Advertisement
Published: November 9th 2011
Edit Blog Post
Beach view
West Coast, Thongsala As the ferry dipped and rocked, progressing slowly to Ko Pha Ngan from Ko Tao I reflected on my plans - head to the Black Moon party, hike around the waterfalls and chill out on the beach. Little did I know I was about to make some good mates, breath fire, get bitten by dogs and accosted by a Thai bloke. My planned stay of 4 nights turned into 6 nights, a lighter wallet and mixed memories.
The storm hit as we boarded the ferry in Koh Tao, a thunder storm with horizontal lightening and rain drops the size of golf balls. Two and a half hours of heavy seas saw tanned faces turn green and our backpacks, which were cleverly stored on the deck, get drenched.
The storm parted as we arrived in Thongsala in Ko Pha Ngan, a functional port town with little charm. I took an open pickup truck to the hotel, holding on for dear life as we shot across pot holes and dead dogs.
The hotel was great, set by the sea near Thongsala, with a palm tree fringed beach and small single room shacks looking out to the sunset.
I met
an American at the hotel and over a beer we hatched a plan for the Black Moon party. With bottles of Sangsum rattling in our pockets we headed to the party. Sangsum is a Thai rum which has the double benefit of being dirt cheap (about £2.50 a bottle) and has no hangover effect.
The party was set on the beach at Ban Tai which was decked out with bars and a DJ setup and having met some girls from New Zealand and a British guy it was time to get UV painted and hit the dance floor. I was persuaded into get a strange devil like monkey painted on my back. Never again.
The party ended at 7am when it was time to get a pickup back. I was keen to see the sunrise so opted for walking back along the beach. The short amble back turned into two hours and provided two marinas to swim across and two dog bites.
There are hundreds of dogs roaming around Pagnan, some have collars and are relatively friendly whereas others set up camp on the beaches, guarding their hotels – on the first day I took a swim,
Devil monkey
This was fairly tame compared to some of the other paintings! the water was clear, the sand white and the sun shining. Paradise. As I looked back to the beach the dogs had gathered, two cocked their legs and sprayed my towel, book and ipod. Paradise doesn’t come for free.
I was staying on a quiet beach; the party town of Haad Rin was a twenty minute motorbike taxi ride, which I took most evenings to meet up with mates I had made at various other places. Meeting at the Cactus bar on Sunrise Beach we would play fire skipping rope, fire limbo and fire breathing. Evidently the caveman instinct is still within us, however taking a mouthful of Kerosene is not a winner.
After several days of beach parties I decided it was time to trek through the jungle which covers the interior of the island. I hitched a ride to Pang Waterfall, which I’m disappointed to say had no water. It was late in the day but I thought it would b great to hike to the top of the mountain where I could see the whole island. I spent an hour scrambling up rock faces in flipflops and still the famous view point wasn’t in sight.
By this time it was dusk and without wanting to spend a night in the jungle it was time to scramble back. This is where it got weird...
A Thai bloke stepped into the path, I thought he was a tourist as he was wearing a backpack and after several minutes of me trying to explain he shouldn’t go to the top because he would get stuck in the jungle, he asked for the time. Six o clock I said, and with that he said in his pidgin English, ‘no you have time for this?’ and grabbed my crotch! Terrified and surprised I pushed him and ran for my life, fearing I had inadvertently found some sort of Thai dogging spot.
I’m finished with waterfalls and dusk – if you’re in the jungle, don’t fear for snakes and spiders, just watch out for Thais!
With a final evening spent with Jens and Steffan, two Danish guys I had met in Bangkok and randomly bumped into in Haad Rin it was time to leave the island, bound for Krabi to see the limestone karsts and paradise beaches.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.041s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 9; qc: 23; dbt: 0.022s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Emma Kinsey
non-member comment
Hi James!!
Really enjoyed reading your blogs however do have a slight concern about the crotch-grabbing Thai man! Other than that, sounds like absolute paradise! Keep us all updated, it's sort of escapism from the dull and dreary weather back in the UK! Lots of love, Em x