Monday 13 October
Bangkok - Ko Pha Ngan (continued)
The next morning I woke up early, and then started to worry. Where was I? How long until the station I need to get off at? And where are those fried eggs that I'd ordered for breakfast and paid for last night?
The train was due to arrive at 6.30. Just before that it stopped but I looked out of the window and it wasn't a station. Then, as the train pulled off I saw that it was - the station platforms don't run the length of the train! I stewed in a soup of confusion for a while but though a protracted conversation with my fellow Thai passengers that mainly consisted of hand signals and ticket pointing, I worked out that we were yet to arrive at my station. Wanting a second opinion just to be sure I popped into a second carriage and confirmed it was correct with some other English-speaking travellers. And the fried eggs were surprisingly good.
Once off the train we boarded a bus to take us to the boat. There was some more confusion as at the first port we arrived at, the Ko Samui passengers disembarked, and more Ko Pha Ngan passengers arrived, then at the next port we all left the bus and the boat ended up going to Ko Samui first anyway! I'm sure there must be a logical explanation for it all somewhere...
By the time we arrived in Ko Pha Ngan it was once again raining like a dog's mother, but luckily I had a taxi waiting for me. Once at the resort I see that I have booked a fan room with no air con. It must have been the only thing available at the time. I ask if I can upgrade and luckily due to a last minute cancellation I can, thank god!
The resorts pretty sweet, beach with palm trees across blue (though not completely clear) water with the blue hazy hills of Ko Samui visible across the channel, and the wooden huts of the resort behind us. It's good to be back on an island again. I take it easy for a bit and then go for a swim in the sea. From this point onwards for the rest of the night I meet about 25 new people from Australia, Ireland, UK and Kiwiland and instantly forget all their names.
We drink a few beers at the resort, I play a few games of pool and win more than I lose, which I think is the first time that's ever happened. Teaching James has made me a better player. Ben, whose birthday it is tomorrow gets bought a bunch of drink in advance of midnight. Nicely lubricated we head of for Haad Rin, the party town on the island and the location for the Full Moon party the next day. It's fucking crazy.
Bars line the beach and pump out cheesy dance, the beach is pretty much full of people dancing. Buckets of Red Bull and Vodka sell for about 220-300 BHT, or less than 5 GBP. I have one and the Red Bull gets to me in a big way. It's hardcore over here, I think it contains crack or something. Anyway we generally dance and have fun but there's not much else to it.
We end up getting a taxi truck back but there are some crazy paralytic Sweedes on the back who manage to lose a shoe and seem to be contemplating jumping off the moving vehicle. We stop, they find their shoe, and everyone has a drunken shout at them for being idiots.
Back at the resort we have a last minute swim in the star light before heading to bed. It's actually cool enough at night to sleep without air conditioning.
Monday, 13 October 2008
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