Restaurant in the Rain

Lately it’s been typhoon like rains here. Even lost power for a little bit last night. I was out of food. Ate some peanuts and pretzels for dinner and knew regardless of weather, I was going to have to go out tomorrow. It’s interesting here, you can look at the weather radars and it shows rain non -stop, but you just never know what part of the island that it’s hitting at any given moment. I was told that radars don’t lie, but I have news for you…..they don’t work accurately over here. That’s all I know.

My goal this week was to get out again and discover new places. Wednesday I did just that. Today I decided I needed to find a new restaurant. My usual chicken fried rice at the Bicycle Cafe was getting a little boring. I used Trip Advisor to locate a highly rated cafe near me that I haven’t yet been to called Bar We Grill”. I googled the directions, no kidding, 5 times, because I did not believe where it was taking me. It appeared even from the satellite views that it was a dead end residential area.

Jumped on Tia who was a bit congested this morning, and headed out only 4 minutes from my condo. Discovered the most hidden gem! I have no idea how anyone would find this except for looking up random restaurants or word of mouth in the neighborhood.

Fantastic meal for 6$. Salad dressing about burnt my lips off but otherwise good old fashion fresh food.

When walking out I noticed they had their own organic farm inside a greenhouse beside the restaurant. Felt very futuristic to me. I’ve seen people stopping their scooters and going into the jungle to cut greens”- assuming they are for cooking. I loved the idea that nature just provided them what they needed and there wasn’t any monitoring of the food. But this is good clean living directly on the premises.

I went to the grocery after to be sure I had some water to get me through the night. But of course, as always, I hit the store between 2-5pm so was unable to get any beer for my weekly Friday night in-house solo party at the condo 🙂 Never fear, I jigged out for a 6 pack again between the clouds. Got a little wet, but at least there will be a cold beer waiting for me when I get off Cambly tonight.

Rayee Beach and Kamala Bay

Just when I thought I had seen them all, I was googling a new restaurant to explore in the Kamala area and when following the roads found a new beach. Not a swim-able one, but still a beautiful spot to sit in nature and kill a few afternoon hours.

Up close and personal with these gorgeous condos on my way. This road was virtually empty which was such a treat for Tia and I.

Rayee Beach. There is so much construction in this area. But for now secluded.

Just have to make my way around this rock to get to the bay.

Love the hidden crevices that the crabs scamper from when they see me coming.

Love this perspective. Takes on a new beauty.

Nature at its finest. Rocks, sand, water, mountains, clouds and sun. Rugged and smooth. Hot and cool. I am so happy I got out today to appreciate this island again!

Seriously no color filter, the sky was so blue today.

Was appreciating the feathery leaves against the sketchy clouds.

The greenery added is surreal to me. All the different textures. And no I wasn’t stoned.

Decided the original restaurant I set out to eat at was going to have to wait. I wanted to keep touring down this road to see where it would lead It took me around million dollar gated villas and up mountains with views like this.

One of the many construction projects . I ended up stopping at a restaurant across the street from this.

Walked up this path to reach the restaurant which I was the only person at. Made sense. The roads were empty and the area looks up and coming. Not sure how they stay in business.

View from my seat. Lots of construction. This will be a beautiful dinner location one day.

So happy. I swear exploring new areas is what I love most! Going down roads unknown. Talking Tia up hills and trying to convince her she is lucky I purchased her so she did not have to retire.

Lime soda. My favorite drink here.
Fried rice in a pineapple. Classic Thai cuisine. Was delicious!!
My adventure did not end here. But feel like I should save that for another blog post.

Exploring Roads Unknown

Yesterday for Taco Tuesday, Virlane and her son David picked me up and we made it for the 1/2 price timing! I ate four tacos which won me a free shot of tequila. Yes please!

Such a great colorful capture! The dude in the hat is the owner of the joint and a past neighbor of Virlane’s. He’s obviously a hoot!

