24 Hours of Paradise

Camping on The Beach was something I thought was going to yet another cheesy tourist experience by way of Hollywood invasion. Rarely do I admit this, but I was WRONG. First take a look at this picture to get an idea of the euphoria I was feeling...

After my initial excitement transcended into a state of island relaxation, my 15 new friends and I spent the evening on the beach as the bioluminescence sparkled in the moon's reflection on the warm emerald water. Post buckets of SangSom (Thai Jet Fuel in whiskey form) we danced to music on the sand and sometimes in the ocean! Later we were fascinated by a killer fireshow (see pics below) an amazing art form practiced along the beaches of Thailand. 

Never made it back to the tents...woke up like this...

Saw the sunrise on the beautiful waters of Southeast Asia...

Took some last photos of my vain self haha

And staked my claim on the finest beach in the world...COLE BEACH

I've Arrived

As the sea mist and occasional splash of saltwater remind us we are on a ferry and not a bar my new friends and I were beyond excited for the destination that lied ahead. Koh Phi Phi is notoriously picturesque and fun, catering to the backpacking community I have become apart of. Known for its laid back lifestyle and large ex-pat community it is a destination I'd been looking forward to for a while. Stepping off the boat onto a tiny island with winding streets free of motorized vehicles was a breath of fresh air. International cafe's, bar on the beach, street food stands, buckets and buckets of booze were all around me and I was ready to conquer yet another piece of the Thailand I'd become so fond of...

 

Full Mooning

On a little island called Koh Phangan lies a beach. A beach that hosts one of the biggest parties in the world once a month. The Full Moon Party is everything its reputation precedes it to be. Music, dancing, drinking buckets, glow sticks, and body paint are a recipe for a crazy time in Thailand. I had my "When in Thailand" culture shock as I participated in the festivities counting down the New Year. Definitely won't forget this one kids!

The ever popular partying face laaaame

Phuket

Not the biggest fan of this massive TOURIST destination. Crowded with wasted barely legal travelers and bars filled with prostitutes and the occasional ladyboy was not the Thailand I was looking for. Despite my frustration I met up with some friends and saw Bob Sinclar at a really cool venue with a rooftop glass bottom pool that covers a club underneath. "Famous" was shut down days later as said barely legal travelers decided to do the belligerent swan dive...

Oh Samui

Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia...CHECK. I was ready to head out to the picturesque islands of Thailand to catch some rays and party on the beach. No obligatory museums, temples, shrines, or anything of the sort to visit. Just me and the beach (and whoever I picked up along the way!) I started off in Koh Samui where I met up with some Aussies I had befriended in Vietnam. It was great to finally get to resort and relax while both day/night drinking at all the beach bars and clubs. I had finally gotten to paradise and the fun had only begun....

 

 

Thailand Travelers

Long winded post but take an intriguing 5 minutes and read it...

There are three types of foreigners I find in Thailand. First being ones like myself who spend some time traveling around the world in search for a “once in a lifetime” experience and intend on eventually going back to the real world. The second is my favorite kind of resident. The western backpacker who comes looking for a something to fill his counter-culture void and never leaves. Be it lack of means for transport back home, or simply the love of a chill out, dread-locked lifestyle. Wandering and performing on the streets of Southeast Asia, rucksack in tow, looking like a seasoned vagrant (or at least attempting to do so with bamboo tattoos and piercings). Not to say that these certain types are “posers” an adjective once used for kids who shopped at the local punk store to express their “individuality” in the form of hardcore attire and fake noserings. But, I do think that this traveler is somewhat disconnected with the real world and though intended to do so has no grasp on what exists in the future or outside the confines of their alternative lifestyle. Is he in fact just setting up a new lifestyle that simply reflects his prior situation juxtaposed with hostel beds, hippie clothes, and a diet of street food? What is he trying to accomplish - a pause in existence?

Then I remembered the movie The Beach (2000) with Leo looking for a similar experience so I watched it again…After some Hollywood action shots and special effects he winds up in a beach colony of the previously described travelers. A sort of “Lord of the Flies” type place where a hemp-clothed group of people call the assertive Tilda Swinton their leader. Are we naturally led to assume societal roles – business as usual? Structure is necessary obviously…So back to this traveler – Leo for all intensive purposes – does he really think this crackpot idea is going to pan out in the end. He mustn’t believe this plan is the gateway to happiness in the long term. We are innately led to structure and accomplishment. Hands down the factor that ensures our sanity.

Then…I stumble across the very person I hadn’t previously knew existed.”That guy”. With 50 year old dreads. A tattered ensemble and tattoos from a skeevy Thai parlor. Roaming the streets, spreading the unintentional “I’ve been here WAY too long” presence. What does he do? Where is his family? Where is he spending the holidays? Kids?! Thus, reminding all of us travelers that this “once in a lifetime” experience is just that. These are questions I ask myself when participating in my favorite people-watching pastime... 

Back to Bang

I am like a month behind in my blogging if you haven't already noticed. Internet was a commodity in Thailand so I did more drinking than writing...totally acceptable when they serve drinks by the buckets and not the glass. Regardless, I celebrated Christmas in traditional Thai style with some amazing curry and pad thai followed by a foot massage and of course excessive holiday drinking...Here's snap of me and a friend in action!

X-Mas shopping Gone Wild!