Loca in Lagos

This trip, hands down, was the craziest trip of my life. From start to finish, it was insane. I almost didn't even make it because we went out the night before and arrived at the bus stop with a few minutes before the bus departed. I could write about a million things I did during this trip but I really just want to share my one death defying experience.

The second day of our trip we arrived at the beach after going on our booze cruise. We grabbed some lawn chairs and set up our things. After ten minutes 3 other girls( Marissa, Ashley and Jordyn) and I decided we didn't want to lay and instead wanted to take a walk down the beach and see what was around. We saw a couple of these super colorful fun looking paddle boats out in the water. There were at least 8-10 people packed in each just floating in the water. It looked like so much fun so we decided that after our walk we'd go rent one and ask the other girls in our group to join us. So we continue to walk and talk. We started to pick up seashells that we saw along the shore. They were absolutely beautiful and looked so unreal. We're having an amazing time, enjoying the sun and so happy to be at the beach and in Portugal. While laughing and talking we see the guys get up from their spot and walk in our direction. We smile and hoped they would come over and say hello. They get closer but don't say word. Ouch. I mean jeez perhaps we don't have the beach bod we'd hope we would have for Lagos but we're decent looking girls. We were really shocked. They looked like they got up because of us but I guess not. We took the blow to our egos, tried to salvage the rest of our self-esteems and continued walking. After walking for a few more minutes and picking up probably way too many shells, we decided we should head back to our lawn chairs. We were almost back to our spot when we see three guys pushing out one of the colorful paddle boats. Jordyn calls us over and tells us to get in. Before you know we're in the paddle boat with three American boys we don't know. Free paddle boat with boys? Sure, why not. What's the worst that'll happen right? Did I mention these boys were the same ones that walked past us and didn't say a word? Yet here we are hanging out like we're all best friends. We have no idea who these guys are but we got a paddle boat and that's all we cared about. We did our introductions and started paddling out into the water. Quickly we're all having a good time and getting to know each other. They happened to be students studying in Sevilla as well and live pretty close to where I live in Sevilla. Not too far out, we take out the anchor and drop it. Some of them start sliding down the slide and drinking. Pretty much everyone is in the water but me because I can't swim but I was more than happy to just stay in the boat and watch them. The girls and I tell each other we are so happy we decided to go with them. The weather was great. We were meeting nice people. The paddle boat was great fun. Little did we notice that the anchor wasn't really holding us down and instead we were moving with the tides. We were getting further and further away from the shore. By the time we realized, we were pretty far from shore. We realized we needed to get back. Everyone hops back in the paddle boat but it starts sinking. It is slowly submerging into the water. At one point it flips over and is almost completely underwater. However, it is a paddle boat so it can't sink. I hold on to one of the guys because I, stupidly, went on this paddle boat thinking it wouldn't matter that I didn't know how to swim. We figured we just needed to get the water out of hte boat so it would rise and we would be able to paddle back. Nothing was working. We started to panic. We were so far away from the shore and we shouldn't get this thing to work. After several minutes of trying everything we could think of, Ashley and Jordyn volunteered to try to swim back to shore and get help. It was so far I was afraid they wouldn't make it. There was no way this paddle boat was making it back to shore. I was starting to think neither was I. I tried not to panic and keep it together. So Marissa, me and the guys are the stranded in the middle of nowhere and unable to move because I couldn't swim. I felt so guilty. Perhaps if I weren't there everyone would be able to swim back to shore and everything would be okay but we weren't sure. We all hold on to the paddle boat and try everything to get it to move in the right direction. It seemed like we were moving backwards. The water was freezing. I didn't know how to swim. One of the guys starts panicking and it was becoming contagious. Everything was becoming a blur. I don't know why I didn't freak out or cry. I surprisingly was very composed despite the fact that I could drown in this water. We were so far out from shore we could barely see anyone. We didn't even know if the girls made it back from swimming, but luckily they floated a lot of the way when they were tired. It took such a long time for them to reach shore. Our bodies begin to shiver and I felt like it was the scene from titanic. We( mostly me) had to hold on for dear life because if i let go I would, for sure, just sink to the ground. I couldn't even tread water. I couldn't believe this was happening. I tried to get my mind off of what would happen if no one rescued us. My life honestly could end on this day on the beach because the paddle boat was a piece of crap and I made a dumb decision to get on without knowing how to swim. After many more minutes of trying to move back to shore, I spot a boat with two people on it. I start yelling at the top of my lungs. "Help! Help! I don't know how to swim." They heard us and pulled in our direction. They could've been crazy pirates, or psychopaths sailing the sea. Who knows. When they got closer I read policia marina. Oh. No. These guys are going to arrest us for being out this far from shore. But I didn't care what the fine would be. I was so relieved because I was being rescued. I have never been so happy to see the police in my life. My life has seriously just been saved. It was like a scene from a movie. One of he policemen threw out a red life float and I hold on for dear life. One by one they pull us into their boat. We're all shivering from being in the water for way too long and huddle next to each other. The police men hands us a big silver and gold sheet that looked like wrapping paper. He told us to cover ourselves with the silver side and gave us a big plastic tarp to keep ourselves warm. If this wasn't a bonding moment between Marissa, the boys and I. I don't know what is. The police starts questioning us where we are from and what we were doing. We realized he wasn't driving us back to shore and was headed in a different direction.

