I managed two training sessions in one day!!!!! Wuhoooooo!!!!!
Ok I just wrote a really really long post and the connection dropped and though I tried to save it - I lost the thing entirely...grrrrrr...but a the same time I'm not really annoyed at all..it's just a shame cos I was quite happy with it! (The more time went on while I was sitting trying to retype my shoulders were getting progressively more painful so I did end up annoyed at myself for not trying to save it earlier!)
Ah well..nevermind..the post re-typed..
I got pins and needles in my hands at training this morning and tried to find out if anyone knew about it...couldn't find Danny and no one else seemed to know what if anything I should do. I was thinking if this continues I’m going to get to the Osteopath that I never got to at Atsumi.
I met my new neighbour, an Aussie called Sam (the guy before was also called Sam so nice and easy to remember). He asked if I fancied going site seeing so I thought, why the hell not. It was a really nice way to spend a few hours and also really good to get out of the camp for a bit. As Sam’s only been here a couple of days and I have a bit of an idea about the geography of Phuket now it was nice to be able to show him where most of the beaches are near here.
We started at the camp – avoided Nai Harn Beach as it’s not on the way to anywhere else and Sam had been there already. We took the beach road (less busy than the main road) to Kata where on the top of the hill was a fantastic view (see piccies above!) of the beaches to come and more hills.
From Kata, which is really quite small and quiet we went on to Karon Beach (which is where Nicky and I stayed 8-9years ago). Nicky stayed at the Hilton which I remember being much bigger than it actually is..and I stayed next door at the Thavorn Beach Resort. All of the shops in and along Karon have really grown – when were here before I don’t remember there being very much at all..however now there are loads of restaurants, more hotels and lots more shops.
From Karon we then went up and over the couple of rather large and steep hills to get into Patong. Patong to me was always very much the touristy, tackier and seedier side of life in Thailand. The Banana bar (and club on top) where we all went out those years ago is still there, though luckily these days the place isn't inundated with American marines. It’s a sad truth that the Tsunami has in a way cleared out Phuket and in place of all that was destroyed or swept away things have been rebuilt to a better standard and the whole face of Patong – to me looks brighter and less tacky than it used to. It is still touristy and you can’t really go 5-10mins without hitting a 7-11. But then 7-11 although American always reminds me of Hong Kong so fits with my impressions of south east Asia.
Sam wasn’t wearing his helmet as we were heading into Patong and so we got pulled over at a police check point. They told him to park the bike and make his way to the police station to pay the fine. The policeman said it was walkable but in the end we got into a Tuk Tuk as it turned out to be quite a bit further. The Tuk Tuk driver had a great sense of humour and was joking with me outside while we waited. I think a lot of farangs (foreigners) follow the Thai’s not wearing their helmets and then get fined when they all go through Patong!
Having paid the fine and found the bike again we went for some lunch at one of the Thai restaurants on the beach. I had a delicious chicken curry with vegetables and a little steamed rice. The sauce was just a bit spicy (just the way I like it) and tasted quite a lot like satay sauce. Green beans and chicken were delish! Lunch for two of us with several soft drinks came to £4.50!! Bargain.
We then decided to look for the road back but with the one way system in PAtong and not knowing the roads ended up going onto the next beach which I’ve not been to before – Kamala beach. It’s much quieter than Patong and a welcome relief after all the hustle and advertising you are subjected to in Patong. There’s a lovely hotel there with a bar in the swimming pool and lots of deck chairs. I noticed walking along Patong and Kamala the tsunami warning boards...on the one in Kamala I noticed there are different escape routes to take – one for the locals and one for tourists..the basic advice being simple and sensible: if you see a tsunami or feel an earthquake get inland and get high.
A few people I’ve met over the last few weeks were either here when the tsunami hit or know people who were here. I think for the foreigners it all still feels quite raw. I don’t know if I mentioned before but apparently the Chinese tourists haven’t started to come back yet as they believe there are still lost souls in the water.
The Thai philosophy seems to be much more accepting than the western view..if it’s your time to die – so be it. (This was explained when discussing why the majority of people running around on mopeds are not wearing helmets and will even buy a cheap paper mache version so as to avoid the fine).
I am annoyed that I lost this post though most of it seems to have come back to me…there were some thoughts I enjoyed writing down at the end which are escaping me today..shame…ah well..
Middle path here we come..all things in moderation (including moderation as they joke at Atsumi).
My afternoon training session was brilliant. I was able to use the ski machine again and found Danny to ask him about the numbness in my hands.
I also did my shadow boxing as usual and got into the ring with Bang for some work on my moves and then a final round of sparring…I finally managed to catch one of his kicks and it was so satisfying..he occasionally will catch my kicks at the end of 10 in a row (where I sometimes end up feeling like one of the bunnies running out of steam in the energizer ads)..usually he can’t topple me as I’m quite a lot taller than he is..but I was so knackered at the end he managed it and I ended up flat on my back (with a big grin on my face).
