3-12 It is Thursday and I am finally caught up!

 I can't believe I have finally got to the point that I a blogging about today on the same day!  But here goes.  This morning Michael wants to go on an early walk along and then has a 7am meeting.  There is only one key for each room and one gate key.  So I waited until he returned and then went on my walk.  At the juncture of the main street and our street I turned right.  

The beach nearest us is not very pretty or clean.  I am trying to leave out the bad.

If I take a slight left here I will walk by the local fishermen's market.

The sign says something about this being the place local fishermen sell their goods.

Shopping by motorcycle.  I also saw a guy selling fried chicken - but I had no Thai Baht with me.

Fishing nets are all around.

As I continue down the street I find an Italian restaurant.  I wonder if this is the Italian restaurant that Tim raved about.

A restaurant under a canopy of trees.

And heading back - what do you think is for sale here?

Back at the fish market - clams for sale.

Back on the main street - a Japanese restaurant.

At this location you can get it all -  message, BBQ, Cannabis and beer.

One of several 7/11's along the main road.

Frequently you find shrines with offerings along the streets.

A place selling lobster.

Shrine at the corner of my street.

An advertisement for the rental style we are in.

When I returned Michael had purchased fried chicken on his walk.  It is often served with sticky rice and fried shallots (on the top of the plate).  We also got out the fruit from the night before.  Did I mention how good the mango was?  Yum.

3-11 Back in Phuket and a restful day.

 I slept super late this morning and then took a nap later.  I was also having some gastrointestinal issues so not feeling too well.  Was it the hospital food or the food on the airplane?

We spent the day relaxing, writing our blogs and dipping in the pool.  Around 3pm we ordered food from the Indian restaurant down the street.

We got 4 dishes + bread and rice.  They were, butter chicken, dahl, vegetables and Tempura fish.  All were delicious - also more expensive. All this cost around $35.  But it will make two meals.

After eating, around 5pm we left for a evening walk.  Our end point will be the larger grocery store in our neighborhood.  Out through our gate and onto our little street.

We turn at the kitty poster corner.

We are the last street before the dead end.

This cafe is in our neighborhood.  I think we ordered from it the first night.  The flight landing in Phuket after our flight from Indonesia was from Russia.  So now we now they might be staying in our neighborhood.

The mini mart at the top of our street.

And just down the street.

We had a successful run to the grocery store an are on our way back.

Right next to our mini mart is this fruit stand.  Mostly they sell smoothies.  But they will cut up fruit for you and sell it to you.  Only open in the evenings.

Back home - a photo or our go-to alcohol when we are in Thailand.  You can also get  it at the 7-11.

3-10 Still in Thailand - but in Bangkok!

 While we were in Medan with Lisa and Tim, they told us about their experience doing medical tourism at the Bangkok.  Generally you can get multiple visits with multiple doctors as well as medical tests done all in one day.  It was important for Michael because he donated his kidney 18 years ago and so has only one, and has recently been diagnosed with gout.  The medications for gout seem to be hard on your kidney and on your liver.  

Lisa's assistant at the Consulate made the arrangements for us - all we had to do was get there.  We had a 7:15am flight to Bangkok - so we were up super early.  I also got a phone call from the U.S. at 4am which I tried not to answer - but he kept calling me.  It had to do with Rotary I have someone else working on it, but I am the Bank contact.  But back to medical stuff.  Michael has appointments for blood work, an ultra sound and two physician's consultations.  I have one physician consultation.  

Michael had arranged a shuttle to take us from our house to the Phuket airport and return and pick us up from the Bangkok airport and drive us to the Bumrungrad International Hospital.  The ride from the Bangkok airport to the hospital is supposed to be about one hour.  Our driver took almost two hours. We thought we were going to be late for the 11am check in.  It seems he was trying to avoid tolls and took us right through downtown Bangkok.  There was so much road and other construction that we would be stuck not being able to move at all for periods of time.  

We actually made it to the 10th floor reception sign in area just a few minutes before 11am.  My appointment wasn't until 2:30pm so I pretty much followed Michael from appointment to appointment all on separate floors until then.  I won't go into detail about his schedule and results as you can see them here: http://de-intimidator.blogspot.com/2026/03/asia-mega-tour-2026-day-thirteen.html  - if you are interested.  We had lunch around 1pm at the hospital "Go Fresh" restaurant on the 10th floor.  We each got a sandwich and a drink - it was easily the most expensive meal we have had here so far.  

