I left you last week in Laos. Luang Prabang was fun, the night market never ending, the people charming and I would like to return taking the boat from Chiang Kong near my home. The night bus back to Vietiane, which was supposed to have been a VIP bus but wasn't, would have been fine had it not been for the incessant music. Having said that - we arrived back in Vientiane early in the morning. The mini-bus drivers wanted more than we were willing to pay to ride to the bus station, so we waited a bit until a tuk tuk driver came up with a better offer. He took us to sights around the city and then on a search for a working ATM machine. All were down for regular maintenance. We gave up and headed for the bus station paying less for our two hours than the other drivers wanted for one fourth of the time.
I offered to take out new friends from the Philippines to find a working ATM in Thailand, but they learned there would be one at the Thai bus station. I think they felt better knowing that help was available if needed.
We walked across the border, retrieved my car and were off along the Maekong. It was beautiful but the lack of sleep caught up with me and I found myself practically at a standstill in a village. "Are you asleep?" "Yes." I had been looking for a place to stay but there were none. Aphinya had a new job. Talk and make sure I was alert.
Eventually, after a few wrong turns that headed us back to Laos, we found a very nice hotel , showered and headed for bed and naps. I woke at 9:00 and took a walk along the river and then through a part of the town. Aphinya never made it past, "What time is it?"
The next morning we walked to the morning market, had a bit to eat and, after checking out of our hotel, found a small factory where they made cotton quilts. The measuements were painted on the cement floor and two women were busy stretching carded cotton to cover them. Each had a wooden frame studded with nails around the sides. On these they threaded thin string forming mesh rectangles. The frames were placed over the cotton and removed and then smoothed down with large wooden disks. The cotton was flipped over and the process repeated. The sides were not sewn, but folded and pressed together. Each woman was able to complete 12 to 13 quilts a day receiving 20 baht for each. The purchase price for a quilt the size they were making was about 490 baht. Buying, cleaning, carding, pulling, covering, delivering etc, - not a bad price. Mine is very comfortable, now that the nights have finally become cool.
We headed home, buying more coconuts and stopping at a few more places that grabbed our interst and paying a visit to Aphinya's parents. A final stop for some supplies and it was home to be greeted by two very happy dogs wanting their dinner and to hear the firecrackers leading into Loy Krathong festivities.
Out of curiosity, I checked the internet to see if our guest house, Mao Pha Shok, in Luang Prabang was listed. It wasn't. I did find that there are many places advertised for $10.00 and under a night and several others from $10.00 to $20.00. The first hotel I pulled up though offered a discounted rate of $350 to $500.00 or so a night. I had to double check as I couldn't imagaine spending that amount in a country where the average income is reported to be $54.00 a month. I would feel guilty - along with broke! There were a couple of places equally pricey. No mistake.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Marinated Dog
I must apologize for not writing sooner, but, as is often the case, the computer service was down and once we left on out trip, we had no access to the internet. I'll try to give you a brief update with more detail later.
My dog had been marinated and I had cooked up dog meat in preparation for my trip to Issan and Laos and ... No, I didn't cook my dog. (Living in a part of the world where dog is often considered a legitimate source of food, it would not have been outside the realm of possibility to have barbecued dog however.) Not me though! Namtaan has a fungus and must be bathed twice a week. After I put the shampoo on her, I have to let her "marinate" for 10 minutes. The dog meat is actually meat for dogs to eat.
Aphinya and I are both teachers and October is vacation, so we planned a trip to Issan, (the southeast part of Thailand), and Laos. Aphinya has been to Alaska with a Rotary group, but has never taken a road trip before, so this was a learning experience for the both of us. We took my car, our suitcases, a map and some suggestions from my principal and were off. Several of Aphinya's friends asked why she was going since there was no seminar. The idea of just traveling to see something different and have fun is a strange concept for many Thais.
We headed to the south and made a large circle visiting Cambodian ruins within Thailand, archaeological digs, temples, and craft villages. In one village, we met a retired principal who showed us around the archaeological pits and through his village. At one point, he indicated an elderly woman sitting on the steps of her house, She was 85 years old and reading a book, quite rare for an elderly villager who probably had not been to school. I don't think she was wearing glasses either! She just smiled at us and went back to her reading.
We came across another woman weaving mats. She invited me to try my hand. It wasn't horribly difficult, but quite time consuming. I never did fully figure out how to make the pattern changes.
When it came time to look for places to spend the night, Aphinya went in since there is often a dual pricing system. Locals pay one price and farang, foreigners, pay another. As it turned out, it may not have been necessary as we stayed in small resorts for the most part, paying 300 to 350 baht a night. At one, we were allowed to join the owner and we all did our laundry together. There was a machine, but she said it was better to do it by hand, so we did. On the last night of our trip we paid 600 baht but that included a large breakfast buffet.
