March 2, 2024
Day Pat 9: The Dark Side Awaits
I hit the pillow and crashed immediately. The Sananwan guesthouse has always been my safe space, and has gone on for well over a decade. If it's one of the countless nights when I can't sleep in China then I just visualize this place here and it helps. How much better when it's for real.
Waking up in the morning I felt fantastic and the healing effects in the air were already doing their work.
One of the things that's hard to explain about Thailand but makes the place so great is how it combines the ancient art of healing culture with modern conveniences. The airport is one of the most efficient in the world and yet the minute you step off that plane you're in another world.
Since this was going to be a short trip I tried to make the most of the morning at the guesthouse enjoying the vibes while also updating the blog, repacking my stuff, and getting the bike ready for today.
My guess was the traffic was still going to be a nightmare in Pattaya proper so I ordered a taxi on the app to take me to the dark side, and then I would ride the bike in the rest of the way. That amounted to about a 35km circular route and just soaking up the atmosphere along the roads. The most stunning part about it was simply the empty spaces and the unused land. This wasn't a concrete jungle that stretched on for miles. And of course we can't forget the sunshine.
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I got totally sunburned in those two hours and wasn't really aware of the need for sun cream but it mattered not. What was the alternative, another round of weeks upon weeks of grim overcast and rainy weather in Shanghai? Let the sunburn happen.
The route eventually made its way to the beach where I got a chair and wished at that moment time would just stand still and there was some sort of device to stop the earth from rotating. It was priceless just sitting there all afternoon and watching the sun slowly set, and yet somehow wishing that the sun could just remain where it was forever.
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Eventually I did make it back into my condo. While I could have just gone there directly with a taxi, my circuitous route was more fun and aided all the more by the fact that I was basically carrying only a backpack and riding a bike. When you travel in a minimalist style, you can pull it off. There's no need to haul these huge suitcases and everyone knows it's plainly obvious you've arrived in a place. With this style they don't know if coming or going to Pattaya or if I'm staying -- it always keeps them guessing.
It was time for another recovery nap then a Thai style massage. After that I found the Pirate Bar where I had met my friend David earlier. Out of curiosity I wanted to see if there was healthy food on the bar menu. Much to my surprise there was! Not only that, it was some of the best food I've had and all fitness challenge friendly.
It got me thinking then that surely there must be a ton more place like this in Pattaya and I was barely scratching the surface. It's not all beers and burgers, you can make it whatever you want it to be.
I then took pictures and shared to the social media forums for my fitness challenge with a little bit of bragging: Saturday night in Pattaya was not going to derail this.
Today's ride: 35 km (22 miles)
Total: 1,138 km (707 miles)
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