I met augusto for breakfast the next morning. There was also another couple of his friends with us. Aaron from new Zealand and maria from chile. They were also going to go tuk tubing, so we were all going to get a tuk tuk together. By the time we had got going it was late enough, the rest of the crowd from last night were already gone.
We got our tuk tuk to the place that I was dropped to on my first day of tubing. From there we walked along the river to the first bar, where we met mari and raul, who were just leaving to go to the next bar. Raul was giving out that we had taken too long. We said we would met them at the next bar in a little bit. I got myself a bucket from the bar. And we sat around on the platform, watching the chaos around us. I felt really sober.
There was a swing there, which you hang on to and swing back and forth and then let go and fall into the water. I really wanted to have a go but it looked a bit scary and It seemed really high. I was asked was I going to go and give it a try and I gave the excuse that there was a queue. I would try later. I was trying to get some dutch courage first. But by the time there was no queue I couldn't make myself go up there all alone. As no one else was swinging at this stage and most people had moved on to the other bars.
We left soon after though and headed to the second bar. Where we met up with raul and mari and dominique (I hadn't noticed her earlier as she looked so different from the night before night.) we danced and had a laugh. Then it was time to move on to the next bar.
Raul and mari and dominique, got into the water. While augusto, maria , Aaron and I went to walk to the next bar. Of course just as we were leaving they were starting to play galway girl again. I was just about to go crazy and tell someone, “this is my song”, But they had all headed off before me. So I had to leave the song behind and catch up.
We went to the next bar and we looked across the river to the bar on the other side, that was where we had to go. We could swim across or we could walk down the river to the bridge down the way and walk back up the other side. Which could take forever. So we decided to swim. Augusto had to do it one handed and he also had his bag with him as he wasn't planning on swimming that day. So I was wondering how he was going to do it? I just had my little wallet with me and I was wondering how I was going to do it!
So I took my top off (don't worry, I had my bikini on) and tied it around my head and made a headband. I put my wallet in it and it was tied against my head. I just hoped it wouldn't fall out while I swam across. It worked really well. Somehow it still all got wet though, while augusto swam backwards with one arm in the air holding his bag up and got over faster than me too. Damn it. I suppose it didn't help either that I had to finish off my bucket as there was no way I was going to be able to swim across with that in my hands.
So first things first, a new bucket! This time though I shared it, as raul and the girls where there before us. Maria was going up to do the swing at this bar, and pulled me up with her. That's all I needed to get going. I climb the ladder up with her and got up to the top where the platform was small and narrow and had no railings to hold onto. Maria went first and I have to say it looked really cool. I was told by the person behind, hold on as long as you can cause once you let go the fun is over. Good advice, though I think I was going to hold on cause I was afraid to let go. Maria let herself fall into the water and it was my turn. I'm not sure which was worst starting off from. The swing or the zip line that I had done the first day. I even had the person behind me ask did I want to go together on the swing with them. Like that would make it better.
So I grabbed hold for dear life and off I was swinging. It was amazing, so much fun. I was still scared to let go, needed to let myself slow down first and also position myself so that I let go when I was at the lowest point. Which was hard to judge. But I finally let go before I lost my grip and fell into the water. It was so exhilarating. And I went up again for another go.
I came back to the rest of the guys all excited “that was so much fun”.
We hung around for a bit and maria was going up for another swing, so this time she didn't have to drag me up. The rest of the guys were doing it also, well except augusto of course, but I'm sure he would have tried it with one hand if he could.
And it was still great third time round.
After that we were heading to the next bar. Everyone else swam or tubed down, augusto and I walked. But somehow they were all there before us when we got there. Now this bar had a huge mud pit. And I have to say it was really disgusting. But of course I still had to get in. I went in willingly the first time, and I got mud in my eyes almost straight away. At least to the side of the pit there was a hose of clean water coming out. So I got out and had to fight with the group of people hanging around it trying to get mud off themselves just so I could get the mud out of my eyes.
When I could see again, I went over to the pit were I saw, raul and the girls in there and just a mad display of mud fighting and people being dragged in. From there I got pulled back into the pit and got mud in my eyes again. This time I just sat there for awhile with people, falling over me and people being pulled left right and centre. It was actually loads of fun, except for the smell, wasn't very nice.
I got out of the pit and had to fight to get the hose again. This time when I got it I tried to hose myself down also and get most of the mud off. It was impossible. I had mud in places I never had mud before. I left the hose, thinking it would be easier to just go into the river and wash it off. As I was planning to do the water slide at the next bar, I was going into the water anyway.
I nearly got pulled into the pit for a third time but this time I grabbed hold of a tree and I wasn't letting go. So it was time to move on before I really did get pulled back in.
And the next bar was where the party really was. It was hopping. The dj was cranking out the music and everyone was dancing. This was the bar where the water slide was but I was having to much fun dancing I forgot all about it.
At one stage a really drunk girl came up to us and started dancing with us. She had no coordination and was falling all over the place. We were trying to figure out who was with her, surely her friends were around somewhere to take care of her. And she was dancing a little too close to me if you get my meaning. Dominique tried to help me and twirled me out of the way, but the girl kept coming for me. Finally she gave up and we saw a friend come over and help her. That's when she proceeded to just pee there in front of everyone. It was terrible but we also couldn't help laughing.
Dominique and mari had to leave, they had gotten a tube from town and had to have it back by 6 if they were going to get their deposit back and we were having so much fun, they were reluctant to leave. In the end we didn't stay much longer after them as it was starting to get cold even with a bonfire there for us to dance around. So raul, augusto and I headed over the bridge that was there and tried to get a tuk tuk back to town.
