Apologies for the late update, but I've been home for a few days now.. wandering around in a daze trying to get everything in order. I never updated our days in Siem Reap or what I did in Phuket but big dealio, thats then now!
Coming home: I met the other 3 in K.L. after a smooth flight down from Phuket, and for them a not-so-smooth bus ride from the city to the airport. The 7-8 hours flight was bearable, even though I was sitting on my own, with the knowledge of coming home being a pretty good motivator! We got in at about midnight but only got to Ez's in Mill Park at 2am because of a long wait for luggage and a slight issue for Dave & I bringing our 'snake whiskey' through customs.
We had an amazing time for the past 4 weeks but now it's time to get serious again- work towards a house, job, funds and car! Until the next time some exciting travels can fill this site again... thanks for following :)
Monday, 8 February 2010
Monday, 1 February 2010
Thailand- Phuket
One cramped ferry ride, a coach, two tuk-tuks and a hideous bus ride later and here I am in Phuket at Fabian's house! What should have been a 10.30pm arrival in Phuket became a massive waiting game in Surat Thani, and Fabian and his girlfriend Kay were so lovely to pick me up when we finally arrived at about midnight. It's so nice and quiet here, I can hear birds chirping in the distance and the wind is blowing a sweet breeze in through the window. It's far from the craziness of Koh Phangan and a wonderful way to wind down after our almost month of travel. It's weird not being with the others but great to have a chance to catch up with Fabian- a cousin from Germany that I have barely known other than by word or Facebook for the past 21 years! Unfortunately the two of them are both quite sick, but for the next few days I plan to just wander the streets of Phuket Town and check out Patong beach, the latter mainly out of curiosity rather than to join the thronged streets, bars and beaches of tourists. Absolutely loving the homely feel and break from our power-travelling.. take a breather then home in only three days.
Thailand- Koh Phangan
Two nights in a town focused on partying, drinking and partying.. hmm what to say?
On our first night we discovered that our guesthouse (Anan) backed onto Haad Rin Nok, the 'sunrise beach', aka Full Moon Party beach. We also discovered that Haad Rin does not only party on the night of The Party but apparently goes off every other night, with a New Moon Party, Black Moon Party, Half Moon Party, Shiva Moon Party and Full Moon warm-up and after-parties. None of us got much sleep (except damn Mick who somehow managed without even his earplugs to get some shut-eye) the night before Full Moon because of the revelry, but it's what we had to expect with our prime party location.
On the day of Full Moon (the 30th) we decided we had to get out of town (away from the hectic tourists + beach + alcohol = mayhem vibe) and went to discover another beach to the east of the island and the 'Food Fair Festival' on Thongsala Pier. Nothing special but a nice change from the doof-doof-doof. We came back to discover that it was pouring in Haad Rin, the power was out and the whole place was relying on generators. It would have been an interesting Full Moon Party with candles and a few generators but thankfully (?) the power came back on and the place kicked into gear. We had a fantastic night of painting ourselves silly (Dave and I may have had a face-painting war in front of the UV lights!), drinking the odd bucket from Emma's bucket stall and dancing the night away -to what I would probably normally refer to as 'hideous trance crap'- but was quite succinctly AWESOME. I can see how any people would totally lose it, what with all the fire twirling, mushroom mountain and constant propositions, but we had a fabulous night of good clean fun! Dave loved it so much that after Mick, Ez and I went to bed, he kicked on a little longer and may have fallen asleep on the beach.. only to return to our guesthouse when the sun was well and truly shining through our window. A quick and dirty visit of Koh Phangan was all we really needed though, and the others headed to Koh Samui by boat (which I heard did not go down too well for any of them) and I headed to Phuket on my own.
On our first night we discovered that our guesthouse (Anan) backed onto Haad Rin Nok, the 'sunrise beach', aka Full Moon Party beach. We also discovered that Haad Rin does not only party on the night of The Party but apparently goes off every other night, with a New Moon Party, Black Moon Party, Half Moon Party, Shiva Moon Party and Full Moon warm-up and after-parties. None of us got much sleep (except damn Mick who somehow managed without even his earplugs to get some shut-eye) the night before Full Moon because of the revelry, but it's what we had to expect with our prime party location.
On the day of Full Moon (the 30th) we decided we had to get out of town (away from the hectic tourists + beach + alcohol = mayhem vibe) and went to discover another beach to the east of the island and the 'Food Fair Festival' on Thongsala Pier. Nothing special but a nice change from the doof-doof-doof. We came back to discover that it was pouring in Haad Rin, the power was out and the whole place was relying on generators. It would have been an interesting Full Moon Party with candles and a few generators but thankfully (?) the power came back on and the place kicked into gear. We had a fantastic night of painting ourselves silly (Dave and I may have had a face-painting war in front of the UV lights!), drinking the odd bucket from Emma's bucket stall and dancing the night away -to what I would probably normally refer to as 'hideous trance crap'- but was quite succinctly AWESOME. I can see how any people would totally lose it, what with all the fire twirling, mushroom mountain and constant propositions, but we had a fabulous night of good clean fun! Dave loved it so much that after Mick, Ez and I went to bed, he kicked on a little longer and may have fallen asleep on the beach.. only to return to our guesthouse when the sun was well and truly shining through our window. A quick and dirty visit of Koh Phangan was all we really needed though, and the others headed to Koh Samui by boat (which I heard did not go down too well for any of them) and I headed to Phuket on my own.