Koh Pha-ngan - The Beginning & The Black Moon Party

---

27th October 2008 - Arrival
We arrived in Koh Pha Ngan at around 1.30 on 27th October and we taken to Holiday Beach...our new complex. The place seemed nice and looked straight onto the beach. And best of all the beach had hammocks right outside our door.....woo!! I'm sure this life was made for me! The only downside was that our room seemed to be infested with ants...the balcony had a nest but they were in our bed too. Not the best!

Once settled we walked to the town nearby (Thongsala). Plenty of things about unlike on the last island but plenty of dogs too. I could tell I was going to have fun here! After a short explore, we headed back to our place and onto the beach for a while where an English and Thai guy who worked at our complex gave us some tips on what to do and where to go. Had a good feeling about Koh Pha-ngan after today. The only thing I wasn't looking forward to was going to bed with the ants!

28th October 2008 - Beach and Black Moon Party
I started the day pretty weary after a bad nights sleep. I'm sure it was because of all the ants keeping me company under my sheet and I had a much better understanding of the phrase 'ants in you pants'. Following breakfast we asked to swap rooms and luckily they agreed. Goodbye ants!

Spent a few hours on the hammocks in the sun today. We seem to have left the rain behind so thats good!! My skin is not reacting too well though and one part of me is turning reptile with lots of little blisters on the surface of my skin!! And yes...I am wearing suncream!!

That night was the black moon party. Koh Pha-ngan hosts a party almost every week for some sort of moon and we happened to land on the black moon or no moon if you prefer! It only kicked off at about midnight so before we headed out we joined another 20-30 people from our complex who were all drinking on the beach. Good to get to know a few people and learn about countries we are yet to visit.

We headed in a Songathew (van type tuk tuk) to the moon party at around 11.30pm. The music was pretty trancey with a dancey area, fire people entertaining people on the beach and basically everyone sat around getting drunk and chatting. Nat was on the lemonade so I went the bucket alone and ended up pretty drunk! Not surprisingly when I realised there was whisky in it!! Despite Nat not drinking she came out with a classic line of 'I can't even see the moon'! Brilliant! We crawled into bed at around 7am after taking a swim (fully clothed) in a nearby pool!! Derfinitely a party worth going to!!

29th October 2008
After the heavy night I got out of bed around lunchtime with a fuzzy head! I pushed through though and after some food and water I felt fresh as a daisy! Didn't do much today apart from have a wander into town and hit the beach for a couple of hours.

Had a walk towards Haed Rin in the evening for food. Found a buffet type place where you each had your own cooking pot and hot plate upon which you cooked your own food. You could keep going back and cook whatever raw ingredients you fancied. Really nice and we had a major feast of meat, rice, noodles, egg and vegetables....all of which we cooked ourselves!! I coundn't tell you what some of it was though and I don't even think I would like to know! Oh well....it may mean there are a few less dogs to contend with!

After our feast it was time to hit the hay.....we were planning on going a bit further afield the following day so wanted to be rested in preparation...anyone would think I was going on a 15K run but no...just another days travelling to look forward to!!!

---

Photos

With my Bucket!!!
The start of my Downfall!!