I keep hearing the news about many countries slowly starting to open back up. Phuket was 7 days CV-19 case free until today when 4 new cases were confirmed, yet most places here remain closed. Outdoor seating only in restaurants which is not great since we have entered rainy season. Beaches, pools and my beloved coffee shop remain closed and most places are still ghost towns.
Airports /flights are still discontinued and if you want to cross the bridge off the island you need to make an appointment and get a health approval from a clinic prior to exiting. The good news is I don’t need to check in with immigration until July 31 as they are trying to limit the amount of people at the government bureaus. (My 90 day check in would have been May 28)
Although nothing is yet open, Mean Mia is able to cruise the roads without the restrictions of past district road blocks. We took a roundabout way back to Kathu and went up to Rang Hill to see if it was open to the public, wanting to sit in the sun or enjoy the view. What I found instead was that this area was now taken over by the monkeys that I never have seen here before.
They were lounging about grooming each other.
One tourist got out of her car and went right up to these guys and took a very up-close photo. One monkey jumped onto her back. I don’t understand people. I mean why would you think we should be getting close to these wild animals? I kept my distance.
Mother’s Day flowers blooming at Jason’s house.
Flowering bushes after a night of rain.
These were captured on our hike up the steep hill to the Big Buddha.
Today Jason and I decided to go on a morning hike up to the Big Buddha. He lives very close to this monument. I thought we were going to take a trail up from his house, but instead I followed him on my scooter half way up the main road to the Big Buddha and then we parked and walked the rest of the way up. Was good exercise nonetheless. And scenic too.
We passed these elephants who were chained and not able to leave their areas. Made me sad to see one of the elephant’s head bobbing constantly.
Up the hill on the right was the bull elephant.
Jason reminded me that they were not skinny and were not in cages. Good points. Guess it could always be worse. I love how they blend in with the dirt landscape. I think they are covered in mud to avoid the sun and flies.
View walking up. Taking this photo was my excuse to get my breath back:) It is an extremely steep incline!
We started out at 8:30 am and finished at about 11:00.
It started to sprinkle so Jason grabbed a leaf to use as a natural umbrella.
We sat in a gazebo once we got to the buddha and watched the rain roll in. By the time we headed back downhill we were bound to get soaked. Jason gave up on the umbrella leaf.
At first I was a little bit disappointed that the sunny days are now limited as we head into the rainy season, but I am reminded of my time with Traci when she visited me in Phuket. That feeling of just accepting the rain and it being one of the best feelings! When it’s warm, a little rain feels refreshing and so natural. Embracing the rain is something in The States that we rarely do. Reminds me of the simple days when I was a kid. I no longer have to go to any job or place where looking like a drowned rat will be disapproved of here, so I plan to embrace this season full force! A new approach to what would normally keep me down.
When doing a Zoom meeting with a couple of the artists from my past team, I clearly saw how all of us are so uniquely different. Not that I didn’t already know that, but it triggered my thinking. What would be your sitcom if you had one written about you and the life you lead?
People have teased me that I’m living the Eat, Pray, Love story—but I don’t see that at all. It was a good book for sure. But at the time when I read it, I thought, “must be nice to have money.” Wasn’t exactly my inspiration. So what inspires us? What would be the main focus of our personal series?
Laura Bingle would absolutely have her own dry humored comedy show and I would watch every episode. Pam York would host a very peaceful series about kindness and inspirational support, with a realistic take on it. Jeff Hannigan, I decided, would have a show about his new pups. An animal comedy show of some sort. Mine….?
I used to always say my ex-husband Victor needed his own show called “Everybody loves Victor”. Would yours be a family show? Or an adventure about taking risks? A cooking show? Or what not to eat? (ie: Lucky Charms for dinner- aka Debbie) A how- to- tutorial on Rye moms paddle boarding on the Long Island Sound? A mental illness survival guide? Suburban alcoholic moms gone wild? An environmental awareness show? Disc golf champions then and now? The making of a rock star? Think about it, the possibilities are endless.
