Noni went to see his family up north for a couple weeks. Miss him in our trio, but with only a few weekends left on Phuket island, Jason and I decided to adventure without him. (Avengers – 1)
Jason has a car so he drove and I rode in comfort to visit what he called ‘Monkey Temple’. We downloaded the necessary app to exit and re-enter the island, but didn’t need to show it either way which was nice. Traffic off the island was a breeze. Very few cars travelling.
Phuket has had zero cases of Covid now for 28 days straight. We are still waiting to hear if they will open up the international flights on July 1 as anticipated. But even if they do, tourists will not be allowed back into Phuket until September soonest and travelling anywhere outside of Thailand will require a mandatory 2 week isolation.
When we arrived at the temple, there is no way I would have known to stop here. It just looked like woods with a lot of animals being fed by tourists. I refused to take part, but tried to capture the chaos of the birds while Jason took his turn to feed them.
The flapping of the birds’ wings was literally creating a breeze.
The monkeys and the birds competed for their nugget of food.
This mom was helping her infant with some corn scraps. I had never seen a baby so little before.
There was this huge limestone mountain beside the parking lot. It is difficult to capture the magnitude of it.
When you walk into the mountain there is a cave with ornate Buddhist statues.
You would never know they were there. Just hidden away inside.
The famous reclining Buddha.
It was just such a fascinating contrast between natural landscape and gold idols.
This one was tucked away and I had to take off my shoes and climb the staircase for a closer look.
Then you walk out of that cave up this staircase and there is another limestone cave area to explore.
I had wrapped my skirt over my shorts and put a short sleeve top over my tank to respect the Buddhist temple dress code.
Inside the cave.
A bit of electricity complete with colored lights.
Those black dots on the ceiling of the cave are full scale bats. Jason was getting a kick out of singing in a high pitched voice which made their wings flap.
Really unique place and we got to experience it completely alone. Nobody else was there.
Climbing back out of the second cave.
I took a photo of this sign so I could remember its official name. You can see our reflection in it which is cool.
It was totally worth the trip to see this! It reminded me of the tunnels Sedona and I found when in Chiang Mai that had gold buddhas in their alcoves but this place was on a much larger scale.
After this we headed to see a waterfall but the road was blocked off noting the park was still closed due to Covid. I don’t believe that it should be, but in Thailand, they may not have made any sort of effort to take down the sign or lift the gate yet. I noticed on some of the beaches, they still had their closed Covid signs up. People just walked past knowing the ban was lifted.
After my acupuncture session today I was driving around Laguna Beach and saw a sign for Tony’s. This restaurant had been mentioned to me several times before by various people. I pulled in and decided to check it out.
Once you passed the entry there were tables set up along the edge of the beach.
I took a seat in the shade with this view and was literally mesmerized for a hour.
Looking through the pineapple trees, the sky appeared bluer in this direction.
Overpriced dinner but the scenery was worth it.
Loved the mural by the bathrooms.
Later this cowboy rolled up and I grabbed my camera.
I sent a message to the brunch group, knowing they all lived in this area, to see if anyone could join me. Sterling and James had just finished meeting for coffee and came over to partake in the view. Making the best of my experiences here.
The ancient practice of acupuncture started in China approximately 3000 years ago. The first documentation of acupuncture that described it as an organized system of diagnosis and treatment is in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, which dates back to 100 BC.
While in Thailand I wanted to try a form of spiritual healing . I mentioned this to my brunch group and Jeanette told me about “Ma-am”. She described her as an intuitive acupuncturist with a bubbly personality that was worth meeting. So I texted her for an appointment.
I informed Ma-am that I had never done this before but was interested in healing some odd spots that were hurting me regularly. She had me lie face up on the table and after looking at my belly button she told me I had some immediate concerns. I told her I think it’s just my fat stomach not allowing my belly button to be seen 🙂 She laughed and said that was not it.
Ma-am then touched my wrists, then ankles and was happy with what she felt there. She went back to my tummy and literally found areas to press that caused me pain. It was then explained that I carry too much pain in my heart, I am a very sensitive person and give way too much, only to receive little in return. Tears literally ran down my face. WTH?
Continuing to press into my stomach she further explained there were two areas in my energy channel that were of concern. I have never had anyone press into my belly and me feel such pressure points before. She later made her way to other areas of concern and then got to work individually unwrapping and putting needles into my feet, hands and chest. I even had one placed in between my eyes and on top of my head.
It was interesting how some needles I couldn’t even feel enter, yet others felt as if a medication was spreading in from the punctured area and burning inside. When I flipped over to my back, she mentioned I was needing to break something or scream. (English is her second language) I asked what she meant. Apparently when you get acupuncture not everyone turns red like I did. She said my body is in need of releasing heat and I needed to find a way to not hold in my emotions.
