Sawasdee, as they say in Thailand (see I'm picking up the lingo!!)

I'm on the party island of Koh Phangan in a tattoo parlour that has internet and the heavy metal loving owner i splaying Phil Coillins - Against All Odds, strange.... but sums up the last few days!! I'm spending today recovering from the night, and morning before.

After travelling 2-3 days constantly on a train and not showering or changing clothes for the 4 days (it's so not as cool as it seems), I arrived on Koh Phangan oin Monday afternoon. In my last blog I said how I had no where to stay, well I managed to find a travel agent in Bangkok who could get me a guesthouse for 600Baht a night, around 12 pounds, which is good for Full Moon week, so I was happy to get it. She told me it was on the beach and I have the pen mark she made on my Lonely Planet map as proof. I went to Google it but couldn't find it.... Alarm bells should have begun to rung then but I was so tired I assumed this place didn't believe in the internet.

Anyway with all that done I went to the train station to make my way south in 3rd class. The carriage I was in was so far away I may as well have just walked to my destination, what with how slow the trains move here. I was sat next to a guy who had stolen my window seat and an elderly Thai woman. The seats were rock solid but the fans worked so it wasn't so bad. If anything I had a better sleep on this train then I did on either of my 2nd class sleeper journeys. Maybe 3rd class is the way forward from now on!! The only worrying thing was this Thai guy kept looking at me, but I just thought it was because not many travellers travel 3rd class.

The journey took 12 hours, which is nothing compared to the 2, 17 hour trips I've racked up. I then had to get a bus and then a ferry to the island. Before we even docked on the island we were surrounded by taxi people asking 'hey man, where are you going?' it was a nightmare getting off and trying to get my bags, I was worried that my bag, or me, or both would fall in the ocean, it wasn't the relaxing start to islands I had imagined.

It gets better, after telling a taxi driver the name of my guest house, they told me to get in and that it was on the way to where the rest of the people were being dropped off. About 20 mins later the driver asked again where I was staying, I handed the piece of paper with the name and he called them up, apparently I wasn't on the beach, I was inland. He offered to take me there for an extra 100Baht, about 2 pounds, but having paid 100Baht already the stubborness in me came out and I said I would walk.... Big mistake.

I began walking up this road that went towards the centre of the island, in the baking heat with my big rucksack, having not slept well or showered for 3 days. I must have walked for 20 mins when some woman tried selling me some banana snack, I asked her where my guest house was but she couldn't speak english, and I can't speak thai. FOr some reason we spent 30 mins talking to each other but with no idea what the other was saying before I gave up and continued on up the road. It began to go uphioll and I was getting frustrated, to make matters worse I was chased by 2 groups of 3 dogs, on the 2nd occasion I was about to be bitten but luckily a car came and scared it off.

I had been walking for ages, and then a guy stopped, I asked him where the place was but he didn't know, he called them and told me he would take me there, I got in and he had air con which was like heaven!! He must have only drove 200m before he said I needed to go downhill down this other road, so I got out and walked down this really stepp hill, I then found my guesthouse....

My first thought was I'm gonna die here, I could see the sea but it was about 3 miles away, hardly the wake up and walk to the beach place I had expected. The place was desserted, no sign of life or anything. The cleaner then came out and I explained I had a booking but I wanted to cancel it, he said the boss would be here in 10 mins. 10 mins later a car pulled up and a french couple and english guy approached me, they had been sold the same dodgy story, although it's harsh as I felt bad for them, I was relieved I wasn't in it alone as all I could picture was being kidnapped or worse and no one hearing from me again! We discussed our options, and again I was told the boss would be here in 10 mins.

When the boss finally arrived a while later the first thing she said is she'll take me to the beach or I could get a taxi everyday, I said how could I get a taxi when the road was so quiet, and I wanted to wake up by the beach, not miles away, I may as well have stayed in Bangkok I would have been closer.... After much to-ing and fro-ing between the boss and the travel agent I agreed to pay for one night and get a refund on the rest. At one point the travel agent said she would move me to somewhere nearby, she clearly didn't understand the problem, so I told her how I hadn't eaten, showered or slept and I just don't want to be messed around. I have to get my refund from Bangkok. The english guy summed it up perfectly when he said it's like the hills have eyes type of a place!!

The boss gave us all a lift back to civilisation, and after finally getting a receipt I began the trek of finding somewhere to stay. During Full Moon Party week everywhere is full and the prices are hiked to ridiculous amounts. My first stop was the internet place, which is the same one I'm in now, and I jotted down some place names. I began walking again with my rucksack down a busy road, it was getting late and I needed somewhere before dark. I stumbled across a place I recognised from Lonely Planet so thought I would see if they have a room as the review was good. They luckily had one last beach bungalow left and I was expecting a ridiculous price but the owner said 600Baht a night, 12 pounds, I cheekily asked for 500Baht a night and after saying I was staying for 4 nights he said yes.

I couldn't believe it, I had a place right on the beach for 10 pounds a night, it had 2 double beds, a private bathroom and it looked out on to the beach and ocean, I kept asking myself what the catch was! The cold shower was the best shower I've ever had and after walking on a beach I met 2 people, who were uni friends and who were staying in the same place. We got talking and they invited to join them and some friends for a night out which was really good, so I've been tagging along with them the last few days, they are really nice.

The place I'm staying is really nice too, the owner is so cool and chilled and his daughter is so cute, and they have a chihuhua which is the best dog ever! I'm staying here until Friday.

Anyway after the nightmare start to my stay on Koh Phangan the last few days have been relaxed, I get up, walk along the beach and sit in the ocean for ages, the water doesn't get too deep so you can walk out so far. The only problem is the internet place and 7 Eleven are a long walk away in the blistering heat.

Last night was the Full Moon Party where everyone gathers on a beach on the island and basically party away until the sun comes up and then after that too. It wasn't really what I expected, parts of it are a bit chavvy, a lot of the people it attracts are chavs and the place suffers fromt hat the days leading up to the party, but the normal people outnumber the chavs thankfully. The beach was packed when we arrived, which was around 11.30pm. They have a row of epople selling buckets, which are basically buckets you used to build sandcastles, but they mix whiskjey or vodka with redbull and coke, they are nice and very strong to start out with but when they get warm and sand gets into them they aren't so nice. 2 of them were enough for me.

The people selling them shout at you to buy from them and they all have english names and weird slogans, one guy was called Yossi Benayoun because he actually looked like him, he's a footballer for those who don't know. There were people blacked out on the beach even before 12, not good, as I guess a lot of these people got robbed. It's not the horror story you hear about, if you're sensible then you ahve no problems and you still have a really good time.

I stayed until 7am, I was adamant to see the sun come up, and I did it. The beach was absolutely trashed but they have a lot of cleaners, but it's strange to think they do this every month!! At least I can say I have done it but I woiuldn't be too bothered if I didn't go again!

The plan now is to move tomorrow to Haadrin, where the Full Moon Party was as there's more shops around and generally more stuff to do, maybe for a few nights and then on to Koh Samui, and Koh Tao. I'll hopefully have another update soon, but fingers crossed no more stories like the nightmare accommodation fiasco!

Until then, take care everybody, I know it's raining and cold in England, but spare a thought for me, it's really hot and sunny over here!!