On the train to Surat Thani that night I met two girls and a guy from England. We enjoyed a few beers and the odd game of cards. We woke in the morning somewhere in Surat Thani. From there we had to catch a connecting bus to Surat Thani pier, then the boat to Koh Phangan. We arrived at the boat and found ourselves great seats. The fast boats always seem over crowded, leaving the outside deck at the very front of the boat a perfectly viable option. Wasn't I the lucky one to get the front spot...
The weather seemed calm, if a little overcast, as we left the port at Surat Thani. Nothing to worry about, in fact i never took much notice of the weather at that point. After an hour or so out to sea, however, the weather took a turn for the worst and a strong thunder storm hit us hard. The wind and rain was so bad that those already on the outside of the boat i.e. myself and some others, found it impossible to get back inside. Our safest, and, in fact, our only option, was to sit out and hold on to the railings around the nose of the boat for the rest of the trip. Knowing that we were so far out to sea by this time, with zero lifejackets, I seriously began to s!*t myself. I remember sitting there thinking 'If I survive this, I'll never get on another boat again!'. It took us almost 6hrs to make what should've been a 3 1/2hr journey, but we eventually made it to Koh Phangan. To this day i'm amazed it did. People were throwing up all around the front of the boat, and i assume inside too. Some of the waves we hit were frightening. All the time, the driving rain, fierce winds, and grey skies meant that nobody could see past the next big wave in front of us. The next time I remember seeing the horizon was as we approached Koh Phangan. By the time we reached the pier at Phangan I could barely stand up, my t-shirt soaked, and stained with vomit and spit. Everyone else seemed in much the same state. We clambered our way to the back of the boat where our bags still lay, thankfully strapped in securely, then down the ramp, and Koh Phangan... thank f'n Jesus, Koh Phangan!
I got to Scottish Stevie's restaurant at Thong Sala for a much needed beer, by which time I had some pink back in my cheeks. I told him about the journey, and he told me that they had been experiencing some of the worst weather in that area for the last ten yrs or so. In fact, that previous day, two Swedish girls drowned off the beach of Had Rin. The Full Moon Party, scheduled for the night i arrived, had been consequently cancelled.
So it was a strange atmosphere to arrive at. Not the bright sunny day i remember arriving on 1,1/2yrs previous. The miserable weather would keep up for the next 3wks or so; on a good day we'd get some broken sunshine. So the whole stay didn't impress as much as i'd remembered from my previous visit. Still I had a few good laughs though, and some stories to tell.
Two of my mates arrived from back home around Dec 27th, 'Mr X' [note - for my friend's discretion I have chosen to refer only as 'Mr X' - read on] & John Barr, which was great. John's brother owns a luxury pad in Koh Samui, a neighbouring island only 45mins away by boat, and had the full use of it for a couple of weeks. They had come over to Phangan for the full moon party. We all stayed in huts on the west of the island in a place called Had Yao, and had a good time considering the weather was so bad. Most of the laughs were at 'Mr X's' expense, but we all had a great New Year on the beach, and Magic Bar will never be forgotten for some of the messed up nights it played host to. But perhaps the single-one night I would never have wanted to miss, I did...
The lads, pissed up on Sangsom (Thai rum), and looking for some action, headed down from Magic Bar in Had Yao to the Amsterdam Sunset Bar, where 'Mr X', in a state of mad panic and drink infused confusion....snogged a ladyboy! Bwah-hahahaha...
Although, in 'Mr X's' defence, I didn't bare witness to this story myself..., I did witness the other two rolling about the floor as they told it to me. In addition to the manner in which 'Mr X' emphasised 'what happens on holiday, stays on holiday lads...', my verdict was clear....guilty as charged.
(left): Hogmany in Magic Bar, Had Yao.Well on our way...
(right): New Years Day on Had Yao beach.
They may have survived the night
but not without visible scarring
See Below....
Mr Steven Dallas ladies and gentlemen...
And he had given such a good account of
himself until then. Poor lad.
(left): Sitting on my hammock at my hut.
(right): The view from my hammock....
I'd forgotten just how nice this
view was.
We also enjoyed Koh Samui for a week, after Phangan. We hired a 4x4 Suzuki for the stay, as we were a little out of town. It turned out to be little more than Andy's pickup for getting women back to the villa and home again, but was fun all the same. Espescially if I ran them home and got to hear all about Andy's shady antics the night before!
Finally, just as the weather began to pick up on the island, it was time to leave again. This time for Bangkok to meet Claire at the airport after her long haul from Heathrow...
2 comments:
Mr X, denies any wrong doings and would almost consider micky's conclusion verging on slander.
mr x is the one and only andy clark
if you did not already know that.
Post a Comment