I Ache All Over

I’m sure that this fitness lark is supposed to be good for you ?  At some point I need a day off to let my body recover and I think that will be tomorrow (I’m writing this on Saturday morning – COME ON YOU SAINTS) as Sundays are always busy at work and I think it would make a nice change to just come back from work and flop into the pool for a couple of gentle lengths instead of battling the hordes in the gym.

Talking of hordes, the hotel was packed last night, mostly with families so there were bloody kids running around everywhere.  I don’t know the sleeping arrangements in the room next door but they had their television on all night.  I know this because every time I woke up, for whatever reason, I could hear it.  I don’t know whether they had fallen asleep with it on or whether they were actually watching it but it didn’t make much difference to my life but I thought you’d like to know !

Yesterday I went down to the Empty Quarter again with some work colleagues who hadn’t seen it, or the biggest pile, before.  It was all a bit disappointing as at least one of them couldn’t seem to see it for what it was and spent most of the time whining about the litter, the need to build a racetrack environment, the condition, blah blah blah.  He took most of the fun out of it for everyone else but hey ho, who am I to say he’s wrong.  The situation was exacerbated by me (the only one who had been there before) promising that everything would be alright on the way back because the sun was going down and the scenery would be spectacular………….a bloody great cloud then appears and proceeds to position itself stubbornly over the sun and refuses to move until it gets dark – I don’t think Allah was very happy about some of the sand dune comments and was getting his own back !

The writing of today’s blog (or technically yesterday’s I suppose) has become a bit fragmented as between this paragraph and the last one I have been to the gym and had a 2 hour breakfast.  We came out of the restaurant with the intention of spending at least a couple of hours by the pool but every sunbed is taken and the poor old pool staff are running around like mad things trying to find more beds, more mattresses and more towels.  The rumour amongst the resident classes here (i.e. us) is that the hotel has been offering deals on the internet to try and fill the place up over Easter/ school holidays before they drop into Low Season (in complete contrast to Europe, Low Season here starts as it gets hotter and High Season reappears towards October time – they even have a “Super High Season” at Christmas as people try and get away for the sun.  Airline tickets go the same way although they do at least stay the same price for a flight regardless of when you book them.)

So, anyway, where was I……..oh yes, inventory and sleep I think !

Money – AED 5 for the bloke that cleaned the car windows at the petrol station yesterday while he was filling it up.  I have a AED 20 note and a glass full of change (about AED 30 I’m guessing) which I’m going to try and make last all week before I have to go back to the cashpoint – which should be an interesting challenge as I’m going to Abu Dhabi on Thursday (just for the day) and the talk has been of Pork Pies and English mustard latterly……..do we think we can get that at Carrefore – only time will tell !

Gym – circuits before breakfast yesterday and cross trainer and abs this morning.  I think I will have a rest day tomorrow as I suggested earlier but we will see how much I ache when I get back from work tomorrow before we actually decide !

Food – the usual breakfast (with pastries thrown in because it’s the weekend……..).  I made myself a Pastrami Ciabata (?) roll for lunch yesterday (as I have today) and sneaked it out of the restaurant.  In truth there’s nowhere within a 20 minute drive to buy anything and when the hotel is this busy the service would be bloody awful even if you could afford to buy lunch !  I should also confess to strawberry ice cream at dinner last night……..I just couldn’t resist it !

Weather – worth a mention.  The temperature is climbing steadily at the moment.  Best guesses (from cars) indicate we are now into the 40s.  A thermometer has been ordered from the UK and should arrive here next week with somebody’s wife and then we will know for sure.  We know that it’s getting bad as they are now chilling the water in the pool in an effort to keep it below 30 degs.

Alcohol – nothing for two days although the wine stashed in the wardrobe was calling me last night so I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stave it off for……

Right, the sun is calling and they are here to clean my room so I think you have had enough for a Saturday – I’m off to force myself to relax !