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Published: August 9th 2007
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So, I've been getting all these emails and texts saying how miserable the English weather has been so far and how some people would like to kick or strangle me for not sharing this experience with them. I sympathise with you. ;o) Having said that, there is no way I'm coming back to the big gloom! Well, not just yet. If it's any consolation, I'm in New Zealand now and it's no beach weather here either. It actually rained today and it made me think of all of you stuck in my beloved and oh so very rainy England.
Well, as you know, we still have Koh Pha Ngan to cover, so here it goes.
Getting to Koh Pha Ngan from Phi Phi was not an easy task. You look at a map and you think - can't be more than 4 hrs...actually, double that... That obviously goes nicely with what I was saying about SE Asia before: never what it seems. I should have learned by now, really.
Anyway, we got to this island renowned for its parties and picked a place right on the Sunrise Beach (where all the parties happen) as the plan was...to party.
Your first day is always a bit weird - you are figuring out the place, sussing out where's good to eat, where's good to have fun and most importantly, where's good to have a decent massage. We asked a local for a recommendation and ended up in a place called Siam Spa, which was a few minutes walk from the beach. I picked an oil massage option and lied down not expecting much as I had had loads of massages by that point and knew it all (or so I thought). The girl called Proy went straight for my back and oh my God - this was THE most amazing experience from the hedonistic perspective that I have had to date. Let's put it this way: it felt so good I actually wanted to cry and trust me, I've never ever ever felt like that before. Now, that place became my home every single day I was in Koh Pha Ngan - there was no way I was missing on THAT experience!
Not bad for a start, I thought. After dinner I headed back to our bungalow and when I got to the beach, it was already in full
swing. Nice one - a party just at your doorstep. Can I just say: it was mental! To be honest, I don't even know where to start... Maybe here: tons of people having best time of their lives, dancing barefoot in the sand and loving the whole world - I mean wouldn't you??? Everywhere you looked there were people shaking their booties, wearing flower chains, not wearing much in general and looking pretty damn fit. And that's the thing - lots and lots of fitness out there. There were quite a few mingers walking around but they somehow blended in with their tan and the darkness of the night - let's be honest, candle light can be a godsend to the less fortunate ;o)
As you can expect, people have lots of fun there - all sorts of fun - dancing, drinking, snogging, generally making out, jumping through rings on fire, jumping over swings (on fire too), swimming, and chatting to those who are actually able to complete a full sentence. And all that goes on till the sun rises at which point, you grab a chair, sit down and gaze at the sunrise before heading back to yours
on the Bottle Beach
nothing to do with drinking to hit the sack for a few hours. And all that goes on every day to the point you lose track as to how long you've been there for. Plus, alcohol doesn't help in terms of having clear memory either ;o)
Remember I was telling you how young everyone was on Phi Phi? Koh Pha Ngan was no different, if not worse! We seriously ended up hugging anyone who was close to 30 (and felt awfully sorry for those who were over 30 - that's just ancient!). I mean, there were some kids there that looked 12!!! And all those 19-year-olds! Where do they get the money to even travel to all these places?! Bloody rich mummy & daddy, if they only knew what these kids get up to there...
Another thing about Koh Pha Ngan is that nothing lasts there, not a day, not even a night! You get to see some people snogging only to see they've swapped partners an hr later! What's that about?? And there are lots of people on heat there - I suppose with all this tanned flesh, it can be difficult to behave... After meeting a few people there, I can
safely say I'd be worried if my boyfriend went to Koh Pha Ngan with his mates - they just can't control themselves and the opportunities are there for them to take whether they look for them or not. It's really sad as it makes you even more sceptical about things and I really don't need to be more sceptical than I already am...
Altogether though, you do get to meet some hilarious people. I had to hold my stomach as some of them made me laugh so much. After a couple of those nights, you end up knowing half of the beach and so the atmosphere is one in a million. You can always count on a good party - no matter which day or which month it is. Bear in mind, it is low season now - I don't even want to know what happens in the peak season!
We didn't stay for the full moon party and you'll be probably surprised if I say I'm glad about that. How come? Well, closer to the full moon night, there were more and more people coming to the point it became really commercial and...cheesy. Half of England was
there and it wasn't the good half, believe me! It was almost like being on Ibiza - not the one for me. Of course not everyone was disapproving - the lady boys were loving it! They would just reach out for anything that was white and was a bloke and they were getting lots of results as most blokes were so pissed, they wouldn't be able to tell a dog from a cat! It was a hilarious sight: lady boys in a firm grip, sometimes reaching just to the victim's belly button (the Thai are quite tiny as you may well know). And the grip was tight - you had to use a lot of force to take them off you. Plus, they just appeared out of nowhere - I swear to God they live in sand... They were literally like vampires only it was the blokes who had to be wary of them. You couldn't help but think that there is a divine justice in this world. For once it was the guys who were the targets - see what we have to go through every time we go out? There, see if you like it! ;o)
By
the end of it all, we realised we actually didn't sleep properly 5 nights in a row. Where else do you get to do that then, ugh? And check this out: when the party finishes, you are right there to see the sunrise! Well, when all the lady boys are going home, it's time to head back as well. The place goes quiet for a few hours...
So, all in all, Koh Pha Ngan was an amazing place. The beaches are actually really pretty and the nightlife is one in a million. I promised myself I'll have to go back, this time with some of you lot - we'll have so much fun you won't even believe!!! I did miss all of my good mates there - it was so good I wanted you to experience that too. Next time I hope! One thing though - it'll be difficult for me to enjoy another party as much as I enjoyed there - nothing compares to dancing barefoot in the sand...
That was it then - my Thai islands experience. Not too shabby for 2 weeks!
It was Bangkok after that, so there will be one last SE
Asia installment coming and you'll get to learn what a ping pong show involves and how I & Angela kept on ending up where we shouldn't have...
That's all for now my lovelies. Hope you are all well! Take it easy! x
Oh, and I've put up some beach pictures on facebook. After getting "threating" messages, I just couldn't resist. Enjoy! ;o)
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