This Place is REALLY Small!

Before I left, a lot of people asked me about the compound.  The most common question was, "How big is it?"  To which I replied, "I don't know."  I had imagined it to be somewhat like a college campus since I was told that it had a small store, and a restaurant, and salon etc.  Also, for the first month or so, Matt was living at the hotel, so he really didn't know.  Later, after he moved into the compound... he was very vague with his answers to my questions... so no matter how many times I heard the previous question, I still had to answer with... "I don't know." (Although I usually followed that up with, "I'll let you know!")  Well, here I am, letting you know!

I attended college at Cal State LA which is not a very big campus as it is mainly a commuter school.  Cal State LA is HUGE in comparison to this place.   I also attended Glendale Community College which has a very small campus. (Unless you were walking from the lower parking lot up to the tennis courts... then it seemed huge.) Anyway, sadly GCC is also HUGE in comparison to this place.  Before GCC, I attended Hoover High School (shout out to all the Hoover Groovers out there!) Sadly, this is more on par with my current living quarters.  

Today I tried to go for a run outside in the early morning.  This is pretty much the only time to attempt something like this because even at night, it is still pretty hot out and the concrete just radiates heat for hours after the sun goes down.  During the day the temps hover around 110 - 115.  From what I hear, they are actually having a pretty mild summer.  August is supposed to be the worst month so hopefully it doesn't get any worse than this.  Currently this just seems like summer in Vegas.  Hot, but it's a dry heat so it is completely manageable.  It was about 81 degrees when I left my apartment at about 6:15 AM.  I had been previously running at the Rosebowl in about 85 degree temps so this was not a problem for me.  

In the compound, there seems to be one main block.  Just before you get to the block, right by my apartment, there is the village doctor.  (So far I haven't needed to go there, but nice to know it's there if I need it.) If you go completely around the main block you will pass a tennis court, then around the corner there is the store and right next to the store is the restaurant.  On the next corner is a small DVD rental place.  (An ok selection... mostly bootlegs.)  Turn the corner again and there is pretty much nothing but apartments and a very quick turn again will find you at the local tailor shop.  At the end of this block, you will find yourself pretty much right back where you started from.  I run with a nike + and I calibrated it at the Rosebowl right before I left so it is pretty accurate.  I measured the distance around the main block, and if you go all the way around it is 1/2 of a kilometer.  (It's all metric here.)  So basically, 10 times around for a 5k.  Instead of turning left to go around the main block, there is always the option to turn right and go down to the basketball court.  This adds on about another 350 meters, but it is basically down and back so it's not very interesting.  Of course, when the only people out so early in the morning are the gardeners, and you have already run past them 8 times... any little detour is welcome.  I am thinking that I will be doing a lot of my miles on the treadmill.  I did notice a flyer though for a local running group that is starting up again in September.  It appears as though they run on different compounds.  I'm not sure how that works or how I will get there since I can't drive... but that is a problem for another day.  

For now, here are just a few pictures of the compound.  Not very good ones because there were still gardeners everywhere and I felt a little self-conscience taking pictures of things.  But just to give you a little idea of what it looks like, here are some pictures.

This is the Village Doctor.  I haven't actually been inside so I can't really tell you what is in there, but if I ever do have to go.... I will try and take a picture.  Just so you know, from the outside, the DVD store and the tailor look exactly the same.  Still haven't found the Salon but I see advertisements for it so I know its here somewhere.  

Here is one of the pools.  They are everywhere.  I believe there are 10 of them.  At least this is pool number 10.  You can pretty much always find your own pool to swim in.  Behind it is just one of the many apartments on the compound.

This is the playground area.  I have yet to see any kids playing on it.  Probably because it is just too hot.  It is much bigger than the picture... about twice this size.  Behind it is another pool and behind that are more apartments.

This is just one of the streets off the main block.  It actually goes down pretty far and ends in the basketball court.  There is another of these streets that ends in the gym.  Went there today but forgot to take a picture.  

This is just the outside of the store.  To the right of this is the dry cleaners.  (Different from the tailors) I didn't take any pictures of the inside, although I went here today too.  Felt weird doing it.  

This is the outside area of the restaurant.  Sometimes they open up those doors so there is a bit of an indoor outdoor feel.  I kinda prefer that because otherwise it is rather freezing in there.  (See Gina... the little sweaters came in handy after all!) This is the only place to eat so even though I have only been here a few days, we have already gone here several times.  Also, they deliver which is sooo nice.  (After the Embassy party we had them deliver twice as I didn't even feel like walking over there.)  That's all for now!