First outing since lockdown

This is my first post since March. Like many people out there, I didn't travel during lockdown level 5,4 or 3 and so I didn't feel inspired to write about travel. As badly as my soul craved and needed it, roads were closed and so were the borders. There was absolutely no place to go, not even a restaurant. I've never been to prison and I have no idea what it feels like being locked up (I hope to never find out) but I'm convinced the lockdown gave us a little glimpse of what that must be like. Sure, we were locked down in our homes, with the usual comforts that one wouldn't have in prison but this was the firt time in my life when I had my freedom taken away in the manner that it was. There was little consolation knowing that it wasn't just me and my family who were locked down but the whole country and pretty much the rest of the world. Ironically, it was for those same reasons that the lockdown felt even more overhelming - having the entire world in panic and unable to move around freely, was the first indication of how our lives could all change in an instant. All our lives, at the same time. That is an incredibly overwhelming thing to even think about.

But fast forward to now, we are once again getting to experience some kind of freedom albeit still restricted, but I'll take it. Having the lockdown relaxed to level 2 came just in time for my birthday because September is always a big month in our household as we celebrate not only my birthday but my husband's too along with our wedding anniversary. September is like a mini-December in our lives because without fail, we celebrate for what seems like the entire month since my birthday falls on the 3rd, my husband's on the 17th and then our anniversary on the 26th. So we start from early in the month right to the last week of the month. I have to admit though that my excitement for this little freedom presented by our president didn't come with an undeniable amount of reservation because I kept thinking to myself: it's great that we can travel locally again but the virus is still out there. This obviusly stems largely from the fact that being on lockdown had brought a certain level of paranoia, which was never there before. Those who know me, know that I would never pass up an opportunity to go anywhere. I'm always ready to pack and go but I wasn't exactly jumping up with excitement at the news. I guess you could say that for me it was more an appreciation of having the option to go somewhere, should I want to do so.

As the month of September approcahed, I felt the paranoia slowly melt away. As my husband and I started talking about where we would go for our anniversary, the excitement and the idea of being in a place we both love soon replaced the fear.Our decision on our destination was a no-brainer and so we are counting down to that! Looking for clues? Well, it's one of the South African gems I talk about the most on my Instagram page but if you still can't figure it out, you'll find out soon. 

In the meanwhile, I've already had a couple of outings with my sister, who also happens to be a September baby herself. She had booked herself at one of the most sought-after boutique hotels in Sandton, Morningside - Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa - and I joined her for dinner on one of the evenings. Now, the excitement I felt on this particular day and the days prior was the kind I hadn't felt when the president announced our move to level 2.The excitement must have been a combination of a number of things 1. I hadn't spent time with my siter since lockdown in March 2. My birthday was now only 5 days away and hers 7 days away 3. I have had a few dinners at this very hotel before and each experience was beautiful. All these made me look forward to the dinner, anticipating nothing but another beautiful experience. I arrived at the hotel a few hours before our dinner date, so that we could have some extra time to catch up. We spent our time by the main pool area and ordered some drinks. It was at this time when I realised that our experience here would be different from what we had both experinced in the past. Sure, the place still looks immaculate, with well-manicured gardens, a few refurbishments, stylish lounges and dining rooms - a well maintained structure overall. What got me unsettled was the service we got whilst at the pool. They didn't seem to have the right ingredients for any of the drinks we wanted to order (cocktails) and so we ended up ordering the wine they had on offer instead. The service was a little bit slow even though there were no more than 10 people on that part of the property. My guess was that our waiter was more than likely still new at the job. We made peace with it as it wasn't long before we were both engrossed in our conversation and time passed really quickly.

When our dinner time came, we were allocated the same waiter and sadly, his service seemed to have deteriorated even further because he would take as long as 10 minutes to return with a drink or anything else we requested. Surprisingly, the food was very quick and also made to perfection - the salmon was either the best I ever had or the best I've had since lockdown. It was juicy and tasty and that goodness melted in my mouth with a delicate burst of flavour that left my tastebuds dancing. It was this meal that made me overlook everything else that went wrong. I left the hotel a happy person because of that salmon dish. Would I go back again? I more than likely will. Would I recommend it? Yes, I would but not for the well-rounded experience I've come to know them for but rather for reasons of supporting one of Gauteng's gems because without the support, they may struggle even further to get their standard to where it once was. I also would want to cut them some slack and say that covid-19 regulations make it slightly more challenging to provide a seemless service, especially since most staff members have to adapt to new ways of doing things and adhering to the strict rules. I believe with time, the rules will be like second nature and they will also pick up on the speed of service. I'd rather have tasty food served on my plate and my patience tested than have my taste buds tortured. If I have to wait just a bit longer for my food, then I 'll practise some patience.

 

Now that you've had a glimpse of my first post-lockdown outing, tell me if you've been out and how your experience was?