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Published: April 8th 2013
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My NYE outfit
Not quite what i was anticipating wearing in Thailand! My plan for New Year's Eve was always to meet my friend Kat, a bubbly blonde Essex girl, in Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party. Even as early as September – all the accommodation was booked up in Hadrin so I book another place - Cookies that I think is nearby (in running distance to Hadrin.) It turns out i've actually booked another little beach bungalow on the same chilled out, yogic side of the island as Ananda , my current hotel. So maybe the universe is trying to tell me something.
I make my way into Hadrin to see Kat. Its horrible. I think the gorgeous, tranquil beaches on the other side of the island are Koh Phangan's best kept secret. There is no sun today and it takes half an hour in the back of a tuk tuk to navigate the steep and windy hills into town that are crammed with tourist shops flogging luminous tees and shorts (the wardrobe of choice for full moon revellers) and pumping out loud trance music. The heavens open so I duck into a poolside bar trying to avoid the advances of an amorous young Israeli boy. Eventually Kat finds me.
I've been sick for most of Cambodia with a stomach bug and am feeling grey skinned and bloated of stomach – my hair is bedraggled and wandering around with a bottle of electrolytes tucked under my arm. She has just made the jump from work and is on a 6 month sabbatical. We catch up on old work goss for an hour or two and then I figure I have to go back before coming in later to meet her for the NYE party. She has no credit on her phone so we make tentative plans on where to meet and I depart saying i'll see her later.
That evening Talon has suggested we have a BBQ a deux NYE meal. He comes to pick me up from Cookies. Its still pelting it down but luckily for me he is Canadian and has come prepared for all adverse weather conditions - with long johns and a massive waterproof. I pack up a change of dry clothes and we make the perilous 10 min bike ride against sheeting rain.
When I get to his beach bungalow he's managed to persuade the owners of the resort to lend him their
BBQ and has set it up on his balcony. There's a little table with cloth and candles already lit, fresh prawns and mackerel from the market go on the Barbie with bread to mop it up with and there's chocolate and fresh fruit for dessert. Its delicious, a perfect little romantic candlelit NYE dinner for two.
However – the plan was to go to the FULL MOON party right? I haven't heard from Kat so we decide to just head over there and see if she's at the bar where we tentatively arranged to meet.
Talon puts his long johns on and I get kitted out in the full length anorak. Its not quite the New Year's eve outfit I was anticipating. Its still pissing it down outside. Then we make the half hour bike ride to Hadrin.
As we near town there is a backlog of taki tuk tuks winding as far as the eye can see up and down the hilly road leading down into the town. They are crammed full of what are mainly – 18 – 21 year old boys decked out in fluroscent tees and shorts, either tanked up or looking to
get that way on the cheap whisky buckets. Its a bit like a some weird acid -high army recruitment campaign.
Luckily we are on a bike so we are able to wind our way around the nose to tail tuk tuks that have ground to a halt and park up just outside of town. I go change into my obligatory white full moon tee and when I come out someone has scrawled happy 2015 on talons forehead in orange glow paint. We walk along the beach, its crammed with party goers and thumping out music so loud I can feel it reverberating in my stomach; its making my skin jump. The beach is washed in different coloured lights and arm to arm with drunk twenty somethings – jumping up and down with plastic cups. Straws and bottles pockmark the sand and in the waves – men are pissing. All in all its pretty horrendous.
We make our way up and away from the beach and find the bar where we were supposed to meet Kat – its on Mushroom hill – which I assume means its makes magic mushroom shakes but there is nothing I want less right
now! Luckily it is blissfully quiet and we can just take a little spot and survey the carnage taking place below. At midnight we are spoilt by a beautiful firwork display courtesy of the party – and bright red fire work love hearts light up the sky. As Kat didn't get the credit on her phone we never did manage to meet up so i'm pretty glad I had an alternative companion to see 2013 in with.
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