She later told me she understands that my personality has trouble holding back because it feels unnatural but I needed to set boundaries so that I am able to give freely without expectations in return.
My back releasing anguish.
I feel lighter. Almost like a therapy session but instead of me saying a word, she understood me from my body. I later met up with Sterling and James for a drink by the beach and I mentioned my experience with Ma-am. They both said, oh yeah, we have been to her several times and she is more than just an acupuncturist. Was a wonderful first experience.
When I left her office, I asked her if she thought I needed to come back for another session and she said no, your heart type learns quickly and you will figure this out. One can only hope she is right.
Just thought for the sake of my future reference, I wanted to log a few changes I’ve seen on how Phuket has adjusted to the Covid-19 virus. It makes me wonder if some of these changes will forever be implemented, similar to how the packaging changed after the Tylenol cyanide deaths in 1982. I remember my mom being so pissed about all the safety caps and seals on all containers. I think that is when she decided to keep scissors in the kitchen 🙂
–One little change I notice is how individuals press elevator buttons now with their knuckles instead of the tips of their fingers.
–At the entrance of every store, restaurant, office etc there is a stand with hand sanitizer, a QRcode that you must scan to check in, and a person taking your temperature.
–Social distancing at banks and ATMS is marked so even idiots know where to stand.
–For the first time in a year, I saw the kids plastic playground being thoroughly scrubbed down. Mind you there are currently zero cases in the past 20 days in Phuket. We are not in the same situation at all as the USA.
Silverware, presumable sterile, comes in a neat sealed prepack. Previously at this same restaurant the napkins and silverware were kept in a container on each table for you to grab what you needed.
There are now partitions put up in between the individual bar seats.
There are boxes indicating where you need to stand on the elevator.
Tables have Xs in tape indicating where someone is allowed or not allowed to sit.
Every time I go into a place, they take my temperature and then put a sticker on me to show approval to enter.
Signs about wearing masks are everywhere. When entering a new district there is a sign saying “welcome to…..must have face mask to enter”
It’s interesting, I recall blogging back in March that I was feeling peer pressure to wear a mask being the only individual without one at the Chiang Mai airport. Now, just 3 months later, I feel naked if I leave the condo without one on. Almost like the same feeling as forgetting your phone when you are half way down the hall.
I have a handful of friends who are single and living alone like myself. It is hard to explain the effects of this isolation period on us. But we have a lot of things in common. Below is a quote from a NYTimes article published collecting stories of those single lives in lock down. I completely relate to it. (well except for the age :))
Sadly getting my hair done helped. Someone real touching my head. Then when at the dentist they applied chapstick to my lips with their rubber gloves fingers and that helped. Little human touches are now greatly cherished.
I realize, in case I was questioning it before, I never want to go to jail. I used to think I could easily survive. but now I question if I would literally go insane. Especially if I didn’t have access to a phone or computer. Guess I will have to remain a law abiding citizen. Damn.
At my last check up in the USA, which was required for my Thai visa application, my doctor wanted me to check out a new heart murmur they heard. I told her I would take care of it when I returned to Thailand, knowing the services would be less expensive because I do not have health insurance in the US. I paid 200$ for that doctor visit in Cincinnati, where they weighed me, took my blood pressure, and listened to my heart beat, then chatted with me overall about my physical ailments/feelings.
My Thai hospital check up in Phuket was such a wonderful experience! Besides being cheap, it was like receiving a royal treatment in the classic, perfectly kind, Thai style. I wanted to share my experience in case anyone would want to consider treatments here. I had no expectations prior and was slightly hesitant to go myself. I have never been in any hospital overseas and hate hospitals in general. I’m not exactly a fan of doctors and I make a terrible patient, always questioning the advise or further testing suggested.
The Bangkok Hospital Siriroj is located right around the corner from my condo. I stopped in one day on my way home from a dental cleaning. (Now that was an experience!) I wanted to set an appointment for the EKG, but after speaking to the welcoming staff at the reception desk, I decided to also get all my blood work done since it’s been about 5 years since I have checked anything out.
Beautifully clean interior.
This place is immaculate. On the day of my appointment, after checking in at the reception desk where they took my photo and scanned my passport, they escorted me to the Wellness Center. At the center they explained all the areas of the hospital I will visit and in which order I will go. I had previously been shown a price list to determine which package I wanted to purchase. I LOVE this idea. Very clear, you make the choices, and super affordable.
