After party

Google Koh Phangan, Thailand. Go on, see what comes up. Yes, Full-Moon parties are what the island is famous for. Once a month the southern beaches turn into a mash of bizarre outdoor clubs selling alcohol in buckets, neon paint and tattoos plus anything else you could imagine for an outdoor rave.
The north of the island is a different story. Mae Haad beach is difficult to access and you need a jeep to make it down the dirt roads (ask your hotel owner in advance to pick you up). For this reason you find far fewer people here than in the south. I stayed in what could only be described as a hut which really had the bare necessities. A hose for a shower, a mattress over a wooden plank and a hammock swinging lazily outside.
During a week's stay I saw a handful of tourists, mostly tanned Europeans in speedos who simply wanted to lie on the beach. Do not be deceived however, this beach is surrounded by hills, caves and waterfalls which can be explored by foot. Unfortunately, during my first walk out I cut my foot on some coral and so that was walking out of the picture. So I borrowed a kayak from the "hotel" and floated over the clear sea, home to the coral I still felt some animosity towards for cutting my foot. The colours of peach, vivid yellow and rusty red shone through the water, showing off it's treasures of sea-cucumbers, shining little silver fish and other weird, fascinating creatures. I returned to my hut and was invited to share some ginger, lime and honey tea by the owners which, to this day I attempt to recreate back in England. It tastes almost the same when I make it, just not quite.
Oh and if you were wondering, I did go to a Full-Moon party during my stay there. It was...interesting. A pushy crowd of teenagers covered in neon paint and clutching sloshing buckets of alcohol. The seashore was lined by teenage boys peeing into the sea or, worse, peeing into their empty buckets (which they reuse by the way). So, after half an hour and a decent massage from one of the countless massage parlours, I made my escape back to the north of the island and my little beach. I bought an alco-pop from the only store there, dusted it off and wandered down to sit on a log on the beach. A ring of fishing boats, their lights shining across the sea, the sea lulling into the bay kept me company. Acoustic guitar music drifted out from somewhere washing the cheesy club music from my ears. I finished up my drink, pulled my feet out of the warm sand and headed home.