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The Worst Places to be Hungover When Traveling
Most of us have gone a bit overboard on the local beer or spirits when in another country. My worst experience was in Sydney, where my two friends and I found ourselves with a 4L box of wine that we bought for $10 and refused to haul any further on our way up the coast. We had one night to drink it, and it just happened to be Mardi Gras.We finished it all right. But most of my share ended up coming up the way it went in, if you get my drift. Running through the halls of the hostel, trying desperately to get my key card to open the door to the communal bathrooms before spewing up last night's ill-advised double serving of fries rates up there as one of the worst days of my life. Make that two days. Here's what I consider to be the worst places to be hungover. Feel free to add your own in the comments:
- On a boat off the coast of ... well ... anywhere: After one tequila-fueled night in Puerto Vallarta, my friends and I had to take a booze cruise or forfeit our deposit. So we went and oh my goodness, I've never been so seasick in my life. Actually, I've never been seasick period, besides that day. The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns is also notoriously choppy -- one girl on a boat trip I went on had to be air-lifted back to shore!
- In a Tuk Tuk: Bangkok is beautiful but it's also hot and polluted and I can see why people splurge on cabs -- breathing in the exhaust is enough to make anyone hurl, whether they're already feeling a bit queasy or not.
- In transit: Not only will exhaustion make you prone to missing your bus/flight/train/ferry but the motion/turbulence/rocking is bound to make you feel a bit ill. Plus, those miniature bathrooms leave something to be desired when you're feeling nauseous.
- Locked out of your hostel: Many hostels have lock-out rules during the day so while you want nothing more than to sleep it off, you'll have to do it elsewhere. I recommend a nearby park if it's nice out. If it's not, you might be outta luck.
- Outside when it's hot: Laying on the beach with a bunch of bottled water is an okay way to recover, but there's a fine line between being tolerably hot and being unbearably hot. Insane heat is uncomfortable when you're feeling your best, so it's really, really brutal when you're feeling your worst.
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 4)
George Aug 5th 2007 10:45PM
When I was in the army in the 60's, in Germany, we would ice down our beer in trash cans beside our bunks. In the morning when physical training was the first order of the day we would quaff a couple of hot beers to settle our stomachs. I never missed PT or lurched but I sure felt like hell many times.
coyote Aug 7th 2007 5:10PM
100 feet below the surface on a shark dive after 10 too many shots of Tequila in a Honolulu strip club the night before.
Sitting in the endless dust in the California desert the morning after Burning Man still feeling the effects of everything you did last night and knowing you are still 2 days away from a shower.
Gawaine Sep 13th 2007 3:59PM
I'm an alcoholic, so I've had a few hangovers. But don't get me wrong, just because you've had a few hangovers does'nt make you an alcohlic. But if you keep having them on a regular basis, take a drink the next morning to cure your hangover,nad you don't know how to quit while your ahead, you might want to ask yourself a few questions. I don't preach a.a.ism, but down deep you'll know when you are.
If you do need help, ask for it. Gawaine.
Just Me Sep 13th 2007 9:22PM
Actually, most true alcoholics do not get hangovers ever....its part of what starts them on their downward spiral to letting the alcohol take control of them. Getting a hangover does not indicate that one is an alcoholic....not being able to stop drinking when its time to does.
Now back to the topic...I had to laugh at the Southern Comfort hangover tale....I would have to agree with that one ! I was 15 when I lived through my Southern Comfort hangover from h*** night and to this day I can't bring myself to even smell the stuff....and I am now 44 !! I feel your pain Crissy!!
erin Sep 20th 2007 4:06PM
Believe it or not, that product that came out a few years back, Chaser ...really works. My best friend and I have a girls-only weekend every year in Key West. Trust me, we have to be wrung out when we leave. haha. One year she bought the Chaser pills and I made fun of her, and just took them to humor her. Well, they WORK!!! .....and now we dont travel on our girl weekends without them