I get a late breakfast, more brunch really and head to rent me a bike. I have picked out a temple for my sunset so I will be heading there later on tonight. I'll keep my bike for it, as it is quite a walk away. When I'm renting my bike there is a Chinese girl getting one as well. Her name is Bo and so we decide to cycle round together. I must say my bike is something special, and it has obviously had a few knocks because the left pedal doesn't rotate properly as the crank has been bent and the rear brake doesn't work. Have to go easy in the front one, don't want to lose my teeth, not that I'm likely to pick up too much speed with only one gear. We just start cycling round the old city, not looking for any temple in particular, but stopping at ones that look interesting. Bo can't get used to cycling on the left and I often find her cycling up the other side of the road, luckily there aren't too many cars in the old city so this doesn't prove to be much of a problem. After some temple spotting, which involves the obligatory photos of Bo, in various poses in front of flowers, Buddhas and other areas of interest, it's time for some food. We stop down some alley and are enticed in by a picture on a board outside. As usual, what we got did in no way resemble the picture, but it was nice all the same.
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It's getting on and so it is time to head to my temple for the sunset. The one I have selected is about 2km out of the old city, so it involves a bit of cycling on busy roads. That was interesting. We make it on to the main road that the temple is on and it doesn't take us long to get there. I spent a lot of time picking this temple, meticulous research and planning, involving picking the most westerly temple! When we get there, we have time to take a look around before the sunset. There are very few people here, which is great. The temple has two parts, the outside, featuring the familiar bell structure and then the interior, which was undergoing some restoration. Inside was housed a large golden Buddha and an number of smaller ones. As usual it was blinged to the max and as we move outside the sun shining off the side of the building was dazzling! The flight path is right beside this temple and so the serenity is shattered every so often by the din of jet engines over head. There are plenty of dogs roaming about the temple, a common occurrence. I pick my spot for sunset and wait. I am near the mountain that I was on yesterday and so as the sun sets it disappears behind the mountain. I do however get to see the clouds change to a pink colour before darkness invades. It casts a new light over the white and gold temple as the pink candy floss moves overhead. We move from the temple back out to the main road, here we can see a whole host of clouds above the mountain against a burnt orange background. Back on the bikes and back in to town.
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We get the bikes back just as the shop is closing and get our deposit back. Bo has asked me what my plans are for the next few days. I explain about my visa run and heading to Chiang Rai. She doesn't have a plan and asks if she can join me. No problem. I head to the bus station with her to help her buy a ticket as she can use the public bus and not need to go on the visa run. After this we grab a coffee before she goes to meet a friend and I head for some street food before bed, bus is getting me at 7.30 tomorrow.
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So I am fast asleep, when I get woken up by someone stroking my back. I don't really know what's happening, then I hear 'It's ok sweetheart.....' I lift my head and turn around to find the 45+ man from the next bed on his knees beside me rubbing my back. When he sees my face he says 'Ohh sorry, I thought you were a girl I knew....' then he just walks back over to his bed and goes back to sleep. At this stage I have woken up and processed what has just happened, I feel like I have been violated! I'm also fairly sure that he was asleep during the whole episode. At least he didn't get out of bed on the other side, where a girl is sleeping, that may have caused screaming! My God!