That time my hostel had a free 13-drink drinking challenge…

A drinking challenge on Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua.

My hostel in Ometepe had a 13-drink drinking challenge that was free for all guests on their fourth night. I wasn’t really all that keen on attempting it but all my friends were doing it (peer pressure, anyone?) and, if nothing else, I figured I could stop after the first few and get drunk for free.

In actuality two of the drinks weren’t drinks. But since I’m “pure” as one of the guys put it the lovely bartender mixed me a couple of extra drinks for those rounds instead. And she might have promised me that she’d make me weaker drinks than everyone else…hey, I’m a lightweight and I know it.

The night before an Australian guy had done this challenge, and he ended up passed out in a hammock groping at any warm body in his eyesight. So we were expecting this night, with over ten of us participating in all, to end a proper mess.

I made three rules for myself going into it:

1. No throwing up all over the place.

2. No passing out on the floor.

3. No sleeping with anyone.

Which are three perfectly acceptable rules considering that those are three things that very well might happen if I am that drunk…Just sayin…

We started at around 3 in the afternoon (figuring an early start was necessary in order to pace ourselves) and I managed to finish the challenge somewhere close to 1am (the “winner” of the night finished at about 9:30pm), though one of the drinks was spilled all over me after a few sips (I counted that as done) and I may have spilled half the beer I was shotgunning all over myself…and half of a shot into the mud…

I also managed to keep all my rules. And for that I am damn proud. While I may have thrown up…a lot…I made it to the toilet each time. And I passed out clear in my bed: not in a hammock, not on the floor. And it wasn’t until the next night that I slept with the cute Canadian…

Just sayin.

Challenge. Complete.