artists and decorations.

People were decked out in neon clothing, their bodies artfully covered in florescent glow paint. From that point on the beach was one large dance party with DJ’s every 30 yards, elevated dancing platforms, and crowds of people. Between the platforms, separating one dance party from the other was a range of fire-related activities. There was fire dancing, fire jump rope, fire hoops, fire limbo, and fire slides. It was here, after watching people return from the center with burns, that I chose to solely spectate rather than participate. Although, later I did take a few turns down the less intimidating fire slide.

Despite appreciating my surroundings, as the night raged on I doubted whether or not I would truly have the full moon party experience that I had desired. Thinking of all the friends I wished were there to share that moment with me, made it hard to completely enjoy myself. It seemed that everyone was either entirely too intoxicated to function, too absorbed with their friends, or too sleazy to be around. Then, slowly, things took a turn for the better. I can guess that it was around 12:30 am that a lone female, lost from her friends, approached me seeking the time. I didn’t have my phone or my watch and was just as curious as she, but after realizing that we were both alone, we decided to join forces and made our way to the nearest dance floor.

Within 10 min we were joined by other dancers, of which were two Argentinian guys. While one was completely sober, the other was just sober enough to hold a decent conversation without much or any annoyance. The next thing I knew, my female companion was off with a different group of people and I decided to join the guys at a bar down one of the side streets, which doubled as their hostel. HOORAY!!! This place was great! Owned by some Aussies, the vibe was chill with a décor to match. It had a lounge feel and the music was a mix of house, dub, and reggae, which was better than any DJ on the beach. With a good mix of locals (expats and Thais) as well as fellow partygoers, there were only about 15-20 people in the place, but everyone seemed to know each other and to be enjoying the scene.

It was a small place and it didn’t take long for me to find myself in conversation with two English sisters sitting on a couch adjacent to mine, facing the dance floor. The two, Lucinda and Naomi, ended up being my true Full Moon Party saviors. They were two years apart and as I had just turned 24, I was exactly between them in age. Lucinda had been there for the Full Moon Party about a year ago, which is where she had discovered the bar and made friends with the owners. She loved it so much that this year she brought her sister. They were both incredibly beautiful and insanely sweet. Finally, I had friends! We spent the rest of the night dancing, walking the beach, and enjoying each other’s company. We were having so much fun that we ended up staying out until about 7:30 am. They were staying on the north side of the island on a secluded bay, only accessibly by longboat. They invited me to stay at their place, as they had an extra bed, but with all my stuff on the other side of the island, I resolved to head back, gather my things, and meet them in a few hours.

It took about an hour to get back to my bungalow and, still rather awake, I struggled to get a few hours of sleep in before making my move to the bay. At this point, it seemed that only one of the pirates had made it back, but as I slept in the hammock outside it didn’t take long for the others to arrive. After waking me from my restless sleep, the three of them ran about between the bungalows hooting and hollering for about 30 min until they nearly passed out where they stood, leaving me to catch about another hour of sleep before I gathered my things and went away to meet the girls. Initially, I had planned on heading to the neighboring island of Koh Tao to begin a few diving courses, but I figured I could use a day of rest in good company.

Getting to the secluded bay was a bit of a struggle for someone who was  coming off of an hour or two of restless sleep and beginning to feel the pangs of a hangover, but patience is a virtue and I made it in perfect time. The girls had just woken up and had begun their day lying beside the pool. Perfect. I put my things in the amazingly clean and comfy looking room, grabbed a bite to eat, and spent the rest of the day in the pool or taking cat naps on a deck chair. The day was relaxing and I was happy to be sharing the moment in good company.

The next morning we prepared to disband. The girls were heading back home and I was heading to Koh Tao (the next island over) to begin a scuba course. I joined them in a taxi to the port on the south side of the island and we said our goodbyes. According to the ferry timetables, I had a few hours before any ferries to Koh Tao were preparing to leave so I head back to Haadrin, the scene of the party, to do a little shopping. While in the tuk tuk, I met two friends from England, Jack and Tessa, who were also planning on heading to Koh Tao, but they told me that after running around the day before and that morning they were unable to procure tickets. Everything was booked. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a ticket either. I guess I should’ve known that after the party everyone was going to take a recovery day and then try to get the hell off the island. The good news, however, was that they were hoping to find a private boat to take their group of 6 across. I exchanged Thai numbers with Jack and told them I would make my shopping trip quick and would split the cost if they were able to find something. Luckily, there was a speedboat that was willing to take us, but again, at a cost. Regardless, I had no intention of staying on Koh Phangan and wanted to begin diving as soon as possible, so I confirmed my ticket. I met the group at the port and after a quick lunch and a few delays, we were off.

