Englishman an Irishman and a Scotsman

21/4/11

Being married to the proprietor of Bo Travel planning I have forgotten what a package trip is like. Regimented is the answer. You eat breakfast at 8am, you swim now, you cannon now, you eat now, you poo now. That said it is easier than negation with taxi drivers!

For once James had decided that it was easier if someone else did the organizing as his extensive research had shown that independent travelers struggled when trying to secure a place on a Junk to sail along Harlong bay. So at the allotted time (8am sharp) we board the bus to Harlong Bay. Four hours later we arrive at this UNESO world heritage sight. The only problem is that the mist is so thick that we can not see anything. This combined with the other 60 boats within spitting distance is a worrying sight.

Not to be deterred we board the Junk and informed its lunch time. We eat and it’s good. We are then headed around a cave and told to look at bits of rocks that are supposed to look like Buddha, a chicken, a turtle etc. You have to have a good imagination but without fail everyone in the group recognizes the penis although we re told this is gods finger!

We are then directed to the canoes were we are allotted an hours free recreation to paddle around the bay. This mist has lifted a bit so we can see things and in general we have fun with a few near misses with the innumerate other junks disgorging passengers.

Once back on board we settle in for an afternoon of sailing and then a bit of swimming. We get talking to the others and it transpires there is an Englishman an Irishman and a Scotsman on board. The Irishman talked 10 to the dozen (I think he had 4 lungs as even I was challenged to get a word in edgeways) the Scots man was on the booze early and the Englishmen moaned about the weather. Despite living up to national stereotypes we all got along fabulously along with the smattering of Americans and the Irish girl. We did what any sensible 20 something’s would do we began to drink with intermittent jumping off the roof of the boat into the water.

As the evening progressed we ate, smoked and drank ourselves happy. Then shock of shock we ran out of cigarettes. Feeling this was a matter that needed to be rectified I striped down to my boxer shorts clambered into the water and set off to buy some from an adjoining boat. Well this created somewhat of an incident... The nearby boat turned its strong lights on me to check I was ok. I waved to them and continued to swim merrily along giving a running commentary to those on board. The first board was all quiet so not to be deterred I set off to the next where I could see three staff sitting on the back. Upon arrival I was helped aboard, given some rice wine and we had a chat.

Unbeknown to me the owner of the ship that I had abandoned was less than pleased about my night time activates so after a little while James shouted instructions that I was to swim back. I dually set off arriving at our boat (cigarettes in a plastic bag aloft my head) just as the rescue boat that had been dispatched to save me tore across the patch of water I had been swimming in. Having no lights it was not sure where I was so potentially it was more hindrance than help.

Anyway safely back on board we continued to drink and partying before rolling into bed a lot worse for ware.