PARTY IN PARATY

WEATHER: Cloudy, no rain and 32C

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Swimming in the crystal waters of the Atlantic

BUMMER OF THE DAY: Getting so drunk I had an emotional breakdown

WORD OF THE DAY:  Caipirinha’s (rolling the ‘r’) and have you got zinc on your snipper

I knew today was going to be a big drinking day.  Sven and I made a deal yesterday that we were going to drink till one of us spewed.  I just hoped it wasn’t going to be me and little did he know that he was going to have a big night last night, so he was feeling a little shady this morning.  Buck up Swiss boy, we had a deal. 

We left camp at 9.30am for the 15 minute walk into town and down to the port.  It was muggy, but the rain had stopped sometime during the night and the sun was trying to poke through the clouds.  This is was better than what we could hope for and possibly better than having a full force sun and getting burnt to a crisp during the day.  We were a little early so we got a chance to walk around the quaint town of Paraty.  It reminded me a little of a Greek island town with the white buildings and colorful painted window sills.  Mark decided to get us down to the boat early and thank goodness he did as we didn’t end up leaving till 11.30am and we were joined by Tucan Malagy and by 2 G Adventure groups that have already left Rio and won’t be doing Carnival.  Seems a little weird when they were so close, but maybe not all of them are interested in the BIGGEST PARTY IN THE WORLD?!  So being first we were able to get the best seats, which happened to be downstairs where the toilets were to be found, where the large saucepan of caiprinha’s was to be located and where they had in the center of the boat above the lower deck, plastic mattresses where people could lie down.  Well 4 of Tucan Rosita made the most of this area straight up and with pillows under head got some shit eye before we left port at 11.30am.  The ship is like an old schooner and pretty cool, but we rekon they may have a few too many people on, it was crowded but not uncomfortable squashy, but Mike did a reccy and he rekons there was 90 people on board and we counted only 70 lifejackets.  Unless they had some stored below, but our ‘section’ was directly below where the lifejackets were stored, we knew Team Rosita would all make it off alive.

The Caipirinha’s were free flowing all day and served in this pasta saucepan with a measuring cup as the device we should be using to scoop out the lethal liquid which is basically a white rum concoction with sugar and limes added.  That’s it, no mix, just the white rum.  You can imagine as the day dragged on that the cups were just getting dipped into the pan without using the measuring cup, so with the cups being recycles everyone’s lip germs were being recycled in the drink itself.  Funny how these things don’t worry you when you are drinking but thinking about it now sober it makes you shudder.  This is also the same person that wouldn’t kiss the Blarney Stone in Ireland based on a billion people kissing the same spot, but in my defence, it looked manky and that a billion people had actually kissed it. Ughhhhhhh. But none of those manky germy thoughts today. 

The cruise consisted of 3-5 stops, giving us time to jump off, swim the crystal blue waters if the ocean and just chillax.  The boat also had pool noodles, so it was great to be able to float around at each stop on them.  They were bright yellow and at the first stop it made a great photo with over 30 people in the blue water floating with yellow noodles.  People were allowed to jump from the top of the boat into the water, I wasn’t that brave and just used the steps up and down for my entry, but Kate got up there and I used burst mode to get some jumps shots of her as she launched into the sea. 

Lunch was a choice of chicken, fish or vegetarian with rice and we each got a tray with our meal on it which was good and made it easier to eat from.  They also sold beers on the boat, so in between Caipirinha’s we were also sinking beers which is just screaming trouble and trouble it was.  I remember leaving one of the last islands just after 3.30pm and then a blank till a little after 9.30pm.  This is bad.  I don’t remember getting off the boat, I don’t remember the walk home and what happened in the following hours.  Big thanks to Sven for walking me home safely and fixing my thongs like 3 times as they got caught on the cobbles of Paraty town.  A big thanks to Mark as we drunk talked to each other for a few hours and this is where I learned the news that Tucan were not going to come to the party and give me the credits.  Well in my drunken state, the Zeme drama and what was I going to do the tears just started to flow and they just wouldn’t stop.  Poor Mark was trying to sine a positive light on it all and we went through all my options I am sure a billion times.  I also need to thank my tentie Kate, who got me water, my dinner when it was ready and after things had settled down and I decided to sleep in the truck (who knows why) she bought in my mattress and sleeping bag from the tent and set me up.  Thanks pal and also for your kind words and trying to sort out in my drunken head what my next plan of attack was going to be.    

 

I was so sad and I had massive crocodile tears rolling down my face. It was just too much to take in after such a big day of drinking.  I must say a good cry is always good for the soul, but I normally like to do it in private behind closed doors, not in front of my fellow travelers.  What a goose.  

The other 2 Tucan trucks had arrived by the time we got back.  Moose and Doris and after a trip to the toilets I even tried to get back on the wrong truck.  The good thing I need to point out is that I was not the only drunk person on the cruise, I’m making out I was a total loner in my mission to write myself off but there were a lot drunk people around us and I wasn’t doing anything too embarrassing, well not that anyone has told me anyway!!  I was taken back to the Greek cruise that we did in Ios, where once we arrived at the island, I got in the water and then didn’t leave the water for the next 5 hours till it was time to leave.  The ship mates kept dropping beers over the side of the ship as I floated in the Mediterranean and in the end they also threw me a life jacket as my floatation device.  They should invest in some pool noodles.  They are great.

So that was my cruise day in Paraty.  Ion the upside it didn’t rain and I knew that it was due to happen, a breakdown over the whole Zeme situation, but to get told it was no from Tucan while I drunk was probably not the best move.  In marks defence, it wasn’t the official no, but word on the street was heading that way.  I had a lot of hopes based on Plan B as I cried myself to sleep on the truck with the mozzie swarming around me I couldn’t have given a toss.