Get up for the breakfast. Always quite good, plenty of coffee, pancakes, noodles, omelettes. Nice selection including fruit.
After breakfast I speak with a 58 year old German man called Amon who has travelled extensively. He went to the full moon party on Ko Pha Ngan 35 years ago where there were just 30 people, a guitar and bongos. When I went 17 years ago there were a few hundred and a couple of bars. Now 40000 decend to the party.

I finish exploring the town. Walking round the lake, with tennis courts and a football pitch. Mountains surround the French influenced postcard town. I head back to the hostel, speaking with Amon further. He is heading to China next to meditate in Tibet and study art he saw 30 years ago. Back then he photographed on reels. The quality once developed was not great, with the lighting. He has spend these years trying to reproduce the art by painting them. He wants to return with a digital camera to take better pictures. An interesting point he mentions about the Alms ceremony for monks is that if they are given meat they will eat it as the animal is already dead and it would cause offense. A very interesting man.

During my time at Mountain view, there are more people I've met on a day to day basis than is quite frankly possible to keep in a journal or remember to write down. I'm amazed I've managed to write so much as it is. Everyone in their own way has been interesting so far and can see the enjoyment that Lisa and Justin get from their jobs. Whether at the bar, having a meal, playing pool, sitting on a rug, looking out the window or just sitting in my favourite location, the hostel patio stairs, theres a story to be heard or told. I've probably spent more time on the stairs chatting to Justin, Sam or Mama Lisa, all of whom are excellent company and know how to raise the spirits of a hungover Scot, or at least know where the bar is when my glass is empty.

Always there to at least make sure I see some of the happy hour. Buy a beer, whereby you are given a token to come back for another. Tonight there are more games being played. Justin rounding up the crowd to play the hostel variation of Jenga. The blocks are marked with tasks to do, whether drink 2 fingers, finish your drink, make up a rule, change direction. Too many to remember. This gets the crowd in the mood in time for further party games. Tired, I opt out of this and get to know Nick better. The man knows his stuff about motorbikes and has travelled round Vietnam on his bike. He met 2 Scots girls, Louise and Sioban, not bikers, but have taken the spirit of biking to their hearts and joined him on a journey where many backpackers don't venture. He plans on heading through Laos and hopefully further. Great setup he's got with a gopro and a website hes setting up will allow people to follow his progress, myself included.