May 7th, 2007 - Koh Tao, Thailand
This morning I had some breakfast at the resort hotel and headed up the road to the tattoo shop to get inked. When I showed up the tattoo artist was still at home and had to shower, so I left and made some phone calls to dad, Amber and Kristy in Australia. It was good to hear all of their voices.
At around 11 am I came back and played some video games with one of the Thai guys attending the shop, and met the artist Toh. We finalized the design and the colours and got straight down to business. The parlour was clean and the vibes were great so I had no qualms about safety.
The tattoo took almost 6 hours to complete, and I have to say it was pretty damn painful. The outlining was a piece of cake, but once when it came to the colouring it became excruciating. I held on through thick and thin, and if it wasn’t for the copious amounts of chocolate and Pepsi, and the little Chihuahua humping Dan’s leg all afternoon and making me laugh, I don’t think I would have completed it in one go. It took me a couple hours to design the tattoo and now that it’s finished I’m extremely happy with it, and it commemorates my last year and a half overseas. I absolutely love all the greens and blues!
I was pretty tired after a full day of sitting in a chair getting inked, so Dan and I had a chill evening eating at a new restaurant around the corner, and then watched a movie. It was our last night on Koh Tao so we decided that we had better take advantage and hit the town. We first hit the Flying Turtle bar for a glass of fresh juice and a shisha session. Next we headed down to the Lotus bar right on the beach; it was absolutely packed, and there were people everywhere. They even had a stellar fire show. To finish of the night, we cruised down the beach to a club called Maya with some Thai and British girls we met and danced until the sun came up over the horizon.
May 6th, 2007 - Koh Tao, Thailand
I woke up at the crack of dawn today to go diving. I met Paul and Neils for breakfast at the resort restaurant. We loaded up quickly and were off by 7:30 am to go to the first dive site called “South West Rocks.” We had two divemasters with us and there were four of us diving in our group; all experienced divers. I love doing dives with experienced divers because you can concentrate on the marine life rather than what the other divers are doing. We saw heaps of marine life including a big jellyfish with baby trevally swimming within it, a huge Titan triggerfish that attacked one of our divemasters (they’re very territorial this time of year, which is mating season), giant schools of yellow fusiliers, and lots of living cowry shells and nudibranchs. It was a really fun dive, with a maximum depth of 24 meters.
The second dive site we went to was “White Rock,” and although I’ve seen it before, I was keen to do it again. We jumped in around 10:30 am, with the same group as the first dive. It was a shallower dive at a maximum depth of 18 meters, and the marine life was abundant and healthy. There were heaps of nudibranchs at this site as well, and I even spotted a rare species of rudbeckia, which was white with orange dots. Near the end of the dive I spotted a moray eel underneath an rocky overhang and was surprised to find a blue speckled stingray hanging out on the sand, face to face with the moray! Needless to say, it made a great photo!
We got back to land at around lunchtime and I decided to design my tattoo having learned that there is an amazing tattoo artist on the island. I’ve been dying to get some ink in Thailand, and not that we are heading north in a couple days and will be away from the beach, it’s the perfect opportunity. I worked in Photoshop for a couple of hours in the midday heat and put together the perfect design. I’m really happy with it and can’t wait to get it inked on my arm in full colour. I printed it off in town and had a consultation with the artist and made the appointment for 9:30 tomorrow morning. He estimated it would cost about 11,000 baht ($350 CAN); the same tattoo would cost about double that in Australia or North America.
I returned to the resort and had a conversation with Neils about his crazy teenage years in Amsterdam. Man did have some stories to tell! I ate another delicious pad Thai (They’re really that good!) and finished my novel on the beach with a little puppy named Morris snuggling at my side; I really want a dog.
For dinner Dan and I returned to the DD Hut restaurant; we were so impressed with the food we couldn’t pass it up!