Michael and I got to my appointment on time  and the doctor asked what he could do for me.  So I explained the surgery on my right hand about 3 months ago and the problems I was still having with it.  A few days into our trip from the U.S. to Medan, I noticed a bump in the middle of my right hand.  My regular doctor had mentioned to me a while back that I had the start of Dupuytrens contracture in both of my hands.  She assured me that it would most likely never be a problem as it developed much later in life.  I explained why I had the surgery on my right hand and showed him the written report from my New Mexico surgeon, Dr. Lujan.  I was thinking that the nodule on my right had was caused by the surgery.  I also have some pain in my fingers of both hands, but mostly the right.

This doctor said that all of my issues were separate issues.  None of the other issues were caused by the surgery.  He seemed to think that the numbness at the wrist/thumb joint would go away eventually.  He said that the Dupuytrens contracture was a genetic problem and did I have any relatives that had it.  I don't know of anyone who had it in my family.  He also suggested I get a nerve study done to see if I have nerve compression in my right hand.

He said I had three choices for what to do about the nodule in my right hand.  Nothing - which he strongly recommended.  He said it would not bother me and unless it got really painful I should do nothing.  the second choice was doing some small cut to let my hand open up more naturally and the last option was to remove the nodule.  I got the impression that he thought it would most likely come back.  

So my take-away was that what I have wrong with my hand is mostly genetic and that really nothing can be done.  If my hand gets really disfigured to the point I can't use it - then maybe I should do something.  But meanwhile just relax and have patience and some things might get better and other things will get worse.

So on that note we left the hospital to wait for our Grab ride to the airport.  We were back at the airport within 20 minutes!  This driver paid the tolls (well actually we paid them) and the trip was super fast.  We were so early that we opted to pay a little more and take a flight 2 hours earlier!

We still got home fairly late - too late to order food.  So we ate the left over chicken stew and went to bed.

Note:  I noticed later that I have a second nodule in my right hand.  The first one is on the tendon that leads to be middle finger.  The second one is on the tendon that leads to my ring finger.  

3-9 We are in Phuket Thailand

 On Sunday 3-8, our two flights from Medan to Singapore and then on to Phuket went smoothly.  The shuttle that Michael had arranged to get us to our rental home proved difficult to find - but eventually we made it to our VIP Villa.  We had our evening meal delivered by Grab (Uber - but much cheaper).  We also put in a grocery order to be delivered by Grab.  Most food items are delivered by motorcycle - so you can't order a weeks worth of water.  The delivery charge us usually a $1 or less - so we will order more over the next few days.  

As in Indonesia and most of SE Asia - the water is not safe for American's or other visitors to drink.  The locals are used to the bugs etc. that reside in the water and no longer react like someone who is not used to it.  We have had little trouble in this area of the world with local food.  You do have to take care and not eat street food make sure that what you buy is fully cooked and you should be fine.

On Monday we took a walk from our house to the beach and tourist area.  We also ordered more groceries as Michael wanted to cook a non Asian meal.  He made chicken stew with potatoes and broccoli.  

On our way back into our neighborhood we noticed these signs.  Of-course it makes total sense as we are so close to the sea.  At least now we know the evacuation route!

The first part of our walk from the main street/beach area is along buildings like these.  I'm not sure what is going on in them, but at times the noise emanating from them is very loud.  The VIP Villas start further from the beach.

We took a dip in our pool before finishing up packing for our day trip to Bangkok on Tuesday, and then going to bed.  I will have to get up at 5am to catch our flight.

3-7 The last Indonesian Post of the Trip

 One last meal out.  I don't remember the name of the restaurant - but the food was great as usual.

Lisa has been getting the sweet fruity drinks - I really felt the need to try one.  Mine was passion fruit and I think mango.  The entire glass is filled with crushed ice.  The syrup is poured into the glass and sinks to the bottom.  You stir it to mix all the flavors.  It was delicious.

Lisa's iced coffee with jelly and other stuff.

Nicholas wanted the croquettes.  He shared and we all enjoyed them.

Potato chips with sweet chutney.  Also quite good unless you don't like sweet with salty!

Barbeque chicken pizza on a cracker like crust.  Again, a bit sweet.  Nicholas and I enjoyed it.

I ordered whole fish.  I don't remember the style, but the sauce was very spicy.  Note the vegetables.  This is what we usually got when they said the dish came with vegetables - a couple of slices of cucumber and tomato.

And again this restaurant advertised the milk cake.  We also tasted a chocolate version of this cake earlier this week.  It is not near as good as the strawberry version.  They seem to like light milk chocolate flavor here - not the dark rich chocolate that I love.   

Everyone else ordered a dish as well - no photos, but all seemed to enjoy them.  We did not order desert as we were all too full after all the appetizers and main dishes.

This photo was actually taken on 3-8 in the airport lounge in Medan before we flew off to Thailand.  This is a sweet flavored tea that is very common in Indonesia.  

Next we have almost 10 days in Phuket Thailand all by ourselves.