Đà Lạt is known for its beautiful mountain surrounding, creating the opportunity to go canyoning. For those of you who, just like me, have no idea what canyoning is; here a description I stole from Google. Canyoning is an extreme sport, in which you follow a mountain stream often by floating on your back.
Quite unprepared I booked the canyoning experience together with Owen last night before going to bed. Kelvin, who's bike broke down (again) last night, will have to miss out on the canyoning as he will be going to another mechanic.
When I wake up and look over at Owen and Kelvin, who went out last night, they look more broken than alive and for some reason are covered in glitter...
Together with Owen, I have a quick breakfast before being picked up and driven to the starting point of the canyoning. The parking lot is full of busses, and I am curious if that many people will be canyoning today. But it becomes clear that the busses are filled with Asian tourists, they stay at the start point and take pictures of the Western tourist who will be jumping/sliding/panicking down the waterfalls.
Once we're all dressed in our gear, a wetsuit, life jacket, helmet and harness we do a few practice rounds. With a few I mean, two rounds. Our guides tell our group, existing out of ten people, that we're ready. I feel anything but ready, and did I mention I am super afraid of heights?
Our first stop is a waterfall of 11 meters high, of which we will be abseiling and landing in a river. This all sounds like a lot of fun, but I am almost pissing in my wetsuit out of fear. Of course, I am the last one to go down (yes, I was procrastinating). With shaky knees, I walk over the edge and take a few steps when I slip and automatically grab the rope with both hands in front of my body. However, the guide who is holding my security line doesn't realise my fuck up and keeps giving me more rope so I can't recover my hands. Like a fish on a rod, I am hoisted down until I plop in the river. I can't even hide my disappointment...
Next, we walk through the river until we make it to the lunch spot. As a bunch of hungry bears, we attack the bread and fruit. I am slightly embarrassed for our behaviour towards our Vietnamese guides.
We continue the route and arrive at a small waterfall, the tour guide tells us we will be going head first down. We all laugh out loud, thinking this guy is making a joke. The guide tells us it is very important to relax our body so it can move along with the surface, or you could seriously hurt yourself. He's telling this to a group of ten nervous souls. He grabs Owen by the arm and starts getting him ready, head first, I guess he was not joking. We all watch with open mouth as Owen slides down the waterfall and plunges into the river. This actually looks like fun! I go next and the guide friendly helps me to get in the right position and I slide down hitting the freezing water. Everyone is sliding down in turns and plays in the water. But, I actually have a little problem; I need t pee. For those with a sensitive stomach should perhaps skip the next paragraph.
I ask Owen what I should do and he tells me just to pee in the wetsuit. Uhm, alrighty then. We continue to the next waterfall when I realise I smell like a portable potty. Great idea Owen! Pee in a wetsuit! I jump in the water opening the zip trying to wash, but the rest of the experience I smell like a festival toilet.
The last stop is a huge waterfall named: The Washingmachine. This should already tell you what is about to come. We will walk over the edge, hanging on just the rope, the guide will let us down till we reach the waterfall, at that point, we have to loosen the rope so we fall in the river and slide down. If you do not loosen the rope in time you'll be stuck in the waterfall, hence the name: The Washingmachine. Not scary at all, right?
I walk over the edge, mumbling to myself 'You've got this.' until I hit the point where my feet dangle loose and the guide is giving me more rope. I lower myself till I see it, The Washingmachine. A massive waterfall coming down at a huge speed, I panic. By now I'm in The Washingmachine and I am not getting any air. I am supposed to loosen the rope, but it is a big drop to the river and remember I am scared of heights? So I just hang there, in the middle of a waterfall on a rope, getting no air. Somehow, I get some sense back into me and I loosen the rope and fall into the water sliding down the river. One of the scariest moments of my life, and I even paid for it.
Don't get me wrong as I'm just a coward, the entire experience was incredible and I highly recommend it!
Back at the hostel Owen and I meet up with Kelvin and we join the family dinner. The guys suggest going to Maze bar, so oh well, off we go. The bar isn't like any I've ever seen before. It is, stating the obvious, a maze but with a very psychedelic decoration and lights, bars hidden on each floor. We gather a group of about 30 people to play hide and seek, but more and more people want to join and almost the entire bar is participating in our game.
When we have to leave Maze bar we walk over to a big club, I dance on questionable pop music and drink disgusting tequila shots with Kelvin, this place is great. Someone taps me on the shoulder and it is a Vietnamese guy, he grabs my hand and guides me to his VIP table where he is seated with a group of friends. I sit down at the table and he provides me with shots, cocktails, fruits and cake. He is feeding me cake. I feel like Marie-Antoinette.
At the end of the night, I say goodbye to the friendly Vietnamese guy, and Kelvin and Owen have left already so I walk back to the hostel by myself. At least, I think I walk back to the hostel. Truth is I am completely lost. I stumble around, try to ask the few people on the street directions, try to arrange a taxi but NO ONE knows this hostel. Why did I not bring my phone? I walk, and walk, and walk until (by coincidence) I see the hostel sign. I am so happy I run to the hostel and am happy to be in bed after this long day. I walk into the room, to find Owen in my bed. He was too lazy to climb into the top bed bunk, I refuse to give up my bed and push Owen to the edge of the bed and crawl next to him in the tiny bed.
