So we safely arrived in Bangkok, booked our next journey - a bus overnight leaving at 7:30pm to then get on a ferry to Kosamui and then on to Koh Pha Nang for the full moon party. We left our bags in the hands of the travel agent at the train station and headed out for the day with our new wolf pack that we met on the train - David and Megan as well as Jeremy from Bar Q in Vang Vieng who also decided to join us on our journey to Full Moon. We headed to backpaker avenue Kosan Road for a nosey around some of the market stalls and the headed out to the big and I mean Big weekend markets. We decided to take tuk tuks and bargained a price of 5 Baht each they said yes but had to make a petrol stop adn something about a shop, we said yeah yeah but we aren't going to be getting anything. So we arrived to a tailors and we shimmied inside to look around I think the deal was if we spent 10 minutes in there or made a purchase they would get free petrol, this did not happen as we only stayed 5 minutes and after talking to staff they knew we were leaving that evening couldnt have anything made so kicked us out. This put the drivers into a rage who cursed at us telling us we should have spent longer in the shop. They angrily put us back on the tuk tuks, to take us to the end of the road and head back to where we came, we demanded we get out and paid them nothing as they drove off we did our own cursing right back at them!

We finally hialed a taxi and all of us climbed in, 2 in passenger seat and 4 in the back it was a squeeze but we didnt think we would have far to go, boy were we wrong. There were riots going on about the government who had been embesiling money etc and the people want a change so there were street walks, protests, police about, swat teams and army soldiers all about which resulted in traffic jams that would eat your heart out. Hence we ended up being stuffed into a taxi and sweating and cramping our bodies off for 50minutes until we finally arrived at the markets. These markets are huge cool stuff but no clothes in our size yet again so we tended to purchase a lot of jewelery. After a few hours here we caught the sky tran back to the train station much more comfprtable that a taxi and had a shower, KFC and boarded our bus.

The journey included a 10 hour bus trip to the middle of no where, a 2 hour wait, boarding another bus and travelling for an hour to ferry terminal, another wait for 40 minutes then a ferry ride via Ko Samui to Koh Pha Nang in a hot overcrowded ferry for 3 hours. Boy were we glad when we reached our accomodation, pre booked and dived in the pool and ordered pool side food mmm

After a well needed shower and a quick 1hr power nap we got all dressed up and heading round to the area of haad rin where the party takes place and convienietly enough our friend mark wilson was staying at his hotel. We grabbed some beverages from the local 7/11 and hit pool side at his hotel to relax for a well deserved drink or 3. After a quick meal we headed to a infamous pool party which was a 2minute walk along the beach. Not wanting to brave the water and what it contained we sat down for a round of black jack before being inviting over to join a group of aussies playing card horse races, the bigger the bet the bigger the loss. A few buckets down we made our way to haad rin beach to join in the build up full moon festivities. Boy was it incredible 400m of beach lined with makeshift 'make ur own bucket' bars, people for miles, lights,music, crazy mountains and tattoo/body piercing places everywhere you turned. Not feeling quite crazy enough for a tattoo the 3 of us decided each on a piercing, two of us in our ears and one got their nose. Few more drinks and alot more dancing it was time to grab a taxi home as we know we all had a big few days ahead of us.

Day #2 As we were exhusted from days of travelling it was time we got a decent sleep in, waking up at 12 our stomachs were rumbling..room service was definatly in order. "May we please have one english breakfast, 2 serves of fried rice, 2 cokes and one coffee" As they couldnt understand us over the phone it took the lady at recpetion less than 10 seconds to sprint to our room for us to repeat the exact order. Very efficient hotel not even 15minutes later we were all lying in bed muching on our slug feed without even having to step one foot out of the door. With full bellies it was time to explore this beautiful island in daylight, headin back to haad rin we grabbed another snack in a restaurant playing repeats of 'friends' episodes, walked along the beach, poked through a few shops and made it back to the piercing shop just as it opening to pay the other 2 thirds of our bill and take back our camera (being so spontaneous the night before we didnt actually have enough to pay the full amount so we left our camera as proof we would come back the next day and pay up). Nearing the end of the afternoon with our bag prepacked with bikinis and a change of clothes we heading back to marks and laxed in his pool for the remaining hours of daylight.