KOH TAO

We got to the island at 5 pm and after realizing that most places and dive courses were already booked (duh!) we checked in at a dive resort called Ban’s. The plus was that, since I planned on taking dive instruction, my room was free for the duration of my course. I said goodbye to the crew, the last time I would see many of them, and head to my first dive meeting which began no more than 15 min into my arrival. I was happy to get things started so quickly! We sat in a classroom, did a quick course overview and watched a dive movie. Easy enough.

The next three days kept me rather busy from morning to evening with classroom and pool sessions, followed by three dives a day in the local reefs. Our group was 14 students, three dive masters, and two instructors. Most people were diving with their friends and since I was solo I was put in a group of three guys from London; Sean, Andre, and Adam. They were AWESOME! I was happy knowing that throughout the course I would have good people to spend my free time with. Technically, you’re not allowed to drink too much while diving as it coincides with the effects of the nitrogen levels in your body, so our nights were rather relaxed with card games and whatever happened to be on TV. One night, joined by Tessa (the girl from the speedboat crew) we went to a Muy Thai fight consisting of eight matches, some with Englishmen who definitely had never trained in anything other than traditional boxing. It was very entertaining and after a few broken ribs and three knock outs, we were satisfied.

The diving was great! The marine life in Koh Tao was incredible and there were so many dive sites in the area. We even did a night dive where I saw an octopus! Even more than seeing the underwater world was the amazing feeling of breathing underwater. I was living out my dream of being the little mermaid (my favorite childhood movie). Life was good. Everyone was getting along and we created a small community feel within the group. Our instructors were awesome as well. We got really lucky, as our head instructor had just been promoted to course director and had been the resorts top instructor for the past eight years. Things were so great that our entire group decided to stay a few extra days and take the advanced course, with about six of us (myself and the guys included) choosing to couple it with an enriched air course.

The week had gone by quickly and after a few group dinners and nights out, it was time to say goodbye. The guys were heading up to Pattaya for a couple of days and then making their way back to London and I was going to Bangkok. I was hoping to meet up with the them again at some point, but time and distance foiled that plan. It is weird when you meet fellow travelers at the end of their trips when you still have two to three more months of travel left! The last night was bittersweet as we all went out to celebrate our achievements, knowing that within the next two days, we will have all gone our separate ways. It is easy to meet people while traveling, but to meet people that you thoroughly enjoy is a completely different story. I was pretty bummed that I was unable to meet up with the guys again, but as it stands I now have a number of people to visit in London!

BANGKOK

There were a few of us on the bus and I ended up sharing the ride and a few days of exploring Bangkok with a Danish girl named Malous. We got in around 10 pm and after settling on a place along Khaosan road in west Bangkok we went to grab a drink with some of the other divers.

Khaosan road is a part of the city designated to the backpacker lifestyle. The streets are packed with "farang," white people, and there are bucket stands and bars EVERYWHERE. It’s cheap and easy to navigate. It is always busy and always chaotic.

The next morning Malous and I were up early (6 am) and went to see the floating market just outside of the city. It was awesome! You hop in a boat and along the canals are little shops. They pull you in and the haggling begins. It became pretty clear that their main prerogative was to sell- at any price, so it ended up being a good test to our bargaining skills. Unfortunately, the tour we were on had other locations of interest, unbeknown to us, and our time at the amazing market was cut short. We made up for it by hitting a few markets in central Bangkok so that Malous could pick up some last min items before she departed that evening.

The next couple of days were spent wandering the city, going to swanky rooftop bars downtown, and hitting wats, museums, and galleries. Many people dislike Bangkok, but I found it to be rather tolerable with quite a bit to offer. At least enough to keep me satisfied for a week.

