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Bottle Beach
A view of Bottle Beach from a boat After a 14 hour Bus - Boat - Rickshaw - Longtail journey we have finally arrived on the secluded Bottle Beach Resort on Koh Phangan. Its really nice to be back on this beautiful little backpacker beach resort with the slowest pace of life imaginable. When I first arrived here there was only a handful of hippy type backpackers. I have the nicest little beach hut, its very basic but I don't need much else :-)
I can't believe how easy it has become to travel around Thailand. When I bought the journey from Bangkok to Koh Phangan I really didn't expect to be given a sticker and processed through the tourist system on 5* transport. Travel in Thailand has changed a lot since I was last out here. Its become so easy that its not real backpacking anymore, especially when you compare it to India or China but its still good fun.
The other day I was chilling out on Bottle Beach when a dozen Longtail boats suddenly descended upon the beach. It looked like an invasion! I sat there in amazement while I watched 23 Russians and 70 Italians arrive on my quiet little beach cheering as
Dodgy Bridge On Bottle Beach
This bridge seperated the backpackers from the cult! each boat landed. At first I though it was some mental tour group arriving because they all seemed to know each another - nothing could be further from the truth.
Over the next few days it became apparent that the 93 new arrivals were acting very strange. When the beach suddenly emptied every day between 9-12am and then again between 3-6pm I knew something was going on and a little bit of investigation was required.
While I walked around trying to work out where all these people had gone, I eventually stumbled across them in the Jungle. They were all sitting in a large circle with their legs crossed and hands together while preying and chanting to their leader. They were indeed a real life cult. I watched for a while in amazement before returning to the bungalow's to inform the other travelers of what I had just seen. When I checked with the local Thai lads who worked on Bottle Beach, they already seemed to be aware of the situation and constantly took the piss about the events that were unfolding.
The cult leader who Glyn called Gandolf because he looked just like the wizard from
Longtail Boat
The bottle beach Longtail boat Lord Of The Rings would often walk around like he owned the place. Members of his cult would do all sorts of odd things when he appeared. Its difficult to explain but we would often see the leader with a different girl each day! One young boy shaved all the front of his hair off only leaving the back bit really long (last of the mohecans type hair cut), and every member of the cult would wear the strangest cloths. Very strange!
Over the next few days tensions between the Backpackers and Cult members was increasing. One night all the travelers got very drunk, so out came the guitars and drums. We sang very loudly about the cult members and Gandolf. The next day lots of the cult members checked out and moved down the beach to another set of bungalows. They obviously heard our drunken ranting.
Of course I had to show the rest of the backpackers where they all go and chant. After all I couldn't keep a sighting like this to myself! Six of us crept around in the jungle to set sight on 93 people chanting to themselves. Unfortunately this time we were seen.
Gandolf
The crazy cult leader All 93 cult members turned and gave us the most freakiest look. All five of us ran off in different directions like naughty school children. That night I was half expecting to be carted off into the Jungle and sacrificed. The whole thing was bizarre!
On one occasion the cult leader was wearing a stupid flag on his head. I took this opportunity to ask for a photo. He accepted but said to me "Do you really want a photo with the Devil himself". All of the other travelers were so jealous I managed to get a photo with Gandolf, everyone wanted one but no one dare ask!
I have been told the Cult will remain on Bottle Beach until the 28th of June! The cult members told me they were in training. I wonder what they are in training for? I asked but they wouldn't tell me. Maybe they are all about to walk into the sea, commit mass suicide and never return?
When I left Bottle Beach and returned back to Haad Rin, it became apparent the story of the Cult had been spread right across the traveler community on Koh Phangan. I found it extremely funny when 2 random girls on a boat trip told me that a strange cult had taken over Bottle Beach and the leaders name was Gandolf! Glyn and I had made that name up. Hysterical, its amazing how quickly gossip spreads!
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