On our drive back from the taco stand, Virlane was telling me about a road that is a back way to my place and goes through more jungle areas. I was intrigued. She gave me the British International School as a landmark to Google map my way there. In true Tonya style, I of course wandered off that path and followed a local scooter that went into what I thought was a golf course area. I passed a gated un-guarded entry and discovered a dam that led to a work- out area. I may go back this weekend with my sneakers and see where it all leads.

I saw a ton of people in work out gear running their way into this wooded area. So I decided to start walking in but then got distracted by a staircase.

Nobody was going up them, but it looked like a good leg work out to me. So I decided to adventure up to see where it led.

It was going quite high up and between the trees was a clear view of the scooters and people that arrived for their evening jog after work.

I turned a corner and now I was a bit worried. Was I headed to some personal property of some kind? Being farang I felt I had a legitimate excuse for being lost so I continued up.

This shrine was at the top. Complete with fu dogs guarding the entry. The most intriguing part to me was the soccer balls in the alter area below the statue. ( Mimi later explained to me that the soccer balls are an offering to the tiger statue that is there)

Guard for the temple. And that’s a baton so get your minds out of the gutter!

I started following a path to the right but then decided against it since mosquitoes were starting to discover me.

You know I love the view through the trees!

This was out front of the temple. Clean dishes. I am mystified as to why they are there, and who does them?

On the way back to my condo I stopped at this street market to see if there was anything I could eat for dinner. As much as I love exploring, when it comes to food I am not so daring.

Any idea what the green things are? Look like giant pee pods to me 🙂

For some reason this stand intrigued me. The colors just do not look edible. Almost like a take on pepto, or is it just me? I ended up landing myself at a very classy road side Italian restaurant. I will definitely be going back there. Homemade ricotta and spinach ravioli with butter sauce….6$ dinner. Not bad!

We Cafe

Virlane introduced to me to the We Cafe. It’s an adorable chain cafe in the middle of nowhere that is clean, nicely decorated, and has organic salad. It’s the one place I go a week to get my veggies. I have purchased fruit twice so far in Thailand and both have been left to rot, only to end up as food for the garbage. I know better than to buy vegetables when even fruit seems to get ignored in my fridge.

I texted Virlane to see if she was available in the middle of this afternoon to meet up. We both love an excuse to get our mid-western butts out of the condos where we seem to sink at times.

Tia needed air in the back tire yesterday. It was actually a bit scary driving her to the grocery as I didn’t have a lot of control and she was wobbling a bit. That’s when I discovered the flat. Only after buying groceries and attempting to safely get back home.

Knowing this happened yesterday, I was concerned that the tire may be flat again this am. Sure enough, it was. So my trek to meet Virlane was intersected at long traffic lights with texts telling Virlane I may not make it and could use a rescue. I am worried about Tia’s health. She coughs a bit before starting and I worry one day she won’t be able to turn her engine. But I am not giving up on her.

It was about 4 pm so not crowded at all. Love the decor with the woodwork and ferns.

I’m not sure what they are saying but looks like a designated lover’s corner.

Check out that cat on the cappuccino! And the salad is the best I have had. So glad she introduced me to this place. Total cost of this meal was $6.50

At lunch we put a game plan together to drop Tia off at the Yamaha shop that she was last repaired in. Even though they would be closed, Virlane would give me a ride home and I could follow up with them tomorrow about needed repairs. But my tire at this point was way flat and that place was 10 minutes away. We tried to put air into the tire but it would not accept it. I was getting a tad nervous, until Virlane spotted a tire repair shop that happened to still be open!!! Love my luck.

Yep an official Thai repair shop. Quite a garage. They kept insisting I sit down, but all the chairs were filthy. They dug one out that wasn’t too bad so I nicely accepted.

His jeans say it all. I got a new innertube and they sent me on my way for $4.50. Heroes. So kind. No hassle, no appointment, just fix and go. I enjoyed my drive home and got to see a new neighborhood to boot. Adventures never end here.

Yamu Beach and Brunch

Today I had a brunch date with Barbara who wanted to show me one of her favorite spots near her house. The restaurant is named TASTE. It had a set menu for Sunday brunch which I was leary of being the picky eater that I am. The 12 course meal was so worth the money and the view from the venue unbelievable! Between courses you could dip into the pool, take your cocktail and appreciate the harbor view of Yamu.