May 5th, 2007 - Koa Tao, Thailand
Last night we had boy’s night and it ended up running late, so I slept in until about 9 am. Dan and Adrian both woke up early to go for a dive, but I decided to take a day off to go snorkelling with Paul. We took the scooter Dan rented and set off immediately after breakfast for a beach called Aow Leuk, which is on the south-east side of the island. Finally, the sun came out after over a week of monsoon rain. We were stoked for the blue skies, but the sun belted down on us, making us burn and sweat profusely. We had to hike down a big hill but were rewarded with a stunning sight. The water was clear, and surprisingly, there was no garbage! There were only a handful of people swimming and sunbathing, making it an ideal spot for a quick dip; our main mission was to go snorkelling at Shark Bay and Freedom Beach.
After taking the scooter on a joy ride up a treacherous hill (the main road to the beach we wanted to get to was flooded), we found the alternate route. We stopped at a restaurant nestled on the water and had a pad Thai and rented gear. We finished our delicious lunch and headed straight into the water down a sandy channel out to the back of the reef. The corals weren’t all that impressive but there were plenty of fish and, living up to its name, sharks. I saw about 15 small reef sharks and even a thick 1.5 meter black tip reef shark! It was a little daunting to see such a big shark snorkelling, but good to get over the fear of them; they’re so well fed there’s really no worry of attack.
I came back in the afternoon and took a ride into town and along the road as far as I could go. The sun was still beating down hard, and I had to keep drinking water so to not become dehydrated. I headed back after about an hour cruising around and went for a swim in the pool and read my book underneath the shade of a palm tree.
I met up with Dan later on that evening and he loved his first diving experience; so much so that he decided to go on a second dive. I knew he would enjoy diving, and apparently he was a natural at it. We decided to go out for dinner at a place called DD huts restaurant since it was recommended to me by a guy I met in Koh Phan-gan. Boy was I glad we went; the food was the best we’ve had so far in Thailand and for the best price. We each had a peanut butter and banana milkshake and cheesy garlic bread to start off with, and I had fried rice with beef and Dan had a coconut green curry. It was absolutely delicious.
To finish off the evening I worked on my blog and checked my e-mail, and we had a beer at the Crystal dive resort bar overlooking the sea.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
May 4th, 2007 - Koh Tao, Thailand
We arrived in Koh Tao after a two and a half hour boat trip which started off with sunshine but soon turned to monsoon rain. It was hot, really hot. Dan got sun burnt, and luckily, I met Adrian the Kiwi and another Canadian girl Lacy and we were sensible enough to put some lotion on.
The pier was busy as usual, and there were a hundred different accommodation and dive shops offering their business. In the end, Dan, Adrian and I decided to go with Crystal dive shop because of the good customer service I received in Koh Phan-gan, and their accommodation was cheap; 500 baht a night between three guys (About $5 a night CAN each!)
After settling in and getting our gear sized we had some excellent Thai food and explored the town before hitting the sack early; I had to be up at 6:30 am. Unfortunately, there were hundreds of stray dogs barking in the streets so we couldn’t get to sleep; not to mention the stifling heat! I grabbed a shoe and chased the little bastards down to the beach. We thought they were gone but they came back for one more round before I finally got rid of them.
I got up on time with the help of my alarm and boarded the big dive boat with about 50 other divers, both students and certified divers. The first dive was to a site called Chumpon Pinnacle, and it’s situated about an hour offshore of Koh Tao. Once we got to the dive site there were about 10 other big boats already there. Too be honest, the dive was pretty but an absolute atrocity considering the number of divers in the water. Luckily my group was all certified so we headed down to 30 meters to escape the commotion near the surface. We saw a shark and plenty of fish, but I’d have to say that the Similan Islands were more impressive.
The second dive was at a site called White Rock and it was a lot more colourful and impressive in terms of coral and diversity of fish life. We saw heaps of fish including a massive Titan triggerfish and a big green turtle. The coral was actually looking quite healthy; I was surprised! All in all they were good dives and I can say that I will do a couple more while I’m here.
