koh phangan - party island extraordinaire

How shall i describe Koh Phangan. Well, let me be absolutely honest and say that at this point, all i can describe with any accuracy would be the quaint little village of Hat Rin - home to the legendary Full Moon parties. And the not quite so legendary Shiva Moon parties, Half Moon parties, and Black Moon parties. As long as there's a moon, there's a party!

Not that I've been participating much. From the moment I arrived here I've been feeling a little under the weather. Slight touch of the 'flu, i'm afraid, so your faithful reporter has preciously little to report this time. Spent a lot of time in my hammock looking at this:

therapy...

But never fear - I have consulted a clinic and am currently sufficiently (and legally) chemically fortified to start my exploration of life on Koh Phangan properly.

Hat Rin is probably best experienced if you are 22 and Israeli, which is what most people seem to be around here. The locals have learned to deal with their particular style of communication (I'm grossly generalising here of course, as I've actually met some really nice Israelis) by taking there money very quickly and efficiently and packing them off on trips taking them anywhere but Hat Rin.

Life happens on the beach here. Sunrise beach, that is. Truth be told, it is actually a gorgeous beach, and relatively unspoiled despite the monthly onslaught of ten thousand ravers at the Full Moon parties. There is a big red neon sign at the south end of the beach, reminding you that you are on Koh Phangan. Overstating the obvious? Maybe, but considering the enlightened state of mind that most partygoers are in, at night, on the beach, it is probably not a bad idea ;-)

I'm diving on Sail Rock tomorrow morning, and will be going to the half moon party tomorrow night. This party is actually supposed to be better than the full moon parties, as it is set deep in the jungle with a fairly fierce dj line-up.
I'll also rent a quad (one of those 4 wheel bike/tractor jobbies) and head up to the waterfalls before I leave.

And naturally, I will be submitting a report in full of my discoveries and appraisals of these wonders of nature.

That's it for now, i'm afraid. Thanks for tuning in again!
cheers,
i