For a fucking good bucket

Well, so the dutch speaking community got the low down on our Thailand trip. The rest of you are obviously not surprised at my late entry. Hell, I haven’t even filled my time sheet. You see, any of these activities need a mood and a time to pen/ enter. And don’t even think of saying “you’re weird”. I know that. :)

Two backpacks and three books checked in at the bangalore airport. Oh! I beg your pardon and I apologise to the bengaluru govt. bengaluru, bengaluru! Pls don’t hang me!!!

Two backpacks and three books checked in at the bengaluru airport on 7th sept. at 12:15 AM. Quick enuf check in. But no window seats. Good news? They serve you alcohol even at that time! The flight was without event and with the time difference we landed there around 5 30 am. Yeah, time travel comes as compliments of the airline.
Now for all you people traveling to Thailand and getting a visa on arrival, here is the real low down. And I am talking to all you miserable third world country people. Paleskins get to conveniently walk in to any of the 30 odd immigrating counters and walk out a few minutes later.

Carry a very recent stamp size photo of yours. Or they will send you to the instant photo counter where you have to shell out 250 bath for six prints.
You have to find and fill out a form. The forms are white in colour and no one will guide you to it.
there is only one que.
Once you get in to the enclosure there are three counters with tokens.
Carry a book. There will be over an hour of waiting.
The thai people at this immigration counter aren’t the smiling kind. They do that only after you exit the airport.
There is no food or drink counter in this enclosure.

What hits you first when you get off is the colour. The traffic on the street borders on a cartoon strip. The taxi’s are painted bright pinks, yellows, greens…. And you have women taxi drivers, just like we did. This is just about when you discover that no one in Thailand speak English beyond a nasal “ah- loww.”
The drive in to Bangkok was quick and we went straight to the Indian embassy to submit sanne’s papers. That was quick enough and for once the people at the embassy was friendly and very helpful. She was told she can pick up her stamped passport on Wednesday, 5 days later. By now it was close to 1pm. I was sure we could leave right away from Bangkok and get to Kho phangan at least by 11 that night, in time for the full moon party. But a quick call to a colleagues boyfriend who works in Bangkok pulled the pavement from under my feet. It is an over night journey of almost 13-14 hours! After a moment of shock I realized this was a backpackers dream come true. Challenge the odds and travel. One way or another. Buses, carts, train…didn’t matter. As long as you’re moving steadily. Buses leave for for surat thani only in the evenings so that they are in time for the early morning ferry to the island of kho phangan. So we headed straight to the railway station hoping to find a train to surat thani. A sky train (elevated rail system) got us quickly to the main station and we made a beeline to the counter that said “tourist assistance”. Of course no one at that counter cud speak English and was disbursing only smiles. Luckily we spotted a printout with train timings and rates. There was a train leavin for surat thani in less that 15 mns! But with frantic gestures we were advised not to take that train since we wud get there at midnight and therefore *more frantic gestures*. I said to the hell with it! We are going!

I must admit that Thailand is very well geared to handle backpackers. The toilets are clean and costs only 5/10 bath. There is always a variety of food stalls around which are cheap. And most importantly, beer is everywhere!

