It’s Friday, but it could be any day of the week, as much as it impacts me. As I sit at my local coffee shop, watching the kite surfers and wait for order to be ready.
We have now ticked over into our second month away, and I’m feeling pretty relaxed about life. We’ve not done too much actual travel yet, spending most ouf time in Hua Hin. Giving ourselves some time to wind down from what was a pretty hectic last few months in Melbourne, before we hit the road properly.
So, what does one do every day to fill in the hours and not get bored? The answer is not much and also quite a lot. I am not at any risk of feeling restless, not challenged or ready to do anything else yet. Ask me in a year how I’m feeling and let’s see if that’s changed.
Every day we get up early (unless we’ve had a little too much fun the night before). I generally go for a run, head to a yoga class or join Glen on his morning walk. Sometimes stopping at the local market to stock up on fresh fruit.
Getting out before it’s too hot is a must. Once the sun’s overhead, it’s hot, and any exercise ambitions are impossible, except for a few laps in the pool, which I’ve started to really enjoy.
Exercise done, I wander to Drip Rimlay on Hua Hin beach. A delightful little cafe, open air and perfectly positioned for shade, a light breeze and a great view. The drip coffee is excellent, and the staff are so sweet. I’m trying to learn little bits of Thai each day, that I practice with them, and so far they’ve not laughed once, although a few times I have got very confused looks, while failing at my pronunciation. It’s a slow process.
I use the time each morning to write, edit or otherwise work on something creative. It doesn’t hurt that there’s a passing parade of horses on the beach, swimmers and the ever-present Thai necessity of capturing every experience via a selfie from at least 1000 angles to keep me distracted.
Then it’s back to the apartment for a smoothie, followed by a swim. I’m slowly building up my laps, before I collapse on the sun bed for some lazing about with a book. At point in the early afternoon our stomach’s drag us over the road to the shopping centre, where one of the amazing Thai food courts beacons. Think of every Thai dish you love, and you will find a stall with a dedicated cook whipping that dish up perfectly every day. It’s soooo good.
By the time the afternoon rolls around we usually have some chores to sort. Washing, cleaning, paying bills or sorting something out at home. Generally, we have just enough time for an afternoon swim before the sun starts to set. Then we head off for a dinner and an evening walk.
We’ve also been doing some exploring of the area, having spent three months here a couple of years ago, we’ve done and seen a lot, but there is always something new to explore. Even if it is just an area we’ve not been before, with nothing particular exciting to aim for, but another chance to see life being lived in this cool little city.
This week we found a suburb we’d not discovered before, worked out where all the famous Hua Hin beach horse’s live, watching them being lovingly brushed and fed ready for their well-earned nights rest. We found a delicious northern Thai restaurant with amazing chicken noodle curry, and we did a beach walk along a new beach. It’s only 20 mins from the centre of Hua Hin, but it was so peaceful. None of the condo’s lining the shore, just ocean, bush and a few little beach shacks dotted along the coast, so delightful.
Next week we are planning to get up early and watch the sun rise, before wandering into town and watching the monks as they go about collecting their daily alms. It’s such a peaceful way to start a day. I’m also going to run to the other end of town and explore a Wat (temple) I’ve not been to before.
So, you see, we don’t do a lot, yet somehow each day I feel like we’ve had full day.
We’ve also had the time to answer all the questions that pop into our heads, like is a gecko in the house a good thing or a bad thing. Turns out they are considered a symbol of luck and are overwhelmingly good to have about. Also, how do crabs make those little mounds of sand on the beach, by sifting through the sand to find nutrients with their claws, which turns each sand into a little ball, that builds up into little mounds, I’ve crouched on the beach watching them do it for longer than I’d care to admit. It’s so nice to have the time and head space to not just think these random thoughts but to find the answers, and understand the world a little more in the process.
We’ve also got endless time to talk or not talk and just sit in companionable silence. We are yet to run out questions we want to ask each other or of things to say.
Every night I crawl in into bed feeling tired, ready for sleep and very relaxed.
So here I am on this Friday in October, watching the world go by, coffee now drunk, thinking to myself how lucky I am to be spending another day in this paradise.
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