Settling into the Cinnamon Grand and the quickest doctor’s appointment ever!

---

Despite not particularly enjoying staying somewhere so formal/expensive, there are advantages, like coming back after a day’s work and finding fresh fruit in the room. A glass of wine would be better, but that’s never going to happen. And the breakfast is such a joy, although the Chinese stuff is a bit odd. There are up to 4 weddings a day in the central area, non-stop matrimonials here. Last night my working buddy and I thought we’d give the Noodles restaurant in the hotel a go. The prices didn’t look too bad for food, with the option of a starter sized portion of a lot of things. Being very partial to a bowl of Vietnamese pho I thought it would be right up my streeet. It wasn’t. The noodles were instant and tasted like a pot noodle emptied into a posh bowl and fluffed up with a bit of coriander, but not at pot noodle prices. We nearly walked out but lethargy took over. i just couldn‘t make myself fork out £6 for a glass of wine but my buddy ordered a bottle of sparkling mineral water without knowing the price and when we got the bill it was also £6! Sad faces. On the way out a wedding was in full swing and we contemplated sidling up to the dessert buffet but instead got chatting to one of the guests in the hope of an invite (which has happened to me twice before in Malaysia) but no such luck. Lots of information, zero food. Also sad faces.

After suffering from what I thought was an eye infection for a day or so, and not having any antibiotics with me, I asked in the office if there was a pharmacy nearby, so I could stock up and maybe get a few more useful items while I was at it. There was a sort of clinic with a pharmacy a few doors down, and the pharmaceutical guy said he could give me some, but why not see a doctor? Because of the cost, that’s why not! But they were quite insistent and showed me upstairs and straight into a consulting room where the doctor was busy playing on his phone. He had a quick look and said it was an allergy, definitely didn’t need antibiotics and prescribed steroid eye drops. Downstairs to the pharmacy and paid £3, just for the prescription. The consultation was free! Quickest doctor visit ever!

Yesterday I came home from work in a metered tuktuk with my buddy. We enjoyed it although the fumes are quite terrible, especially from the buses. Today I got one on my own as I finished early.

---

Photos

5D1043F2-E6AC-42FA-93AD-ECFEEE9CBEB6.
No receipt, so I take a photo of the meter each day for expenses purposes.