I chose the “active” package, so I wouldn’t have to give a stool sample 🙂 This included blood work for cholesterol, sugar tests, red and white blood counts, electric heart monitor testing, chest x-ray, and total abdominal ultrasound! (never had one of those before, except when pregnant- should be fun) They even gave me a lunch coupon for a Dunkin Donuts shop that was on campus.
The nurses and/or medical staff all wore these very calming lavender outfits.
The medical staff all spoke English. A different person came every time and escorted me to the next station for testing. I noticed the staff was mostly women, about 85%. I went to 5 different locations and it ran so smoothly, like clockwork. Never a long wait in between. Free bottled water for your pleasure at every stop. I was never trying to find a place on my own. The service was amazing.
Blood work comes in package pricing 🙂 I opted for active” to see where my levels were at.
No Insurance Blood Test Info from Web:
Although blood tests are important and often necessary, without insurance they can be quite costly. The cost of medical treatment has increased dramatically over the last decade, and current prices are high – even for simple procedures and tests. Blood work pricing at a lab can range anywhere from $100 for one simple test, to $3,000 for several complex tests. On average, to get blood work done at a lab when the patient is uninsured will cost around $1,500. This steep cost of the testing deters many individuals without insurance from getting the blood testing that they need. Individuals without insurance will often wait until their symptoms are severe enough that they need to seek emergency care. Ultimately, this leads to a delayed detection of illnesses, worsening the prognosis and usually increasing the overall cost of treatment.
The above recaps my situation and many other Americans I imagine. I do not claim to know much about our healthcare, since I am not working in that field and rarely have the need to ever, thank God, see a doctor. But now being without insurance, it is my biggest concern about coming back home. The costs are simply stupid and there is truly no excuse for it.
A price list of a la carte services. How wonderful is this? You can choose what you want done.
A standard echocardiogram and TEE can each cost $2,000 or more. If you do not have health insurance, you may have to pay the whole cost yourself. And even if you have insurance, you probably have a co-pay. This can be as much as half the cost of the test.
Above is from the web regarding costs for an EKG in the USA. The cost here at this beautifully run hospital= 3000 BHT/95$ USD.
My total charge for my services today was 8800 BHT/$260 USD> no lie!! AND I got all of my test results right then and there on the spot. The cardiologist told me what he saw and showed me the videos explaining it.
After my bagel sandwich lunch, I met with another doctor for my blood work and ultrasound results. He patiently explained every detail while flipping page by page in a booklet which contained all of my results. (which by the way, I am healthy as a horse) In the USA my blood test results usually showed up in the mail, via a typed letter with no explanation or doctor follow up. I always assumed if anything was too wrong they would have contacted me via phone.
When I asked the doctor for a prescription for some meds I take daily, (to keep my brain straight) he showed me the price for them at the hospital pharmacy and explained that he was sure I could find this medication at a different local place for 1/2 the price. He wrote me a prescription to help me to explain to the local places what I needed. I had been warned by my expat friends that the way the hospitals make money is through their pharmacy and pill pushing. What I didn’t expect was the doctor guiding me on how to save money.
The booklet is a total report on my visit and all the findings. Provided for me to review with the doctor within 3 hours of having my blood evaluated and tests done. They also gave me a reusable tote as a gift!
If you think about it. It is worth the round trip plane ticket to simply come here for procedures. I can’t imagine the cost differences with surgery expenses or orthopedic needs. Some of you may be questioning how good their doctors are and claim the USA knows what they are doing and are the best in the medical fields. Maybe. But for someone like me who is very healthy and requires no special care, this island is my answer to growing old and making my own healthcare choices, instead of insurance companies guiding me.
I finally made it back onto a beach. So thankful the Phuket authorities decided to allow us back without arrest. It’s been two months of torture looking at this amazing landscape and yet never being able to participate in it.
I decided to go to my very favorite spot which is Tri Trang. It’s always quiet, even when there are tourists and the water is always crystal clear and never rough.
As I headed out in my bikini, flip flops and cover -up on Mean Mia, I had already applied sunscreen knowing I was making a day of it. But sadly, after climbing the mountain to get to the other side of the island, very thick black clouds revealed themselves. You can imagine my disappointment. But just like life, I decided to weather the storm and remain optimistic that surely it couldn’t last an entire day….right?!