Danny said he gets the same thing in his hands, and it gets worse as it get more humid. He said I should take it down a notch when it happens, breathe more deeply and let him know if it gets much worse. He said it’s down to circulation and a couple of people including myself have suggested that it’s down to the level of exercise I’m now doing which my body’s adjusting to. He also mentioned its supposed to be getting even hotter next week – so I’ll keep an eye on it and keep drinking my 3+ ltrs of water a day :o)
At night at Don’s I faced a big decision (Not) ..is it wrong to have 2 chicken curries in one day?!!! Answer: resounding NO! Not when you are doing this much training! I did use the steam room after my sparring with Bang and the cold water outside with the humidity of the steam felt lovely on my sunburn.
Later last night and this morning it does feel like it’s burning away on my shoulders and I decided I need to let this heal before I can move properly again. So missed training this morning and hopefully will make it this afternoon. It is pretty frustrating because I was so careful to make sure I’d covered myself completely in lotion – I’m just very glad I was wearing a top with wide straps otherwise today would be serious agony! I do now have a strange and amusing collection of blocks of different colours on my skin from where the last sun burn has finally healed, the white skin that’s unscathed and the new sun burn. Really need to get a new swim suit and spending my Sundays tanning very very carefully. There’s a resort close by that let you use the pool and wifi for the day for 100B, so I think I’ll be spending the odd Sunday there.
Last night I also caught up on my breakfast which I missed – a large fruit plate as usual and at the end of the night I ordered a frozen whizzed up mango – which was lovely and a large fruit plate to take away. I’d been hoping for mango in the fruit plates but heard that it’s not really mango season (though I have seen them around in the markets)…in my take away I got a mango and a half, perfectly ripe – which I had for brekkie this morning. Nix – photo for you (haven’t managed to get to the market for a pile of mangoes yet!). The fruit doesn’t look as good as it did last night but was still a great brekkie.
All this thinking about food is getting me hungry again so it might be time to wander along to Don’s.
I’ve taken to washing more of my clothes by hand in the sink – it’s quite satisfying and means that I’ve got a bit more control about the timing of when things are dry and ready. So I’ve got lots of clothes drying out front and now that I’m nearly at the end of finishing this post I feel like I’ve got the rest of the day ahead of me to do whatever I feel like :o)
One last thing I forgot to mention the other night…when I was walking home and getting the lovely smell of jasmine and the way the air felt I completely neglected to mention the way the sky has been looking at night – not a cloud in it and the full moon a couple of nights ago, so where the street lights (which are a fluorescent tube) are out you don’t need them. The stars are so bright even when you are walking along past the houses – unlike in the UK where you have to strain to see them right up in the sky – here you can walk along and see the stars right down to whatever breaks your view of the sky – be it trees a roof…whatever. It is so lovely to be free from so much light pollution and air pollution. I’d always associated cooler air with being fresher (probably the effect of growing up in Hong Kong’s polluted air and going to the UK each summer). Now I’m noticing how fresh the air here is even though it’s warm. Such a nice experience!
Only 6 weeks and 4 days left to go…I’ve a feeling that’s going to start flying by now..
Ok I just wrote a really really long post and the connection dropped and though I tried to save it - I lost the thing entirely...grrrrrr...but a the same time I'm not really annoyed at all..it's just a shame cos I was quite happy with it! (The more time went on while I was sitting trying to retype my shoulders were getting progressively more painful so I did end up annoyed at myself for not trying to save it earlier!)
Ah well..nevermind..the post re-typed..
I got pins and needles in my hands at training this morning and tried to find out if anyone knew about it...couldn't find Danny and no one else seemed to know what if anything I should do. I was thinking if this continues I’m going to get to the Osteopath that I never got to at Atsumi.
I met my new neighbour, an Aussie called Sam (the guy before was also called Sam so nice and easy to remember). He asked if I fancied going site seeing so I thought, why the hell not. It was a really nice way to spend a few hours and also really good to get out of the camp for a bit. As Sam’s only been here a couple of days and I have a bit of an idea about the geography of Phuket now it was nice to be able to show him where most of the beaches are near here.
We started at the camp – avoided Nai Harn Beach as it’s not on the way to anywhere else and Sam had been there already. We took the beach road (less busy than the main road) to Kata where on the top of the hill was a fantastic view (see piccies above!) of the beaches to come and more hills.