After a day of diving and a poor night’s sleep I took a massive nap in the afternoon. Later on I met up with Paul my Aussie dive buddy and another Dutchmen named Neils and we headed to town for dinner; Dan and Adrian was MIA. We ended up at this little restaurant serving burgers and seriously it was the biggest burger we have all ever had in our lives. It was actually quite ridiculous. We watched the NBA playoffs while scoffing our meals, and then met up with Dan and Adrian for some drinks at “Choppers,” an Aussie bar in town. We had a few jugs and listened to some live music before heading down to a beachfront bar called “Lotus” to finish off the night.
Friday, May 04, 2007
May 3rd, 2007 - Koh Phan-gan, Thailand
I have to admit straight away that’s my memory is a little hazy concerning the last few days; we have been partying like savages as part of the Full Moon festivities on Koh Phan-gan. I’m going to start right from the beginning and try to recount as much as I can, although there are obvious gaps to the four days on the island.
Dan and I left Phi Phi Don early in the morning on April 29th, and arrived on Koh Phan-gan under the cover of darkness after an extremely long bus and ferry ride. We didn’t have anything booked, which worried us a little once we saw the number of people swarming to the island; literally, there were thousands of people and the ferry’s were dangerously packed to the brim. As with every part of our journey we kept the faith and finally after walking around for an hour, we got a room at Stone Wall Bungalows up the hill at the far end of Haad Rin beach, the site of the Full Moon party. Haad Rin has both sunrise and sunset beaches, and the view from our room overlooked the entire splendor. Although the room itself was pretty terrible, the views more than compensated for the rustic living we had to endure over the course of the week.
We met heaps of people, mainly Aussies and American’s on the boat over and decided to party with them the first night. We all sat around drinking 180 baht ($6 CAN) buckets of rum, coke and Red Bull; absolutely deadly! The entire night was incredible and we ended up watching fire shows, including an amazing fire limbo competition. Unfortunately, many people ended up in the hospital with severe burns. The music and dancing was just incredible on the beach, and there was something for everyone. The first night on Koh Phan-gan was probably my favourite party ever - it was that good. I danced until the sun rose up over the sea and slept in late, wandering around for the rest of the day.
The second day on Koh Phan-Ngan was a lot more subdued, and it rained like hell. Monsoon season has arrived right on time and since we left Phi Phi the rain has been steady and heavy. To pass the time and nurse the hangover I went and caught a Muay Thai kickboxing match. One word: Awesome. The flies were buzzing all around the lights above the ring, we sat on lawn chairs, and the fights were raw and entertaining. It was worth every bit of the 300 baht ($10) that I paid to see four fights, which all went to five rounds.
The third day on Koh Phan-gan, May 1st, was the day of the Full Moon party. During the morning and afternoon Dan and I rented scooters and went into the interior of the island to go trekking through the rainforest and visit a waterfall. We ended up hiking for hours in the rain, and we rewarded with some pretty impressive views of the island from the top of the mountain. All of the vegetation was lush and green, and the waterfall flowing down the mountain was perfect; needless to say we went for a swim in the cool water.
After having a delicious green curry at the Stone Wall restaurant overlooking the beach, we got ready for the big party. Unfortunately, it was pouring rain and the beginning of the night was tame because everyone was indoors. Once there was a break in the rain though, the people came out of the woodwork. There were hundreds of vendors selling buckets, food and other fare, Thai children selling necklaces and black light paint and glow sticks, and about 7000 dancing partygoers rocking on the beach. It was enormous fun, and Dan and I walked from bar to bar with a group of Germans, and danced until our limbs collapsed, literally. It all gets messy at a certain point as the buckets caught up with us. I remember swimming in the ocean, losing Dan for a moment, and then finding him passed out facedown in the sand; it was funny. A group of us picked him up and then literally fireman-carried him home! I got him halfway up the hill and then he settled nicely in the garden until morning and I had the bed to myself. The party went on all night long and into the morning, but I didn’t make it the entire time. I certainly gave it a good go.
The next morning we found out that despite all of the fun, two people drowned in the ocean, and a few more overdosed. It made us both really sad; parties should never end with tragedy. I felt for their moms and dads having to receive that phone call. It’s such a terrible shame.
We hung around and recovered for the rest of the day after the party, and planned our escape to Koh Tao the following day for some scuba diving.
