I’m now more than halfway done with my work here, though I’ve still got six days left in the trip. It’s been great so far, a really nice mix of work and fun; in fact, I’d go so far as to say this is really the way to do it. Work during the day, doing a job you enjoy, and have the evenings and weekend to explore. No more exhaustion from going to museums all day long, plenty of time to get a feel for the place. This is as close as I’ll probably get to living here, and it’s nice to feel like I’m part of the office, going to the vault to fetch my films each day, sitting around the table for tea, leaving work as the streets fill with people walking home.

On Monday night, I looked around online to see if there were any races going on this weekend, and the only thing I found was a Tuesday night 5k on the waterfront. So, yesterday morning I got up a little early and ran for about 20 minutes, the first I’d run since the marathon, just to make sure I still could. I could, and I left work at 4:30 to zip back to the apartment and then head to The Loaded Hog, where I got my number written on my hand and waited for the start. The race was run by the Wellington Scottish running club, who seemed like a really nice bunch of people who get together on Tuesday nights to run and drink (as well as competing more seriously throughout the year). I can’t remember the last 5k I ran, but my marathon training seems to have helped, despite the fact that I was a little sore and hadn’t run in a week. I took almost a minute off my PR (which was about six years old), even with the stiff headwind. I felt good, enjoyed my complimentary beer, and headed back home.

I thought I’d try another pub quiz, but got there a little late, at which point it was all full. Turns out it was run by the same guy who’d run the one the night before – quite a racket. I had passed by The Flying Burrito Brothers the day before, but it wasn’t open for lunch, so I came back for dinner. It was packed, but I managed to grab a stool by the window in the corner and had a tasty burrito. I ended the night with a gelato from Kaffee Eis and headed back home.

This morning, I headed out along the harbor at 7:15 or so to catch the sunrise I’d seen the day before when I was out on my run. It was pretty spectacular, and I enjoyed watching the sky slowly lighten and took some photos.

At lunch, I strolled Cuba Street to take pictures of the architecture:

And after eating at Fidel’s yesterday, it only seemed appropriate to dine at Ernesto today.

I did some paperwork for the project for awhile after finishing at the office for the day, and then headed out for a walk. I scaled the steps to The Terrace and had a look around.

For dinner, I went back to Sweet Mother’s Kitchen, the tasty Mexican/Cajun restaurant Aimee and I went to last time we were here, and I sat in the exact same spot at the bar. It was, as always, super-crowded. I had a very tasty bowl of gumbo and some cornbread, and read the first 45 pages of Richard E. Grant’s autobiography. Yep, that’s right, the story of the making of Withnail and I, washed down with a pale ale. I talked myself into, out of, and into (again) a milkshake, once I heard they could make it thick, and mix peanut butter and chocolate. I ran a race yesterday, right? It was a tasty end to a good day.