“Keep stirring! Keep smiling!” Thai Cooking Class in Chiang Mai

The day after our trekking adventure Michelle and I booked an 8 hour, 6 course Thai cooking class at one of the many cooking schools in Chiang Mai. Since starting our travels, we've become big fans of the Thai cuisine and figured that we should learn how to make a few of the dishes to try at home (and of course, to impress you guys reading this!). Most of you know that two of my most favorite pastimes include cooking and eating- sounds like a winning combination, ehh?!

After an ingredient briefing at the fresh market, we are whisked into a nearby school where we each take our place behind a cooking station. For the rest of the day, we slice, dice, and listen to the canned-but-still-amusing cooking routine of our instructor. Right off the bat, our teacher showed us how throw some onions into the wok while creating a HUGE flame- I'll make sure to impress you all with this when I get home! Within hours we are able to turn out dish after dish made completely from scratch: tofu spring rolls, chicken with cashew nuts, green curry chicken, spicy shrimp soup (aka tom yum soup), pad thai, and for dessert sticky rice and mango (my personal favorite). We eat the first few dishes immediately after cooking them, and the rest are brought together at a table for us to enjoy with our fellow chefs.

The company (three Aussie girls) was amazing, but the food was even better (usually goes the other way around, I know...but this food was REALLY good)! By the time the course was over, Michelle and I had to practically be rolled out of there from being so stuffed! It was an absolutely wonderful way to spend my last day of my youth (that is, still being a 22 year old:)...

These are a few of my favorite things

When I signed up for the 2 day trek I didn't really know what to expect but it is fair to say having made it back in one piece I am far from disappointed. It was an amazing experience - one of the highlights so far for sure!

Our group consisted of a Brazillian couple, a Holland couple, two Holland gals, two Koreans, a Canadian fellow, and Michelle and I. After making it to the mountain region where we would set off from on our first day trek our tour guide 'Tony' cooked up some lunch for us and we set off.

The first day was the toughest for sure - hiking up the mountain some 1200 meters in scorching heat. I was sweating in parts of my body I didn't know I could sweat! It took us a little under four hours to make it to tribe base but once we got there, there was a general sense of accomplishment! Our 'village' consisted of about three small families who apparently hosted tourists like us on a frequent basis- needless to say, we set up quarters in our 'guest hut.' The views from our hut were something else - it really was amazing and so far removed from everywhere.

With some cold beers in hand (which were sold by the lady who owned the hut we were staying in), we had a chance to all sit around and shoot the breeze. It was great hearing all the other travel stories and it's already got me antsy for another trip (haven't decided where yet, but I'm thinking South America would be pretty amazing!).

Another thing Michelle and I noticed is that: 1. Americans rarely travel to Asia-I imagine many people are apprehensive because it's not as 'comfortable' and well-known as Europe or just that maybe it's just too far away (It did take me 25 hours to get here) and 2. Americans never take much 'time' for travel. We have met boatloads of travelers during our trip and it seems that our month long trip is absurdly short for most people. The travelers we've met are taking 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and sometimes even longer to travel Asia and the rest of the world. Some have taken leave from work, some have just graduated from college, and many we've met were actually fired from their jobs and are planning to travel until their severance package runs out...(I couldn't do it, but cheers to them!) If you think about...why not?? Of course you always have to think about money and savings, but many of us who are young will have the rest of our lives to make money and continue the work/eat/sleep cycle...am I right? Anyways, back to our trekking adventure...

It didn't take long for the sun to go down and the temperature to start dropping. Our guide, Tony, made an absolutely delicious chicken and sweet potato curry we all ate around the fire. Although it turned out to be a great evening, some s'mores really would have been the cherry on top! All was going perfectly...that is, until bedtime. With sweaters, long pants and socks on, we all made our way to the large hut to get some sleep. Have any of you ever slept on concrete floors with no padding? That would be a small step up from our huts that were lined with uneven bamboo logs (which by the way, are VERY hard) and a straw map to cover them. We tried to sleep, but to no avail woke up shivering from the cold with cricks in our backs and in dire need to use the bathrom...and that was at 2am!