All in all, the party was off the hook, and we met so many incredible people. The food and drink was cheap, and the beaches pretty nice considering all of the people roaming around. I’ll definitely be back for round two sometime in the future.
I have to admit straight away that’s my memory is a little hazy concerning the last few days; we have been partying like savages as part of the Full Moon festivities on Koh Phan-gan. I’m going to start right from the beginning and try to recount as much as I can, although there are obvious gaps to the four days on the island.
Dan and I left Phi Phi Don early in the morning on April 29th, and arrived on Koh Phan-gan under the cover of darkness after an extremely long bus and ferry ride. We didn’t have anything booked, which worried us a little once we saw the number of people swarming to the island; literally, there were thousands of people and the ferry’s were dangerously packed to the brim. As with every part of our journey we kept the faith and finally after walking around for an hour, we got a room at Stone Wall Bungalows up the hill at the far end of Haad Rin beach, the site of the Full Moon party. Haad Rin has both sunrise and sunset beaches, and the view from our room overlooked the entire splendor. Although the room itself was pretty terrible, the views more than compensated for the rustic living we had to endure over the course of the week.
We met heaps of people, mainly Aussies and American’s on the boat over and decided to party with them the first night. We all sat around drinking 180 baht ($6 CAN) buckets of rum, coke and Red Bull; absolutely deadly! The entire night was incredible and we ended up watching fire shows, including an amazing fire limbo competition. Unfortunately, many people ended up in the hospital with severe burns. The music and dancing was just incredible on the beach, and there was something for everyone. The first night on Koh Phan-gan was probably my favourite party ever - it was that good. I danced until the sun rose up over the sea and slept in late, wandering around for the rest of the day.
The second day on Koh Phan-Ngan was a lot more subdued, and it rained like hell. Monsoon season has arrived right on time and since we left Phi Phi the rain has been steady and heavy. To pass the time and nurse the hangover I went and caught a Muay Thai kickboxing match. One word: Awesome. The flies were buzzing all around the lights above the ring, we sat on lawn chairs, and the fights were raw and entertaining. It was worth every bit of the 300 baht ($10) that I paid to see four fights, which all went to five rounds.
The third day on Koh Phan-gan, May 1st, was the day of the Full Moon party. During the morning and afternoon Dan and I rented scooters and went into the interior of the island to go trekking through the rainforest and visit a waterfall. We ended up hiking for hours in the rain, and we rewarded with some pretty impressive views of the island from the top of the mountain. All of the vegetation was lush and green, and the waterfall flowing down the mountain was perfect; needless to say we went for a swim in the cool water.
After having a delicious green curry at the Stone Wall restaurant overlooking the beach, we got ready for the big party. Unfortunately, it was pouring rain and the beginning of the night was tame because everyone was indoors. Once there was a break in the rain though, the people came out of the woodwork. There were hundreds of vendors selling buckets, food and other fare, Thai children selling necklaces and black light paint and glow sticks, and about 7000 dancing partygoers rocking on the beach. It was enormous fun, and Dan and I walked from bar to bar with a group of Germans, and danced until our limbs collapsed, literally. It all gets messy at a certain point as the buckets caught up with us. I remember swimming in the ocean, losing Dan for a moment, and then finding him passed out facedown in the sand; it was funny. A group of us picked him up and then literally fireman-carried him home! I got him halfway up the hill and then he settled nicely in the garden until morning and I had the bed to myself. The party went on all night long and into the morning, but I didn’t make it the entire time. I certainly gave it a good go.
The next morning we found out that despite all of the fun, two people drowned in the ocean, and a few more overdosed. It made us both really sad; parties should never end with tragedy. I felt for their moms and dads having to receive that phone call. It’s such a terrible shame.
We hung around and recovered for the rest of the day after the party, and planned our escape to Koh Tao the following day for some scuba diving.
All in all, the party was off the hook, and we met so many incredible people. The food and drink was cheap, and the beaches pretty nice considering all of the people roaming around. I’ll definitely be back for round two sometime in the future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)