Training Day 2

After having no energy in my legs at all yesterday I decided to have a little rice last night with vegetables..unfortunately I got fried rice, but still picked out the veg and introduced a little rice into my salad. It's a bit tricky..a little rice was ok but there was a point where I felt any more would be too much. My meals are still very much 100% raw..last night I probably had a 90% raw meal.

Yet another worm! I'm starting to wonder if 14 days instead of 10 might have completely cleared me out! Like I keep saying I'll be doing it again later on this year and this is just the beginning, so no worries.

This morning training was a lot easier...though because I raised the energy level a bit I didn't go for quite as long. Ski machine again, shadow boxing, in the ring with the trainer -all the usual shots and press ups!..then onto the bag again. My legs still feel like I've done something nasty to them, but it was nice to get a rush of energy in the ring for a change. 10 kicks one after the other was much much easier today.

At one point the trainer said stop..I said I was feeling dizzy and the other trainer I've been working with was talking to David (from Atsumi came back with his girlfriend) at the side of the ring. He started making nee-naw sounds..lots of laughter..(and no need for an ambulance!) they do take the mick as much as possible and challenge you every session either physically or throw you something you're not expecting when you are getting tired. Great fun.

Someone had picked up my water bottle and while looking for it met 3 guys from London (one of whom is a trainer). They've been here a couple of days and are going to be around for the next couple of weeks. Nice to meet some friendly faces again.

There are 5 or 6 people from the gym fighting on Saturday night so it should be an interesting night..I think it'll be much more fun than last time as I'm going to know several people going this time. It's very easy to get yourself isolated here..great if that's what you want but not so much if you're feeling lonely. I think I'm getting to a nice balance now. I like training and meeting people in the morning and will increase it as my fitness and energy levels come back up and quite enjoy having some quiet time during the heat of the day.
I came to Don's Cafe this morning and bumped into David having a hearty English breakfast - he's left me his newspaper: Phuket's facing a water crises. The rain we had a little while ago only lasted a couple of days and wasn't actually the start of the rainy season...there's another month to go before then.

Ah well..back to the gym to sleep off the massive plate of bananas, pineapple and watermelon! It was so filling I've had to get the salad I ordered to go (both plates of food are huge this morning!). At least lunch is sorted now. I never realised how much time sorting out food takes..I'd love to be making my own food at the moment but there just isn't space in the bungalow..

It's amazing how quickly laundry builds up...I'd forgotten how quickly you go through clothes here..though I think I've managed to keep it to once a week. Some hand washing helps reduce the load..no point in putting my wraps in when I can wash them in the sink and dry them on the clothes horse out front.

Ok I'm off before the real heat of the day sets in..it's looking to be a scorcher already! xx

Back at Don's again for dinner..I went for a green vegetable curry but was served chicken curry..so I've decided to try it and see how my stomach reacts. Getting back into eating takes something out of you! I find myself napping in the afternoon while my bodies adjusting (I guess).

The chicken curry is delicious by the way! There are those slightly liquorice tasting leaves in there, some vegetable I can't identify but seems to be in the cucumber/courgette type of family but definitely isn't something I recognise..it's rather nice..oh and some other herbs I can't identify.
Ana at the centre spent some time one evening last week explaining what usually happens in Thai cooking...a lot of the main parts of dishes are herbs..so eating becomes a form of self medication and a way to optimise your health. I guess that's the way it's started going in the UK as well but there's a far greater connection with local produce and what it can do for you here.

Ooh...rumbling thunder! Nicky! Just like we like it! :-)
Sounds like it might be a big one. It has been particularly hot today and the last time it was like that there were thunderstorms..so perhaps it'll cool down this evening. It'd be a welcome release, my sunburn is still healing on the last little stubborn bits so I haven't made an effort to get back down to the beach. I'd rather heal completely and then go again freshly doused in lotion!

The more time I spend at the camp (I really do feel like I've been living at Atsumi and just sleeping at Rawai camp) I realise how important transport is. I did promise I wouldn't get a scooter/moped while I'm here..the only problem is it really is 'the' form of transport in Phuket. Going around with Hannah in her jeep was wonderful..great sense of freedom..you do have to be careful driving around but then if you take the Thai idea and not get stressed about rights of way then it's not so bad. So I'm investigating hiring a jeep for a month, Ana said she could get hold of one for 10 thousand plus 2 (I'm guessing the 2 is her commission! - and the first price she gave me was 15 thousand!!!). There's a place near the gym so I need to check there as well - they advertise as having full insurance as well so might be the option to go for. Funnily enough looking at the jeeps they have out front I reckon it's the same place Ana uses..so they could well be cheaper. (12 thousand Baht is roughly just under £200).

Probably be no more photos for a while..until I start getting out and about a bit more.

I keep hearing about an amazing tattooist opposite the steam room we went to with Atsumi. She's on the way to Nai Harn beach..I'm writing this into my blog so if I forget where she is I can come back and find the location later (I know someone who wants some more work doing on a tattoo they already have). [From Rawai head right towards the main road, turn left and carry on until the next split in the road, bear left again and drive along until the steam room appears on the right - wooden bar and pool table at the front, steam room and treatment beds at the back].

The rain is bucketing down nicely now..looks like I'll be staying here for a while :o)
I love that sound.
I'm reading 'The Last King of Scotland' at the moment which is quite nice to be reading through as he's getting used to the Ugandan heat and the odd downpour. Funnily enough there's a bit about intestinal parasites in there as well :o)
I'd forgotten coming out here that there was a military coup here 6 months ago..they keep saying they are going to get a new guy in to run things..but it's all on Thai time..so it's always tomorrow. There are some changes in the law being proposed at the moment as well, apparently the American involvement in Vietnam somehow left them with the right to buy land in Thailand - but it seems they are the only foreigners allowed to do this.
Ooh...lights just went out completely in the restaurant! This happens a lot when it rains here...you get a big downpour and then there's a power cut. They came back on again after a little while..was fun to experience, everyone's perception was altered and we all acknowledged each other for a second.
Anyway..so if you want to buy property in Thailand you can only lease it for 25yrs but you can buy the house that sits on top of it. I think the proposed changes are geared towards the americans..but I don't really know enough yet to say. You can buy property very very cheaply here and it's a lovely place to live if you learn to live here. Tim at Atsumi has been in Thailand for years and had a lot to say about the topic. As you'd expect there are very different ways of doing things here and a lot of foreigners get frustrated very quickly.

Ok I feel like I'm rambling now so I'm going to stop!