Homan and I stocked up on clothing and supplies. Bangkok (Banglamphu) is the best place in the world to buy cheap, knock-off traveler goods. Our next stop was a little island called Koh Pha Ngan.
Koh Pha Ngan (koh-pa-nan) is about 15 hours south of Bangkok by bus and boat. It hosts the backpacker-renowned full-moon party. The first full-moon party started in the 80s, and it’s grown in popularity ever since. If you’re young and/or a backpacker, you must cross this off your list to say you “did” Thailand.
I couldn’t believe the smokers on our bus to Koh Pha Ngan. The bus left at 7pm, and it had a scheduled rest-stop at 10pm. But some of them couldn’t wait. They persuaded the bus driver to pull over at 9pm, so they could have a smoke. I looked out my window at them getting in every breath they could before the driver demanded we move on. Geez. What an addiction.
Something was wrong with my lower abs. They hurt, and it was difficult for me to sleep through the pain. I wasn’t sure what I did wrong. I remember back in February that I strained my lower abs helping someone move. Maybe this was a recurrence of that injury. Maybe my backpack was too heavy now. Maybe I should dump some weight.