To go to Laos, it was necessary to leave my car in a lot and then cross the Friendship Bridge by bus. Aphinya could go right through but, since I needed a visa, we had to wait for the window to open. $35 and we were off to Vientienne. We hired a van and took a tour of the city. The French influence is still obvious in the names, architecture and bread - just as it is in Vietnam.
The following morning, a VIP bus took us up a winding road to Luangprabang, a world heritage town in the mountains north of Vientiane. Each of us was given two plastic bags as the bus started, I thought they were for trash. No. They were "barf bags" and were used by many people. One lady was really sick. She was travelling with her little boy. The young men who serve as the bus attendants took the child to the front of the bus with them while the mother curled up on her seat in misery. She must have been the most relieved passenger when she finally reached her destination. I know everyone was happy for her when she was able to walk away from the bus carrying her son.
Luangprabang is a lovely city and I would like to return some day for a longer visit. The bus was met by the usual contingent of tuk tuk and mini-van drivers and those suggesting guest houses and trips. A young man came to me and we decided to check out the guest house he represented. It was on the river, clean and at 200 baht a night, just what we wanted. We took a room and then looked at various tour options for the following day before heading to the night market for dinner and shopping.
We settled on a boat trip up the river to the Buddha caves, a short stop at a whiskey village, lunch at the elephant camp and an elephant trek through the forest. The boat trip is lengthy but pleasant. The whiskey village is an opportunity for shopping and seeing how the local whiskey is made. The process is very much the same as that used by bootleggers with the exception that sticky rice is the basic ingredient. The Buddha Caves are interesting, but one must be prepared to climb many stairs to reach the second cave.
The boat took us back to town where we picked up others going to the elephant camp. One was a woman from Scotland who had worked in several countries for various organizations including the UN. She had been in Afghanistan and loved it and had even gone back there for a vacation. Another young woman was also from Scotland, though of an Asian heritage. She had recently graduated from the University and on an extended tour of the southeast. Her mother was with her for this part of the trip. She was able to learn a considerable amount about possible jobs and how to find and land them. It is strange how that happens so often when you are open to opportunities.
The elephant camp offers a class in becoming a mahout and the people were there in their uniforms when we arrived. They had been having a ball. I would like to go back and take the class myself. We ate good fried rice and, after a visit to "pick flowers" or visit the "happy rooms," (bathrooms), went for our ride. The terrain was sometimes steep and the rain forest dense. Some of the group changed places with their mahouts and rode on the elephants' necks. Everyone had fun. We bought our elephants bananas to say thanks and then the new mahouts came to ride the elephants down to the river to give them their second of two daily baths.
Back to the guest house, showers and another visit to the night market for dinner. Before we went, the owner of the guest house looked at the Lao skirt I had purchased and said it was too much although others had said the price was good. She said she would take me to a place where I could get one cheaper. I got on the back of her motorcycle and off we went. "You no like, no buy." I bought. On the way home, there was an older couple obviously newly arrived. They had their backpacks and were looking at a map. We pulled over and the guest house owner told them she had a place. They were a little dubious until I said I was staying there and it was quite nice. We showed them the way and at the entrance to our street, I got off to walk in with them. "You talk English to them." They took a room and then we went to the tailor to have my skirt finished and headed to the night market again. This time I had a Lao-style ham and cheese sandwich and a fresh fruit shake. A large french roll was sliced and then filled with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sliced ham, cream cheese and sweet/hot pepper sauce. Quite good.
There were two young women from the Philippines staying at our place and we all decided to take a tour of the city the following day and then take the night bus back south. We got up early to join in the alms giving to the monks, visited temples and the palace which is now a museum, ate by the river, walked the morning market and then drove to a nearby ethnic village. There we met a man who was back in Lao visiting, He lives in France, but has also lived in Canada and other places around the world. He speaks at least four languages. How does a Lao, in a land with only three Universities offering only undergraduate degrees, (and one of them fairly new), come to be a well-spoken world traveler? I'm not sure, but I have his e-mail address and will be interested in what he has to say.
They were making paper next door. This particular paper is made from the bark of a tree. It is dried and then soaked for a day, boiled and pounded and then the pulp is spread on a frame submerged in water. Flowers and sometimes leaves are placed on the pulp and then pushed under the surface. The frame is lifted out of the water and after only a minute or so, is put to the side to dry. You would think the pulp and the flowers would all slide off the frame onto the floor when it is placed upright. It doesn't.
The night bus was supposed to be VIP bus wasn't. It did get us to where we needed to go however. We arrived in Vientiane at 4:30 or 5:30 in the morning. The minivan drivers wanted more than we were willing to pay so we waited around until a tuk tuk driver made us a better offer. It cost us less to go to see a few places and then go to the bus station than it would cost to go straight to the station. It is strange that minivans and tuk tuks are comparatively expensive as are bathroom charges, while some rooms and food are quite inexpensive. There doesn't seem to be an explanation. A mahout can earn $70 a month, about the same as a teacher. A fairly short ride in a minivan might run $3. The Lao sandwich which is about 8" long was 3000 gip and a entrance to a bathroom was often 2000 gip.