Michelle and I couldn't fall back asleep again so we were just whispering and laughing at the whole situation (a little bit of dilerium had set in). It reminded me of being at camp when, once the lights would go out and the counselor would fall asleep, a few of us would jump into another friend's bunk and stay up whispering about the days events. So...we contemplated making a run to the 'outhouse' (a designated hole in the dirt) but decided we would settle for a little spot behind the hut. Of course, something had to go wrong...let's just say I haven't mastered the art of 'squatting.' It doesn't help that we were snickering and being goofballs, but as soon as I stood up from peeing I realized I had totally wet half of my left leg while relieving myelf. We couldn't hold it in anymore- we were DYING. It's amazing how once we get started on the stupidest thing, our laugh eggs each other on and we're unstopbable. We continue to hypervenilate for another ten minutes while trying to regain some composure before going back into the hut. What was so funny...looking back, I can't figure it out!?

We try to sleep till at least the sun came up, but we were RUDELY interruped by the roosters! No, this was not at 6am as one may thing- it was at a quarter past four. There were two of these insomniac villians and I wanted to throw my shoe at them. Either that, or cook them for breakfast. They went back and forth for two hours! Little sleep was had by anyone that night.

Thankfully when we pulled ourselves out of the huts into the cold, crisp morning air there was toast, fruit, and hot tea waiting for us. The second day of the trip was a lot less hard work as we were working our way downhill to a camp that housed the elephants we would be riding. Even though it was well trodden tracks that we were hiking on, it really didn't feel like there were many others around and you had the general feeling that you were totally removed from everything - it is very well organized and you really see how the native villagers live and we are just passing through.

Once we walked for about an hour we made it to the elephant camp and were treated to an elephant ride which was a great experience - the setting definitely made it. Then we moved to a calming float down the river in bamboo rafts, but not before we stuffed faces on a traditional Thai buffet (pad thai, curry, cabbage, spring rolls and stir fry vegetables). After that we made our way to some waterfalls where most people jumped into the freezing cold water and some even made their way to the top of waterfall and slid down (don't worry mom and dad, it wasn't too high up!). As soon as we were all about dried off we made our way to the white water rafting drop off. Little did we know that we would get DRENCHED! Michelle and I were with the Dutch girls and we tried to race the other boat, but apparently 2 American girls+2 Dutch girls < (is less than) 1Dutch man+1Dutch she-woman +1 Canadian guy + 1 German girl (we lost).

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the trip, I was never so glad to see a shower and a proper bed in all my life. You see I consider myself to be a part time back packer....after a few days of roughing it I like my home comforts!

Just a little bump in the road...

I believe last time I wrote, Michelle and I had booked tickets to go to Nha Trang which is a beautiful beach spot along the Vietnom coast- about 10 hours north of Saigon. Our travel agent failed to tell us that there had been 10 straight days of rain in Nha Trang (though if we were smart, we would have googled the weather!). Oh, and apparently it's supposed to be dry season as well! As soon as we got there after our 10 our overnight bus we heard about the weather and decided that we'd made a mistake going there. The town was dead, the weather was drizzly and cloudy, and the wind was thrashing the waves upon the shore. Didn't take long to decide that we'd take the next morning bus back... (that is, not before we spent the evening at a mineral springs retreat in a mud bath!)

That little incident, along with the weather channel's perfectly Vietnam shaped cloud of rain covering the country, forced us to make some executive decisions. Going to Laos was no longer an option because the price of an air ticket was outrageous under short notice. Instead we booked flights to go to northern Thailand (via Bangkok) where we had yet to visit- Chang Mai. The flights were three days away so we took a little bus ride (5 hours) to the beach town of Mui Ne. (I used to loathe the 2.5 hour car ride home to San Antonio, but now it seems like nothin' next to these 10 hour bus trips).

Mui Ne

With an equation of Sun, water, and tons of good looking foreigners...we were bound to have a good time, right? YOU BET! We got dropped off the bus and began our search looking for guest houses. Apparently this was a pretty happenin' place because everywhere seemed to be full. Looking like total backpackers, we trekked (actually, just walked on the side of the road) about a mile till we found a place that had an open room. Get this- we also got cable television AND a hot shower...JACKPOT! Okay, our pocketbooks actually took a dent with this $15/night room, but it was all worth it!

We dropped our bags, put on our swimsuits, grabbed some noodles for lunch (ramen is super really popular a the restaurants, but they like to call it 'fried noodles' and jack up the price) and headed straight for the beach. I won't lie, the beaches in Thailand were much more beautiful and crystal clear, but Mui Ne still had a lot going for it. It is known as the Kite Surfing Capital because of the intense wind, so there were tons of guys on the water showing off their skills.

