Rocks Are Hard

Another early start because Jan and I are going rock climbing. Rachelle wanted to do it too, but a worry about money supply, her scrapes from tubing and still feeling a bit unwell stopped her booking it with us last night. She does, however, come to watch me. It's a Tuk-Tuk ride and when it stops we get out (obviously). The rock face is still quite far away and we have to walk over a very muddy path, cobbled stones and up slippery, sharp rocks. Rachelle struggles in flip-flops, often losing one or the other. At the top, we're all sweating.

After the guides set up the ropes, I volunteer to go first. I've explained previously that I like climbing, but I've never done rock climbing before - bouldering I've done at University with Rachelle, but not rock climbing. Finding your footing is a lot harder on real rocks, and so is finding places to grab hold of. I manage to get to the top, but I must admit I found it harder than I imagined. My back dripped with sweat, which Rachelle felt the need to comment on when I got back down. Jan completes the route faster than I do. 

Rachelle was offered a turn, even though she didn't pay - lucky. She actually did very well, getting quite high but fell just short of the top. She seemed happy to get a turn, which made me happy. 

The second route was more difficult than the first. The holes and footing were much harder to find and with my exhaustion from the first rock face, I had to give up near the end. I was very disappointed. To make things worse, Jan completes it, but then again, he looks like he could be in the German marines. I have another go at the route, but with accumulated muscle pain, I don't even get passed half way this time. It was all still fun though.

On the way back from climbing, Rachelle slips on a rock landing on her bum and breaks a flip-flop. The getting there and back was more dangerous than the actual activity.

In the afternoon the three of us go to the Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon is supposedly the attraction you should do if you are not tubing. After seeing it, I disagree. You have to pay to get there by Tuk-Tuk, there's an entry fee, and it's not even a lagoon... it's not even blue! It's green. It's just a small river with some rope swings in it, which would be somewhat okay, except it starts to rain when you get there and you just end up going home after a beer. That's what our experience of it was anyways.

In the evening I read more of The Beach to Rachelle and we ate at a restaurant whilst watching Friends.