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Our city tour was booked for 11 this morning and it was literally the last thing I ever wanted to do. My chest feels like it's being squeezed and whatever I'm coughing up does not look pleasant. Upon half an hours internal debate I decided to struggle through, got showered and put my face on. John the tour guide (who also works in the hostel) was obviously in serious pain from a raging hangover so I was interested to see how he and I would hold up with our various ailments. We hopped in the tuk tuk and headed to our first spot which was the Buddhist park. We made pals with two welsh girls called Jessica and Rhiannon and an English girl called Harriet. We arrived at the park and it was Epic looking! It was filled with cool statues and temples and palm trees. I asked John what the significance of the skulls was on one of the statues and he Didnt have a fecking clue. I knew immediately this was another tour guide being paid to do absolutely nothing! Ha ha.
We had some lunch at the park and then headed to the next spot which was the beer Lao brewery. It was alright but I Didnt have a tasting session as I was feeling so wick! Obviously John don't either because he was turning green just at the sight of it. Good reports from the beers from Alan and the girls though. Next stop was the arc de triumph which was a little replica from the one on Paris. We climbed right to the top and my lungs felt like at this point they were just about to collapse! I think we left John somewhere on the third floor gasping for breath. We took some snaps and then headed to the Laos COPE centre which was insightful and really sad. It's set up for people with disabilities or who have lost limbs due to the war. Laos is actually the most heavily bombed country in the entire world and unexploded devices are still planted all around the country. I remember being warmed about not going off the beaten track when touring Laos but I Didnt think it was still that much of a problem. Sadly this is what the locals have to deal with on a regular basis. They are forced with the decision to keep away from the fields or else harvest in order to keep their families alive, risking activating a bomb. It was absolutely heartbreaking hearing the stories about people being injured and killed and made me think about my cushy life back home.
After the COPE centre we headed back to the hostel and I chilled out and watched some movies. Alan and Becky were going to head out to party and I think the majority of the hostel were going out. I made the executive decision that a night out is the last thing I could do and went to sulk in my room. I was coughing and coughing and just like two angels Becky and Alan appeared with a bottle of whiskey for a couple of hot bevvys to knock me out. I went to talk to phil the owner if I could use the kitchen and he took one look at me coughing over my bottle of whiskey and said 'oh jaysus luv I know exactly what you need', in the best Aussie accent ever. He whipped me up a hot toddy with whiskey lime honey sugar and hot water. It was delicious, and very nice of him to do. I had two whiskeys, said goodbye to the gang and then was sleeping by 10pm.
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