I wake about 7:00 AM, I am still tired, but I also want to play some golf today. I don’t get up right away, but I don’t go back to sleep either. Eventually I go to the clubhouse to see what is available for breakfast. After some thick pancakes it is time to inquire about golf. Although my villa is free, the golf is not. I decide to pay only 9 holes (I have not played in 10 years). The greens fee is 900p, caddy fee 150p, cart rental 200p, club rental 200p, shoe rental 100p, buy 6 balls for 72p, 12 tees for 25p. OK, I guess I am ready!
About the time I put on my shoes my cart and caddy arrive. Like all of the caddies here, Irene is a youngish woman. She doesn't talk much (in english), but she does know the course and was a big help, certainly worth the small fee! There are not many golfers this morning (just wait until tomorrow) and so we play alone. This was fine with me. I did not want the pressure and embarrassment of playing in a foursome! Irene drives us to the 10th tee (I am playing the back nine because I have been told it is prettier). I let the 4-some that followed us there tee off ahead of me, while I try to loosen up. But soon there is no more delaying possible and I must actually hit the ball! Tee up, head down, swing back, forward, follow-thru. Geez, it should have been a great shot! Oh well, at least it stayed in the fairway about 150 yards out. The 10th is a long par 5. At this rate I will shoot a 10!
The 9 holes goes pretty quickly. After 3 holes we go back to the clubhouse so I can buy some bottle water. Even though there is a breeze and the cart has a canopy, I am still perspiring freely and am quite thirsty. While I am getting my water an older couple are getting ready to start playing. The chubby wife asks the chubby husband about getting water, and he replies that he doesn't need any. I tell him he might want to reconsider. I have already lost 3 balls, so I get 2 more just to be safe. Back to the course we go. Gradually I do a little better. A nice tee shot here; a nice iron shot there, a nice put. Unfortunately not all of these on the same hole! At the end of the round I have shot a 56 (Irene kept score, so I could not cheat!) and feel pretty good about it.
After we return the equipment I have lazy lunch at the clubhouse. I then go to the room (oops, I mean villa), and finally emerge with my swim trunks on ready to go to the beach. The guard calls the van, and soon I am walking on white sand towards the crystal blue waters. I wad dropped off about a mile south of my resort and on the other (west) side of the main road, and I start walking north along the beach. In the distance I see some rock formations that jut out into the water. They look interesting and so I keep walking. When I reach the rocks I go for a swim. Wow, the water is so clear! The water temp is neither warm nor cold--very pleasant and refreshing! After spending some time in the water I continue to walk around the rock formation. At the beach-side end there is a stairway that leads to a Catholic shrine. I walk up the stairway and find two young ladies on a ledge nearby. I am amazed that they were able to get to the ledge--it looks a bit difficult! They explain how they did it and I soon join them. Their names are N and R, and they work at a restaurant on the beach. They soon go off to work, and I continue walking north along with beach until I reach the place where the ferry boat dropped us off. I was planning on walking to the villa from there, but I soon realize that the walk is a bit rocky and so I take a tricycle.
Later that evening I go back to the main beach area for dinner. It is Thanksgiving! Well, I don’t think I will find any turkey here! I end up at the restaurant where N and R work. It is a Korean restaurant. I am reluctant to eat here because you are supposed to grill the food yourself at your table. But, when N agrees to be my personal cook (at the time I am the only customer) then I say OK, let's eat! The meal is interesting, with a few different kinds of kimchi, rice, and strips of pork that are grilled. A little meat heavy for me, but it was fun. After all, here I am sitting on a tropical beach, moonlight reflecting off the water, having a nice dinner cooked for me by a lovely young lady! Yes, I am a very lucky man!
After dinner I walk up the strip again, but soon head back to the villa. I am a little tired and so I go to bed.
went into the trap!
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