From Kata, which is really quite small and quiet we went on to Karon Beach (which is where Nicky and I stayed 8-9years ago). Nicky stayed at the Hilton which I remember being much bigger than it actually is..and I stayed next door at the Thavorn Beach Resort. All of the shops in and along Karon have really grown – when were here before I don’t remember there being very much at all..however now there are loads of restaurants, more hotels and lots more shops.
From Karon we then went up and over the couple of rather large and steep hills to get into Patong. Patong to me was always very much the touristy, tackier and seedier side of life in Thailand. The Banana bar (and club on top) where we all went out those years ago is still there, though luckily these days the place isn't inundated with American marines. It’s a sad truth that the Tsunami has in a way cleared out Phuket and in place of all that was destroyed or swept away things have been rebuilt to a better standard and the whole face of Patong – to me looks brighter and less tacky than it used to. It is still touristy and you can’t really go 5-10mins without hitting a 7-11. But then 7-11 although American always reminds me of Hong Kong so fits with my impressions of south east Asia.
Sam wasn’t wearing his helmet as we were heading into Patong and so we got pulled over at a police check point. They told him to park the bike and make his way to the police station to pay the fine. The policeman said it was walkable but in the end we got into a Tuk Tuk as it turned out to be quite a bit further. The Tuk Tuk driver had a great sense of humour and was joking with me outside while we waited. I think a lot of farangs (foreigners) follow the Thai’s not wearing their helmets and then get fined when they all go through Patong!
Having paid the fine and found the bike again we went for some lunch at one of the Thai restaurants on the beach. I had a delicious chicken curry with vegetables and a little steamed rice. The sauce was just a bit spicy (just the way I like it) and tasted quite a lot like satay sauce. Green beans and chicken were delish! Lunch for two of us with several soft drinks came to £4.50!! Bargain.
We then decided to look for the road back but with the one way system in PAtong and not knowing the roads ended up going onto the next beach which I’ve not been to before – Kamala beach. It’s much quieter than Patong and a welcome relief after all the hustle and advertising you are subjected to in Patong. There’s a lovely hotel there with a bar in the swimming pool and lots of deck chairs. I noticed walking along Patong and Kamala the tsunami warning boards...on the one in Kamala I noticed there are different escape routes to take – one for the locals and one for tourists..the basic advice being simple and sensible: if you see a tsunami or feel an earthquake get inland and get high.
A few people I’ve met over the last few weeks were either here when the tsunami hit or know people who were here. I think for the foreigners it all still feels quite raw. I don’t know if I mentioned before but apparently the Chinese tourists haven’t started to come back yet as they believe there are still lost souls in the water.
The Thai philosophy seems to be much more accepting than the western view..if it’s your time to die – so be it. (This was explained when discussing why the majority of people running around on mopeds are not wearing helmets and will even buy a cheap paper mache version so as to avoid the fine).
I am annoyed that I lost this post though most of it seems to have come back to me…there were some thoughts I enjoyed writing down at the end which are escaping me today..shame…ah well..
Middle path here we come..all things in moderation (including moderation as they joke at Atsumi).
My afternoon training session was brilliant. I was able to use the ski machine again and found Danny to ask him about the numbness in my hands.
I also did my shadow boxing as usual and got into the ring with Bang for some work on my moves and then a final round of sparring…I finally managed to catch one of his kicks and it was so satisfying..he occasionally will catch my kicks at the end of 10 in a row (where I sometimes end up feeling like one of the bunnies running out of steam in the energizer ads)..usually he can’t topple me as I’m quite a lot taller than he is..but I was so knackered at the end he managed it and I ended up flat on my back (with a big grin on my face).
Danny said he gets the same thing in his hands, and it gets worse as it get more humid. He said I should take it down a notch when it happens, breathe more deeply and let him know if it gets much worse. He said it’s down to circulation and a couple of people including myself have suggested that it’s down to the level of exercise I’m now doing which my body’s adjusting to. He also mentioned its supposed to be getting even hotter next week – so I’ll keep an eye on it and keep drinking my 3+ ltrs of water a day :o)
At night at Don’s I faced a big decision (Not) ..is it wrong to have 2 chicken curries in one day?!!! Answer: resounding NO! Not when you are doing this much training! I did use the steam room after my sparring with Bang and the cold water outside with the humidity of the steam felt lovely on my sunburn.
Later last night and this morning it does feel like it’s burning away on my shoulders and I decided I need to let this heal before I can move properly again. So missed training this morning and hopefully will make it this afternoon. It is pretty frustrating because I was so careful to make sure I’d covered myself completely in lotion – I’m just very glad I was wearing a top with wide straps otherwise today would be serious agony! I do now have a strange and amusing collection of blocks of different colours on my skin from where the last sun burn has finally healed, the white skin that’s unscathed and the new sun burn. Really need to get a new swim suit and spending my Sundays tanning very very carefully. There’s a resort close by that let you use the pool and wifi for the day for 100B, so I think I’ll be spending the odd Sunday there.
