Wow, the Full Moon Party - insane is the only word to describe. 10,000+ people going crazy all day and all night - all with neon body paint.
After the party had to sleep in a little the next day and headed to the ferry in the evening to what I thought was my next destination - Railey Beach. The really had no expectations for the overnight ferry but I have seen them in Europe and they all looked large, safe, nice and clean. Even though I didn't have those expectations, I did think I would see a boat waiting that was sea worthy - no such luck. Everyone in my taxi's expression was the same when we pullled up - mouths dropped open in disbelief. It was a pretty small boat, maybe 100 feet and inside had about 5'6" clearance for an entire open room with matteresses on the floor. Someone I lucked out and happened upon a raised bed that turned into a perfect card table for my crew - until the lights went out to blackness for the next 7 hours.
Arrived in Surat Thani and was ushered onto a large nice bus to the bus station for the 4 hour drive to Krabi.
Let's first preface this part of the story with saying that every Thai person from Koh Pha Ngan told me the next three weeks would be filled with sun and no rain, even in Railey (the other side of the peninsula).
At the bus station I was waiting for the VIP bus and calling parents to let them know all was good and I was in BFE waiting for one hour flighting of skeeters with DEET. Then the VIP bus rolls up - a mini-wagon! Awesome - four hour drive with ten people in a mini-wagon. I strategized and delayed my walk over to last and hoped in shotgun. Slept and awoke in Krabi to nothing but RAIN - and it had been raining for two days.
Changed plans to head to Koh Phi Phi and the rain pretty much followed on and off the last two days (Tuesday and today)... So with this, I am sick of rain and headed to Kuala Lumpur to visit my Russian friend Anton for a day and then off to Bali for some real SUN and beaches and hopefully good waves (although the surf report is calling for something like 8-12 feet when I arrive).
Koh Phi Phi is beatiful but has a wierd underlife of drifter Brits hanging around that earn a living passing out flyers to bars and clubs - a lot like the homeless punks in Venice. Went on a snorkeling tour of the island and surrounds today and hiked to the viewpoint peak - which is a story unto itself. I start my hike in the blazing sun getting a mango shake, talking to a Thai tattoo artist with a British accent that assures me NO RAIN TODAY MAN - and even gets up to look around in the sky directly above that is blue. I notice the behemoth of a frontal system rolling in but figures he knows best. And everyone on the island that is Thai agrees, no rain!
Make the top of the viewpoint less than 30 seconds before the monsoon system of the day swings in with pouring rain, winds and thunder - AWESOME. Stuck on a mountain for the next 30 minutes eating random Chineese imported candy.
The snorkel trip featured monkey island which was entertaining to watch people feed crazed monkeys and then run into the water for safety with a monkey in hot pursuit, then went around to some pretty good snorkeling on huge rock drop-offs to the abyss and ended at "the beach" where the movie "The Beach" was filmed.
That is about it for me and Thailand - hanging in the KL tomorrow to see some tall twin buildings with a little walkway between them and then onto Indo for a barrel fest.....
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