After eleven hotels, six flights and three boat trips, it is comforting to know we will be home soon. We are looking forward to seeing everyone and sharing our newly acquired Thai cooking skills. On a very positive note, Eunjae’s coughing, asthma and colds have completely disappeared and she is feeling well. We both have totally overindulged with open hearts on the trip, and will have major damage control to do when we get back.
Chiang Rai
Arriving in Chiang Rai was an adventure. In the last blog, I shared the two-day long cruise down the Mekong Delta from Laos to Thailand. I thought that was the adventure, but boy was I wrong. Once again the border crossing was anything but usual. We had pre-purchased a Laos entry/exit visa before we arrived. After the two-blank passport pages debacle, we assumed leaving Laos would be easy. Nope, that damn word “assume” proved to be true. Have you ever had a customs inspector ask for $1 USD to obtain the official stamp to leave the country? Well we did and everyone else in our party from the boat. Fortunately, Laos customs takes dollars, so after a bit of stress it was all resolved and we entered Thailand.
Chaing Rai is home of the “White Temple” and is sometimes referred to as the “Gaudy of the East”. It is white, sparkly mosaic of small broken glasses that have been hand-glued for the last 26 year and still on-going work, out-worldly, and ostentatious. The overall design evokes a waking nightmare. Wavy and sharp points, skulls, disembodied hands and bodies adorn the grounds.
After the White Temple, we spent the remainder of our time taking Tuk Tuks and visiting yet more temples and food markets. We purchased delicious Red and Green curries that we will bring home so that was a bonus.
Chiang Rai has a vibrant night bazaar and in the center is a live performance stage. Kind of strange listening to John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” sung by a Thai musician with a southern twang. By far the most weirdest part of the evening were the random “Drag Queen” numbers that sung both Thai and Korean songs. The act was focused on dramatic performance rather than being raunchy, so it was safe for kids and alike.
Our next stop was Chiang Mai, and this was the first time a stop went totally off the rails. The trip from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai is about 3 hours by car. To break-up the trip, we visited a small local village for lunch, and that was a huge mistake. Outside a hostess’s house with a couple of outside tables, we were served pork, shrimp, vegetables and rice, and long story short we couldn’t eat any of it. With the flys landing on everything in the kitchen area, the lack of refrigeration, the taste of food was the worst by far anywhere on the trip. Eunjae and I stuck mostly to rice and counted our blessings that we didn’t have upset stomachs. You know me, I am not squeamish about food but this place had me on guard.
Chiang Mai
Fortunes improved arriving in Chiang Mai. We stayed in the downtown near tons of funky clothing galleries, bars and interestingly marijuana shops. Yes, marijuana is legal in Thailand and let’s just say we “inhaled.” Old Bill Clinton reference for our young readers. We also had a rare free evening and went to a movie theater to watch “Dune Part 2”, which is more fun with Thai subtitles. During the weekend, the city hosts a number of Night Markets and Bazaars. We visited the temples and the White Market that specializes in hand crafted clothes and home decor.
The absolutely best excursion of the trip was the cooking class held by “A lot of Thai.” Chef Yui is a delight and her teaching style is so gentle and instructive, that you come away with a greater appreciation of Thai cuisine. She travels the world to teach chefs including Gordon Ramsey. We learned to make Pad Thai, Penang Curry, Khao Soi and a Banana / Coconut Milk dessert that is so good. Chef would instruct and demonstrate, and then we each had a cooking station to practice. It is fun to see how Eunjae and I differ in cooking technique. Eunjae is precise and very good at following instructions. Well let’s just say that I am more the wing it type. Dishes were incredibly delicious, so that is the only measure that counts.
Ao Keow Beach and the Paradee Resort
Leaving the hustle and bustle of Chiang Mai, we flew to Bangkok and then travelled by speed boat to a small and remote Ko Samet island. Paradee Resort is a heaven and instantly induces feelings of relaxation and well being. The resort features 40 bungalows that wrap around surgarcane sand and the water is shades of turquoise, blue and green. Water temperature is so nice and we spent everyday on the beach. At night you have an option to dine at the restaurants or on the beach. We chose the beach one night and were treated to a full moon reflecting on the waves. Each afternoon they serve ice cream and offer “High Tea” on the beach. This is a perfect way to slow down before we head to Bangkok for our final days.
Final Thoughts
A few days to recharge and then we are off to Bangkok. The trip, despite a few bumps, has delivered so much enjoyment and education, we feel very fortunate. Bye from Paradee beach for now.