Would anybody watch your show? What would need to change in your current life story to make it worth the producer’s investment?
We all know current reality shows are overly acted and dramatized. I mean Tiger King, seriously? I’m scared and embarrassed to see people like this actually exist in America. We are all relatable humans but are we properly telling our true stories? Contributing to the world with the gifts we have been given?
My daughter Zozo created this cartoon of me. I feel like it would be the perfect image for my anime. I think my sitcom would be about finally saying ‘fuck you’ to the expected life societal norms that we convince ourselves we have to follow in order to be deemed appropriately acceptable and responsible. Possibly a digital nomad travel show of a middle aged, not so special, feisty average joe, making her way appreciating the world and all it has to offer. Inspiring her daughters to think globally and push their limits.
I can appreciate those travel shows where people go to extremes and are constantly nonstop, but I see them as so out of reach, a life most of us can’t relate to. Like Olympic athletes who are completely out of our world achieving the impossible. And kudos to those super humans!
But I guess what I am saying is, our stories as we live, are enough. Just make sure your character is not the one we all wish were killed off in the show, but rather are intrigued by their authenticity and evolving life struggles.
For everyone, I know this month has not been wonderful. I hesitated to blog at all because we are all sick of hearing about the virus and the negative effects it has on us. The world has been turned on its axis and we are seeing changes we never imagined we would in our lifetime.
I’ve had a few friends reach out and ask if I was doing okay since I haven’t blogged for quite some time. I love using this venue to share my adventures and passion for exploration. But I consciously do my best not to express negativity here. Let’s face it, April is full of it.
A friend of mine reminded me that being authentic is what people want. We have enough ‘fake book posts in the social media. Considering this comment, I decided to blog about the realities of April for me. (thanks Ayla)
I’ll start by saying, this month has been quite a roller coaster ride. After two years of dating, the oceans that separate Justin and I proved to me, yet again, that love is never enough to make something work. So “begin again” is really kicking my ass. This relationship is the toughest to leave since it is filled with nothing but fun- filled memories, compatibility and positive experiences. Never a fight or hardship. It’s a love story that was never going to have a happy ending given the different paths we are on. That being said, the deep heartbreak I am feeling is worth the time spent. I wouldn’t trade the love exchanged for anything.
Knowing I would sleep my life away given this circumstance, a kind soul in my life suggested I work up a schedule to keep my body moving in a routine of sorts. In attempt to stay sane during my alone time with just my crazy thoughts, and thankfully, my Cambly students, I chicken scratched a loose routine to follow. I have been following it ever since and as much as I hate the monotony of it, it does work!
This is a personal glimpse into my life. Yes, I have to actually put showering on the schedule. I need to start putting shaving on there too 🙂
As if being alone inside a condo for a month is not enough to drive you crazy, I then got the news that the sale of alcohol during this period in Thailand was banned. Yep!! I am sober and solo. At the time this notification was issued, I had a bottle of wine left and a little vodka. I decided to just get a good drunk on and finish it off. Happily some wine was shared during my morning hours while on a video call with Stephanie! (love you!)
The notification. Happy fucking birthday to me.
Below is my view for 6 hours a day, 6 days a week. My Cambly students are the best!!! I have back to back appointments and love all the stories and wisdom they share with me about their lives and their current situations with the virus. I swear I get more from them than they do me, but they continue to schedule with me- so I’ll take it!
My 2020 storyboard reminds me of the changes I want to see. It is taped onto the TV I have never turned on.
Corona varies around the world. Korea and Taiwan are the only countries open”, but Korean schools are still closed/online classes only. Japan is just now starting to shut down. Saudi Arabia just found out they have to stay indoors all of May also. There will be no celebration for Ramadan. Vietnam is shut down. Brazil has an insane twin brother to Trump as a leader, so their president just fired their Minister of Health and all smaller governments are being pressured to open back up. China has implemented an app that keeps track of your health and whereabouts. (true big brother)
Every country continues to battle the reappearance of the virus after numbers were low for awhile. Most of the new cases seen are from citizens returning from other countries, or in Taiwan’s case a military ship that was brought back to shore after a month away at sea.
