Thong Nai Pan Yai

I'm staying in a cozy garden bungalow in a resort called Longtail at the end of Thong Nai Pan Yai beach in north eastern Koh Phangan. It's another idyllic crescent shaped bay which is connected to another, Thong Nai Pan Noi, on the northern side. If it wasn't for the screaming babies (I counted five this morning) crying during my beautiful beach breakfast it would be perfect. Not to mention the couple last night who let their infant run around behind the bar and play with the keg hoses. How cute. I'm going to puke. The Thais are so polite. The never have a care in the world and did not mind at all. The whole point of being in a bar is to get away from the little monsters in strollers. Another kid was grabbing billiard balls off the pool table as people were playing. Adorable! Man, I needed a drink. The Flip Flop Pharmacy is where I had my sun downer. An excellent whisky sour was my prescription and cure.

For dinner I decided to walk to the northern beach village. It didn't look to far on the map. After doing the Grouse Grind to get their I was good and ready for another cocktail and something different, some tasty Mexican food. I arrived at the open air La Hacienda bar and ordered a Margarita from Yanni the Finish owner. He kept a gun behind the bar (see photo) which was oddly comforting to me. He informed me that unfortunately there was no food that night because he could not find a baby sitter. His Thai wife had to take care of the little one. He recommended a good Thai place next door where I had a very nice Masaman curry. Cheap too.

A wonderful thing that I tried here two days in a row is stand up paddle. It's where you stand on a surfboard and, well, paddle. It was really fun and pleasant. It was harder than I expected but I never fell once. It's a bit like surfing, kayaking, and skiing all rolled into one. Like skiing and surfing you look far ahead and keep your upper body stable and let your lower body find it's own balance. It was cheap too. Only about four dollars an hour. The water here is so clear, blue-green and warm. Excellent for swimming. Afterwards I sat in the shade of a palm tree and sipped on my reward, a fresh chilled coconut.

My salt and pepper caveman beard is getting out of control. I'm starting to look like Papa Smurf. I tried to shave it off but my electric shaver won't work here. Razor blades won't shave through the stuff. I guess I'm stuck with it until I get back.

Tomorrow I take a taxi boat to Haad Rin, my last stop on this island. It's heart of the legendary full moon parties they have every month where 30,000 party people covered in day-glo paint dance, drink, smoke, vomit, and probably fornicate on Sunrise Beach until the sun comes up without a stroller in sight. For better or worse I will miss it as I am flying home that night. But, I might be there for one of their half moon parties. Any excuse for a good time here. God bless Thailand!