First day in new digs

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Well - I left one cock-a-doodle-do alarm clock behind - to find another at the new abode. This one isn't so loud - and it's not right outside my window. It was enough to wake me - and let me know that I will need to get used to this new mattress. Yes - a little bit of ache in the lower back. Now - it may not be the mattress. I have heard that as you get older - more aches and pains start to creep in. This morning is a new "adventure" - as I no longer have a bicycle to ride to Cua Dai beach. Free bicycles are standard with all homestays in Hoi An. Don't stay at one that doesn't have them - otherwise you are relegated the Shanks's Pony or a taxi. So now - it will take me longer to get to the beach - despite the fact that the moto is a little faster than the treadly. I do have an exta kilometre or more to travel. Once at the swimming spot - I now have a place to store my hat and keys. Prior to this I always had take them on to the rocks at the beach. Locals are not recognising me now as they expect me to cycle past them. I return to the unit after about 45 minutes in the water. Now I start a new routine. Glucose test - then ride the short distance to a Pho stand that I have heard is good. It's just past the Ba Le market - which means I can stop at a popular juice/coffee stand on the way home through the market and pick up some liquid refreshments. Once home - it's shower time then coffee time then crank up the laptop and see what's happening.

The unit gets quite a bit of sun - so the AC tends to work all day/night. It has been suggested to me to run it on "dry" instead of "cool". This way it takes the humidity from outside air and pumps that into the room. The thermostat shows 25C and the rooms are quite cool. There is no AC in the kitchen/lounge area - but a good fan circulates cool air. I spent most of the morning checking e-mails and doing work on the laptop. By around lunchtime - I actually fee like a little nap. I am told that this urge too comes with age 😞 . There's a nice flat-screen TV in the lounge that has 70 channels. Sadly there is no news channel like CNN, BBC or such. There are a few sports channels, HBO and a bunch of other movie channels as well as Discovery and National Geographic. Every now and then there is a cooking channel - and it's funny to hear Gordon Ramsay "speaking" Vietnamese. In the afternoon I go into old Hoi An to see what's happening as I had not been in there for a while. But it's too hot - and I do not spend much time there. I return to the unit and relax on the couch and cool off. It's not long before one of those old-age naps gets me - and I am relaxed until early evening. Time to pay a visit to Chi and Thanh's little side yard restaurant. A cool beer sounds good at this moment. I don't stay so long tonight. Feeling a little tired still - and I am hoping to catch some of the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics. I have an idea it will be on in early hours of the morning - so I need to get some shut-eye tonight. I am wondering how my back will be in the morning.

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