Keanan met me in Bangkok and after a few days exploring the weekend markets and showing each other our favorite parts of the city, we booked a bus north to Chiang Mai.

Like I said, I really enjoyed Bangkok. It reminded me of big US cities and was not nearly as dirty as people have reported. There is a lot to do, even if it’s just trying out different modes of transportation; city bus, metro, boat taxi, etc.. Word of caution, however, is NEVER take a tuk tuk if you can avoid it. They will charge you almost triple of what a metered taxi costs and they are really difficult to work with. This goes for Laos as well, although there aren’t taxi’s in Laos from what I have seen (more to come on that… be patient!!!!) The taxis are great and charge the same amount no matter how many people are in the car.

Also, something I should’ve mentioned before, but is definitely an issue in Bangkok, is the Thai attitude. During my research I found many passages suggesting to always keep your cool with Thai people and when haggling do it with a smile, as forcing a Thai to “change face” or appear in conflict is very demoralizing and frowned upon. HOWEVER, even when attempting to begin, continue, and finish many conversations in a pleasant fashion, it was more common that not that from the jump I would be spoken to harshly. After experiencing this a few times, I threw my research out the window and fought fire with fire (only when absolutely necessary of course). It actually seemed to work! The good news is I didn’t have to deal with that much past Bangkok.

CHIANG MAI

The bus to Chiang Mai took 12 hours and crept north overnight. Keanan and I each got our own seats and being able to sprawl out while being front row for the Iron Man II movie showing made it a great ride.

We got in at 6 am and spent most of the day relaxing and wandering the city. The next morning we woke early, rented bicycles, and rode around. We spent some time on the Chiang Mai University campus nestled in the mountains and ended our ride at the bowling alley. The bowling alley was incredible. With only two other people there, outside of staff, it was dead, but the amenities provided were way above standard. We paid $9 for three games, shoes, and a caddy between the two of us. Our “caddy" stood beside our lane, polishing our balls after every turn, getting new weights for us to try, and celebrating our highs while consoling our lows. It was hilariously awesome. Needless to say, we went bowling twice because our experience there was so great… and who doesn’t like to bowl… with a fan club?!?

Now, our third day in Chiang Mai was a sad one. When we woke, excited to fulfill a list of activities we had planned for the day, we began to discuss budgets and travel time when Keanan realized that all of his money (a third of what he had saved for the trip) had been stolen from his pack. We traced it back to the bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, which is notorious for similar instances. Unfortunately, we were the victims this time. Keanan had also gotten his wallet stolen a couple weeks prior, so he was out of luck when it came to money. Outside of the three to five days’ worth of cash he had in his pocket, he had nothing. 

After tearing apart the room in the hopes of finding the lost dough, we spent the day inside; spending money didn’t seem like an option. By the evening Keanan had come to terms with his loss and decided that with a budget and some forethought he would be able to stick it out until the end of the trip. He made the proper arrangements with his family back home and we got back to exploring the city and making plans for our next move.

The next day was incredible. We picked up where we left off in our list of activities and head north of the city to the Tiger Kingdom, tiger sanctuary, where you can play with tigers of various ages and sizes. We both chose to play with the bigger kitties (18mo.) and the staff brought us to a caged area where four large tigers lay in separate enclosures. I was in heaven. You could cuddle up with these huge beasts and play with their paws and tails. I was channeling another Disney character this time; princess Jasmine.

With our spirits lifted we went back to the city and planned our travels into Laos and the following morning we were off through beautiful mountain roads to the border town of Chiang Kong.

Chiang Mai was an awesome city, where Thai hippies and outdoorsmen thrive. The mountains to the west provide a beautiful border to the city and the cafes, bars, and restaurants are enough to keep your palate satisfied. Spending more time there than initially anticipated, I could’ve spent more had future endeavors not been calling. Although not too upset about not making it farther north to the city of Chiang Rai, I would suggest finding a way to see the White Temple in between the two. Fellow travelers stories and pictures made me regretful of missing it. The temple is more of a modern art piece than a place of worship with great sculptures and paintings. Inside there are paintings of the twin towers being hit with a collage of images such as superheroes like Spiderman, BP gasoline terror, etc.. Look into it!