Later in the afternoon we snuck into one of the many resorts along the main strip and relaxed in their beautiful infinity pool. Doing the same thing as us, we met wonderful English couple who was spending their three week holiday traveling all throught Vietnam. They told us of a cheap little restaraunt on the beach that serves all the basics (spring rolls, fried noodles, fried rice, noodle soup, etc) in large portions- we have a winner! We ate our next SIX meals there:) My favorite was probably the fresh spring rolls, mmmm! I actually ordered the vegetarian spring rolls the first night and I bit into the first one and realized it was vegetarian when I pulled a baby squid tentacle out of my mouth- I like seafood, but not that much!

We basked in the sun and did a lot of relaxing and reading ( I just started the book Eat, Pray, Love which was highly recommended by many friends) for the next day and a half. We floated around a couple of the beach bars with our new English friends, but overall, there wasn't a huge night scene...The sun drains you out and I guess most people would rather recoup for the next day.

On Thursday night, we caught the 2am bus to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) so we didn't have to pay for a guesthouse that night. By the time we made it into the city, we were tired from staying up so late and not sleeping on the bus- we had to find a place to crash for a couple of hours anyway before catching our flight that afternoon. Let me just say- we rented a jail cell! There was just enough room on the floor to put our bags (about 4 square feet) and we had to use the sheets as towel after a shower. Oh, and to let ourselves out to grab some lunch we had to unlock a padlocked metal gate in the front of the 'store' which was on the first floor. The funny thing was- it was perfect for us. During this trip, we've learned to become minimalists and flexible with whatever comes our way...

No toilet paper...no problem, we can drip dry. Ants...no problem, we'll just shake them out of our clothes before we leave. Cold water...who actually takes hot showers anymore- they're so overated. Annoying cab drivers harrasing you...no problem, just smile and walk away.

In the mean time, we've made it to Chang Mai and have already booked a two day trekking tour for tomorrow and Sunday. We will stay in the north with the Long Neck tribes and do some white water rafting, trekking, and other fun stuff. After that, we'll hopefully sign up for a Thai cooking class, mmmm!!!

Take care everyone, and I look forward to seeing you all in a week:)

Good morning, Vietnam!

Yesterday, Michelle and I made it into Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) after a seven hour bus ride from Cambodia. Most people have heard of Saigon, as it is the capital of Vietnam but some time ago the name was changed to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC for short). We found a guesthouse (the term is used losely) to stay at right across from a beautiful park. The room is on the second floor of a little clothing store and for the first time in over a week we had a HOT SHOWER (it's the little things that count!). Last night the park was holding it's week long holiday celebration with tons of lights, stages with different acts going on and of course, tons of food. Not sure exactly what all we ate, but some of the highlights included: grilled sweet potato pattie, fresh spring rolls (they are absolutely amazing here), ice cream (always my favorite), crocodile kabobs, sugar cane rice pattie, cotton candy, rambutan fruit (the spikey red fruit in the picture), and lastly...CRICKETS(taste kind of nutty and salty- not too bad)! Yes, just call us Andrew Zimmerman's apprentices! (for those who don't know, he travels the world and eats all the craziest food that you would never imagine eating.)

We also decided that there wasn't much reason to stay in HCMC for very long so we booked a bus ride to the Nha Trang, which is supposed to have some of the prettiest beaches in Vietnam. Our bus leaves tonight at 9pm and hopefully it will be fairly empty so we can each have our own set of seats to sleep in.

In Cambodia, celebrating the New Year!!

The four of us (Myself, Rachel, Janelle, and Michelle) spent about a week in Cambodia in between Siem Riep and Phnom Phen. Each place was very different, but a good time was had everywhere!

Siem Riep: Angkor Wat

Most of ya'll have probably seen Tomb Raider where it was filmed by some ancient ruins, right? ...well, I was there! For two days we got to tour the area around Siem Riep called Angkor Wat. These temples were built in the thirteenth century and have lasted ever since. I've actually learned that they are one of the man made seven wonders of the world (I can check that off my list!). There was impeccable detail carved in some of the stones and others temples were ingrown with ancient trees with routes sprawling fifty feet away. I will post pictures as soon as possible, but I have not been able to find a computer with a card reader lately.

