Over the moon

It's good to be king


Koh Phangan has become an inextricable part of backpacking folklore thanks to the massive full moon parties thrown here. They are so popular in fact that half-moon and new moon parties are now also organized, meaning that some kind of big fest is on every week and lesser ones every day. This is probably the reason why so many travellers here seem to be really into recreational drug-use, and at the parties you’ll find most people pilled out of their minds. If you ask them what they’re on, they usually rattle off a list of drugs most of which you’ve never even heard of.

Speaking of drugs, I gained some more insight into the wonderful world of weed in California from a bloke who had studied there earlier and was really into it. Apparently there’s a thriving subculture there that breeds different strains of marijuana, each with its own qualities. The best strains compete in something called “The Cannabis Cup” and because the plants are so easy to clone, the winners spread rapidly throughout the States. The strains all have distinctive names like “Super Silver Haze”, “Northern Lights” and “Alaskan Thunderfuck”, and the guy I was talking to really liked one called “Purple Irkle”. He was truly worried that it might die out because it was so hard to grow, and hence he was constantly on the look-out for a Purple Irkle plant so that he could keep the breed alive. Also, I thought it was pretty funny when he described evenings similar to wine-tastings, where him and his friends would smoke dozens of different strains and try to identify them. Like a wine, they would then rate the weed on several dimensions, and apparently Purple Irkle has “great flavour and a really nice high too.” Despite his mild obsession with the herb, this guy was sharp as a tack, not like most of the puffy-eyed space-cadets you see around here.

Going back to parties, I was at the half-moon rave last night and fell victim to the insidious buckets again. Needless to say I won’t be curing cancer or learning Mandarin Chinese today, as nursing this hangover is enough to keep me occupied. The party itself was terrific though! While the full moon raves are held at the beach, the half-moon ones take place in the middle of the jungle, where they have built a massive round arena complete with a tripping light show and heaps of bars. You can see pictures of it here: http://halfmoonfestival.com/photo.htm
Thousands of people turned up, and the atmosphere was a combination of Apocalypse Now and the cave-rave scene in Matrix Revolutions. At some point rain started pouring down, but since everyone was wearing beach clothes already, it didn’t matter and the party went on till dawn! I really wish I could be here for the full-moon one as well, but I have to get to Bangkok to drop off a visa application for Myanmar. Also, I’ve already heard about five people saying they’ve gotten pick-pocketed at the full moon party, so maybe it’s for the best.

























Thais don't fuck about when they come with brand slogans, for example this energy drink promises a lot


P. S. Definitely my favourite Sufjan Stevens song, and I like the ambiance in the video as well.

Sufjan Stevens – For the widows in Paradise, for the fatherless in Ypsilante.