New Years Eve Chaos at Haad Rin

Stef and I are currently at Had Rin on Koh Phangan, the home of the notorious full moon parties. People everywhere are preparing to get seedy. Every second shop has a stall out the front selling buckets of alcohol. At about $10 a bucket it is a very cheap to get drunk! Although, rather than getting me excited, the whole scene is kind of turning me off. We don't intend on hanging around here too late, things are going to get more and more grotty as the night progresses. Stef and I will jump on the back of a ute (I think they're called songthaew) and head back to our beautiful beach for the count down, a local bar is hosting a party, which I think is more our scene. There are some cool bars along the beach near our resort, including one which served Stef a glass of red wine with an ice cube in it. Funny stuff. Tomorrow night one of them is hosting a big barbeque and shooting fireworks off on the beach. We're planning on getting there early and wasting the night under the stars.

The last couple of days have been a bit of a write off. We have been at the beach for most of our waking hours. Each day it seems less and less likely that we will get bored of it! Yesterday we hiked it to a nearby beach called 'bottle beach' as well as checking out a lookout and some waterfalls. What looked like a pleasant stroll on the map turned out to be one of the longest, steepest hills I have ever encountered. It is ridiculously hilly around here, and many of the roads are unpaved. "Eltham on drugs," Stef calls it.

I have met some interesting travellers at restaurants and whilst travelling between beaches in the back of trucks. Some are really offensive, some are charming and down to earth. The type of people attracted to this island is really variable. Some are totally obnoxious - load and insensitive to the culture/environment, all they want to do is get pissed and get a tan. Others seem wise and have considerate open hearts. All are out to have a good time.

Bangkok to Koh Phangan

I find it hard to believe that less than 3 days have past since leaving Melbourne. It feels like weeks have gone by! Everywhere I turn there is a feast of new sights, sounds and smells (not all of which are pleasant when it comes to the latter!). Months have to go by at home for me to experience so many new sensations.

Bangkok was full on. But not anywhere as much as I expected it to be. We shopped and checked out the grand palace and the famous emerald Buddha (photos to come). Shambara boutique hotel was gorgeous and is a good choice for those wanting somewhere quiet to escape the crowds i.e. Andrew.

Stef and I have now arrived in Koh Phangan, an island in Southern Thailand. Getting here wasn't the smoothest ride though, as Stef so succinctly put it "we got nearly fucking fucked!". The main reason being, we nearly missed our overnight train down the coast. It was prety funny actually. Thanks to a tuk-tuk driver with a death wish though, we made it with a bit of time to spare. We are staying in a simple hut about 15 metres from the beach, in a resort called Baan Panburi. It is spectacular here. An absolute oasis after the chaos that was Bangkok. Much time has been spent down on the beach.

On the down side, my pack weighs a bloody ton. Much of my walk from the bus stop to Stef's hotel in Bangkok was spent making a mental list of all the things I'm going to ditch. I got really excited this morning when I noticed that my moisturiser has nearly run out - at the thought of one less thing to carry.

Anyway, I love it here and am settling in already. I love the pace of life and the lack of agenda I currently have. It makes me imagine a life I could lead should I be prepared to make certain sacrifices. I'm not talking about a life living on the beach and not having to work. What I mean is, a more minimalistic life. One without so many distractions, where I have time for my thoughts. I noticed whilst on retreat back home, and even more so here, there is a quiet, subtle voice which becomes overwhelmed and drowned out by my pace of life in Melbourne. It saddens me that this is the case because I feel like this part of me is more accepting of lifes ups and downs, more content to just be. Being aware of this makes me realise how driven and task oriented my life has become - perhaps that is necessary for succes, but I don't think it is necessary for mny happiness.

Let me finish up with a word about the food. Oh god, the food. Andrew you are going to have a fit, it is amazing. The restaurant of our resort is apparently one of the best in the area. It opens onto the beach and has bamboo tables nestled in the sand. Lanterns and tea lights border its edges and the staff are kind and gentle. Last night Stef and I had fish with red curry (Stef) and chilli (me). It was orgasmic. It is not just that restaurant that rocks. Provided you stick to the recommended places, it is hard to have a bad experience. The delicious Thai beer (Chang) that you wash it all down with is dangerously cheap!

packing

In an effort to make my jump on to the blog band wagon a little smoother I've decided to make an entry before I leave. Chances are then, this will be a highly uninteresting post.

I'm packing today and tomorrow, as Sunday and Monday will be chockas with Christmas events. Can I just say I'm appalled at the amount of toiletries and books I am trying to cram into my bag. I'm equally appalled at the lack of clothing. I refuse to believe that I must be either smelly and bored, or half naked.