Rest Day in Padang: A returning appetite and energy

October 15, 2006

We sleep in until about 8am, then go down to the lobby and restaurant for toast, jam and tea. It rained pretty good last night, there are still big puddles in the road, but for now it's dry. We walk towards the river, trying to find a bakery that has since disappeared since being listed in the LP guidebook.

We do find a Chinese temple, a river walk with lots of bright blue painted wooden ships settle in the mud and garbage at low tide. There is an old Dutch bank building that now houses a hotel. We find that our route into town was a different entry road than Patrick thought, that's why the confusion as we tried to find our way in the dark to the hotel. The guy on the motorcycle did a fine job guiding us.

We walk down some bustling shopping streets and stores are just opening up. We buy some apples, bananas, and two chocolate muffins and brownies at a bakery. Then to the Mata-Hari department store for some cookies and supplies for tomorrow's ride. We do a lot of walking. Something that must seem unnatural to the taxi, bemo, and horse drawn carriage drivers because they all slow down, honk, wave their hands or whatever, to draw your attention and try to get you to take a ride. We just walk back to the hotel take a swim and shower. The first shower we've seen where you can sit on the pot and shower at the same time!

After another hour of AC and some reading, we set off again, this time to the beach. It has started to rain a little and dark clouds promise more to come. The beach is steep and the waves pretty high, definitely no swimming here! We take some pictures and weave our way through some of the back streets and past some interesting Minangkalau style buildings with their soaring roof gables to mimic buffalo horns.

Earlier today we scoped out a recommended (expensive) Chinese restaurant where we head for dinner. Very good food! We have shrimp, sweet and sour chicken gado gado (vegetables in a peanut sauce) and white rice. The first time in quite a while we both eat until we are full, not just not hungry anymore. On the way back we take a ride in a dokar, a horse drawn cart back to the hotel.

We are fed, relaxing in our room, the paper journal is up to date and tomorrow we'll find out how the cycling goes.

Will it be a cycling trip once again?