namaste' my journey...

Travels to and getting to Koh Phangan On nov 10th Kelly and I headed out for a 14 hour travel day over to the east coast island of koh phangan for the full moon party which was happening on the 12th. The funny thing about this travel was that we were supposed to land on our island but when we got off the first ferry it said welcome to koh samui. What??? We had met Chris and Kelly from Canada and so we all hopped in a cab and asked him to take us to Haan Chao Phao beach on the island (thinking we were on Phangan) and he looked at us like we had three heads. He then gave me a map and asked for me to point it out, when I saw the map I knew we were in the wrong place. So us with about 10-15 other people finally realized we had been taken to the wrong island hopped on the ferry next to it and finally made our way to Koh Phangan. We had left at 7am and did not make it to the island until 11pm. What a day. Now I had not seen rain since I began my trip but when we landed here it was pouring and I mean pouring. The roads were flooding. We were to stay at this place called bovy bungalows but the road was washed out. Chris and I trekked down the what used to be road while the kelly’s stayed and watched the bags. After walking thru knee-deep water to get to the place we decided to find somewhere else to stay. Since it was so late and the full moon party was coming up most places were full. We had the cabbie take us to somewhere she knew and we ended up having to share a bungalow with our new friends since it was the only one left. The next day we need to be out by 10am which is early because they had people coming to stay in the bungalow we were in. So after searching a few places we chose the jungle hut. It is a cute little concrete bungalow with no hot water for 300bht a night. Works for me! Since we have been on this island it has done nothing but pour all day. After we got settled in our bungalow the 4 of us decided to rent scooters to tour the island, yes in the rain. We all road down to haan rin this is where the full moon party would take place and toured around in the rain. We walked the beach to the end and found this place called mellow mountain. Here they sell happy shakes, which are mushroom shakes. Chris, Kelly and myself had one. It was fun. We went into a place to eat which was not so fun but after Kelly and I found the place of places. It was this little bob Marley bar that had hammocks and cushions on the floor to sit it. Now this is what we needed about two hours ago. After all that Kelly and I headed back to the Jungle Hut and chilled for the night. The next day it was actually not raining so we got back on our bikes and went to see one of the water falls on the island. It was beautiful and really running because of all the rain. Kelly and I headed back down to haad rin to see them setting up for the party that night. You would not believe all the liquor and beer that was being brought in. All along the roads they were setting up the buckets already and selling them…wow going to be a long night. After walking around for a while we headed back up to our place to do some stuff on the internet. Kelly and I decided that we wanted to eat before going and would try a new place tonight. We got on our scooter and headed down the road...it looked like everything was closed except this one place that had a reggae theme to it…just my place. We went in and there were no tables with chairs just ones with cushions on the floor kinda like the one we found down in haad rin. Here they did serve food so I had sweet and sour veggies over rice. It was delicious. Here they also did tattooing in the shop off to the side of the restaurant bar. They did both machine and bamboo tattooing so I check out the guys work it was amazing. The owner and artist which he also did leather work name was Tip. I immediately felt the vibe and knew he would be doing my bamboo tat. We sat and chatted for a while and I told him that I wanted a dragon fly tattoo. He was going to design it and I would come back tomorrow at 1 to get it done. I was stoked! Around 11pm the four of us headed to the full moon party. Since we did not stay down where the party was we had our bungalow owners take us to the ferry drop off where we caught a ride down the rest of the way. Wow did they pack us in like sardines. Stopping every few feet to pick up more people looking for a ride. There were two police roadblocks that were set up to check if people had drugs on them (no I did not). So our driver just went up with some money and paid the cops and we were never bothered. Don’t know if anyone was sweating at these checkpoints but I was not. The full moon party takes place haad rin the beach it is a peninsula at the bottom of koh phangan there is two sides of it one called sunrise beach the other called sunset. It takes place on sunrise since it goes all night until the sunrises. They have black lights set up all over the beach, places where you can get glow in the dark pant put on you, walls and walls of people selling beer and buckets and different stages with all different types of techno music going on. So as you walk up and down the beach you hear all types of music and stop to dance at which one you like. A bucket consists of a flask of liquor, a can of soda and a red bull. They give you the ice and you pour it all in. Now people do not realize how crazy and harsh these are you all along the beach you have people passed out while others are taking pictures of them setting them in funny poses etc. The ocean has now become the bathroom and it is just on big rave on the beach. We stayed until like 3:30 am and started to head back to our place which again they are trying to fill the open back cabs as much as they can so we did not make it back until like 4:30 am. Woke up around 11 that morning got some breakfast talked to some people thru skype and then headed down to the bar to get my tattoo. I had told him that I wanted 3 dragonflies (dragon fly for my totem and three of them cause that I may number). I was going to get them on my left top of my arm then I was going to later incorporate a buddha head with an om symbol etc. He drew an amazing piece but during the night I was thinking that I have never had a bamboo tat and did not know what it would come out like so I did not want them to do part and then has Chris at home do the rest I did not know how it would all look together so I decided to just do one on my ankle. I would put it on my right outside of my ankle since right foot first (right Aimless?!?) and it was also the totem that told me I was heading in the right direction. I picked just on of the three that he had drawn and he enlarged it and now we were ready to go. Bamboo tattooing consists on a blade that is rapped onto the end of a thin bamboo stick. It takes amazing precision since it is just his and moving it up and down on your skin. He wears gloves and puts oil on one so the bamboo slides up and down easy. It is so amazing to watch. I have made a video so check it out. After about 3.5 – 4 hours my tat was done and I love it. Kelly also wanted to get a tattoo she wanted a mermaid on her foot that would come up her ankle and meet at a cross that she already had there from yrs ago that she was unhappy with. I had left to go eat and do some things about an hour or two later I get a call from her she is upset cause it is not working out. She is not happy yet with drawing. She wants me to come down and help. About an hour later I arrive and she still has not had hers done. He is now going to do some freehand on her leg to incorporate the cross she already has on it. I tell her I love what is he drawing she does also so finally they are going to start her tat. It takes about 2 hours and I am sitting with one of the other owners cant remember his name but we are listening to reggae music playing the bongos together he is such fun. I think his name is C so that what I will call him. I tell him that I am leaving tomorrow cause of all the rain and he informs me we will be on the same ferry. He also is heading north because of all the rain. He will be taking his motorbike for 2 months up to northern Thailand to get out of the rainy season. He lets me know of his brother’s bungalows up in chiang mi so I can stay there when I head up that way. If his brother is anything like him I know I am going to like him. When Kelly finishes her tattoo I had been talking about a drawing that Tip had painted and was hanging in the bar. I asked I he wouldn’t mind doing one more tat for me…I figured I should have him do it since it was his and not wait til I got home. So yup I got another one (sorry M&D). I love it too…. With bamboo tattoos they do not go as far into the skin so you do not bleed nor do you scab up so you can go into the ocean the next day…No Problem!