Pool view from our table. Another gorgeous day here.

Totally understand why she loves it here.

This would be an awesome evening party venue with a group of friends.

Dessert was to die for! Home made icecream and some sort of nut pie. I honestly never tasted anything this good before. And not too sweet. All portions were perfectly sized and left us satisfied. Included grilled fish tacos, goat cheese salad, shrimp in garlic sauce, crispy pork meatballs—-I should’ve take a photo of the menu, it seemed endless.

Art everywhere in sculpture and mural formats. More Instagram ammunition.

After swimming and lunch we walked into a gated community with huge private homes and walked down this pathway to Yamu Beach.

Only locals on the beach digging for crabs.

We sat for a bit and enjoyed the sun, shade, and colors.

Not a swimming beach, but still beautiful with zero trash ashore. Barbara knew I loved discovering new beaches and was excited to show me this one. Was a fantastic Sunday!

Taco Tuesday in Thailand

Today we planned a girl’s outing to the Mexican joint for Taco Tuesday. Half priced tacos!! Unfortunately we got there at 2pm and the reduced pricing didn’t start until 6pm. That didn’t keep me from eating 4! Virlane knows the owner and he spotted her and came over to chat for a bit. He is from Sweden and runs a few food trucks and a catering business. Very interesting guy. When we mentioned that we would write reviews on Trip Advisor for him, he said not to bother. His business is good and his partner got busted when they first opened for writing several reviews himself for the place. So Trip Advisor knocked him down to the very bottom and he doesn’t think he will ever get back up. He also mentioned needing to get a web person going because while I was complimenting his food, I said it never shows up when looking in Phuket. Trip Advisor seems to rule a lot of the media and what you can see” over here when looking for places.

Sort of turns you on right?! 🙂 Was painted on one of the tables.

See I started with just two. But kept going back and ordering more. Love the jalapenos on them and the sour cream is the best! The owner said he lived in LA and San Francisco before moving to Phuket and found there was no good Mexican food so he established this place. I also recognize a lot of “opportunities” here but just don’t have the gusto to start them up. I think moving here took up the gusto I had left 🙂

Virlane told me about this place last week when we were out. Tia and I stopped by on our way home to take a look. They make all their products on the premises and it smells amazing. Wondering if this brand exists in the USA?

And their own massage oil and body scrubs!

This was the facility behind the shop where they make it all. So authentic and cool. Prices were not that bad either. I wondered if the US had import duties and restrictions on these type of products.

Their scents were all natural. Check out the cutie pie heart shaped soaps.

As I continued homeward bound, some new street art caught my attention. I pulled into the place that was under construction and walked around. Because why not? They don’t really require any sort of protective gear, they all wear flip flops too! They are building a water park and it looks like a fun village attached that will have restaurants and shops etc. I will post more art from this place on my Instagram tonyatakesthailand street art posts.

Check out the village! LOVING the colors and detail work.

I haven’t seen colors put together like this any place else on the island so far. They had bright buildings in Phuket Town but not quite as elaborate as these.

Me sporting my Iris sunglasses in front of one of the many live plant walls that they have in this new facility. The plant wall idea has been a growing (no pun intended) trend for a decade now and with the air quality getting worse it can only help! Glad to see communities embracing it. Wondering if Ohio has yet? I think I’ve only seen them inside restaurants, not outside walls like this one or the ones I have seen in Europe. One of you guys start the movement! (Rebecca?)

No Name Beach Bar

My day started out with an AMAZING gift from my love. A four hour spa treatment! At a very luxurious facility! I’m so excited! And for no reason. Not my birthday. No special occasion. God this man is good to me!

