I know it's more normal to call it boot camp, but in the absence of boots I am doing all my walking in some lovely, spotty, brought direct from Brazil by David and Ant Haviana's. And have the scars to prove it....
I discover my UP24 can log individual workouts, well workouts is perhaps pushing it a bit far, perhaps we can call them walkouts instead? Being able to measure things like effort always spurs me on to greater effort so I have made some rather grand strides (in more ways than one...) recently. I am most proud of my 15.5 mile walk yesterday. But frankly, had I done a bit more measuring of the cakes in and the steps out during the summer perhaps I would have needed to make a little less effort and measuring now!
The cloudier and cooler weather is really helping though, it means I don't have to get up too early to walk before the sun comes out - it's not bothering too much at the moment - or wait till the evening when it gets cooler. It's really wild and windy at the beachside but just back from the beach the cloud cover and breeze make it good, pleasantly cool walking weather. That's a first, me describing weather as pleasantly cool, I never thought I would use those same words in the same sentence...
I was in the middle of a walk yesterday when I received the text telling me David was back on Radio Wales Celebrity quiz. I was stranded in Carrefour, and in a first for Thailand I had great difficulty finding any free wifi. Yes, Carrefour provide it but it was broken. I ended up paying an outrageous amount in Starbucks, outrageous in as much as every little bar and restaurant here provides it free. But worth every baht as David triumphs again. Let's hope he makes it to Friday's final. It was funny, last time I was in Carrefour was in November in Calais stocking up on wine - plus ca change, that's what I was doing there yesterday. It was all a bit different though - little choice and high prices. But festive fare purchased, a heavy box, and in the spirit of all boot camps I carried it back in my backpack, the extra weight meaning more effort. But Xmas shopping is now over as I brought the mince pies with me!
The walks continue to be entertaining, there's always something to look at.
There's the tailor with a big shop and beautiful display making obeisance to the beribboned tree outside. Not sure if it's working too well though as the display has been the same for two years to my knowledge so not sure much has shifted. Then there's my search for odd signs. These two caught my eye. The first, rather puerile I know, did amuse me but I did wonder how the two bottles to stop it waving about were filled...
And the second, not too clear from my photography I know, advertising the astonishing fact that their laundry is done in "clean water". Does make me wonder what the local Chinese laundry I use locally uses...
There are always lots of animals to admire - or otherwise! The dog on a lead being taken for a swift run by two people on a motorbike. Then there's the line up of dogs in the temple getting their daily feed from the monk. It's hard to see in this picture but there's a sweet family of Mum and tiny puppies right at the end. I won't get too close for a picture though as the dogs are a bit feral...
There's quite a bit of local building work going on and I am always surprised that in this, a fairly conservative culture, the majority of plasterers are female. I'm not sure if they are local Thai's as I know a lot of labour comes in here from Cambodia and Myanmar.
Most days I get as far as the Lomprayah Pier on my walk but with the high seas there doesn't seem too much activity there. I'm not convinced anyone leaving from here recently would have had such a "Bon" voyage.
The local papers here talk a lot about how the military have done sterling work clearing some of the beach areas, especially Pattaya, of the dense covering of deckchairs and seedy bars. I think they perhaps should now pay attention to the pavements. Any walk here is an obstacle course of not only the usual broken pavements and broken sewers but sleeping dogs (let them lie is what I say...), parked and moving motorbikes, and stalls doing a roaring trade in BBQ chicken.
In my travels I also walk past many beauty shops but the fish spa asking clients to remove their shoes seemed a slightly obvious instruction to me, not sure how the fish could nibble away otherwise... I also see the white dog with one ear up and one ear down. Today I apologise, I did call him a "handsome boy" before, but I now need to change that to "pretty girl", today I noticed evidence that she is probably feeding pups... And I always see a surprising large number of chickens, given this pic was taken on the main ring road round the island...
Anyway that's all for now, only two sleeps to Xmas so I need to get back to Flipflop camp before I eat all my mince pies!
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