Koh Phangan and Bangkok II

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From Kanchanaburi we returned to the south, heading straight for Koh Phangan so that our visit would coincide with the infamous Full Moon Party. Of course the island isn't bad for a spot of relaxation either. Mostly we lay on the beach, read, swam and played frisbee. I also took a diving trip to 'Sail Rock', but since my mum complained that the Perhentian blog read like a dive brochure I'll just say that the visibility could have been better, and leave it at that.

I'd recommend anyone who visits Haad Rin to stop for a 'King Size Burger' at Jonnees. The tastiest burger I've ever had, in a land where burgers are usually a bad choice.

So what can I say about the Full Moon Party? For much of the night we wandered up and down the beach, failing to find any music which wasn't some variation on bad dance (and I'm supposed to like dance music - but where was The Prodigy and the Chemical Brothers?) Eventually we'd consumed sufficient buckets of dodgy cocktail that it didn't matter, and we danced away contentedly. Oddly enough, things got far more interesting at dawn. I believe it was at this point that a genuine Thai lady boy took a shine to me, showering me with kisses and attempting to drag me from my seat. Highly amusing, especially for Chris!

After recovering from the party we headed back to Bangkok, this time staying in the commercial centre of the city. No visit to Bangkok is complete without an excursion to Pad Pong - the seediest part of town - and that was our main destination during this quick stopover. I think I'll just say that the best part of the evening was a drink in Radio City, where a surprisingly convincing Thai Elvis played all the classics. The Thai Tom Jones wasn't quite so good, but the superb house band made up for it. Throughout their performances a 'lady boy' from Scotland strutted around on the stage, conjuring rubber ducks from the depths of his sparkling dress. Surreal.

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Photos

Moon
Um, it's the moon.

Fishermen
These locals walked past as I enjoyed the dusk sky on the appropriately named Sunset Beach.

Concrete Jungle
Near Siam Square, I couldn't help but admire this wonderful concrete mess, courtesy of pedestrian bridges and the Sky Train.

Cabbages and Condoms
A restaurant with a twist. The restaurant aims to promote AIDS awareness, and the place was decorated with informative posters and sculptures made from prophylactics. "We guarantee our food will not cause pregnancy". My meal was very tasty, by the way.

Boats on Sunset Beach
Our room was about 50 metres away, the main beach (Sunrise) about five minutes' walk.