What more can I say about Chiang Mai without repeating myself when this is my fifteenth visit to this city? Those of you following my travels and reading more than a dozen posts about this popular city in Thailand would probably ask the same question. I have been asking it since my arrival almost two months ago and was about to give up on writing anything this time around until today. So what ignited the spark for me to sit down and begin writing on the topic of pancakes?
Since Chiang Mai has been getting hotter and smoggier with each passing day and I have only a week left before I must head home to Nova Scotia where it’s freezing cold, I decided a few days ago I would get up early before the temperature hit the mid-thirties to find the restaurant that I used to go to for some delicious pancakes. I’ve hankered for a pancake breakfast ever since I’ve been here but I haven’t had much luck finding a restaurant in the neighborhood where I stay with pancakes on their menu. There are lots of good coffee and bakery cafes to supplement my yogurt and granola stash in the fridge of my tiny kitchenette to give me a healthy breakfast most days, but I needed a change. What I wanted was a good old pancake breakfast.
Why pancakes you might wonder? To begin with, the Thai love to satisfy their tourist tastes so there have always been some fairly good restaurants around to satisfy our American taste buds. I’ve had some delicious ones over the years on my visits to Chiang Mai but where exactly would they be now? The restaurant scene has changed drastically since COVID. Many of those I became used to over the years have disappeared or been upgraded into something new. Nevertheless, the one that kept coming back to haunt me was Good Morning Chiang Mai. So, I decided to check it out to see if they were still there and see if pancakes were still on their menu. Last year they were undergoing a massive renovation which looked like it was going to be what I would call a posh one. Would they still have their old menu with their delicious pancakes and if so would they be a decent price?
To make what could become a long story short, I found the place despite the confusing information Google Maps gave me. Using my instinct or intuition, I found the correct soi (side street) with the new complex which now consists of a hotel, a pool, an inviting garden, and a newly renovated restaurant. There was a menu outside the posh entrance which I opened with bated breath thinking the prices would be out of my reach and surely there would be no pancakes. When I saw they were still there and within my budget, without a moment’s hesitation I opened the heavy door and headed for a ringside seat by the pool. What a piece of good luck or was it serendipity? I felt like I had come home to something special which would be a memorable experience.
The presentation of my breakfast was another wonderful surprise. There they were…two good-sized pancakes with a variety of colorful fruits on the side. I tucked in eating as much as I could. They were melt in your mouth delicious but filling as pancakes can be. I couldn’t finish them so I discretely wrapped what was left in a napkin and stuffed them in my bag. I should also mention that my Americano coffee was also delicious.
Having eaten all I could, I decided to take some pictures of the premises. I had already taken one of my pancakes. Up to this point, I hadn’t taken much notice of the couple to the left of my table until the man got up to pay their bill while the woman waited for him on the bench by the door. When he reappeared, I asked if I could take a picture of them. I must add that this is not something I usually do but for a reason unknown, it seemed like the right thing to do. They were both happy to oblige. I never asked him if he was once a photographer but he certainly went at it like a professional. After shooting three of me, I called a halt knowing the fun he seemed to be having would end up as more. Furthermore, I sensed his woman friend was getting a bit bored with it all. In the meantime while taking the photos and for a short time after, I found out she was from the Philippines and he was from the northern part of Italy. Somehow, we got onto life in Thailand and how it was a great country for expats. He was especially forceful about how much I stood to gain by selling my house and moving over permanently when he found out I was from cold Canada. He had all the latest news about the changes for getting a six-month or a one-year visa initiated by the present government to encourage and make it easier for those who want to make Thailand their home. I won’t bore you dear reader with any more about our photo shoot and conversation but it has had an impact. Yes, I can honestly say it has inspired me to do this post for my blog. Perhaps it’s a beginning to determining where I go from here? One never knows these days, does one?
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