On my island of Phuket, there have only been an occasional 0-3 new cases daily. (total number of cases below 200) They are hoping to open things back up May 1. But once tourists come back, which is much needed here for financial stability, I am sure we will see another wave of cases.
Today I adventured out on Mean Mia and discovered all my parameter roadblocks. They literally put up barriers . You have to stop and have/show a pass to travel anywhere outside your zone. The police officers are super friendly and kind. I tried to convince them to let me go the grocery which was right across the street from the barrier, but in the end, I could not. Now my grocery shopping is basically from the local 7/11 store. (a lot of chips and soda!)
Upon returning I sprayed my keys and door handles with an alcohol spray that Jason gave me. Is this the new paranoid normal? I don’t recognize myself.
My breakfast time. Every day reading my ‘Jesus Calling’ and ‘Unfuck your Brain’ daily quotes to start my afternoon off right. The irony in the two I realize. (the peanut butter and bagels are leftover from an earlier grocery visit)
I’m so bored I even analyze movies I watch. This was my first anime film and I found it so interesting in an unexpected artistic way. I usually do not love cartoons.
My daily visit outdoors to get some sunshine is spent on my tiny balcony. I can only capture the sun from 10:30-11:30 am.
Stole from a friend’s FB post. Truth simply put.
A lot of people are taking this indoor time to do some house cleaning. (not me…..:)) My friend Susan in NYC came across this photo of us when we were all in our mid 20s! Half a lifetime ago! We have a zoom call scheduled this weekend to reunite! The little blessings of this downtime.
Notice all the alcohol- those were the days we could drink til 2 am and get up and work our asses off the next day at AMC.
My daughters’ 21st birthday is tomorrow. Their entire life they were looking forward to that day they could go out and party it up legally. Now ….I think their plans are to meet for bubble tea and drink from their separate cars with friends. None of this is the end of the world, but definitely every person can relate to all of our plans being tipped upside down. Adjusting to uncontrollable changes.
Divorce prepared me for this. Once I found my way through 20 years of marriage dissipating, I clearly see that change is an entity we all need to welcome. You never know what lies ahead, nor can we ever rely on our false sense of stability. (in my case financially and mentally)
BEGIN AGAIN. On my right ankle, a reminder as I step forward toward another chapter.
As we struggle to get through our quarantine days, I wanted to share a few new things going on in Phuket. First to put everyone at ease, I’m happy to report Sedona made it safely back to Cincinnati. Going through Qatar is the way to go! They will not allow you to stay in their country, so there is always a flight out. She is self quarantined back in our Cincy condo where all my Korean tenants moved out. So it is empty yet again. Another side effect of this Covid epidemic. Not only did I lose my income from the towel factory that was forced to shut down, but now I also have to cover my mortgage in Cincinnati since my tenants wanted, rightfully so, to be home with their families during this crisis.
I guess the “begin again” tattoo I got had a different meaning than what I originally thought. Mother Nature is like that. The minute you have it all figured out, you get a curve- ball that helps you realize how insignificant you and your delusional control of life is. I am embracing it. If God wants me to start completely over again, I am open to seeing what that may look like.
Me sporting my law -required home made mask.
I thought this “Where’s Waldo” was hilarious! They closed down all hotels in the Patong area today and all traffic going in and out of that location since it has over half of the reported cases coming from that point on the island.
Every day there is a report like this stating the cases and how they are related . I am very impressed . I always check to see if there is anything related to where I have been. They also state if the person was showing symptoms or not.
Mimi sent me these photos from the Art C. She was very scared. They were spraying disinfectant on the streets in Phuket Town.
She and I check in on each other daily via text. I am hoping she can come over for a visit next week.
I thought this was a good way for all of us to check in with ourselves. My days lately have been cat 4, but thanks to Paul Flam’s routine advise, I am hoping next week is more like 9. I start tomorrow. (I know we all have said that a thousand times eh?) I even downloaded an exercise app. This should be interesting.