But we were waiting forever for the driver. First we couldn't find him. As we just jumped into an empty tuk tuk that was sitting there. Then when we did, he said he wouldn't go anywhere till we paid him. And then when We did pay him he disappeared. While we were waiting I took off my bikini top off from underneath my top and all this dirt fell away. and I mean a lot. Ha ha
raul then proceeded to put my bikini top on him, well he put it around his neck with it hanging down as it wouldn't close around his back. And I wore his sunglasses that I couldn't see out of, from all the dirt on it and as it was also dark at this stage, so it was a bit silly really. Finally the tuk tuk driver came back and we were on our way to town.
When we got there, we organized to meet in a half an hour and we would go for dinner before heading off to the smile bar for the night. I headed back to my room for a shower, and when I took my bikini bottoms off another pile of dirt fell out. Ha ha. I really should have gone on that water slide and rinsed in the river. Ha ha
we went for Indian in another restaurant that was there and it was the best Indian ever. And not just because we were drunk either. After that we all headed to smile bar. It was hopping already. Normally it didn't start getting busy till 11 at night but with new years everyone was out early. It was a great night, I got another bucket and we danced and partied. At one stage I had lost everyone and didn't know were they were. I found mari and raul in one of the huts falling asleep. I tried to wake them up and tell them they couldn't sleep it was new years eve but they weren't moving anywhere. In the end I told I would wake them up before midnight as they couldn't sleep during that.
Just before midnight, I found dominique and we got raul and mari up just in time to ring in the new year. Typically I was bursting to go to the toilet but I had to wait for it to turn midnight, so as soon as it did I disappeared to the toilet and who did I find there. But the kiwi couple. It was great. So I said happy new year and said I would find them again when I had gone to the toilet.
When I came back out, they introduced me to a guy from Australia and we ended up chatting for awhile. I left him to see if I could find raul and the girls but they had disappeared again. But I did find augusto and said happy new year and he introduced me to another Spanish guy that he had found. This guy happen to have been too Ireland and lived in galway for awhile, so we had loads to talk about. So for the rest of the evening I wandering around from dancing with the kiwi couple and ozzie guy and augusto and Spanish guy. I stopped drinking after midnight as I just couldn't drink anymore so by the time it came for the bar to finish and close for the night I actually felt quite sober. I said good night to the kiwi couple and ozzie guy and went to find augusto to say good night, but couldn't find him anywhere. I did find the other Spanish guy and he was talking to two Irish guys and he was all excited cause he was saying he loved Ireland. He even had us singing its a long way to tipperary. He said it was his favorite song. But of course we only knew the 4 lines of the chorus, so we just kept repeating them over and over. In the end I had to leave, and they were complaining what I was leaving to early, but I was wreaked . And when I got back to my room I saw it was like half 4 in the morning. Yeah I was leaving them early, early in the morning.
I was dead to the world in no time and somehow I woke up just before 7 in the morning by myself, no alarm, just in time to call home and say happy new year. And back to bed again.
I got up about 12 and headed for breakfast. I meet raul and the girls there. I found out I why I couldn't find them last night after midnight. They had headed to bed. Boring. Ha ha
after breakfast they were heading off to the internet and I was heading to the river to relax and bask in the sun. just as I was leaving, augusto showed up a little worse for wear. He had been out till about 6 that morning and wasn't feeling very good. So I left him complaining there at the restaurant and headed off to find a hut with a hammock to relax in.
I was really lucky I found the last hut that was unoccupied. And it was so nice, what a way to start off the new year. It was prefect. I laid there reading and enjoying the sun and after awhile raul and the girls showed up and joined me in my little hut. We hung out and had lunch and relaxed and We stayed til we saw the sunset. We organized to meet at the boring bar that night, where we may be able to put one of their ipods on to listen to different music for once. Not the same music that we had been listening to every night at the smile bar. We decided it was a new year and we would start it new. No smile bar and no buckets. ha ha it was our last night and we were going to have a boring night.
And we did!
We met at the boring bar and we listened to music and we had no buckets and we all were in bed by 11. ha ha I think we had all over did it the night before.
I said goodbye to everyone as I was heading off earlier then them to get to Vientiane in time so I could cross the border to Thailand the same day. My visa was running out and I had to leave the country. It was the first country were I had used up my whole visa.
It was really sad to be leaving them all. I had so much fun.
I wish I had more time so that I could have gone to Vientiane with them. But it wasn't meant to be.
So I got my bus to Vientiane and I was hoping the bus would bring me to the bus station there but of course not. When you want to finish the journey at the bus station they stop in town and when you want them to stop in town they stop at the bus station. just so you have to pay for a tuk tuk. But because I was only going to the bus station. They weren't in a hurry to bring me there. They were looking for a higher fare. So I eventually figured out were I was and I walked to the station myself instead. It turned out not to be that far and I didn't have to pay anyone to get there. When I got to the station, there was a border bus that would go from Vientiane to kon kean in Thailand, which was exactly where I wanted to go. But the last one was leaving in 5 mins. I just had time to get my ticket and get my bag on the bus. I persuaded the guy to let me run to the bathroom before the bus took off. And when I came out of the toilet, the bus was waiting for me and even honked for me to hurry up. So I ran on to the bus and got into my seat. I was on my way to Thailand again.
I looked out the window and watched Laos go by. I had the best time there and I was really sad to be leaving. Every experience was wonderful. I really want to go back again some day and if I do I really hope I love it as much as I loved it the first time.
