Wed 21st 1117 On ground floor terrace. Weather similar to yday. Vaguely companionably sitting around, had some chat with Miro and Petr, and Liam (tho he has now left for Bastimentos, will see him at my hostel tomorrow).
Much talk last night about Filthy Friday. I had no intention of doing this but I am now badly torn. Liam seems up for it and so I'd know him and some other people. But it starts and I believe ends on this island and I/we will be staying on Bastimentos. It sounds very swimming costumey, a bit like the boat trip, and - apart from feeling vaguely guilty at drinking mildly heavily last two nights (tho last night was not insane) - it also feels like with the boats and needing to get home afterwards and so forth it's either a recipe for disaster or (and?) I'm going to have to be so cautious that really what's the point. I am honestly not sure what my gut feeling is right now.
While there is some vague connection with FF, I think the plan for today is to outwait the worst weather then go do a bit of shopping and get deodorant etc and in particular to see if I can get a waterproof neck pouch of some kind for my phone and/or passport and/or money. This is something I kind of want/need for the boat trip anyway but if I did do FF it would help a lot.
I still honestly don't know. It really doesn't feel a great thing to do "just before" the boat trip. I guess at the very least I'm not letting Liam down if I don't do it as he obviously knows loads of people. There is some FOMO on my side and to be honest it would probably be possible for me to be cautious (though I would still get drunk) and for it to be OK and maybe somewhat memorable, but rightly or wrongly it does feel like it's meant to be a bit "go hard or go home" and I am not really in the mood for "going hard" in that kind of way for all sorts of reasons (vague health/guilt, risk of losing stuff etc, upcoming boat trip, awkwardness of the island hopping nature of this if/when I've had enough and want to go home).
Petr showed me sign on one of beaches on Bastimentos with a riptide sign. I may well not swim over there at all, but we'll see how it goes.
Wrt FF it kind of feels like it's "similar" to the SBA boat trip but "shorter" and more intensely party/drunken. And the alcohol side of the SBA trip makes me very cautious anyway. But *except for the people I've met here*, given I'm doing SBA it almost feels like there's no need to have this similar but kind of weaker experience at FF just a week before.
My red T-shirt is dry so I've fetched it off line. It still smells slightly salty but I think it's OKish, and a salt smell is not exactly bad (certainly not in this hostely environment and in this beachy tropical surfy kind of place).
1141 Come up to roof terrace for "privacy" and to watch the rain (sort of). One other guy up here, said hi but we're both concentrating on our phones.
1240 On own up here. Seems to have stopped raining, may go shopping in a bit.
Some talk last night of "por que no?" and "say yes to everything" . I do get this. but there's also "fuck yeah or no" . And FF is not feeling "fuck yeah" . As I said, if I hadn't met people here I would not even be considering it. OTOH if the boat trip wasn't coming up maybe i'd be more "yeah" about it. Just waffling.
Oh, apparently Bastimentos is "like Jamaica" !
I haven't put any sunblock on today. I may not, given I am somewhat under cover here, UV is I think (weather forecast shows it) low-ish with all this cloud and I am only going to be out on the streets for a few minutes at a time etc.
1307 Read some random blog about FF. She said you didn't even need to take your phone. I am kind of feeling that while it's expensive it needn't be an utter shambles of drunkenness on my part and I *could* do it (assuming there are tickets left) and just be a bit drunk and not have any huge problems and then I've done it and it might be cool and no regrets etc. Flip flopping like mad here.
I think I would be disappointed if I went to book and it was sold out. That maybe says something, as imagining that feels disappointing. But strictly speaking maybe it doesn't, as obviously if I am trying to book it means I have decided to go, so naturally at that point I'd be disappointed if I couldn't.
1521 Back at hostel on roof terrace. Asked in a few shops re waterproof neck things, in the end I got one which fits my phone but doesn't let the camera be used as it is translucent green except for a clear window which is in the wrong place (not mega played with this since bought it, it may be workable) for USD3. If I do FF I will want it for cash prob not phone, and for the boat it will at least keep the phone and/or passport safe-ish while on the boat and I can take it out when I'm on land. I could always buy another one - bigger all-clear phone cases were 4-7ish - but this will probably be fine.
Had comida casera at Mama's.
I also went into Bocas Pharmacy and asked about seasickness tablets, one box was USD25 and another was USD7.50 for 50. I got the cheaper one! These are more for the SBA trip than FF if I do it - you're not supposed to mix these tablets with alcohol, plus FF is at least shortish hops.
Flip-flopping like mad re FF. Bit sick of it lurking over me as "a thing" , so to speak.
1756 Popped out for bananas to 31 Mall, got some Takis fuego (first of trip) which ate in street outside. Roof terrace now heaving, mostly with smokers. There isn't actually a seat spare. I am feeling slighly awkward but I also don't desperately want to speak with anyone.
Bit of WA with Liam earlier, I asked and I think having got to Bast - he says hostel really nice and he currently has dorm to himself - he feels the different vibe there and his interest in FF has declined, he may change this mind but as of earlier his gut feeling was not to bother. This is fine by me, of course - I am not interested in doing it solo, as noted before.
Killing time a bit today but it's kind of OK.
2235 Heading to bed. Bit of chat over course of evening upstairs, including earlier with Miro and Petr and just now with French Canadian woman Zoe and a couple of Panamanian guys hanging around up on roof. Israeli guy (Rollo??) gave me a beer, but haven't otherwise drunk and I didn't buy any myself as was planning to have a night off.
