23/02/2010 Half Moon Party

Hired a bike from the hotel and set out to explore the island However we only got a 100cc and realized after a short stint that it wasn’t going to make the grade – Tracey had to walk up the hills! We rode west to Thonsala – the main port and town stopping occasionally at the beaches on the way but nothing to write home about. We went to the night market for dinner and discovered the best donuts for dessert!!

From here we went back to Baan Tai to check out the half moon party in the jungle but it hadn’t started when we arrived and wouldn’t really get going until 11pm or afterwards. Instead we went back to Had Rin Nok, the main beach, and found another party happening on the beach. It wasn’t full moon but apparently the party happens every night and there are just more people at full moon. We hooked up with a couple of Canadian guys early on (one was a teacher called Aaron While) . Considering the options of cheap vodka or whiskey buckets we went for the cheapo buckets. Unfortunately for Grahame the Whiskey buckets where only 100baht each. As the evening progressed and more buckets seemed to disappearing we both made a pile of new friends. Of course they were only slightly younger than us (ha ha) and one commented to Tracey that they would like to be just like us when they grew up! After the crowd is pumped full of grog they start the fire show. This involves guys ranging from about 8 to 18 years old spinning flaming sticks and ropes all over the place. Fairly interesting to watch but a little boring for the crowd so they then get out a large skipping rope covered with petrol. Once this is well and truly ablaze they invite the crowd to have a go. Well some of our new young friends were pretty darn good and Grahame thought he could show them all up with his flaming rope jumping ability. After the first jump he had the flaming rope wrapped around his leg and it was lucky he had remembered the old fire drill training from school and managed to “drop and roll” before he was consumed in a ball of fire. After a quick bucket he was back in action, this time the bar staff fired up a flaming hoop! What could be so hard about that!! Off Grahame charged and with a perfect dive sailed through the hoop like superman flying through the sky! Darn the landing was not so successful, even though he managed not to burst into flames on the way through he soon discovered the white fluffy sand was not actually soft. If not for the several buckets he had somehow managed to drink he would have been screaming with pain as his bung knee buckled under the pressure of the failed landing. Not long after it was decided that it was probably not a good idea to ride the scooter back to the motel. This did involve some discussion about Grahame’s riding ability when he had a drink too many but it was decided the best course of action was to punish him by making him limp all the way home on his half broken leg. This did result in a fairly long winded and noisy trip on the way back. Once back at the motel it was a matter of which part of the tiled floor was more comfortable for Grahame to sleep on.

Friendly’s Resort, Haadrin Beach, Koh Pha Ngan (800 Baht w Hot water, Air and Pool)