A Walk Through the Neighborhood – Siam Summer

I know that I was getting back into the groove of life after my last two trips. Things were getting back to normal, and I was getting used to donning the face mask as I walked around. The bars were still not open, but I never frequented them that much to really care anyway. So I was brought back to the reality of the situation when I finally made it to Phuket. This was one of the places that was hit the hardest during the first wave of the pandemic, and even though, it has been awhile since there has been a new case here, it has taken a little bit of time for it to open up again. We went strolling through the old neighborhood last night looking for a place to eat, but most of the restaurants were not opened up and it took us awhile to find a Tex-Mex place, Amore Cafe and Bar. We were lucky to have found it too because they made some great spicy margaritas, and it was easily the best Mexican food I have found since I have moved to Thailand.

Though things are really quiet, it does not mean that I will not be able to enjoy my time out here. In fact, it might be the best time to visit Phuket. The throngs of tourists that usually come out here to visit are gone right now, and I get to have the streets to myself. The tourist sights seem to be closed right now, but I am sure I will be able to find a couple of the more natural settings in the area to enjoy. I might have to search a little bit longer for a place to eat, but when I find it, they will be so happy to have customers that they will give me their best service and show me what they can really do with food.

Besides the Mexican restaurant we found last night, there was also a pancake place, Pancake Corner and Coffee Club, we discovered for breakfast that had some amazing food. I am not really into pancakes because there are too many people that screw them up and they turn out doughy instead of fluffy like they should. This place knew what to do with them though and my favorite thing was they served a side of homemade vanilla ice-cream with the pancakes that added the perfect flavor to this meal. It seems to be a regular condiment that comes with many breakfasts out in Thailand because this is the third place I have been to out here that has served this with either pancakes or French toast.

Though it may not be the ideal way to travel, I still cannot complain. At least I have landed in a country that was able to get the Covid-19 problem under control, and I am able to venture out to explore this country. There is enough out here to make it an exciting adventure even if I can’t experience it to the full extent that is available. Also because I have my car with me, I will be able to explore little corners that I wouldn’t have been able to if I had to do everything on foot. I do have a lot of time out here, so I am sure things will loosen up as well as time goes by. It just will have to be slower than I am used to, and considering the patience I have had to endure over the last couple of months, I think I am okay with doing that right now.