Full Moon Party, Ko Phangan

Oh what a vista. Observing Ko Phangan through psilocybe-fuelled eyes is like nothing I could have ever imagined. Oh what a disappointment it was to review my photos the next day, only to discover they captured none of the visions I had experienced on the previous evening.

The entire evening was a delight, beginning on the beach outside our Ko Samui bungalow where B and I were abruptly ushered into a 300 horsepower speed-boat and delivered at high-speed to the glory of the once-a-month Full Moon Party on Haad Rin beach. We immediately made our way to the neon-sign-advertised haven known as ‘Mushroom Mountain.’ After the first wing of stairs we decided to hold-up; B decided it was time for a smoke-o (of which we had, none), so I queried a passing couple on their cigarette situation. They succumbed and delivered with no adversity and no sooner did we strike up a perfectly flowing conversation. Almost immediately we had obtained two new travel companions. After a couple of shakes we made our way down to the pristine beach and claimed our position for the next few hours. We had arrived on our magic carpet, and for the remainder of the night it contained us, engulfed us and protected us from the unabridged surrounding chaos of the Koh Phangan Full Moon Party. A few Red-Bull-buckets later, we uncertainly decided it was time to head back to the bungalow. Here was the thing; when you make the decision to tackle the Full Moon you obtain a ticket, a ticket that has imprinted on it your passage home. Just like us, the other ten thousand punters who had decided to take on Haad Rin had also decided to wade through the chest-deep ocean on the mad search for their speed boat home. The ensuing pandemonium was a mixture of fun and frustration. After numerous failed attempts to find the boat that was ours we all, without discussion, ploughed back to the beach, threw down our flip-flops and proceeded to dance to the psychedelic trance pumping from the crudely erected sound system. Anxieties evaporated, responsibility non-existent and with the most positive outlook on the horizon, I truly lost myself in the moment. Complete abandon, only concentrating on the here and now, I look back now at the moment with envy. When again will I experience such absolute absence of thought? Not long enough lived, reality set back in and we once again ensued discussion as to how we were going to get home yet still retain our newly found friends. We decided to split, the girls going home together, with the boys following not far behind. After we let them go, a revelation occurred; ‘Oh shit, I hope they found the boat.’ We both scanned the shore to find our lost companions with no avail, until our concern was dissolved with a desire to purchase another round. In no-time we were trekking our way back up Mushroom Mountain to fulfil our desires for another batch of fungus. About now the sun was beginning to rise, casting new light on all of Haad Rin. What I witnessed over the next few hours was without doubt the most visually stunning sunrise my eyes have ever seen. Apricot hues slowly crept up the sand, then the rock, then finally the jungle of Ko Phangan, highlighting the contrasts of the landscape and emphasizing the beauty of the island. There were fifty or so speed boats lined up along the beach with a good thousand punters drifting amongst them, desperately seeking their passage home. Once-drenched with alcohol, drugs and bad behaviour, the sunrise seemed to dissolve the atrocities of the night before, re-instating the islands descriptionless beauty. Tom and I both stood with jaws agape and without words at the exquisiteness that confronted us. Not soon after, the realisation of the time came like a slap to the face – it was less than a half hour till our last boat home. We reluctantly made our way to the shore to proceed the mad search for our speed-boat. Thankfully the Gods were on our side on this magnificent morning and about the third boat we queried happened to be our ticket home. Ignoring the winging heathen on-board, the trip home was a rotoscope of colour, detail, texture, rock, greenery, sky, cloud, wave, bird, fish, beer, petrol and feeling. Hitting the shore of our bungalow brought about a sentiment of ambivalence. Relief to be back, yet sad that the full-moon had set and the party was over.

Khao Sok National Park

A 5 hour bus and Hilux ride later, we finally arrived at Khao Sok National Park, a welcome contrast to the tacky tourist saturated beach of Patong (which you’ll notice I have chosen not to even write about). The vista beyond our bungalow balcony was quite simply one of the most unbelievable I had ever seen; sharp inclining limestone cliffs streaked with steel grey, milky white and peach tones, draped majestically with a gamut of green. Clouds of steam drifted up and over the peaks and graduated evenly into the white overcast sky. The rain fell consistent and light, soaking me slowly, cooling my face. A light breeze blew through the valley. It was relieving to finally escape the swelter of the rest of Thailand.

Patong Beach, Phuket

The poor translation of Thai to English is most amusing. Favourite examples include:

1. Pina Corrada
2. Australianan & Thai management (yeah, right)
3. The Thai chap at the rooftop bar in Khao San singing, ‘She was wij anuva man’
4. Happy Nice Place Restaurant
5. Tourris information booth
6. Brid of Paradice
7. Corrage Charge
   

Khao San Road, Bangkok

The Thai attitude ranges from relaxed to just plain lazy. The most heroic example of this I discovered at an established restaurant on Khao San Road known as Silk Bar, where it was the foliage surrounding the bar’s newly painted features that had received the majority of the paint job. It was a case of ‘painting the roses red,’ or white as such. Hilarious.

Khao San Road, Bangkok

Our first night out in Khao San Road proved to be a most aurally satisfying club-hopping affair. Starting at the far end we moved from live acoustic, to reggae, to drum’n’bass all within three or so hours, something I haven’t done in Melbourne in a good while. The almost complete absence of pretentiousness in Thai clubs is refreshing. I found myself not once stressing about how I was looking or how the person next to me might be perceiving me; a welcome change from the image-obsessed clubs back home. Smiles are an epidemic, and styles of dance are as varied as the patronage. Furthermore, Thai’s advertise their clubs based on music genre, not by DJ – a small detail that makes things so easy for the foreigner to comprehend. I immediately thought of all the poor backpackers who had decided to visit Melbourne, taken one look at Beat magazine and been so confused as to what club to visit. Unfortunately, ‘Grant Smillie’ doesn’t really mean much to the non-Australian. The pretentious world that engulfs clubs has no-doubt infected the comprehensiveness of a simple night out. In saying that, I remind myself that therein lies the charm of my hometown. But, it was definitely a boon to know for sure that the club we were paying entry to was without two doubts, according to the flier, playing 'Full-on Psychedelic Trance' and only 'Full-on Psychedelic Trance' all night long (which we managed to get over quite quickly).

Bangkok Revisted

The impeccable new Suvarnabhumi airport didn't have me fooled. Bangkok is still sweltering, gritty and chaotic. On stepping out of the flash steel and concrete behemoth I knew I had returned. The thick air, sickly stench and relentless stream of troublesome touts stirred up memories of my time here last year and ignited my energy levels somewhat after the not-so-smooth as silk flight from Melbourne, in which a short bout of turbulence had passengers screaming in sync to the rock of the aircraft. Unnerving, yes. We made our way to our pre-booked accommodation in Khao San and realizing we were without an address got dropped in the general vicinity, stopped at a bar and I reunited myself, at 9am, with a bottle of Singha. The ethanol began to work instantly on my weary head, lightening my mood further, gently dissolving my anxieties and fuelling my already bloated optimism of what lay ahead. The moment brought to mind a mélange of thought. I was without responsibility or job, and with enough cash to let me travel for at least the next 2 months; every reason in the world to have a permanent grin plastered across my face. My adventure had begun.