We stop at a dock and one of the policemen (whose English was great) explained to us we needed to get our identification and blah blah etc. We remained calm and were just so happy to be out of water. We did nothing wrong. We weren't drunk. we didn't do anything illegal. Since our IDs were on shore the policemen colleagues drive Marissa and one of the boys to pick up our IDs. The only people on the boat are me and Chris( of the boys/ the one I had to hold onto when the boat initially flipped nad submerged into water). They police hands me his jacket. I am just sitting there in a bikini in a policeman jacket. What in the world was happening. How did we get from just hanging out and sliding down the slide on a paddle boat to being in a police boat waiting for our heads to be cut off. Wanting to cooperate as much as possible and wanting to figure out what was happening Chris and I talk to the policemen. Somehow in between the other guys leaving to pick up our IDs and waiting for our consequences, we become friends with the two policemen. They were so incredibly nice and told us most likely nothing was going to happen. Just that the owner of the paddle boats was coming to talk to us. The policemen talked to us about everything. Spanish women, great bars to go in Lagos, other places to visit in Europe. For a second, it felt like were hanging out with some cool guys chilling in a boat. Then I'd catch the stares from people around us and realize I am wearing a police jacket sitting here with a guy I barely know talking to law enforcers. (which btw Chris explained to us why when they saw us on the beach why they didn't talk to us. They were just shy and didn't know what to say and found the perfect opportunity to talk to us when they got the paddle boat. haha) I felt like an idiot. All I wanted to do was put some clothes one and sleep. We had been gone for so long. I had no idea what my other friends(on shore) thought happened to me. I know it was terrifying for them because when Ashley and Jordyn reached shore they told them we were stranded in water, and they knew I couln't swim. They didn't know we were rescued and no longer saw the paddle boat in the water. I could've been dead and I know they were so worried about me and freaking out. Skipping to several hours later of waiting and dealing with the logistics of crap, we finally spoke to the owner. It felt like 2 days had gone by from arriving at the beach with the intention of catching some sun and drinking on the beach with my girlfriends. We expected the owner to rip our heads off because the policewomen said he was furious that we had taken his paddle boat. He took his time to arrive and then started to make all these claims. He basically wanted money because he said we stole his paddle boat and it was damaged. We found out the paddle boats were not out for rent yet, but there were no signs or chains or anything. Several groups took out the paddle boats and we were just unfortunate enough to deal with unfavorable events. After several minutes of explanation and apologies, we realized the owner was not budging. He was such a dick. He said he wanted us to pay or he would press charges. Knowing fully that we did absolutely nothing wrong, even though we shouldn't have taken the paddle boat, even though we were told it was free and for the public's use, we refused to give this man a dime. We knew the owner was trying to get us in trouble. The policemen were frustrated at this point. They had to deal with this for several hours and wanted to leave. The only thing keeping them back was the owner. We asked to see his papers and all that. We weren't dumb. If he really was going to press charges we knew our rights and wanted everything to be done correctly and legally. We head back to the owner's shack and where the paddle boats were kept. Luckily, Marissa gave me some of her clothes that she was able to pick up while looking for our IDs. I walk around with shorts and a hoodie and no shoes across back to the beach. We pass all the other people on this Lagos trip getting ready to get back on the bus to the hotel. I pull my hoodie over my face and put my sunglasses on. I know they thought we got arrested for public intoxication or something stupid. I hide my face and continue to the paddle boats. The boys get there before Marissa and I and are checking out the paddle boat. The owner asks chris, "what is wrong with the boat? Chris responds with,"you tell me what's wrong with the boat." The owner told us the boat was damaged because of us but hadn't even looked at it. He was clearly trying to pull a fast one. He made claims like he spoke to his lawyer and went to go get his papers all that. He was full of crock and the shadiest person I've ever met. He was rude and a complete asshole. Marissa and I frustrated, starving, and exhausted beyond belief couldn't believe what was happening. I was so glad she was there with me and I'm so glad the boys were as well. They were the absolute nicest guys I've come across. We were idiots to hop into a boat with strangers but we were lucky they turned out to be such amazing guys.
Marissa and I ask one of the policemen what he honestly thought we should do about this situation. He wasn't allowed to say anything but hinted as what we should do. He told us we were free to go that they were not charging us with anything and explained to us several things. The owner was a douche and didn't even have a license to have these paddle boats, there was no sign or locks so we did not steal. The policemen was actually surprised the owner was still trying to keep us here and try to fine us. If he did try to make a case, we would get sent letters from the Portuguese court. We obviously wouldnt be able to attend because we live in the states. Eventually the court will throw our the case, not that he would even stand a chance in court. The boys, Marissa and I were so happy to receive this news that we finally leave. The owner never came out and showed us his papers but spoke to the other policemen while were walked away. We aren't sure if he's pressing charges or what happened from there.

