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.
