Koh Phangan

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Today I am writing from an island in the south of Thailand called Koh Phangan. We traveled by train overnight to get to the south which was an adventure within itself. Has anyone ever seen the movie Darjeeling Limited? It was exactly like that, only in Thailand. I asked the guards (machine guns included) where I could smoke and they pointed me to the door at the kaboose of the train. I wasn't sure if they were serious but I opened it anyway and got a view of the Thai countryside from the back of a roaring train, it was anazing. We were woken up at 4am for our stop and I opened my cabin window where I was greeted with a crescent moon sparlking over the rice fields. I though that was the most amazing thing I had ever woken up to until this morning, but I will get to that later.

Our ferry took about 4 hours and was packed full of travelers all around our age from various parts of the world (I have yet to meet one American person on this trip). We sat with our legs dangling over the edge of the boat at took in the scenery of pristine blue/green waters, where the islands look as though they had been spewed out by some ancient volcano thousands of years ago. No description could do it justice. The energy from all the excitement on the boat was so uplifting, and when we arrived at our island every person had the same look on their face; it is the most beautiful place on Earth.

We took a "tuk tuk" which look like silver pickup trucks with benches on each side to our hotel/bungalow on the beach where we were greeted by an even better sight. Had Rin beach, where all the main hotels are, is a cove about one mile long with the bone-white sand beaches, lush hillsides, Thai fishing boats bobbing ofshore, saphire blue waters that literally sparkles, and bars bars bars EVERYWHERE you look. Basically it is my wildest dreams come true. Last night we had dinner on the beach by candlelight where we enjoyed the mopst amazind Pad Thai I have ever had, a "Thai Bucket" which consists of vodka, seven up and coke that is served to you in a bright pale with straws, and ice-cold Singah beers for a whopping cost of $4 a person.

Today we are going to have a boat take us around the island where Corina and I hope to find some good cliffs to jump off of. We haven't met very many people on the island yet because we have been too jet-lagged to go out, but we got on a regular sleeping schedule last night and hope to change that. Tomorrow, ironically on the 4th of July, we will be attending the half-moon party; a monthly party/rave in the middle of the jungle with HUNDREDS of people, speakers hanging off the palm trees, international DJs performing all night, and god only know what else. The party doesn't start until about midnight and everyone paints their bodies in neon colors and parties til the break of dawn. I can hardly wait! I'm sure m\the next blog will have a lot more to tell.

Love,
Elyse

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