It is wet today.

And flat.

There are things that might be interesting on days that aren't wet.

These things are either not interesting or are not interesting enough to be worth exploring on days that are wet.

Also, despite my insistence on being super duper careful with not allowing the codeine to affect my judgement on things like downhills, sharp curves, or the safety factor of riding in tunnels, I allowed prideful hubris and the more than 5kg I've already lost this Tour to make me think my not feeling the need to switch into a granny gear was stronger muscles.

It wasn't.

It was painkiller.

And, now, I'm paying the price.

Chosen because they were cheap, their listing said they had a washing machine, and a call in advance confirmed that they had a washing machine, I arrive at my chosen hotel with a healthy amount of daylight left to me looking (and probably smelling) a few steps up from homeless bum.

It's a much nicer looking lobby than I usually choose to go for on bike tours and, after the past two nights, I'm all geared up and ready for a fight .... that never comes. The front desk recognizes my passport for a passport. She's a little iffy on the exact procedure but her "let me just call my manager" isn't to ask "hey can we have foreigners?" it's to ask how to register me because it's been a while since they taught her and she doesn't remember all the steps.

Picking my jaw up off the floor, I buy a small sachet of laundry detergent from the attached convenience store, and head up to a room that confuses me with it's aesthetically pleasing décor and unusually clean¹ facilities. There's a clothes drying rack installed beneath the air conditioner and a sign in the bathroom to let ladies know they can call the front desk for emergency time-of-the-month supplies. 

Then, I sink into a super comfortable bed and fail to get up to do my laundry until someone from housekeeping comes and knocks on the door to ask if I was having trouble finding the laundry room.

I think I'm in love.

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¹ Passing Sarah's TVDQ test, it is noted that the glasses next to the sink have water spots. The dust on top of the picture frames that I have to stretch to reach is also quite thick.