The mean streets of Koh Phangan...literally

We just got back to Haad Yao beach, the place we stayed during my last post. Since then, we've had a pretty action-packed 48-hours, though we did not skimp on the R&R (check out the beach view from our deck in Haad Yao, below!). We've basically done a lot of snorkeling (saw schools of baracuda and even a sea turtle!) and rented a jeep for 24 hours to get a better sense of the island.

Below is another shot of Haad Yao beach--nice sunset, eh? There are only about 50 people staying on this half-mile beach, so it has a real secluded feel.

Anyways, back to the jeep adventures. So we rented a 4-wheel drive manual jeep, which sounds great until we realized that it had virtually no horsepower, a deflated tire, and an empty tank of gas. We had to live with the horsepower issue, but after taking care of the tire and gas, we were on our way! I should also add that in Thailand you drive on the left side of the road and in Koh Phangan specifically the roads are narrow, windy, full of potholes, and very hilly. Like I said, it was an adventure, especially for me, since I am not well versed on a standard transmission to begin with.

Luckily, we drove safely and were able to see a lot of the island in a short amount of time. Our first stop was the main city of Thong Sala, where we stopped at a locally renown Mexican restaraunt, Ando Loco. Much to our surprise, it was actually delicious, though this reaction could very well have been a product of our being away from the delicacy that is Tex-Mex for so long. Either way, the meal filled us up, and we continued on our journey, stopping next at Haad Rin. This is the site of the infamous 'Full Moon Party,' which really just seems to be an excuse for young Westerners to party all night on a beach. Whether fortunate or not, we will in fact miss the next Full Moon Party on October 14th (we will be on a plane somewhere between Bangkok and Auckland), but we wanted to check out the beach anyway.


As you can see by the picture above, the beach maintains its popularity between beach parties, and it was completely overrun with Westerners. It really had a meat market feel, reminding me of the glorious, resort-style aquatic complex at UT, that is until Brian nearly stepped on a needle in the sand (not hypodermic, but still). At that point we all put our sandals back on and walked back to the jeep. Our beach in Haad Yao was much nicer anyways!

As it started to get dark, we began to work our way up to the north end of the island, making a short stop at a random beach along the way to inquire about accomodation. While the prices were a bit too high for our budget, we got to hang out with an adorable little puppy and witness a briliant sunset on the beach (see video below). The dog reminded me of a smaller version of my dog Shagwell back home, when he was a pup.



We continued on to Haad Mae beach, where we finally settled in for the evening. We planned an early-morning snorkel at Haad Mae today, but these plans were ruined by an unexpected downpour for the first few hours of daylight. It was actually peaceful, sitting in our beach-front bungalows and listening to the rain, but since our plans were ruined, we opted to come back to Haad Yao to return the jeep and set up our next scuba outing. We plan to dive at Sail Rock in the next few days, a site known for whale sharks. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Mike