After a two-month break from running, this morning’s jog was deliberately challenging. I am on Gili Trawangan, a 3-km long, 2-km wide island. That means I could, in theory, run around the entire island. However, such a jog got to be torturous unless one runs at midnight in the rain for the heat seems unbearable any other time of the day.
When it rained yesterday’s evening, my host told me it’s the first time in three months. It lasted longer than normal tropical showers, so I calculated that the morning wouldn’t be so hot. Man, I was quite wrong.
As I set out at 7am, there was no hint of the late hour rain but some damp sandy paths spotted with puddles. I started on the shadowy back streets where riders were giving their horses the morning wash before heading out to pick up tourists. This part was nice and pleasant, but did not last very long. Gili Trawangan is pretty small, remember?
As soon as I reached the beach front, the extreme heat attacked every single cell of my body. Sweat streamed down my face. My habitual reaction was to wipe it off, but I had to give up after a while because it seemed so useless. I pushed on through resorts and restaurants on both sides to get to the quiet beach in the North. By the time I got there, my top was totally soaked, and I counted myself stupid for not bringing any water or money to buy some.
The northern part is quiet enough so that one can see a relatively long stretch of beach without being interrupted by a snorkelling boat or some sun beds. I got a spur from the space and picked up on my speed along the firm sand. It was hard work though. I miss Amsterdam parks and their perfectly paved paths. But well, like I said to my man: no pain, no gain. The view here is pretty paradise-like.
nightcactus 