I had a great time in Cuba. It was a really low key trip (full recap coming soon) but I forgot what kind of traveler my friend is. She likes to go to bed early, like 9pm, and compared to me she is a bit anti-social...compared to me, most people come across as anti-social. My boss once said she could put me in a room by myself and I would turn it into a networking event, leaving with three new contacts.
Anyway...I decided that our last night was going to be a good one and we were going to do it my way...no going back to our room by 9pm, we were going to have fun. I needed one night out being me and doing things my way- being super social and having a lot of fun. Plus, I needed something to blog about, up until this point the only 'story' I had for the blog were Canadians looking for hockey scores, and days spent by the pool/on the beach reading.
So, I did the good friend thing and told other people that we were going to the sports bar that night to celebrate Friends birthday, putting my Friend on the spot and not giving her a say in the matter. Sneaky, of course, but I knew it was the only way and that she would have fun. Friend complained all day about it and unwillingly followed me to the bar that night- after she took a nap from 8:30pm-10pm.
When we got there, three girls we became friendly with- K, S and T- were already there. We started the night off with birthday shots, which Friend originally said she wasn't going to do. But I peer pressured her and told her she had to do one shot and then I didn't care what she did the rest of the night- which ended up being her requesting more rounds of shots.
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| Birthday shots!! No idea what they were, but they were really good!! |
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Some time had passed and I decided that I could go for some French fries (we did an a la carte that night and the menu didn't really appeal to me)...the sports bar was enclosed and just outside of it was a 24 hour snack bar, where they could get you almost anything you wanted. Outside I went and there was a strapping young man waiting for a hamburger- he ordered 1 and somehow ended up with 3. We got into conversation and turns out that he was from Niagara. I pulled out my peer pressure skills and convinced him to come have a drink with us- citing that we were from the same place and it was my friends birthday, so how could he not? It was not a hard sell.
The hours passed by with drinks, more shots (as suggested by my once reluctant friend), food and laughter. T told us that we should eat cucumbers and plate of sliced cucumbers appeared from the snack bar. Cucumbers, apparently, are supposed to prevent hangovers- they contain water to keep you hydrated, electrodes and vitamins. Life was great, I was having a blast.
We eventually finished the bottle of rum.
You know in Mexico how they have the worm in the tequila? Well, in Cuba they put guava in the bottle of rum...I can't remember if it's a piece of fruit or the pit or a seed or what...all I know is that someone had to have the guava (just like someone has to have the tequila worm). T, S, K and Friend all declined it. Niagara was asked to have it before I was asked (thank goodness).
Niagara did not disappoint. He took the cup with the guava in it and asked a couple of questions- what is it and will I die- before throwing that thing back like a champ. He became the hero of the trip. Everyone in the bar cheering for him.
And to think, Niagara only wanted a hamburger and then I convinced/asked him to have one drink with us. He ended up staying for 3ish hours. Thanks goodness he did, because he made the night...he was a really great sport about everything...and became a hero to everyone in the bar.
Before Niagara left the bar, we split the last cucumber slice. I suggested that we wishbone it- making a wish as we broke it- but that was easier said then done.
We were eventually joined by Guelph, North York and Toronto. It was so, so, so much fun hanging out with everyone and I was sad to see the night come to an end.
This was hands down the highlight of my trip. Thanks to Friend for agreeing to go out and to everyone else in the bar who joined us.
Oh and the cucumber theory? The next day all of the girls were fine. We ended up seeing Niagara just before we left and he told us that he had a hangover that morning...but he was the only one who had the guava, so that's probably why.
