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Published: March 2nd 2013
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I'm typing this in the common room of a backpacker hostel in Chiang Mai. There are currently two young Canadian girls who obviously haven't learned how to drink yet puking their guts out in the bathroom. Their male friend has passed out on his back on the couch, maybe I should turn him over so he doesn't choke to death on his own vomit. Nah, I'm sure he'll be fine. I feel old all of a sudden, although the reviews I'd read of this place had warned me it catered to a younger crowd. However I'd left it late to book somewhere to stay here and this was the only place left, a recurring theme. Actually what am I talking about; I'd happily have joined in usually but decided to take it easy tonight after a fairly hectic past week.
So at the point of my last blog I'd just started my dive course in Ko Tao, turns out diving wasn't for me. After sitting through a few boring hours of videos in a classroom we hit the pool to get acquainted with Scuba. I didn't find it easy and more importantly just didn't like being underwater all the time
so decided to pack it in while I could still get a refund. However, Ko Tao is still my favourite place in Thailand I've visited so far. Nice and relaxed but still plenty to do at night if you're looking to go out. The bars on the beach have fire shows and you can sit out by the water and take it all in, along with the dodgy Thai rum (Song Sam). After three nights of doing just that and hanging out with people I'd met on my dive course, I decided to head to Ko Phangan a day earlier than planned.
I got to Ko Phangan two days before the full moon party was due. Luckily the guy I'd met in Ko Samui (Jimmy) had booked a twin room and had nobody to share it with and said I was welcome to stay with him. I'd have been a bit screwed without this as I'd left it late to book a place, so Jimmy if you're reading this you're a legend. It was a nice place too, a resort with a pool and a private beach, basically I was on holiday for 4 days. Days were spent by
the pool, and nights were spent checking out the nightlife and playing drunken pool. The night of the full moon came round, and we headed in to Haad Rin with a crowd of English people we'd met in our resort. It was a good night, and pretty much what I expected. Beach, buckets, dance music and thousands of people. I think I met some Austrian people somewhere along the way and was practicing my drunken German, not the first time I've done that on this trip. We'd had enough by about 4 and got a taxi back to the hotel. Unfortunately I didn't bring my phone or camera to the full moon so I've no photos, I think some of the English girls do though so hopefully will get them at some stage.
Jimmy managed to screw up his dates and had booked a flight back to Bangkok for the morning after the full moon. After somehow managing to catch his flight I was left on my own for the day and just chilled out with the English crowd while we all tried to recover. I'd already booked a flight back to Bangkok for the following day after deciding
Hennes
Some FC Köln fans had obviously been to Bangkok not to bother going to Ko Phi Phi. This was another bus/boat/flight ticket and after catching a boat to the mainland our bus broke down on the way to the airport and I was sure I'd miss the flight. After 30 minutes of utter confusion another bus turned up to take us to the airport and we made the flight comfortably. I spent another two nights in Bangkok, heading out with Jimmy and some of his friends from home.
After this it was time to book my night train to Chiang Mai, but low and behold I'd left it too late and all the trains for tomorrow were booked up. I was getting pretty pissed off with how booked up everything was at this stage, nobody else seems to have been screwed like this when they were travelling. Anyway I just booked a flight instead and ended up in Chiang Mai at 6 o'clock this evening. Went out with some of the more sober guys from the hostel and checked out one of the night markets, even buying myself a rather stylish hat. Headed back to the hostel to watch the football and then eventually the drunken Canadians came in. I'm leaving the hostel tomorrow and heading somewhere else for two nights (not my first choice place to stay, as it's already booked up). After this I'm not entirely sure what I'll do, but it'll definitely be booked up by the time I decide I want to do it. Maybe I should plan things better, but the idea of having your trip planned out 5 days in advance really doesn't appeal to me.
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