As I was driving my scooter, I could literally see a wall of rain a couple blocks in front of me. So I did a U turn and parked beside a tiki taxi rest stop. In the summer I always see local tuk tuk drivers sitting in these huts avoiding the sun or taking a rest. I decided to use this perfectly located shelter to wait out the rain. There was a matt on the floor for sleeping, magazines to read, a hammock, some water and surprisingly an electric fan. I was impressed. I could possibly stay the night 🙂
I wish I would have taken a photo to capture it, but I simply climbed up the 5 steps, took off my helmet and sat on the edge in the doorway. I was entertained by yellow butterflies flirting, and found a gecko taking in the rain, but sadly also observed all the garbage around the hut probably from the past users. I am not sure I will ever understand why someone would simply just drop their trash and have it not bother them visually later. You see this in a lot of third world countries where they live with garbage literally right outside their door.
After about 40 minutes, the sun came out in perfect Phuket style and I made it to my spot.
Colors were gorgeous and clouds so low. Almost doesn’t look real.
I watched as it rained out in the sea.
As the storms moved, blue skies followed behind.
Could literally see the rain which never made it to my beach.
Stretch Armstrong is a large, gel-filled action figure first introduced in 1976 by Kenner.[1] In 2016, at the New York Toy Fair, Hasbro announced the return of the Stretch Armstrong toy in its original 1976 design.
Stretch Armstrong is made of latex rubber filled with gelled corn syrup, which allows it to retain shape for a short time before shrinking to its original shape. Stretch Armstrong is an action figure shaped as a short, muscular, man with blond hair wearing black trunks. The doll’s most notable feature was that it could be stretched from its original size of about 15 in (0.38 m) to 4 to 5 ft (1.2 to 1.5 m).
I was lucky enough to have one of these authentic toys in the 70s when it first came out and remember having a great time with my sisters playing with it. So a couple of years ago, when Zoe asked Santa for a boyfriend, I saw the opportunity to provide this hunky blond, flexible figure as a Christmas gift to leave under the fireplace. He is equally fascinating now as he was then.
This past Christmas when Zoe and Sedona came to visit, they brought me a boyfriend 🙂 A much smaller version- but appreciated just the same! We enjoyed carrying Stretch with us on many of our adventures. I recently pulled him out on my last Avenger Adventure. It reminded me of all the great shots I took when Z & S were here visiting. I wanted to share. It’s a great memory for me.
He made an appearance at the first Buddhist temple we visited in Phukettown.
Enjoying the view with us.
He loves the cocktails, especially when they come in a glass shaped like a lady.
Occasionally he would join us for a beer.
Showing off for the three monkeys.
Pure joy! Making his way to the walking street market.
Capturing our goodbye visit with my dear friend Virlane.
Made it to the beach a couple days with us.
Looking sexy in the sand.
Zoe having her fun with him on the rocks.
Even visited the Botanical Gardens of Phuket.
And the Hard Rock Cafe.
Watching the sunset. People started thinking we were nuts.
Getting really limber now!
Even joined us for our morning coffees.
We used to have this exact same play set when the twins were toddlers! Was fun to see them in it again, with Stretch.
On our way to the port on Saturday we passed a sign that said Rabbit Hole”. You know me and my bunnies! I was intrigued and wanted to check it out. Sunday when we woke up at the resort it was another all day rainy forecast so we decided to end our adventure checking out this new place for lunch.
It was really cute on the drive in. There were many white rabbit cut outs letting you know you were on the right path.
This restaurant sat on a lot of acreage.
Menu and interior were kid/family friendly.
You could even paint your own bunny ceramic for a minimal cost.
This was the lounge area where the rabbits roamed about complete with kids chasing them under the furniture. I really wanted to hold one, but knew better than to try to pull one out from under.
Caught these two snuggling in the corner.
Really had a theme going.
It stopped raining so we took advantage and explored the outside a bit before taking off.
On a summer night this could be an excellent place to chill. Love the mist from the waterfalls.
Manmade but beautifully planned with plants and steps to wander throughout.
Hopping across and checking out the koi fish.
We are quite the gang.
Jason posing like a toad.
Obviously the owner appreciated the outdoors.
View once we got to the top of the waterfall.
I will definitely drive Mean Mia back this way to see what other views are up this road.
Selfie- capturing our covid moments and my crow’s feet 🙂
Can you hear it?
I really love travelling with these guys. They are so low maintenance! And always ready to explore.
Not sure what to make of this. Bananas anyone?
Noni at peace.
Nature renewed by the rains.
Tomorrow the beaches reopen, but I have a dentist appointment in the middle of the day, so I have to hold off until Wednesday to stick my body back in the water. Can’t wait!!
The Avengers had planned an outing this weekend to Ko Yao Yai but our island escape was denied at the Phuket port. We arrived only to be told they are not allowing visitors on the island. Jason had checked yesterday and they said it was okay to go. I think today we were primarily denied because I was with them, an obvious foreigner. Non and Jason would have been allowed to go. There is still a tad reverse discrimination here which I take in stride.