On Friday I headed over to Jason’s house to enjoy some human company. Instead I got more than that with his entourage of dogs. I had the two chihuahuas attached to me for most of the time I was there. His house is secluded down a gravel road and surrounded by a rubber tree farm. Right by his house is a trail that leads up to the Big Buddha. We are definitely going to hike that when the weather cools down a bit.
Me chilling at a socially safe distance 🙂
His place is an eclectic gathering from all of his travels. It was so peaceful and a great retreat.
He has a table for sound healing. I was intrigued. He has gathered these instruments from around the world. Australia, India, Switzerland, and even Czech Republic. He let me play the bowls and taught me how to allow the vibrations to heal my cells. It was really fascinating to experience the vibrations and witness the effect it had on my mood. He also played the gong in a way that I have never heard before. It was also cool to hear about the classes he took for sound healing. I asked his permission to take this photo to blog about.
This gong was about 1000$
I have since found many sites on youtube that play these healing bowl instruments. This particular artist also sings. It’s so calming. I wanted to share.Just in case this is something that can help your nerves through some moments which may be testing your energy these days.
On our way back to Old Town we passed a beautiful park that I had to swing into. I mean when you see purple elephants made of flowers, why wouldn’t you go in to take a closer look?
I later read about this park as being the go-to exercise place. There was a lot of outdoor equipment and people jogging. But most people were laying on matts and just relaxing in the shade, like every green space retreat in a city.
Adorable eh?
Bamboo archway.
Made up of individually potted plants.
There were newly planted palms and a lot of white bridge walkways.
Reminded me of a mini Central Park.
Statues and fountains.
Adorably creative planters.
They take their elephants seriously here.
The colors here instantly make me happy.
When I am laying awake in the mornings looking on my phone at all the news of the virus, my head swims. Then I am able to walk outside and sit in this beautiful gazebo and enjoy my coffee and immediately my heart is at peace again. I hope you all can find your retreat.
As we headed out of this park, I was dying of thirst. This heat really gets to me. So we drove up and down a few streets inside the ancient walls and stopped when I saw a place that was open and looked inviting. The one thing I have discovered in Chiang Mai is that you never know what you will get upon entering a place.
This was no exception. After heading to the back porch for a table, we sat with this view.
Looked like a spa resort.
The rooms opened up to this lilypad filled waterway with babbling sculptures. We came just in time for their happy hour, two for one mojitos- yes please!
The emptiness puts a heaviness on everything. But there is no denying nature’s beauty.
The staff here were taking the down time to heavily clean. One guy was up on a ladder doing the windows, another was spraying god-knows-what into the crevices of the sidewalks. Another was sweeping up the leaves. They were filming the whole process, snapping photos etc. I was wondering if they were posting on their website or reporting back to the government their progress?
Tonight after 6 pm all stores, restaurants and businesses in Chiang Mai will be closed for a mandatory 14 days. Hoping Sedona and I get out tonight and safely back to Phuket where we can take in pool and beach days that require no staff and maintain our social distancing.
It was a long day of travelling and getting lost. We both needed a good meal. I looked up best restaurants in Chiang Mai and read some decent reviews on one close by. We opted to walk, given our long ride today. I have to say upon finding it, I was thrilled!
Gorgeous brick exterior which looked very inviting. This was down a side alley I would never have driven down otherwise. Interesting here how you just never know where you will discover a hidden gem.
Walking through the brick gateway, you stepped into this surreal world they created. All outdoor with plants hanging down from the ceiling, smooth jazz playing and a waterfall trickling to add to the peaceful environment. I wish this would be copied someplace else. All should experience this sanctuary.
A perfect ending to our chaotic day.
The menu had big photos for us old folks.
Sadly empty due to the tourism issues.
The thatched roof made me think about what they do when it rains.
Felt like you were in another world.
