D4: 东成 → 儋州

January 29, 2024

195,000 views, 2,686 likes, 501 comments, and 69 saves ... have I blathered on enough yet how utterly weird this whole social media influencer thing is?

I'm going to blame work for today's short day. It's the easiest finger to point.

I'm going to blame work because needing¹ to do work that wasn't scheduled by me is, ultimately, the reason I had for stopping in Danzhou.

It's just, the 3 hour and 19 minute nap² that I ended up taking after getting into the Danzhou 517 Cyclists' Hostel and discovering that my room had a functioning heater would seem to indicate that, whether or not I didn't think I was all that tired, I stopped at the right time.

Today's oatmeal is assorted raisins, honey, lard³, coconut protein powder, and a salty egg.

Mind you, these conditions plus hills plus cold weather will sap anyone

The sky was briefly blue today with the weather growing warm enough that, in addition to having thrown out⁴ my knit silk underlayer rather than tolerate wearing it unwashed for a fourth consecutive day, I was also able to take off my thermal vest and windbreaker. I even had a period where I needed to wear my sunglasses!

However, by the time I'd finished up the article on the upcoming arrival of loaned artifacts from the Palace Museum to the Su Shi Exhibition at the Provincial Museum and visited a phone repair shop vis a vis the issue I've been having with my rear screen, it was already starting to cool off again.

This was also about the time the roadworks stopped

And, all while telling myself I was only lying down for a bit because there wasn't much of anything else to do⁵ while waiting on laundry, by the time I'd gone to get my cleaned clothes off the roof of the 517, it was raining again, and cold enough that the difference between heated room and unheated hallway was really, really noticeable.

¹ With the kind of job I have nothing stops me from telling the client "no." It's just that I like being able to afford things like bicycle trips or food.

Achievement Unlocked, First McDonald's of the Tour

² Smartwatch data shows that both wake-ups were only 1 minute long. Since the first one was to go up to the roof, find the laundry facilities, and get my stuff in the wash; and the second one was to go up to the roof and retrieve my laundry; I'm going to say that these numbers are a bit more inaccurate than usual.

³ As part of my ongoing experimentation† with shelf stable fats that go well with oatmeal, lard has been one of my best discoveries to date. It pairs especially well with sesame oil (which is an overwhelming flavor if used as the only fat).

† Next up is schmaltz, hopefully followed by tallow.

I think it's adorable that they gave out these little gift bags with ground coffee in them, but no actual specialty coffee place would be giving out preground coffee in cloth bags ...

⁴ Starting life as a once upon a time really expensive thrifted top, the falling apart seams and various stains made it underwear over a decade ago. I still feel like I probably should have gotten a picture of it before tossing it.

⁵ Lalala la, 40,000 words of proofreading that I just agreed to finish by February 19, I can't hear you!

Today's ride: 31 km (19 miles)
Total: 194 km (120 miles)

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