Rome, Italy
(part 2)
June 18th, 2010
After the wild first night in Rome (like diving naked into Roman fountains), things calmed down considerably, due to the fact that there is without a doubt some type of pollen in Italy that we don’t have in the states, and it’s killing me! I had a full-blown sinus infection for two days, and struggled to get through all of the Roman sites. I eventually sucked it up and had a fun day exploring the Coliseum, Palatine Hill, and the Vatican… all in the same day! Huge picture dump…
I planned on having a relaxing night due to my early flight to Greece, but I ended up seeing Devon (from Barcelona) in the hostel, so we planned on doing whatever we had to do to have a killer final night in the Eternal City. We met at dinner time with our wine cartons, but the bar was completely dead. We ran into an Aussie hyping up a bar crawl, so we said screw it, let’s do it. The bar crawl was pretty uneventful, sans Mexico stomping the French in the world cup semifinals, much to the delight of the bar crowd.
I was in the back bar when I heard those magical words; the bartender screamed through a megaphone “pub crawl chug contest up front!” Instantly I was aware of my situation, and sprinted through the crowd. I ran up and already saw ten guys about to start. I exclaimed “I’ve got to get in this!!” The bartender exclaimed “well you only have half a beer.” I replied “well then fill it up!”
After receiving my freshly poured brew, I proudly bellowed “I WILL WIN!” The bartender scoffed, and said “yea? Well you gotta beat my boy over there… he’s never lost!” He pointed to the man I’ve been training my entire life for… a massive Italian with a shit-eating grin who thought he was a gladiator.
The bartender screamed through the megaphone “3…2…1…CHUG!” In that instant, I inhaled those 16 ounces of beer so fast, everyone in the room was a gasp! I crushed that cup upon my head and threw it to the floor! I heard cries of “how the hell did he do that?!” and “Cheater! That guy is a ringer!” and finally Devon behind me laughing “I told you there was no way he was going to lose!” I looked over at this apparent beer-chugging champion and laughed heartily. He looked as though he had been stabbed through the heart.
As I was jumping around the bar celebrating, the bartender asked me, “Hey mate, what’s your name?” I yelled back “I’m Batty!” With a smile, he tossed me what would instantly become my most prized possession; the confirmation that I had known for years. He handed me a bright yellow shirt with the words “Beer Chugging Champion” emblazoned upon the front. I ripped off my current shirt and threw on my new coat of arms; wouldn’t you know it was a perfect fit! I continued to chug beers throughout the night, to cheers and applause of “chug beer champion, chug!!” Oh yes my friends, this was my night! I’ve never been so proud!
I have no idea what time I got home, but I can happily say I awoke in time to catch my flight from Rome to Athens! I am currently sitting in the airport at 9 am drinking a hangover-curing bloody mary, with my bright yellow shirt on for all to know on this plane they better not attempt to drink their coffee faster than me, for I shall prevail! I beat the Brits, then the Italians… next up for the champ… I want ze Germans!
-Batty