Please understand I flip out when I pay 1000 BHT for lunch or dinner. Justin went overboard. I would never do this for myself!
Such a lavish gesture. (heart emogi if i could)

Today I planned to hit a 4.7 Tripadvisor rated beach bar for lunch which is not that far from my condo. Sounded like an easy road trip and something new to try. This is why I enjoy and sometimes prefer travelling by myself. My ideas and trips don’t always go as planned and I sort of love that. The adventure of it. I got yelled at repeatedly by a security guard for parking in a spot that apparently wasn’t meant for me. To the point where I told him to “chill out!” I walked down a roped off road, which to normal people would have been the first indication that it wasn’t looking great.

The sign was still pointing down that road. I logically think they would’ve removed it if the bar no longer existed right?!

Welp this was it. I didn’t dare go in. It looked like it was still recovering from the tsunami. I guess I need to start checking the dates on those reviews!

I decided since I was here, I may as well walk the beach and see what this section is all about. As you can see from this photo, the entire strip of beach where the tide went to was covered in trash. Like a trash line that the waves kindly said “no thank you” to. I may need to just pack a garbage bag everywhere I go.

Beautiful water colors and lots of sailboats out today.

There were occasional swings hanging out every once in awhile.

Deserted really. Quiet and peaceful during low season here.

Climbed some steps to a resort and planted myself here for some chicken satay and a mocktail. No complaints. Always a happy ending in Thailand. 555.

A Beautiful Saturday at The Deck and Kamala Beach

Today Barbara and I planned a beach day. She invited a friend of hers to join us, Jira. Jira is a Thai independent woman who supports herself as a realtor. She is proud that she is hard working and does not rely on anyone. She is a fantastic go getter. She said most Thai men don’t like her since she is so strong. She seems to only attract European men. I loved meeting her. I think we will be good friends and are planning to go to beaches together when Barbara goes to Bangkok.

Barbara met a chef when she lived in Samui who now works at a restaurant in Kamala so we all headed there for lunch. Was mediterranean and fabulous! Haven’t had humus or greek yogurt sauce since I left The States.

My meal. Was so flipping flavorful! Cosmo could have been stronger 🙂

Another view from the restaurant. I love the mountains and beaches together!

Selfie of the day. Anyone that saw the photo Barbara tagged me in on FB noticed my beautiful helmet hair 🙂
We all swam at my condo prior to taking off to the beach. I was no beauty queen 🙂

Walked the full length of the beach with Juri. Took this photo along the way. There were tons of surfers here. I asked her if today was considered big waves and she said YES! (they weren’t really in my opinion but now I know this is as big as they get)

This bridge went over a channel to a place called Cafe de Mar. It was rocking! Music blaring, people partying. Packed. I told Juri we should go back and get Barbara. Thinking Traci and I will hit this place in August.

Sun started going down so we headed out. They kicked us off the beach chairs at 6pm.

Barbara in her new outfit she purchased from a women selling stuff off the beach.

LOVE this photo. Took it from the parking lot when I was leaving. Just captures it all so naturally.

Stopped on my drive home to snap this one. I just couldn’t resist. It was so gorgeous.

And then this happened! I nearly had a heart attack as I was driving and I saw construction guys using elephants to do work. I drove a little further and saw this one coming down the road so I had to stop and capture the moment. You just don’t see this every day.

Something about the elephant, the palm tree ,the rasta man and signage in the background= priceless. BTW that string you can see down behind the elephant’s ear was tied to his leg. This is how the man was controlling the elephant. It was such a joke to me. Who was really in control?

Another perfect and adventurous day. One of my students from the other night reserved time with me next week! I’m happy to be getting a repeat student already! But shit, now I better prepare a lesson eh?

Familiar Souls and Nature

These last couple of days I spent with my new friends Barbara and Virlane. I couldn’t be happier to have both of them in my life, sharing their experiences and being more than open and real. There is no one up-ing here with stories of whose children are more successful or who has a better house or car. It’s all about helping each other be the best you. And encouraging each other to new thoughts, challenges and less self hate.

Yesterday Tia and I set out to find Barbara’s house, which is in a very local neighborhood over by the Heroine Monument roundabout. I got lost, of course but eventually found it. Even drove the wrong way on the highway. (people do that here when you need to get to a U turn that is closer. Virlane later told me they call those people “angels” because they are soon to die) Barbara’s place is an adorable little house that she pays little more than I do for.

