For my birthday this year, I decided to book a staycation for myself at Auberge Discovery Bay, a hotel near a beach. I didn’t want to spend my vacation leaves cooped up at home, and if I couldn’t travel outside the country, I should at least “travel” somewhere inside it.
To make this “travel” more legit, of course I had to bring “luggage.”
When I got there, I was surprised at how huge the room was. There was also a king size bed and a bathtub a lot bigger than the one I had in my quarantine hotel, Novotel.
Outside the window, I could see the lay of the land.
There was a swimming pool outside but unfortunately due to Covid, it was closed to the guests.
But their spa was not closed, so I booked a massage before heading outside to look for lunch at one of the shops near the hotel.
I bought a slize of pizza. Once done eating, I grabbed a paperback novel that I had bought specifically for this occasion, to attempt to get back to the simpler days, I guess? I used to be a bookworm, but nowadays I find it so difficult to finish reading books, thanks to social media reprogramming my brain. I rode a bus to get to the beach.
I did some light reading on the beach for a while, then headed back to the hotel and got dressed for dinner. I was happy that I could finally wear the Castañer Carina canvas espadrilles that I had bought supposedly for summer wear in the office. It had arrived shortly after I was told I had to work from home. 😅
The hotel had given me a card stating that since it was my birthday, they were giving me a complimentary glass of champagne and a dessert at their cafe, so I decided to eat dinner there. I enjoyed the roast chicken I ordered for my main, along with the buffet appetizers and desserts.
I was so pleased with the champagne and the cake they gave me, because it actually looks like a proper birthday cake. I still got one despite being alone and friendless in Hong Kong.
After dinner, I headed upstairs to make a bubble bath for myself and continue reading my book before burrowing into my gigantic bed for the night. I didn’t finish the book that night, but I did manage to finish it within that week so yay!
I enjoyed my leisurely sleep and woke up very late the next day, checking out at the last possible minute.
It was raining. I found a Mexican bar to eat lunch in, and I was pleased when I saw that they had piña colada on their menu, because my friend Elma had told me that she imagined me sipping one while on my staycation. So of course I had to order one.
I did enjoy my solitary birthday, so I’m really glad I booked that staycation. Also, even though I was alone, my friends from overseas still made their presence felt through their generous presents. I am so lucky!
P. S. This post has been updated to include the iPhone 12 I bought partly with a generous Apple Store coupon given by some friends. Its camera is way better than the one on my old iPhone 7 plus, I gotta say!
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