Day 18 - Whitsundays Islands

are the bars in SF which cater to backpackers?

Day 18 - Whitsundays Islands

Barely make check out and still buzzing from big night of drinking. I grab breakfast right next to the hostel and gear up to start reading my book. When I guy I noticed came and sat next to me. We start talking and I realize he is in my hostel room and I meet him last night while very intoxicated. Very chill guy. I would even say sweet and pure. Don't take it too gay. He is from New Orleans and we chit chat about travel the states his work in Africa as an Electrical Engineer on an oil rig, south africa, girls at the club last night. Convo is going really well and i quickly get the feel that this guy I will keep in touch w/ in the future. I have to drop my bags off in luggage storage for the island trip but we agree to meet for a beer down the street after i'm done. I also grab my booze for the boat. 4 liter of wine aka Goon and a 6 pack. 2 days 2nights on a more sail less party boat this should be fine. I grab a tall pint of Tooheys Extra Dry. Not sure why the exceptionally big glass. Plus Extra Dry has higher alcohol content. We're shooting the shit. Agree that I'm welcom to stay w/ him whenever i come to New Orleans and him the same in SF. I look down at my watch and realize it's 120pm and I need to get to the boat at 130pm. Shit. I book it but it's a farther walk than i expected. I get to the meeting spot and no one is there. Mild panic sweeps over my body. It's a huge harbour and I have no idea how i'm going to find my boat. I ask someone sitting down at the cafe. And some how he just happens to know where my boat is. I run down the dock and hope on. Tardy and sweating. The briefing has already started. Just a bit awkard. But I stand right next to Barbara a girl who was on my Frasier Island trip and some comfort is redeemed. The boat is amazing. I want to 70 feet or so. Sleeps up to 30. Called the British Defender and has a rich sailing racing history. Our groups is about 20. 3 characters stand out imediatly. The are all wearing matching sailing captain hats and obviously drunk already. They have been RV across Australia 1 guy from England 2 dudes from BC. Young and ready to party. They were great and totally turned the tide of the boat. Everyone else was cool but not really there to party they kept it live and provided plenty fo entertainment. They comedy walked the fine line of homo-erotic sexuality. Applying sunscreen on each other excessively taking shots of goon then spitting it in each others mouth by basically kissing each other. It was colleg frat antics at their finest. We get into some hard core sailing quickly all bodies on one side of the deck to keep balance. And before we know it we come up to this cove to swim and watch the sunset. It was beutiful. As I swam in the middle of 74 islands in the pacific ocean and watched the sunset I realized how special this trip really was. We drink and talk the night away. There is a big anti-social group from germany but I met two cool sisters from DC and 3 ladies from BC. One of the cute single girls from BC and I have an emotionally (for some reason) charged convo about my family, brother and dad. After she says she's going to go hang with her friends and I feel somewhat violated (not really but thats kinda funny right?).