They also had paper art and macrame hanging down loosely swaying in the fan induced breeze. I wondered if I appreciated this because I understand/see details. I questioned who designed this interior and picked out all the plants. Someone who appreciated nature and culture for sure.
Today we rented scooters and decided to head up a mountainside to see the Giant Treehouse Cafe. This was an hour and 1/2 away. A definite road trip. We stopped 1/2 way to grab a lychee soda and continued to climb the mountains to the destination. At one point the phrase “You’re not in Kansas anymore” came to mind.
The roads were winding, crazy narrow, and all was as local as the mountains get. No more 7/11 or gas stations. Good thing we filled up! As we turned to go the last mile my scooter, in the same mindset as Tia, decided sharp inclines were not her thing. I pushed her with both legs again straddled to the sides, hoping the road would flatten up enough to possibly gain momentum. But with .5 miles to go, after our 2 hour journey out here, we had to call our defeat.
My rent a scooter was a no go. I had to turn around and coast down the mountain. I was not happy. The trek out there also was not scenic either. Reminded me a bit of Ohio in the flat countrysides in the north. Nothing worth viewing. Just fields of green.
The helmets that came with the bike were a bit useless. They don’t fit well and it was a struggle to keep them from flying off. They also had no helmets with shields, so sunglasses were our only protection from the dirt or debri. I got hit by a white butterfly right in the chest! I was starting to miss Phuket.
It was about 4 pm, we had conquered the bunny cafe but had nothing to eat yet today. This may also be adding to my attitude 🙂 So on the way back, we pulled over at one of the few restaurants open and got a bite to eat before finding our way back.
The view from where we sat was not bad. We were able to listen to the babbling river flow and watch the dried leaves fall from the trees like snow.
Looked like this was a sort of reclusive retreat where they rented out houses for the true outdoorsman.
After our treehouse disaster I decided I needed something else to explore on the way back to Chiang Mai. This drive could not just be about not making it up the mountain because I was too cheap to splurge for the more powerful scooter. I mean afterall, that would have been 5$ more! So I google mapped a destination in route to some hot springs. I have never visited a hot springs location before, so what the heck? May as well check it out. See what these natural springs are all about.
There were many in the area, but we ended up here.
I have to give them credit there was some gorgeous landscaping on the grounds.
The flowering trees were beautiful.
Summer year round has its perks.
I have no idea what this says, and apparently neither does google translate.
Sedona was being a sport and posed with the egg girl.
They literally sold baskets of eggs and you could set them in the springs to boil.
I found this interesting to say the least. Is this a common thing at hot springs?
It was quite an interesting site seeing it fountain up with the sun setting and the mountains in the background. The park itself was quite deserted with very few tourists in town.
The egg girls was happy to have company.
I do so love nature.
This canal was made for people to sit and put their feet in. But I touched the water and it was too hot for me!
You know I miss my Eli. She was a remarkable pet. So when I saw there was a cafe just for bunny lovers, I had to check it out.
It was not what I expected. I was hoping it was a real cafe where I could grab a bite to eat and possibly pet a few rabbits. Instead they only offered drinks, a pretty poorly made coffee- and charged you to get in to see the bunnies.
I was here, so I paid to go behind the closed doors. It was a very interesting treat. It was an hour long “show” where the trainer basically explained how to train rabbits. He had so many different breeds and explained how to command the behavior of them. I actually learned that you should never put a bowl of food in their cages, but instead feed them by hand so they get used to you and behave toward people.
We also watched a rabbit jump through hoops and over obstacle courses. Was hilarious. Like a mini circus of sorts. The one bunny actually knew how to give high fives. It was pure entertainment.
Inside of the store was decorated with all things rabbit.
They had bunny shaped wooden plates.
This guy was in the window display.
When we entered the back room, there was a family of 3 already at the table. The trainer explained that rabbits understand confined spaces. Not sure my Eli did.
This was his chart of all the different species he had. He imported two recently from America. He said the USA has great rabbits. He also said they would not listen to him at first because he spoke Thai, but now they are bi-lingual 🙂
The angora rabbit was beautiful. All were beautifully kept and calm.