The train was very comfortable. All the seats are single and wide and comfortable. The berths are on top and is wide and comfortable as well ( they are pulled down for you to sleep in only by late evenings though). There is a wash room and toilets in each bogie. And you have a wide enough menu card to choose your food from. And you get beer! Let me remind you that this is no luxury train. This is a regular long distance train. And it costs around 500 baths per ticket. It was a lovely meandering ride through the heart of interior Thailand all viewed through an extra large window. Almost like your own plasma wide screen tv. Around late evening we started spotting the sea through the passing foliage and….. the biggest fullmoon I have ever seen. It was fantastic. Hanging there like a delectable tab of e. promising you all kinds of crazy lunar trips. Being a lunar child myself I could already feel the stirrings. The “bed maker” came around at this time and pulled down the berths which till now looked like alien space pods. You not only get fresh sheets, pillows and a blanket; he also makes your bed for you. A salute to thai hospitality. A good dinner served in real plates ( we ordered thai! ) washed down with a beer and we were ready for a lil snooze. The train was scheduled to arriveatST by 11:30. we shouldn’t have even bothered setting the alarm. The man who made our beds came and woke us up at 11:15! I was in love with this country!!
Surat thani is a quaint little town with a quaint little station in the south of Thailand. The meaning of all those frantic hand gestures from the “tourist information” counter slowly became clear to us now. The ferry that takes you to the island starts working only at 6 30 am! And it is a one and a half hour drive from the station. Luckily there were a few taxis still at the station. And there were a few backpackers who had alighted from the train with us. A short conversation revealed that they were headed to the ferry as well (where else!). we decided to share the cab and negotiated the rates with the driver. So there we were. One Indian, one dutch and three lebaneese from Beirut. In a cab with two thai. Talk about cultures meeting!
The taxi is no taxi. It is a pick up van with benches along the side at the back covered with a tarpaulin on top. We all piled in with our backpacks. The taxi took a circle around the station area looking to pick up some more backpackers who may be headed that way. That’s when we ran across superman. And he is not American, he is british and resides in Camden in London. And he was on holiday in Thailand and was appropriately dressed. He had just retained his t shirt and traded in the rest of the spandex for shorts and floaters and was immersed in a book casually perched on top of his knapsack. And he was goin our way. Before hitting the roads we made a brief stop at7-11 the all night supermarket chain present everywhere in Thailand. We stocked up on some eats, vodka, beer and cigarettes and were just about o clamber back in the taxi when superman pointed up and said, “ it’s a partial eclipse”. We were all treated to a partial eclipse of the moon! It was brilliant. Like some celestial being had taken a lil nibble of that tab of e. a bit of conversation revealed that other than superman all of us were in Thailand for the first time. He gave some valuable info and waved off my regret of not being able to get to the full moon party on time by a clipped, “ every night is party night bob.” And we stayed on the fringes of political issues in tel-aviv.
An hour and a half later we were at the ferry. A string of trucks were already parked there and it took me a moment to figure out that the ferry was obviously the life line to the island three hours away and is almost a ship that carries all these trucks in its underbelly! They have two main ferries that depart to the twin islands of kho phangan and kho samoi. A lil bit of reading, walking around and snoozingin the benches later it was time to go. As the big engines fired to life and thrust out in to the sea I saw one of the most amazing sunrises I have ever seen in my life. Standing at the bow of a …… ship? There are small uninhabited islands that dot the sea silhouetted by the sun and weaving in between them are low hanging clouds that seem to form surreal slightly elevated islands. You wont find even a single puff of a cloud anywhere other than where it hugs the horizon.

The ferry has three levels basically. The hold at the bottom for the loaded trucks. The seating level on top, with again wide comfortable single chairs. This level also contains the dining which is adequately stocked with food and….. beer!!!! And the open level on top with benches.

Almost 3 hours later we arrived at kho phangan. Our destinantion. We were greeted by a sea of bleary eyed backpackers heading out/back/away on the first ferry back. A short cab ride and we were let off at had rin. The south point of kho phangan. The party point. The host of the famous full moon parties! And we were greeted by a host of extremely trashed people trudging and hopping around this delightful boutique village holding lil miniature buckets and beers. Wonderful! We were tired as well and desperately needed a room. Most rooms were taken since it had been the full moon party, but luck favoured us and we found a cabin right on the beach at the home of the founder of the full moon parties!! For just 600 bath a day.

After a bath, and a nice breakfast later we were ready to explore the island than hit the sack. We were also informed by our new friend chang from the resort that the after party would begin at 11 am. The after party???? At 11 am???? Mr. Commissioner, bengaloru nagarapalike are you listening???

Thus began our 4 days of stay in kho phangan. The delightful little island with manicured clean little roads with no vehicular traffic except bikes and bordered by boutique and quaint restaurants, shops. Tattoo parlours, massage parlours, funky hair extension place( where I got my dream of having dreadlocks realized) and the beaches. All filled with young, spirited and hip beachcombers. Chill and explore by day, party by the moon and the sea everynight. Flashy ladyboys strutting their stuff. Striking up conversations with strangers. All interspersed with sips from the wicked “fucking good bucket”.

Without making this any longer I’ll leave you by the gently lapping waters on the beach with the strains of some good funk coming off the shacks. All of you who know me know how id have spend the 4 days.

Ps. A few travel tips.
The island is fantastically equipped to handle the traveler. You can do a one stop booking at any of the travel agents all the way back to Thailand. They will pick you up in the morning is a taxi, drop you at the ferry with a fluorescent sticker on your t shirt to let the non English speaking thai guide know where this half drugged visitor is headed. A bus ride later from the ferry you are dropped at the overnight bus/ train station headed for Bangkok. All for just 650 bath per person.