R&R WITH FACE MASKS, PART 2 - BACK TO THAILAND... AND RETURNING TO A WHOLE NEW WORLD

From Myanmar, we headed back to Thailand.  We started in the northern part of the country with three nights in Chiang Rai.  After jet-setting from Bangkok to Yangon and back, we decided to lay low at the resort for the first day.  But after a day of lounging by the pool, we booked a day tour to check out some of the sights of northern Thailand, including temples, tea plantations, and some lovely scenery.  The temples really are a sight to behold with their ornate designs and vibrant colors, and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing this part of the world. 

Thailand definitely had a high monk:regular person ratio.

The blue temple - aptly named.

The ceiling of the blue temple - so elaborate and beautiful!

The white temple - another appropriate name.

We had a stop at a local tea plantation for a thai iced tea - and a spectacular view.

From Chiang Rai, we took a bus on a 5-hour journey to Chiang Mai.  Our hotel was right next to the bustling night market, so we enjoyed some great food, live music, and sidewalk shopping in the evening.  Some of the markets were empty since the usually large contingent of Chinese tourists were decidedly absent as coronavirus was starting to take a toll on tourism.  We heard that a hotel that catered to the Chinese tourist market had closed its doors and sent its employees home.  (A sign of what was to come to the U.S. a month later…)  I must say that I quite enjoyed playing tourist during the lull.

Pretty sure this night market is usually waaaaaay more packed.

This is more like it... though still not as crowded as I had expected.

While in Chiang Mai, we also took a day trip to an elephant sanctuary that was home to quite a number of elephants who had retired (or been rescued from) toiling away in logging or giving rides to tourists.  They seemed to have quite a nice life now, hanging out together and getting to go for dips in the river that ran through the property.  The sanctuary was also a home to several dogs who were up for adoption… but I was able to restrain myself and not some home with a dog... or an elephant... as a souvenir.

First a snack...

...and then a dip in the river.

Making new friends.

We ended our R&R with a few days in Phuket.  Lounging poolside, getting our final fill of delicious food, and having putting competitions on the 9-hole putting course right outside our hotel door.  We did yet one more day trip out to the coast to do some sea kayaking among the sea caves that occur throughout the haystack islands.  It was a beautiful day to get out on the water and explore some incredible new scenery.

About to head off the boat and into the kayak.

The haystack islands are so unique.

We were able to kayak through narrow caves into the open center of several of these haystacks.

Never did find the Old Man Toilet at Phuket's central market.

We flew back to Zimbabwe on February 29, and were greeted at the airport with temperature scans and forms to complete regarding where we had traveled.  Coronavirus had not yet arrived – or at least not yet been detected – in Zimbabwe, though we heard news of its spread throughout Europe and into the U.S.  But it was obvious that we had returned to a very different world than we left.

The weekend of March 14, we got back on a plane to meet up with friends Teri and Andre and their daughter Jessica in Cape Town for a few days.  Jessica had been volunteering with the Peace Corps in Eswatini, and Teri and Andre had come to visit her and go on a family trip around southern Africa.  Cape Town was the final leg on their month-long journey.  We had a wonderful time getting to catch up with them for a few days – and to have yet another chance to this beautiful city.  This time we visited Robben Island and had a memorable meal at La Colombe, one of the best restaurants in South Africa (if not THE best).

The presentation of each course at La Colombe was as spectacular as the food itself.

One of the communal bunk rooms at Robben Island.

The cell where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years.

Looking back toward Table Mountain and Cape Town from the ferry to Robben Island.

The day before we were due to head back to Zimbabwe, news came out that the Peace Corps would be sending all their volunteers home.  We started hearing that South Africa would soon close its borders.  We made it back to Harare just in time, but Teri and Andre had to make some quick changes to their itinerary to get back to the U.S. after their original flights were canceled. 

Shortly after we returned to Harare, the State Department issued a worldwide authorized departure for all staff to have the option to return to the U.S.  Zimbabwe announced its first COVID cases and the first death at the end of March, and the president announced a 21-day “lockdown” on March 30, with all but essential businesses closed through next weekend.  While about 1/3 of the embassy staff have returned to the U.S., Andrew and I have decided to hunker down here, at least for the time being.  I am mostly teleworking, as is Andrew (business as usual for him).  We are thankful to have a lovely house with open space to be able to self-isolate, and lucky to have jobs that have been unaffected by the pandemic.  Being this far away from friends and family during these strange days was a difficult decision, but Zoom and Skype help close the distance.  And given that we're all social distancing right now, probably not that much different than if we were in the same zip code.  We hope you are all well, and we send much love to you all. 