I am so lucky. I cannot even express to you how grateful I am for everything-- my life, the guys, the policemen. The policemen not only saved our lives but were the nicest people ever. I really like the two men and the other two women as well. I have never dealt with such cordial, efficient people. This whole ordeal would've ended so much sooner if it weren't for the owner, but looking back I don't even care. I am so happy to be alive. I will be beating myself up for a while over my decision of getting into a paddle boat and not knowing how to swim. It was the stupidest mistake of my life and I was completely sober, so don't think alcohol was an influence. I feel awful about scaring everyone else. I knew their hearts stopped when they heard I was out there stranded. Even one of the guys that was one of the travel guides took a cab to the beach to look for Marissa and I. This absolutely tore me to pieces. I have so much guilt for scaring everyone. The tour guide didn't know we got a ride home and went to look for us. It was the nicest and most caring thing ever. He is so sweet. He came to our hotel room after he came back from the beach and was so nice about everything. He told us nothing was wrong and he was just happy Marissa and I were safe. He was so nice and it drove me nuts. I hate when people are nice. I wished he just ripped my head off and yelled at me. He had dinner with us and I cried so many times. Every time I looked at him I felt like shit. It was eating me alive. I scared everyone and could've died. The aftermath of my near-death experience is definitely going to take over for the next few days but I can honestly say this was one of the best experiences of my life. Lagos was an amazing trip minus this ordeal. I am counting my lucky stars. Someone is definitely looking out for me. This day could've ended so much differently but I'm alive and well. I can look back at it and laugh and just be thankful for my life and to be surrounded by amazing people.

they are actually called pedal boats and look like these little suckers http://beachhutwatersports.com/en/kayaks/#
**I can tell you about the rest of my trip some other time. Thankfully, this situation didn't take over my entire weekend.