This afternoon we went on a free bike tour of Munich, a 3.5 hour extravaganza that involved a visit to the world´s second largest beer garden and afterwards a sing along on bikes through English Garden, mostly led by the two of us (we started with a little "Doe-A-Deer", and then took a request for "Leaving On a Jetplane"). After the tour most of us went to a place called Sausalito´s, a bar near the city centre that gives specials to bike tour participants - €5 (regular €10) for a drink that is like 4 or 5 shots plus a bit of juice or cola. I have never had a drink so strong.
Apparently, neither had the girls sitting near us, a group of four from Minnesota, between the ages of 18-20, and obviously new to the world of alcohol consumption. We first noticed that something was up when one girl was obviously flirting with a guy whose girlfriend was across the table... soon she was puking on the sidewalk (this is at 4 in the afternoon) and not long after that Michelle accompanied her and some of her friends to the washroom. I chatted with some others for awhile before switching places with Michelle, only to find these poor girls in a panic because their friend was so sick, puking and struggling to stay awake in the washroom. I hung out with them for awhile, and then decided that this was more serious than we could handle, and asked a bartender to phone the ambulance.
When the paramedics arrived, I was holding this poor girl up over the sink, alternately trying to get her to drink water and letting her puke, glad to have her off the bathroom floor. One of her friends had made off with her puke-stained shirt, washing it in another sink, so I gave her my button-up shirt so that the paramedics wouldn´t have to carry her out in her bra.
They would only take one person with them in the ambulance, so the sister went along and Michelle and I walked the two friends, also somewhat drunk and scared, back to their hotel rooms, and put them to bed.
We told them we´d check on them before our train leaves for Berlin at 11 tonight, and that each of us has to have an experience with alcohol that scares us into a healthy respect for the stuff. They were super grateful and sweet, but instead of letting them try to pay us back, we told them they should "pay it forward", a clichéd but important way of looking at it.
Oh Europe, the adventures you bring...
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5 comments:
That sounds like quite the adventure. Way to help some peeps out. Props to you both because all that puke might have had me puking as well. Heather and Michelle, you rock!
That was really awesome of you both to stick around and help out. So many wouldn't have. I am sure you brought great blessings on those girls, if only some small dignity or a chance to remember never to drink like that again.
On a funnier note, that reminds me of Mexico! :-)
Poor kids. Sounds like you're making a world of memories over there. Thanks for sharing!
Good job girls. Heather...I seem to remember an incident in Rome...
What a beautiful, selfless act you two did in that restaurant. Seriously. Reading this story has definitely been the highlight of my day so far. (It IS only nine in the morning, but nonetheless...). As others have already so acutely observed: Heather and Michelle, you rock!
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