Much talk last night about Filthy Friday. I had no intention of doing this but I am now badly torn. Liam seems up for it and so I'd know him and some other people. But it starts and I believe ends on this island and I/we will be staying on Bastimentos. It sounds very swimming costumey, a bit like the boat trip, and - apart from feeling vaguely guilty at drinking mildly heavily last two nights (tho last night was not insane) - it also feels like with the boats and needing to get home afterwards and so forth it's either a recipe for disaster or (and?) I'm going to have to be so cautious that really what's the point. I am honestly not sure what my gut feeling is right now.
While there is some vague connection with FF, I think the plan for today is to outwait the worst weather then go do a bit of shopping and get deodorant etc and in particular to see if I can get a waterproof neck pouch of some kind for my phone and/or passport and/or money. This is something I kind of want/need for the boat trip anyway but if I did do FF it would help a lot.
I still honestly don't know. It really doesn't feel a great thing to do "just before" the boat trip. I guess at the very least I'm not letting Liam down if I don't do it as he obviously knows loads of people. There is some FOMO on my side and to be honest it would probably be possible for me to be cautious (though I would still get drunk) and for it to be OK and maybe somewhat memorable, but rightly or wrongly it does feel like it's meant to be a bit "go hard or go home" and I am not really in the mood for "going hard" in that kind of way for all sorts of reasons (vague health/guilt, risk of losing stuff etc, upcoming boat trip, awkwardness of the island hopping nature of this if/when I've had enough and want to go home).
Petr showed me sign on one of beaches on Bastimentos with a riptide sign. I may well not swim over there at all, but we'll see how it goes.
Wrt FF it kind of feels like it's "similar" to the SBA boat trip but "shorter" and more intensely party/drunken. And the alcohol side of the SBA trip makes me very cautious anyway. But *except for the people I've met here*, given I'm doing SBA it almost feels like there's no need to have this similar but kind of weaker experience at FF just a week before.
My red T-shirt is dry so I've fetched it off line. It still smells slightly salty but I think it's OKish, and a salt smell is not exactly bad (certainly not in this hostely environment and in this beachy tropical surfy kind of place).
1141 Come up to roof terrace for "privacy" and to watch the rain (sort of). One other guy up here, said hi but we're both concentrating on our phones.
1240 On own up here. Seems to have stopped raining, may go shopping in a bit.
Some talk last night of "por que no?" and "say yes to everything" . I do get this. but there's also "fuck yeah or no" . And FF is not feeling "fuck yeah" . As I said, if I hadn't met people here I would not even be considering it. OTOH if the boat trip wasn't coming up maybe i'd be more "yeah" about it. Just waffling.
Oh, apparently Bastimentos is "like Jamaica" !
I haven't put any sunblock on today. I may not, given I am somewhat under cover here, UV is I think (weather forecast shows it) low-ish with all this cloud and I am only going to be out on the streets for a few minutes at a time etc.
1307 Read some random blog about FF. She said you didn't even need to take your phone. I am kind of feeling that while it's expensive it needn't be an utter shambles of drunkenness on my part and I *could* do it (assuming there are tickets left) and just be a bit drunk and not have any huge problems and then I've done it and it might be cool and no regrets etc. Flip flopping like mad here.
I think I would be disappointed if I went to book and it was sold out. That maybe says something, as imagining that feels disappointing. But strictly speaking maybe it doesn't, as obviously if I am trying to book it means I have decided to go, so naturally at that point I'd be disappointed if I couldn't.
1521 Back at hostel on roof terrace. Asked in a few shops re waterproof neck things, in the end I got one which fits my phone but doesn't let the camera be used as it is translucent green except for a clear window which is in the wrong place (not mega played with this since bought it, it may be workable) for USD3. If I do FF I will want it for cash prob not phone, and for the boat it will at least keep the phone and/or passport safe-ish while on the boat and I can take it out when I'm on land. I could always buy another one - bigger all-clear phone cases were 4-7ish - but this will probably be fine.
Had comida casera at Mama's.
I also went into Bocas Pharmacy and asked about seasickness tablets, one box was USD25 and another was USD7.50 for 50. I got the cheaper one! These are more for the SBA trip than FF if I do it - you're not supposed to mix these tablets with alcohol, plus FF is at least shortish hops.
Flip-flopping like mad re FF. Bit sick of it lurking over me as "a thing" , so to speak.
1756 Popped out for bananas to 31 Mall, got some Takis fuego (first of trip) which ate in street outside. Roof terrace now heaving, mostly with smokers. There isn't actually a seat spare. I am feeling slighly awkward but I also don't desperately want to speak with anyone.
Bit of WA with Liam earlier, I asked and I think having got to Bast - he says hostel really nice and he currently has dorm to himself - he feels the different vibe there and his interest in FF has declined, he may change this mind but as of earlier his gut feeling was not to bother. This is fine by me, of course - I am not interested in doing it solo, as noted before.
Killing time a bit today but it's kind of OK.
2235 Heading to bed. Bit of chat over course of evening upstairs, including earlier with Miro and Petr and just now with French Canadian woman Zoe and a couple of Panamanian guys hanging around up on roof. Israeli guy (Rollo??) gave me a beer, but haven't otherwise drunk and I didn't buy any myself as was planning to have a night off.
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