As per usual we had our own mixed vodka's and ice and stored these in the heavily intoxiacated ïve started drinking at 9:30am"Mark Wilson's refrigerator and enjoyed. We grabbed dinner at the Coral Bar down the beach and returmed to be entertained by Marks new pals at the resort. After we ot drank these guys we decided to ead into the beach. We indulged once again in the bucket drinking and started off with a walk along the beach to see what new sights had made it to Haad Rin. We were able to view 2 Asian ladies on platforms above water an tourists paying to throw balls and knock them off their perches, quite funny and we saw a few falls. Nxt stop was fire rope jumping. Absolutely hilarious to watch people who started drinking earlier than us and thought they were 6ft tall and bullet proff attempting - rather poorly to jump a giant rope that had been doused in petrol and set alight. Getting timing right to run in and jump was difficult for some, fair to say no one got hurt, well maybe a few bruised egos but nothing worse. Another fire rope was being operated further down the beach woth less of a crowd gathered. Britt and Abbey decided that this was ideal to make their fire jumping jump rope debut, and boy did they do well!! Fair to say that they both came out safe, egos at a new all time high and even a few snap shots to show! We had a few boogies, some poo's in some dodgy disgusting loo's and decided to call it a night to save our energy up for the following night The Full Moon night! But not before stopping at Sam Same burgers and having the yummiest burger ever mmmm, shame we could only afford one share (note this burger had nothing on Fergburger but it was pretty good fo Asian styles).

Day Three

You betcha anotehr morning of .... Room Service - we could really become accustomed to fried rice for breaky declicimo! Today's mission - get a kit for full moon party, requirements - something that fits, something that is bright preferably fluro and something that is cheap and doesnt eat into our drinking budget! After touring the town and making sure we were geting the cheapest deals our mission was accomplished Bjy and grave had bright yellow shorts and we were all going to paint ourselves up in fluro paint and had some fluro head bands - BOOM! We returned to our accom via the dairy to get supplies - yep more vodka! We ordered in once again placing our order with the speediest lady at the resort as she rocketed down to our room! We leiurely got ready whilst playing cards, drinking, and painting. Check us owt we look pretty ..... Bright and Beautiful! Excitement and anticipation was building so it was ready to climb aboard the closest tuk tuk and get aour jaxies into town via the resort. We arrived at Mark's resort vodka in tow as usual and got OTP poolside with the ever expanging resort crew who now go by the name DOLPH!, which is how they were painted (they have taken this name in respect of their idol the eurotrunks speedo weraing great mass of a man with peroxide blonde slicked back heair DOLPH!) After slugging back a few vodies we headed back to the Coral Bar for buckets and more painting. It was here that we adourned everyone in I love NZ, Kiwiproud and Southern stags paint!! Go the Stags! It was time to hit the beach to really let the celebrations begin, so we headed off by foot as the dolph pack. entrance fee paid and a full moon bracelet in return we were set to hit the madness that was laid before us. Much the same as the nights before but with 3 times the amount of people, stages along the beach, more fire shows, alot of fluro, buckets galore and general madness. Dancing, singing, photos and getting slugged...yes britt and abbey took a hit for the team protecting our camera and bag when two no hoper thai people tried to steal our belongings. Abbey "Hey britt someone just tried to get in our bag" the girls swing round, britt "hey our camera" picks it up and puts in her pocket. Some serious words were said between the kiwi girls and thai, with a slap from team kiwi the thai retaliated with a slog to both the kiwi's heads - not happy!!! although a slight dampner on the night the partying carried on through to the wee hours of the morning! Although it was full moon the moon was nothing like what we see in New Zealand, perhaps Oreti beach should start up full moon parties??

Morning came and room service was calling once again. We were all very sluggish packing our bags, with half the paint still on and not feeling as good as when we arrived, we made tracks to the ferry dock for what would no doubt be a long day ahead.