R&R WITH FACE MASKS, PART 1 - BANGKOK AND MYANMAR

Two months ago today, Andrew and I stepped off a plane in Bangkok to begin a 3-week “R&R” in southeast Asia.  When we started making plans months ago to visit a few points in Thailand, as well as Yangon, Myanmar where our friends Nick and Chet, who we met in Belize, are now posted, coronavirus was but a blip on the radar.  As our trip approached, the blip had grown, and we’d seen and heard reports of folks throughout Asia now wearing face masks to try to ward off the virus.  We were undeterred, and our trip came to be dubbed our “R&R with Face Masks.”

Although face mask-free in this photo, they were likely in our pockets.

First stop, Bangkok for 5 days.  We spent our first day touring the palaces and temples along the Chao Phraya River.  We bought a day ticket for a ferry that went up and down the river, so we got started early to try to see a few sights before it got to crowded… and too hot.  We headed back to the hotel for a siesta in the middle of the day, and then ventured out again at dusk to see the city lights from the river.  We got off at the last stop and headed to a night market for dinner.  The markets and food courts of Thailand are truly a thing to behold.  These are not your average food courts – no Chik-Fil-A or Sbarro in sight.  They are convention center-sized with every manner of exotic food imaginable.  Coming from Zimbabwe, the experience was almost overwhelming.  I dare say coming from ANYWHERE would be downright jaw-dropping. 

First stop on day 1 - The Grand Palace

The Grand Palace is a huge compound of temples and other buildings.

Back on to the ferry, along with lots of longtail boat traffic on the Chao Phraya River.

Next stop: Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) on the opposite side of the river.

Sunset on the river as we head towards dinner at a night market.

Easiest decision we had to make all day.

The next couple days we tooled around the city and got lots of practice on the metro.  We happened to be there on a public holiday, and at the front-end of what would become a full-on pandemic, so the air-conditioned, uncrowded metro trains were a great way to get around.  We visited a couple restaurants recommended by friends and colleagues, checked out some tourist attractions like Jim Thompson House, and strolled around several over-the-top shopping malls.  You know me, I am NOT a shopper, but the shopping malls were sensory-overloading spectacles, so even though I did zero shopping in them, they were still completely fascinating.

Iconsiam - One of the over-the-top shopping malls in Bangkok.  That's a Bellagio-esque water fountain show going on in front of the center at dusk.

On day 3, our friends Nick and Chet joined us in Bangkok and we had an amazing time checking out even more sights with them.  A longtail boat ride around the canals by day, and Michelin-star restaurants and sky bars by night.  Not a bad way to wrap up our time in Bangkok.

Heading out to tour the canals in a longtail boat - basically a long canoe with a rainbow-colored canopy and an outboard motor that looks like something out of Mad Max.

Couldn't come to Thailand without going for a spin in a tuk tuk.

We are so fancy.  Drinks at a skybar looking over the Bangkok skyline.

From there, we headed to Yangon, Myanmar to stay with Nick and Chet at their home for a few days.  They were fantastic hosts – showing us around their city, including a jaunt on the circular train, and organizing an evening street food tour by tri-shaw, a bicycle with a sidecar-like attachment.  

The circular train takes about 3 hours to make a loop around Yangon.  We didn't do a full loop, but got to see a lot of off-the-beaten parts of the city.

At nearly every stop, ladies would get on and/or off all while balancing enormous trays of food and snacks on their heads.  

Tri-shawing through Yangon's traffic?  Why not.

Stop number 1 of about 10 on our street-food-by-trishaw tour.  Good thing I wore stretchy pants.

The Sule Pagoda in downtown Yangon is fully lit up at night.

Still eating!  Burmese food is delicious!

Myanmar was a throwback in time.  Decidedly untouched by western influences (i.e., no Starbucks or McDonalds to be seen), it was quite a change from the sprawling high rises and modern buildings of Bangkok.  Men and women still wear their traditional sarong-like wraps.  Women wear thanaka – a face cream made from tree bark – and men chew betel nut – a concoction that stains their teeth reddish black.  We made some incredible culinary discoveries… like fermented tea leaf salad and a soup called mohinga.  Are you getting the picture that we pretty much ate our way through Myanmar? 

A night market in Yangon is a hive of activity to find all manner of produce...

...and meats...

...and seafood.  Lots of chicken feet and grubs too - but I spare you those photos.

Yangon's China town, still decked out for the Chinese new year.

Yangon's downtown streets and colonial buildings were a step back in time.

Just realized there is not a face mask in sight in this photo... but they were definitely around

Public water fountain, Myanmar-style.

Yangon and Myanmar get two BIG thumbs up - and we had the best hosts and tour guides, Nick (here) and Chet.

As well as our other host, Leif the dog.  :)

From Myanmar, it was back to Thailand for more cultural experiences… and more delicious food!  To be continued…