Adios Thailand! We leave tonight on another looonnngg boat+bus+boat trip into Malaysia. These last few days (how many, I have no idea) have been amazing. Back in Bangkok, Mal and I were able to reconnect with old friends from previous travels, which made the city much more enjoyable. I actually donned a non-backpacker outfit and when out on the town with a Bangkok expat (hey Sam!) for some drinks. I saw Bangkok from a whole other angle, high-rise bar overlooking the skyline. New York’s got nothing on Bangkok!
Our reunion was quick, because we had to catch a train down to Ko Phangan for the infamous Full Moon Party. But this time we adopted another traveler…our wonderful friend Alicia from Australia. Ko Phangan has so much more to offer than the full moon, so one day we rented an off-road jeep wrangler and tackled the rough roads around the island. I was able to practice my not-so-bad manual driving skills. I only stalled on a hill once! Haha, we screamed loudly as we rolled backwards until some wonderful Samaritans advised me on the proper way to screech up the hills. From then on, I was so unstoppable, we decided to keep driving around the island and have a good ol’ night on the town driving around with the windows down and the music loud.
Now, I already told you the Full Moon Party was epic, but I promised some dirty details. But, since they aren’t just my dirty details, I’m afraid I will have to leave most of it up to your imagination. Let’s just say it was a CRRAAAZZZYYYY party! I can sum it up with: thousands of partiers covering the entire beach, fire twirlers, fire jump rope, numerous drinking stalls selling buckets and beer galore, raging music of all genres, “mushroom” shakes, sleeping areas designated for those who can’t move an inch further, and doctors @ every corner to bandage the wounded. The night was spent laughing and dancing till the sun came up.
As true full moon partiers, we watched the sunrise and stayed on the beach well into the morning, admiring the few hard-core partiers still dancing among the sea of drunkards passed out on the sand. Haha, you could see the hurt and remorse all over people’s faces as they hung their heads low trying to remember their drunken escapades. Running on zero sleep and still recovering from the night/morning we had to part with our Aussie friend and head to Ko Tao for a 4-day scuba certification. While boarding the boat at 2pm, I was asked, “So, did you enjoy the full moon party?” My reply, “Ask me once I’ve gotten some sleep!” After checking into our guesthouse at 4:00pm (and still no sleep!) I retreated to our room desperate to close my eyes.
Today, as we speak, Mal and I have officially completed our 4-day course and become PADI certified as Open Water Scuba Divers. I have now achieved one of my top 10 goals! Words cannot describe the feeling of looking up 33 feet and seeing the sun glistening through the water. Below the surface, schools of fish I normally only sea in marine museums swam freely all around me. The sights and sounds nearly took my breath away, but then I would have drowned! It was a bit of a hard start for me. I had difficultly equalizing the pressure in my ears and breathing slowly with the tank. But, well worth the persistence! I always knew I was born to be in the water. True to scuba tradition, you can now refer to me as “Leahfish.”
Next step….finding an awesome place to celebrate my 27th birthday in Malaysia!
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