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Tuesday
We got up feeling very fragile and had to move to another room for the next 2 nights so packed up ourself and moved across at 11.30am. Pat and Dylan were leaving today so we said bye to them and the beasty hearts had messaged to say they'd booked on the 12.30pm tubing group so we said we would join. The day didn't begin well when I wore a white top and spilt milk chocolate from my pancake down it, and then I had to go back to the room to get more money as id forgotten I had to pay for the tubing as well as drinks. After my fathing around we went up and found the girls who were all laughing about last nights antics. Most of us were covered in bruises, particularly my Lauren and Bianca who fell off the stage one after the other..and then I had tried to sit on a motorbike and fell off it so had cut this time my right knee. I was annoyed to find that despite going back for more money I was still short, as you had to pay a deposit for your ring as well as paying for the tubing itself (tubing 55,000 kip and deposit 65,000 kip) so that was all my money spent, not that I was too bothered by this point anyway as all I needed in my life was water.
We got on the tuk tuk and saw Jamie a guy from the UK who had chatted to us at the sunflower hostel pool one morning in hoi an, Vietnam (while a few of us had been waiting for an 11am checkin since 6am). We'd also bumped into Jamie back in Luang Prabang and out in Sakura bar the night before this. Julia was also on the tuk tuk and had also been at the bar the night before who we met back in Vietnam on one of the buses - id said how mature she was for her age in one of my earlier blogs. So it was nice there was a big group of us and 10 minutes later we arrived at the top of the river where the trip would begin.
Now I'm going to be honest and say this was one of the most dangerous ideas I've seen yet in south east Asia. After being on the river for only 30 seconds before we got to the first bar, I was coasting along backwards and didn't realise that there are men on the side of the river that throw out plastic litre bottles half full with water with a rope attached for people to grab onto so they can pull you in. Anyway you know where this is going...some guy with a bad aim (or good aim depending on whether this was intentional) from about 200 metres away flung one of these bottles straight into the back of my head. As you can imagine I went mental and yes he was laughing. We all attempted to get out which was an absolute disaster, the bottom of the river was full of pointy rocks and shallow, the current was so strong people were getting knocked over all over the place it was mental and cautious Kirsty was off on one.
We all eventually dragged ourselves to shore and went up to the first bar which was blasting all kinds of tunes from dub step to old school house and drum and bass. Everyone else went getting their drinks in while Lauren and I found a nice spot in the sun. After about an hour the sun went in and Lauren wanted a sandwich. We said we'd go along to the next bar with the others and stick it out a bit longer. Our coast along to the next bar just proved to be even more dangerous as the drunk bodies fall into their rubber rings and I don't quite know how they made it down the river as Saffi and I were clung to each others rings and went straight into a tree (probably the only tree that was in the middle of the entire river and we hit it) followed by then flying into Lauren 2 who was stood up trying to walk on the rocks and taking her out along with another couple. I nearly didn't make it but this time managed to grab a bottle instead of having it smack me in the head, and clambered to shore. Lauren and I got a water and chilled for a bit watching the tipsy others play beer pong, volleyball and dance around before deciding this was the worst way to try and spend time being hungover and that it was most definitely time to go.
We said bye to our friends and confidently took off in our rings down the river to get pulled out at another bar only moments later - I thought the tubing experience would have been much more time spent on the water than what it actually was so that surprised me. Anyway this Laos guy said it was the last bar so we had to get out. We asked him where we could get a tuk tuk and he said we'd need to wait there until 4pm. At this point it's only 3.20pm so neither of us are happy and need food. We sit around laughing about the situation and ask a guy who spoke English behind the bar how long it would take if we just carried on on a ring but he said it would be an hour and a half and as it was cloudy and the temperature already dropping - along with the thought of what more dangers the river could bring, we decided to wait. It got to 4pm and we go back to the Laos guy and he's like oh no you go to that bar for tuk tuk pointing across the road where there is a big sign saying 'LAST BAR'. All of our friends were coincidentally just coming in on their rings at this point and were laughing a lot at us when they realised we were still at this other bar and hadn't made it to the clearly signposted last one. We explained the situation and left them who all seemed to be very happy and on their way to being drunk again, then I encouraged Lauren who was very angry at this point about having to get wet again to get back in her ring and follow me over. We finally made it to the tuk tuk stop carrying our rings, cold wet and hungover (and yes as you can tell feeling sorry for ourselves) and we made it back to the hostel where I was poorly for a bit before showering and grabbing dinner at the Aussie bar.
We were both delighted to be away from flying bottles, sharp rocks and smells of alcohol and had a nice early night with a few films on our English TV movie channel.
And just for the record I'd never have survived tubing drunk - I do not know how people manage it!
xxx
- comments
Doreen Thomson Wow! Sounds fun but as you said pretty dangerous f you had a drink! .. Good job you had a nice hostel to go back to after that experience !xxx
Auntie loz omg frank spencer is alive and kicking lol.id be like you Kirsty id have gone mental at the "bottle chucker" and want to deck him hee hee.At least you survived the day hungover bless ya both and a lovely chiiled time eventually xxxx