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Thursday 14th July: There we were sat on 'Sunrise Beach' in Haadrin on Koh Phangan at 6 in the morning...we discovered our pre-booked 'Party Hostel' didn't even open until 1pm and we'd just spent a rather 'rocky' 8-hour boat journey across the Gulf, on thinnest mattresses laid out in a communal sleeping bunk. Not feeling the best! Meanwhile, alongside us, drunken westerners slowly stumbled back to their accommodation - bucket in hand - from the beach party the previous night. This was our warm welcome to Koh Phangan - infamous worldwide for the one and only 'Full Moon Party'.
One mango-and-pineapple fruit shake, and a few hours later - we were sunbathing by our beach bungalow's pool - with the view of the sea glistening infront of us. The cute little Thai lady-owner swiftly served up noodle soup and thick, fluffy banana pancakes at the pool bar...and all was well again! Our accommodation was simple - the traditional 'manually-flushing toilet' and weird-looking bugs ever-present, but the hammock and sea view from our balcony somewhat made up for this...
'Full Moon' - as it were - was definitely in the air...over the next few days large groups of (mainly) British backpackers and friends we'd made along the way descended on the island in great anticipation of this all-night, bucket-fuelled, UV-rave attired dance music hedonism on Sunday 17th July... Street shops became full with bright-coloured 'Full Moon' shorts and t-shirts, and fluorescent headbands and rave paint, street vendors stocked up on ravers' favourite hangover burgers and the popular local supermarket '7-11' displayed its array of intoxicating vodka/ whisky buckets. P.a.r.t.y was definitley on the horizon.
As the sun set on these backpackers' most long-awaited date in their travel calendar,the shops soon emptied of their cheap 'Song Sow' whisky and UV paint, as full-mooners began pre-drinks beside guesthouse pools and the local bars...As we arrived at Sunrise Beach towards midnight, the party was in full swing...various djs set up along the length of the beach, 'Mushroom Mountain' began serving its rather interesting cocktails and the moon was well and truly full. For all its anticipation, Full Moon did not disappoint, and, as the sun rose at 5.30am, we chilled out along the water's edge until daylight.
After a day's recovery in the hammock and by the poolside, we read up on the island of 'Koh Tao' - for this was to be our next stop.
tbc: in pnomh penh in cambodia and about to get a night bus to vietnam tonight!
hope everyone is well
xxxxxx
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