Great Balls of Fire...

Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand

August 10, 2007
N 07°44.128
E 098°46.795

Several of the bars on the island advertise nightly fire shows. We walked by a few, occasionally glancing, but never stopping to fully enjoy the artistic value until Friday night. We weren’t sure what all of the hype was about; however, we decided we couldn’t leave the island without seeing one of these performances.

Our favorite bar on the island is a place called Hippies. Each night they build a sand stage about 10 feet wide and 8 feet deep on the beach. The sand is packed and three pieces of plywood are set on top to provide a solid surface; creating a perfect raised area for the fire performers and inebriated 20’something tourists to dance on later in the evening.

Terraced steps lead down to the front of the stage; built out of sand bags, covered with straw mats, pillows and small wooden tables. Each table has a mini gas lantern to provide a little ambiance. White, plastic tables and chairs are scattered on the beach surrounding the stage; providing an excellent vantage point to watch the show as the cool tide rolls across the bare feet of the patrons.

A large bucket of fire sits on the stage, illuminating the sign announcing the nightly fire show at 11:00 PM. Tiki torches built out of bamboo and coconuts are strategically placed on the beach, marking the territory of Hippies bar. Inside the coconuts are bottles filled with gas and a gauze wick, kind of like a Molotov cocktail, providing a fire path to the main event. Luckily we haven’t seen any explode!

Driving music fills the air. Large speakers pump out 80’s rock, Bob Marley, as well as some of today’s current billboard hits. As the night grows old it seems the music gradually gets louder and louder until the bar reaches capacity. As it gets closer to show time, more and more people stumble into Hippies. The mats and the tables on the beach become prime real-estate, everyone looking for a place to sit so they can enjoy their beverages. The majority of the 20'somethings share Buckets (Vodka or Rum, Coke, Red Bull, and ice) with their friends. Feeling a little out of place we stuck with our trusty ice-cold Singha.

The show started with an amateur fire dancer. His coach sat on the side giving him tips as he threw the flaming baton high into the air. The crowd cheered for him even as the baton hit the ground and occasionally bounced into the crowd. There were a total of seven performers, including two women, who built on each other as they performed with batons and balls of fire on chains.

Each performer had a routine choreographed to their favorite song. As the driving beat of the music amplified, the pace of the baton twirling increased, occasionally catching the sweet smell of marijuana, fire flew through the air, orange trails creating patterns inciting the cheering crowd to order more Buckets. Marc found the women very sexy as they calmly twirled their balls of fire around the stage. Their calculated dance steps were flawless as the fire came within inches of their hair, legs and face.

At the end of the performance a hat was passed around for donations for the performers. We dropped 100 Baht in the hat for the artists who far exceeded our expectations. As we walked away, the crowd, with Buckets in hand, was spilling onto the stage, and we were happy to be moving away from the madness and into our swanky bungalow.