After our first night in Ban Tai in our little bungalow, we wake up and fancy a wander on the beach again. Well, why not? It’s right there.. I’m sunburnt on pretty much just my knees after the boat trip, so I chuck on a tonne of suncream and we have a little swim, and grab a taxi back to the pier to do some shopping.. yes, shopping. I can do it and I can enjoy it apparently!
We browse the stalls, each one an Aladdin’s Cave of junk and tat, and oh god the neon.. I despise neon, it makes me.. angry. I’m a firm believer that if it ain’t for safety, you ain’t landing a plane then you have no right to wear it. Still, its pretty much the in thing here.. if its a cultural thing.. I can sorta kinda tolerate it I guess.. huff.
After a few cheap purchases of swimwear, sarongs, bags and more suncream we head back to our bungalow for yet another shower and hitch a lift to Haad Rin, home of the Full Moon party.. and the half moon party, black moon party,Shiva moon party etc etc.. These people just party all the time.
This time the alleyways are lined with women selling buckets BUCKETS of alcohol. ‘Me best fuck bucket!’ ‘you want my bucket, bucket fucks you’ usw usw..200baht (about 4 quid) gets you a bucket of ice, a bottle of vodka/whiskey and a mixture of your choice.. this ranges from sprite, coke to lychee juice, mango ice tea and whatever else they drop into it.
The night of the full moon, after a quick beer we brave a bucket.. 400baht each and they whack one of those red bull type concentrate shots things in.. and yep, the bucket fucks you.
We’re followed around by some Indian guys, we dance, we get neon body paint.. (I’m fucking shameless after a fuck bucket..clearly. “hates neon” she says…) and we dance some more. Oh and buy pizza. And more buckets. Platforms are erected along the beach for dancing, different djs every few metres.. ooh one was in a massive clam shell next to an illuminated boat. There is a large area cordoned off on the beach for sleeping, like an adult play pen.
The moon rises and some men clamber up a 30ft wooden structure and set fire to it, the words ‘Welcome To Thailand’ burning into the night sky. I swear, when I looked up at the moon I saw it shift in the sky, not slowly, but like the earth took a jolt and suddenly everything was a few thousand miles aside of where it was seconds before, but no-one else noticed because of the partying.
Some stuff happened after that, but its fuzzy.. and I didn’t take a camera as I am grown up and afraid of losing things. I know a boy kissed me, in a sort of holiday frenzy. Time passed erratically.
We sat with a few gay Israelis in the taxi on the way home, one threw up out the window on to a passing neon girl. Ha.
For some reason, we decided going swimming at 4am in our clothes back at the hut was a good idea? After about an hour in the sea I remind myself that this is how shark movies start and head back to photograph the remnants of the evening and pass out.
Not too hung over the following day, we found a nice little bar called the Fishermans, chilled out and soaked up some more sun, booked a hostel in Koh Tao for Monday night and waved goodbye to our hosts, hoping the boats trying to get off the island weren’t TOO full..
WE’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT..
love and luna madness
Xxx
Gin & Wonder. 