Phnom Phen: Lasting impressions of the Khmer Rouge

This trip to Phnom Phen was interesting and very informative, yet quite depressing. Not sure if many of ya'll remember when Cambodia was under the rule of Pol Pot beginnning in 1975, under the Khmer Rouge, but it was comparable to the Holocaust. Millions were murdered for no reason other than being educated or simply being of the wrong ethnic group. During our visit, we went to a school that was used as a place of imprisonment and torture during the time. There were mugshots of the victims all over the walls and the 1 meter x 3 meter cells were still intact-shackles and all. After the school, we went to the killing fields where many of the tortured victims were later executed-not much else to say about that. Before this trip I had just heard the name Pol Pot, but after coming to these memorials and reading the book, First They Killed My Father, I am so much more informed.

All in all, Cambodia was a good trip with even better company...but I can say that I don't plan on making the trip back there any time soon. I have never seen such a poverty stricken place and it makes me so thankful for what I have and the country that I live in.

Update: Rachel and Janelle had to head back to Bangkok for work, but Michelle and I have just made it into Vietnam. Will get back to you with more stories, asap!

Take care and I love you all!!!

Are we there yet????

The Bus: WOW...this day has been quite eventful and without us even trying! It all started this morning at 6am when we got to the bus station to catch an early bus to the Cambodian border. We get on with only a few other passengers and I proceed to lay across the whole back seat seeing as there were plenty of open seats. After 30 minutes we make a stop at a gas station where 20 more Thai passengers get on. No problem, right? Well, 30 minutes after that we stop at another gas station where another 10 passengers get on...now its at capacity with a few in the aisles as well. Then, they decide to start BLARING some awful Thai music on the speakers. Even my Lil' Jon playlist on my ipod couldn't cover this abnoxious noise overhead! We continued to make unnecessary stops along the way, but thankfully I had a good book with me (thanks, Jillian) and was able to zone out. On one stop, a Thai army/police officer boarded the bus to check the Thai passports. By the time he left, our bus was 15 people less crowded. By the time we made it to the border, the bus ride had been about 5 hours (and still more to go)...

The Border:Wikipedia loosely defines corruption as an"impairment of integrity, virtue or moral principle." My definition: "Cambodian officials." As soon as the bus droppped us off, the four of us were immediately hassled by all the tuk-tuk (carriage type taxi) drivers to take us to the border which was just 7km away. You would think that this woudn't be a problem, but apparently these drivers want to make a little commission on the side. The first stop we made was at a shady restaurant that we were told we had to get the visas from. We oblige and went in, but after 10 mintues of talking to them, realized they were jacking up the price and definitely weren't legitimate officials. On to the next stop- the Thai consulate just down the road. Once again, we get inside and realize that they have doubled the official price and will only take the Thai Baht (in Cambodia, mostly US dollars are used). Finally after jetting out of there, we make the tuk-tuk driver take us to the border, as we asked in the first place. The tourist visa station there is just one window with 10 Cambodian officials on the inside watching what looks like a soap opera. We give them our passports along with $20, as the price of the visa is stated on the window. They will not give us the visa for less thatn $25 because apparently the sign is old and they are too busy to take it down (with a boost from Michelle I could have gotten it down myself)! Oh, and Michelle and I also forgot to bring passport pictures to give to them so they said 100 baht would be okay to let it slide (they'd rather the cash under the table than to set up a little booth for foreigners like us to actually pay for a picture). Once we were free and clear to go into the country, we had to find a way to Siem Reap...

The Taxi: After a bit of haggling, we got a taxi from the border to Siem Reap (3 hours away) for $50. Let me just tell you, this was NO normal taxi ride. The roads are full of potholes, ditches, detours, dirt, rocks, and gravel- the whole way! It was like riding a roller coaster because we'd be dodging potholes as if they were landmines and driving on the wrong sides of the road to avoid the motorbikes. We lost our stomach a few times and had quite a laugh about the whole situation, but most importantly we made it to Siem Reap. (Apparenty an 'unknown airline' is bribing an 'unknown political official' to delay this 20 year road project so that people will continue flying with this 'unknown airline' instead of driving- sketchy, I know!)

We are finally here in Siem Reap and plan on visitng Angkor Wat for the next few days. (It may look familiar from Lara Croft: Tomb Raider)

It's already been a WEEK!

This past week has felt surreal- I can't beleive everything I've done! I traveled half way across the world, I've eaten foods I'd never have dreamed of, taken overnight trains and buses, visited some of the most beautiful beaches, ridden on elephants, and trekked through the Thai jungle...that is, all within one WEEK!

