For some reason I always seem to get sick at some point around Christmas / New Year, itīs a given. I even had an email from Alan asking if Iīd felt ill yet, I replied, "no, not yet, but thereīs still time !" ....
But anyway, more of that later. Christmas Eve afternoon, Iīm having some lunch at a beach bar and I bump into Thomas and Antje (A German couple who I first met in Altagracia, and whoīs names I had forgotten but they remembered mine and I had to do that whole avoiding saying their name hoo-ha because I couldnīt bring myself to ask them again). Anyway, they invited me to join them and 2 other German blokes (Peter and Michael) for a sunset drink on the beach to celebrate Christmas Eve. Sounds like a plan so the bottles of wine came out, the nibbles and the candles and a really nice evening, sitting on the beach, watching the sunset and talking a strange mixture of Spanish, English and a smidge of German. Then Peter suggested we go to a fiesta at which point Antje groaned because if it was the same one as they went to the other night it was "crap". But anyway, we ended up on some field where a disco with dance floor was set up, with DJ playing Rick Astley (Yes, honestly, Rick Astley), a bar and various stalls with sort of 70īs style fairground games mixed with gambling games. The DJ was shouting into his mike to get people on the floor ..... but there was no-one there apart from us and 3 police officers obviously there to hold back the hoards ! It was hilarious ! Anyway, we all agreed since we were there we may as well have a beer. Then Thomas (whose birthday it was) convinced us all to have a go at the various fair games, his treat ! Apparently in Germany, if itīs your birthday you do all the paying, he paid for everything all night.
Then it was over to an Italian restaurant for a bit of a salad and pasta and then back towards the beach where we got diverted by a crowd over by the village hall. It was approximately midnight, Christmas Eve and we see the crowd are all craning to get a view of the finals of "Miss Samara 2007" - the teenage class. For such a religious country that one cracked me up most !
Anyway, after that I said goodbye to my companions for the evening and trotted back to my little beachfront room and went to bed (if you are eating at the moment put down the pizza). For about an hour. Then I found myself with, what Iīm describing as, severe diaorrhea (spelling ?) .... followed intermittently by severe vomiting. After about 3 hours during which time I had swilled down the last bottle of water I had (which within a few minutes was coming right back out again) I collapsed into bed sweating but freezing and parched. I had no more water. It was about 4 in the morning and I was in pain and I needed water, I thought, there is a bar here in the hotel, I can break into that and square it with the owners in the morning. So I put my sandals on and walked about 4 steps and had to sit down on the floor. That wasnīt going to work, back to bed and wait until the sun comes up. I got snippets of sleep and eventually I heard movement out in the corridor, I managed to get the attraction of the owners daughter who was about to start cleaning who, absolute bless, could see I was bad and got me a litre of water and told me to go to bed. The first gulps of water came straight back out again (the word projectile comes to mind) but then I got some of those rehydration powder packets and forced the contents down with the water and they started to take effect quite quickly. So, Happy Christmas eh ?! I spent the whole of Christmas Day in bed. I donīt think I missed too much though, I think Christmas Eve is the day here. Mind you I think if the Rio Carnival had set up camp outside my room I wouldnīt have had the energy to pop my head out of the door.
I assume it was something I ate the day before Christmas Eve (from what I remember about food poisoning on recent courses most things take at least 24 hours). I did eat in one place that I havenīt eaten in before during my stay and I wasnīt 100% convinced at the time ... hmmm.
Anyway, Iīm a lot better now, still quite weak and I havenīt done a lot today apart from tentatively eat dry toast. Iīve booked to stay here a bit longer because at the moment I canīt bear the thought of lugging my rucksack anywhere !
Great Christmas Eve though !
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