Each one had its own cage. If he opened the door, they would lean out but never leave. It was cool to see all the different types. It did not smell at all in this room as you would anticipate.
Sedona and I put on bunny slippers.
Sedona got to hold the one that was the same breed as Eli. It was interesting because she also had tufts of hair that were sticking out. Here I thought Eli was just getting old and not able to pull them out.
I got a rabbit named Snowy.
He cuddled with me for a long time. Sedona captured my “resting bitch face” while trying to figure out what the trainer was saying. Basically he was saying I was a rabbit whisperer. (just kidding)
This guy reminded me of the pug version of a bunny. Look at that face!! How could you not love him.
And this is the reason I am so messed up about my stuffed animals 🙂
I did not sleep well last night. Knowing I had to get up at 6 am to get ready for a flight that may or may not still be happening. It’s an eerie feeling too, as if I should be living in panic. Like we should be mourning for a loss, yet are not. Being okay and carrying on as if life is normal, when the world is shutting down. But as Pam York encouraged me, “please don’t dim your light, which you’ve worked so hard to find.” Thank you Pam.
Our flight was not cancelled and was actually quite full. I was happy to see I was not alone in my continued adventures. Denise Dewitt would be proud of me as I chatted openly with the Hell’s Angel guy sitting next to me for the full flight, hearing his entire life story and the struggles of a white man currently in South Africa. He has lived in Phuket since last May and also teaches English. Very interesting guy. As much as I wanted to nap on that flight, I am glad I met him.
I’m sitting on the balcony of my hotel right now, admiring the sunset settling into the mountain, listening to the crickets and the occasional motorbike drive by. We are in early tonight, after 5 hours of walking in Chiang Mai’s Old Town. The sun is a blazing 98F here. Hotter than Phuket with no beach breeze to cool you off.
My balcony view.
We are in this location now. Close to the borders of Laos and Myanmar.
I was warned about the pollution here and you could see it visibly when we arrived.
The entrance to our adorable mom and pop hotel. Our new home for the next few nights.
On each floor is a sitting area.
This is our courtyard. It is an adorable well kept place where they offer free coffee and whiskey. At least that’s what I thought he said.
Inside the square is the Old Town. It used to be surrounded by a very large brick wall which you can occasionally see remnants of.
We entered through this gate.
Right before you enter into the Old Town, there is a very well kept river walkway. Guess this used to be the Old Chiang Mai moat.
There are water mills that keep the water from becoming stagnant.
The walkways over the moat were filled with plantlife.
Caught this gentleman taking a nap in his rickshaw.
Many of the cafes had a lot of live greenery, I think in hopes of counteracting the pollution issues here.
Loved this artistically.
The streets were not crowded at all. All bars and massage parlors are closed. But otherwise people are just keeping their social distance and wiping menus down immediately. They took our temperatures when we entered the airport and when we entered the hotel. There is hand sanitizer available throughout the city. They have cracked down on tourism in attempts to keep their numbers of infected low. Most cases are in Bangkok.
Walked past this three kings statue/memorial.
We ended up walking from one end of Old Town completely to the other. This is when we knew we had reached the back wall.
I will post the amazing temples Sedona and I visited separately. It will take some time to construct. In the meantime, if you are trapped inside, I am hoping I can offer you some form of entertainment with my blog updates. We plan on renting some motorbikes tomorrow and heading to the mountainside.
Yes call us crazy, but we booked the ticket prior to the apocalypse in the USA . We were betting her flights would get cancelled, but since they didn’t, she risked the germs and came on over. We are doing great and we hit my favorite beach today!
So quiet here.
Toes in the sand, sanitizer in the hands.
Sedona swimming. Like our own paradise.
We are heading to Chiang Mai tomorrow, if flights are still a go. Won’t really know for sure until we get to the airport, but being that it is a domestic adventure, we are thinking it should be okay. Looking forward to exploring new lands together! Stay tuned. Hate me, love me- I’m not staying still.
Tonya Takes Thailand 