To the ISLAND(via train, bus, and ferry)

Unfortunately the United States doesn't have a great train system, therefor, I'd never been on one. Michelle and I wanted to lose as little time during the day as possible so we booked an overnight sleeper train to get down south. It worked out wonderfully because we were in a little four person cabin and we both had the top bunk. It was like camp all over again. We had stocked up on snacks (chips, mentos, and bags of fresh fruit) and played a couple rounds of Phase 10 (now addicted, thanks to rachel) in one of our bunks. We finally decided to get some sleep before our 4am arrival to the stop. Originally we had booked a joint bus ticket to Phuket, but after hearing rumors of it being too touristy, we changed last minute and got a ticket to Ko Phi Phi instead. It took a little haggling, but we only managed to lose about 60 baht in the process ($2). The bus took us to a pier where we caught a 2 hour ferry to the island. It was the absolute most relaxing way to travel. We just laid on the top deck soaking up the sun, enjoying the hum of the engine.

The Island of Ko Phi Phi

It was only noon once we arrived so after we found a guesthouse to stay in and drop our stuff off at we quickly changed into our swimsuits and grabbed some food. For my first time in Thailand I got to have Pad Thai- it was SPECTACULAR! My next four meals in a row consisted of this delicious Thai dish...yumm-o! We hit the beach immediately and boy were we amazed. The water was luke warm and crystal clear- picturesque. After a bit of sunbathing we met some fellow backpackers and decided to rent a kayak with them. We hit up Monkey Island-obviously as stated, where there are monkeys littered along the beach ready to be fed. Once the excitement of the monkeys settled we got in some snorkeling and then kayaked around some more of the island.

The evening was filled with more good food, thai boxing, and beach parties. The thai boxing is not only done by Thai professionals, but they try to entice drunken tourists to get in the ring to fight other tourists by offering up free buckets (of alcohol of course). All fun and games until someone gets hurt, right? After enough the boxing we headed to the beach parties where they had loud music, lots of christmas lights and even a fire lit limbo stick (yes, I did represent!).

On day two, we rented a long boat with some other fellow tourists to visit the other islands (Ko Phi Phi Leh specifically, as it was where The Beach was filmed). Once again, gorgeous beaches and crystal blue water. Oh, and the snorkeling was even more amazing than before because you could see down so far. Although I can never get enough time on the beach, we decided that we should move along our journey and try something new. We booked bus and taxi tickets to Khao Sok national park where we were told there'd be trekking to do and animals to see...(they lie).

Khao Sok National Park

Most people have never heard of this spot off the beaten path and not talked about in most tour books. We heard from someone on the beach about the spot and decided to try it out, right? (I like to think we're pretty adventurous!) Once we got there our taxi guy took us to what was called the Treetop Resort (they use the term 'resort' VERY loosely). We got a little jungle bungalow hut for only 250 baht per night which we were very pleased with. That was, until we saw all of the ants. Oh well, right? We just learned to shake them out. Anyways, so our first day was pretty chill because it was too late in the afternoon to take one of the trails, as they take 4 hours or so and it was going to be getting dark soon. Instead we got some food, played some phase 10 and then went to bed by 8 (pathetic, I know). Oh, and we did schedule a morning elephant trekking adventure for the morning!

In the morning, after putting on some ant filled underoos, and jumping quickly out of them...we finally made it to the stop to pick up our bus to the elephants. This little adventure would not have been so exciting if we didn't take complete advantage of the 'unmarked' trail. Apparently you get on the elephants and ride for about 30 minutes then come to a stop where you get off, get some water, and they turn around the elephants for us to get back on. For some reason, us and some other swedish folk thought that we were supposed to continue trekking and we'd come out to hte elephants in the end. After about 40 minutes of climing waterfalls, stepping in leech filled spots of water (yes, Michelle got a few on her legs), and getting beaten up by thorns...we made it to the end and couldn't go any farther. After sitting for 10 minutes contemplating what to do, our tour guides came up with machettes- apparently they'd been looking for us for a while. We made our way back to the elephants through the jungle which was so much easier with the guides cutting away the annoying branches. This little trekking adventure was AWESOME! Besides that, we made it back to the elephants and got back to the camp and played with a baby monkey who acted as if it was on drugs- it was CRAZY and wouldn't sit still.

Overall, we really enjoyed Khao Sok but we didn't see any animals or beautiful waterfalls like we we were promised. Oh well, right??

On Christmas night we took an overnight bus back home to Bangkok where I'm at right now packing up to head out. On our itinerary is Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, then northern Thailand. I'll keep everyon up to date and add some pictures as soon as possible. Take care and I love you all!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!