Last night I also caught up on my breakfast which I missed – a large fruit plate as usual and at the end of the night I ordered a frozen whizzed up mango – which was lovely and a large fruit plate to take away. I’d been hoping for mango in the fruit plates but heard that it’s not really mango season (though I have seen them around in the markets)…in my take away I got a mango and a half, perfectly ripe – which I had for brekkie this morning. Nix – photo for you (haven’t managed to get to the market for a pile of mangoes yet!). The fruit doesn’t look as good as it did last night but was still a great brekkie.
All this thinking about food is getting me hungry again so it might be time to wander along to Don’s.
I’ve taken to washing more of my clothes by hand in the sink – it’s quite satisfying and means that I’ve got a bit more control about the timing of when things are dry and ready. So I’ve got lots of clothes drying out front and now that I’m nearly at the end of finishing this post I feel like I’ve got the rest of the day ahead of me to do whatever I feel like :o)
One last thing I forgot to mention the other night…when I was walking home and getting the lovely smell of jasmine and the way the air felt I completely neglected to mention the way the sky has been looking at night – not a cloud in it and the full moon a couple of nights ago, so where the street lights (which are a fluorescent tube) are out you don’t need them. The stars are so bright even when you are walking along past the houses – unlike in the UK where you have to strain to see them right up in the sky – here you can walk along and see the stars right down to whatever breaks your view of the sky – be it trees a roof…whatever. It is so lovely to be free from so much light pollution and air pollution. I’d always associated cooler air with being fresher (probably the effect of growing up in Hong Kong’s polluted air and going to the UK each summer). Now I’m noticing how fresh the air here is even though it’s warm. Such a nice experience!
Only 6 weeks and 4 days left to go…I’ve a feeling that’s going to start flying by now..
I don't know how well you'll be able to see in these photos but this is the sun burn I have from my trip out yesterday. I actually think it looks worse now than it did this morning. Its been burning all day long - unfortunately 
so much so that when I went to put my sports bra on it really felt like the skin was being scraped so I've had to give training a miss twice today. I've been lathering on the aftersun and hopefully it'll be better tomorrow afternoon if not tomorrow morning. On my way down to Don's I was feeling quite depressed and low having missed the two sessions - I guess it's frustration that something so simple and stupid could stop me training. Perhaps I need to become a hermit during the week and treat training and reading as my job!..and go exploring on Sundays.
so much so that when I went to put my sports bra on it really felt like the skin was being scraped so I've had to give training a miss twice today. I've been lathering on the aftersun and hopefully it'll be better tomorrow afternoon if not tomorrow morning. On my way down to Don's I was feeling quite depressed and low having missed the two sessions - I guess it's frustration that something so simple and stupid could stop me training. Perhaps I need to become a hermit during the week and treat training and reading as my job!..and go exploring on Sundays.I told Sam next door about Nicky yearning for yellow mangoes in the UK on the trip to all the beaches and this morning he appeared with a mango. He'd not gone to the second training session yesterday and found a fruit stall on his wonderings. Very nice of him, it's been in the fridge cooling down today so it's going to be breakfast tomorrow morning!
I think people think I'm a bit nuts for not getting a moped, but I keep coming back to looking at hiring a car towards the end of the trip if I've enough money. Everyone keeps offering to give me lifts particularly when I'm heading to Don's in the evening - if Bang sees me wondering off he won't let me go without giving me a lift down! I'm the strange one I guess who walks a lot and smiles a lot..I was being told again the other day how I smile more than the locals do and we're in the land of smiles. It's easy to smile at people when they are all so nice and smile at you!
Since I put this post up this lunchtime I've finally timed it right for the fruit market close to the gym. Actually there's a lot more for sale than fruit - but I managed to pick up 4 huge apples, a kilo of mangoes and a pre-peeled pomelo for 90B (around £1.50). I've had a little sleep this afternoon and am hoping to get to bed earlier after much more aftersun lotion applications and be raring to go again tomorrow.
Photo of a strange bug for Nix..and another one which is unfortunately out of focus but decided it like my black wrap hanging on the clothes horse...
Photo of a strange bug for Nix..and another one which is unfortunately out of focus but decided it like my black wrap hanging on the clothes horse...
I had been hoping to get a better shot but the breeze picked up and separated the two bits of material it was hugging. Lots of strange and unusual stinging bugs here!
I'm having another green chicken curry this evening - I think I'm addicted.
Not a bad addiction when training though...I will have to find somewhere else to eat though otherwise I think I'll overdo it.
Anyway I'm going to head off now and get an earlier night tonight, more reiki and aftersun!
Lotsalove xxxx
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