Met this guy, who after about one sentance I realised was a) Irish and b) pissed off his skull. Larros (or Larry) is from Cork and had, apparently already been drunk for at least a day, probably more at that stage. He was mumbling and talking rubbish and generally being the worst kind of stereotype possible. Larros wil continue to pop in and out of my adventures for the next week or so (or more if I see him again).
We headed out to a local bar that night and I had a sneaking suspicion I was gonna run into Fran and Jo-Anne (see Chiang Mai - Part One) here, which I did. Funny how someone you've seen for maybe ten hours becomes a familiar face! Was good to catch up with them though.
We'd maybe two drinks that night and then headed back to the bar. It was probably only ten but considering the night ends at half eleven we did okay! Anyway, once we got back we found Larros passed out in the common area, in front the way into our room. Me managed to not wake him up though, which was cool. Unfortunately, this didn't actually last.
We were reading, using our laptops whatever, when a bunch of others came back, woke up Larros, broke out a guitar and started a party in the hostel . . . which to be fair didn't bother me in the least because I just fell fast into a deep coma til the next morning, when a still drinking Larros burst into the room, screaming for Sophie. Who's Sophie? No idea. Was she even staying in the hostel? Let's hope so. I never met her if she was.
That day the two girls were heading off, so there was another tear-filled goodbye as we headed off to the waterfall nice and early (at 12) so they'd be gone by the time I got home. Ash and April from the boat elected to come with us, even though they were in a different hostel, and a dutch girl called Wendy who Stef knew/wanted to sleep with.
Here's some bloke doing the rope sling, followed by Chris and then me jumping off the waterfall! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt7D57qyN9s
In the water there were little fish that would sometimes nip at us, which was weird at first but you got used to it very quickly.
We probably would have kept going long except all of a sudden it started raining full on outa nowhere and our stuff got wrecked. Holly, a Canadian girl from the hostel had an umbrella which we used to keep the bags dry, but eventually we just had to run for the exit and were glad to find out driver hanging around the place. We piled into the back of the van, soaking wet and began the rather long drive home!
We got back to warm showers, fresh towels, and the joy of finding out that Larros was gone off somewhere else (but don't you worry, he'll be back)!
Went back to Utopia again that night, had a few drinks and then went back to the hostel to play shithead. With more or less the same rules as last time. I think we got about an hour out of it and then were back in bed by about 12 or 1.
And here's a shot of the sunset. There's more on Facebook.
Afterwards we grabbed some dinner and the girls went shopping. They were just going to be a few minutes and we were gonna meet them back at the hostel and then go for drinks, but a "few minutes" in a weird combo of Lao-time and Aussie time keeping turned into 2 hours and several shopping bags.
We'll come back to this. We'd a fantastic night that started with free shots of local moonshine, Lao Lao, a weird purple rice whiskey thing. The music was good and I'd something like six dark beer Laos, which is the first thing I've found in a few weeks that I really enjoyed drinking.
When the half eleven curfew hit in, we jumped in a tuk tuk to a place we'd been told opened late. Lateness for the wins . . . we thought, but really this was a fail on Laos part. The lights came on at half-twelve!
However, by this point, Bekaa had already had far too much too drink. I tell this part of the story, not to be mean, but more to point out a few things about Luang Prabang. Bekaa got sick in the club, not once, but twice, and was never asked to leave. I reckon she could even have asked for, and been served, another drink! Outside, she got sick on the path, and was asked very politely to move to the gutter.
Me and Cork had to carry her to the tuk tuk home, and then from there to a gutter and from there were had the difficult task of getting her up the stairs and into bed. And since she was in a top bunk, and my bed as at the door, guess where she went - yes, into my comfy bed. What did I get in return, a matress made of solid stone. Thanks Bekaa, you're so awesome!
And, to top it all off, the next morning she felt better than the rest of us.
Me and Matt and Chris were jumping a bus to Vang Vieng (or Vann Vienn) that morning, and once again discovered the pleasures of travelling with a hangover. Yay!!! Laos roads are bad. You should remember this, they are very fucking bad. We were cramped at the back of a mini-van with no suspension, flying up and down dirt roads, overtaking and breaking down.
As Chris said, "Maybe the bus wouldn't keep breaking down if he didn't drive it like he'd just stolen it."
Anyway, between that and the 5 hours turning into 7, we were damn happy to arrive at SpicyLaos Vang Vieng, and let the madness of tubing begin!
See you soon,
Shane.
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