She was giving away a bag of clothes to charity, so I took my pick from them and landed a new dress, Singa beer tank top and some cut off shorts. People that know me know I have NEVER owned a pair of shorts. Now I have two, only because they were free and fit.

We ate at a road side cafe for lunch where your choices of drinks are on display at your table. They bring you a glass of ice and you can just open what you want. Clever I thought. Silverware is in the pink box. I tried the national salad of Thailand – the green papaya salad (som tum). It’s tough to describe as far as flavors. Sour, yet spicy, textural yet not offensive. Interesting and glad she made me do it.

We wandered into familiar territory to grab some dessert. I decided afterwards to part ways and go further up the road back to the waterfall to hike a bit. When arriving I got to hear the gibbons howl and it was wild. Guess I have heard them before at the zoo, but it’s totally different when you are in their jungles/natural habitats and hearing them.
I noticed some clever souls made these rock piles.

Bamboo continues to fascinate me. They way it breaks, bows and clusters.

I had to wander a bit down into the rocks to remove myself from the groups of people that were swimming. Found this spot which was cool and perfectly peaceful. Admired nature the way I do and watched how all had its place and played its part.

This morning (both Barbara and Virlane are morning people- their only downfalls) Virlane picked me up and took me to Laguna and Layan Beach areas. We talked previously about how I had never been to those two beaches and they were her favorites so we trekked over together. Laguna is a beautiful resort area with golf courses and amazing houses built around man made lakes. All near enough to the beach. My understanding is this beach is the northern part of Bang Tao beach.

It was high tide and barely any room to walk. Virlane said there is a full moon and an eclipse to be seen tonight only in South America which was effecting the tides.
The clouds were rolling in and wind was picking up.

A lot of drift wood ashore. Virlane said it was not here yesterday as she walks this beach daily. The beach was littered with plastic bottles. Was quite disgusting and I wish I had packed a garbage bag. This beach is off of a river and a national forest in Phuket. Very local.

I was telling Denise Dewitt, who was just in India discussing the consumption/upcycling trend in India, that a lot of bottles that wash ashore have crustaceans on them. I took a photo of this log that obviously had been at sea for quite a bit. I’ve seen bottles with similar coverage.

Not sure if because this beach is near a forest if it has anything to do with all the branches laying about?

This Google Earth photo shows what the beach is like in low tide. We walked from about the blue/green dot to the tip where it sharply turns. But there was very little beach exposed. Virlane was telling me how you can walk to the island during low tides and that there was usually a lot of sand bars. This map captured that. We had planned to walk over to Layan Beach but the water was too high and it started to rain.

She asked if I liked Mexican food and I was like “hell ya”- but it sucks here. She had discovered this place and said it’s the best on the island. And it was!!! The chicken was not ready yet (it was noon) since they said yesterday was Taco Tuesday and one guy came and ate 20 tacos himself!

We vowed to come back on Tuesday nights! 50 BHT tacos- aka $1.50 each and excellent fresh ingredients. Virlane lives next door to the owner who is actually Swedish. She is so comfortable to hang with! My fellow midwestern friend from Illinois, who I learned today is a breast cancer survivor, wedding planner, English teacher, seminary class taker/now turned anti religious, mother of two, life coach, environmentalist, and biologist who researched woodpecker habitats to document for a fight against forestry. There’s nothing she can’t do or won’t try. Adorable!!

I opted to have a margarita since she was driving. Ended up crashed out in a nap for 3 hours after getting back home-555. In Thai you say the number 5 as “ha”. So 555- is like our LOL. Learn something new every day.

Ao Yon Beach

Another Trash Hero beach clean up was scheduled for today at 4:30 at Ao Yon Beach. I had been down to that area of Phuket before when I met up with Tim, the charter boat guy, but I don’t think I actually took the time to explore much or enjoy. Decided to go down there for lunch. I invited Jason, my new expat friend, but he had to work. He told me to go to “The Cove” and it was beautiful! A great recommendation.