1Tuk Tuk: 2 stops, 2 buses: 2 stops, 1 ferry and 17 hours later we made it out of Bangkok to our first island. The party island. The first thing I'm learning is that schedules are very flexible here. 7 o'clock could mean anything in a two hour window and patience is as good a friend as a traveler's neck pillow. After arriving here we got settled into our bungalow near the local chickens and quickly realized that paying extra for air conditioning isn't being spoiled, it's essential if you want to sleep for more than an hour.
This place is known for its Full Moon Party, which is really just an excuse to have 30,000 tourists on the beach at the same time all dancing to the same beat. Thankfully we met some fellow travelers who are on the tail end of their nineteen month long holiday. Makes our hundred day vacation look like a qaint little getaway weekend. Glow in the dark body paint and buckets of alcohol combined with fire and water made for a pretty amazing time. I feel like I really got to know that guy crouched in the sand digging with his bare hands for like five minutes.
It's a lot of fun watching people the next day. There are those who still had paint on their faces and looked like were ready to keep going. Then you had those that had a thousand yard stare as they slowly shoveled scrambled eggs into their mouths in some hope that it would make them feel better.
The last two days have been spent laying in cabanas reading and napping. Sometimes it feels like we should be doing more with our time, but part of vacation is knowing when to do nothing until the next adventure comes along. Tomorrow is a trip to a different island and most likely learning how to swim with the fishes. Until then we'll just have to get along with relaxing in the shade.