I got up early on my day off and already consumed two iced cappuccinos. We did not want to give up so easily. Jason instructed us to whip out our phones and share any ideas on replacement plans. I gave up after a couple minutes and just let the boys work their magic.
Noni used to work at a Marriott in Phuket and had a connection with an ex-coworker so he called for a favor. They opened up a two bedroom resort for us in Nai Yang Beach for the night. We headed to Dewa Phuket Resort and let the adventure begin.
One of my young Cambly students told me she thought that “ discoveries were the purpose of life.” I thought it was great that she knew this so early on in her life, as I was only now personally understanding that.
All hotels still remain closed in Phuket. While waiting for our room to be readied we took advantage of the cafe that had amazing pad thai for just $1.50.
This resort was right next to a National Park and police station.
This is Nit. She is Non’s friend that helped hook us up with the room. We celebrated by sharing a toast with a french sparkling wine and got the party started.
Capturing Noni who is always attempting to get a creative shot.
The pathways at the resort were immaculately landscaped.
Nit joined us for the day and I was happy to have her along. She worked at the resort and lived close by. She told us we could walk along the beach and not get in trouble. ( of course she’s not an expat so rules could be different for me 🙄) The beaches are still closed but there was no one around.
The amount of garbage that washed ashore was disturbing.
Driftwood and scraps along the shoreline. Overwelming.
It was interesting to me, Nit said not to worry about the garbage, that they would clean it up before the tourists returned for high season. I found it sad that she didn’t care for herself or the locals. She blamed most of it on India, saying during low season the currents shift and the waste comes in from India. This also reminded me of how my Korean students blame China for their air pollution. Not sure how much of this is true. Or if its just a way of their countries not taking responsibility. But it was certainly a reminder of how environmental concerns are global.
I appreciate these large pieces of driftwood that come ashore. Jason was smart and brought his umbrella this time instead of grabbing a large leaf. I love this photo I captured.
We spotted a reggae bar open but we had to cross the channel. I made Noni go first to make sure we all could make it. The current was actually quite strong, but this was just part of the adventure! Challenge and new things to discover.
So I tucked up my pants into my undies and waded across.
This is the bar we landed at and enjoyed a cold beer. (Illegal to serve still due to CV-19, but who was going to come get us eh?)
Mini Stretch Armstrong joined us. I take him everywhere but he often remains in my bag and rarely makes an appearance. Today was his lucky day.
A unique bar.
The tide was going out so we decided to cross over and join the fishermen on their small island.
I carved the heart on this perfectly raised sand bar.
Noni striking a pose.
Can’t wait for these long tail boats to motor up again.
Had to wade through this section of the sea. I worried about Nit who was sporting some high heel shoes. Wasn’t sure if she was going to make it barefoot on the rocks. I was again thankful for my new Tevas.
Selfie showing off my sunburn. Forgot my sunscreen again.
I continue to be fascinated by the trees here. Such personality.
After wading through some rocky terrain, I landed on the island with this view of the locals fishing knee deep in the water. They were also digging in the rocks for scallops. At this point I lost the rest of my crew, so I decided to climb around to see what the other side of this small wildlife preserve looked like.
All rocks. Not too difficult to climb. Clouds coming in low.
The one rock looks like a fist. Black Lives Matter, even nature is calling for change.
Full circle. There were families having picnics in the shade.
And then within minutes this monster appeared behind us. Needless to say, we got drenched by the time we arrived back to the resort. You could literally wring our clothes out. I had to wipe my eyes along the walk just to see where I was going. It was hilarious. It poured.
The next morning I had a Zoom call with my AMC crew and I didnt want to wake the group so I wandered to an outdoor patio area just in time for yet another storm to come down.
Raining season it is.
Walking in the rain is a great sensation if you have nowhere to be. But three consecutive days of these downpours is wearing me down. I am so thankful that Jason got us out this weekend, even if it was still on Phuket. I would have otherwise been stuck in my condo lethargic and listening to the rain.
Random roads always reveal new discoveries. For this reason alone I will always love Phuket. I never get tired of the interesting temples or landscape. As I was driving around today, I came across two beautiful temples, both of which are located in ordinary residential neighborhoods asking for no attention whatsoever.
I wonder is this is how foreigners view our churches? Fascinating works of art.
I love the sandstone color contrasting the bright red and gold.
The dragons on top of the roof create such a theatrical feel.
I wonder how long these temples have been here. If they were built today would they be as detailed still?
The mint green color of this one captured my attention.
So pretty like Christmas.
I may not understand or be educated on all the details of these temples and their meaning, but I certainly can artistically admire them.
Tonya Takes Thailand 