This has been a rather lengthy entry so I will stop for now and come back in a day or so and complete our journey. Now it is time to marinate my dog again.
My dog had been marinated and I had cooked up dog meat in preparation for my trip to Issan and Laos and ... No, I didn't cook my dog. (Living in a part of the world where dog is often considered a legitimate source of food, it would not have been outside the realm of possibility to have barbecued dog however.) Not me though! Namtaan has a fungus and must be bathed twice a week. After I put the shampoo on her, I have to let her "marinate" for 10 minutes. The dog meat is actually meat for dogs to eat.
Aphinya and I are both teachers and October is vacation, so we planned a trip to Issan, (the southeast part of Thailand), and Laos. Aphinya has been to Alaska with a Rotary group, but has never taken a road trip before, so this was a learning experience for the both of us. We took my car, our suitcases, a map and some suggestions from my principal and were off. Several of Aphinya's friends asked why she was going since there was no seminar. The idea of just traveling to see something different and have fun is a strange concept for many Thais.
We headed to the south and made a large circle visiting Cambodian ruins within Thailand, archaeological digs, temples, and craft villages. In one village, we met a retired principal who showed us around the archaeological pits and through his village. At one point, he indicated an elderly woman sitting on the steps of her house, She was 85 years old and reading a book, quite rare for an elderly villager who probably had not been to school. I don't think she was wearing glasses either! She just smiled at us and went back to her reading.
We came across another woman weaving mats. She invited me to try my hand. It wasn't horribly difficult, but quite time consuming. I never did fully figure out how to make the pattern changes.
When it came time to look for places to spend the night, Aphinya went in since there is often a dual pricing system. Locals pay one price and farang, foreigners, pay another. As it turned out, it may not have been necessary as we stayed in small resorts for the most part, paying 300 to 350 baht a night. At one, we were allowed to join the owner and we all did our laundry together. There was a machine, but she said it was better to do it by hand, so we did. On the last night of our trip we paid 600 baht but that included a large breakfast buffet.
To go to Laos, it was necessary to leave my car in a lot and then cross the Friendship Bridge by bus. Aphinya could go right through but, since I needed a visa, we had to wait for the window to open. $35 and we were off to Vientienne. We hired a van and took a tour of the city. The French influence is still obvious in the names, architecture and bread - just as it is in Vietnam.
The following morning, a VIP bus took us up a winding road to Luangprabang, a world heritage town in the mountains north of Vientiane. Each of us was given two plastic bags as the bus started, I thought they were for trash. No. They were "barf bags" and were used by many people. One lady was really sick. She was travelling with her little boy. The young men who serve as the bus attendants took the child to the front of the bus with them while the mother curled up on her seat in misery. She must have been the most relieved passenger when she finally reached her destination. I know everyone was happy for her when she was able to walk away from the bus carrying her son.
Luangprabang is a lovely city and I would like to return some day for a longer visit. The bus was met by the usual contingent of tuk tuk and mini-van drivers and those suggesting guest houses and trips. A young man came to me and we decided to check out the guest house he represented. It was on the river, clean and at 200 baht a night, just what we wanted. We took a room and then looked at various tour options for the following day before heading to the night market for dinner and shopping.
We settled on a boat trip up the river to the Buddha caves, a short stop at a whiskey village, lunch at the elephant camp and an elephant trek through the forest. The boat trip is lengthy but pleasant. The whiskey village is an opportunity for shopping and seeing how the local whiskey is made. The process is very much the same as that used by bootleggers with the exception that sticky rice is the basic ingredient. The Buddha Caves are interesting, but one must be prepared to climb many stairs to reach the second cave.
The boat took us back to town where we picked up others going to the elephant camp. One was a woman from Scotland who had worked in several countries for various organizations including the UN. She had been in Afghanistan and loved it and had even gone back there for a vacation. Another young woman was also from Scotland, though of an Asian heritage. She had recently graduated from the University and on an extended tour of the southeast. Her mother was with her for this part of the trip. She was able to learn a considerable amount about possible jobs and how to find and land them. It is strange how that happens so often when you are open to opportunities.
The elephant camp offers a class in becoming a mahout and the people were there in their uniforms when we arrived. They had been having a ball. I would like to go back and take the class myself. We ate good fried rice and, after a visit to "pick flowers" or visit the "happy rooms," (bathrooms), went for our ride. The terrain was sometimes steep and the rain forest dense. Some of the group changed places with their mahouts and rode on the elephants' necks. Everyone had fun. We bought our elephants bananas to say thanks and then the new mahouts came to ride the elephants down to the river to give them their second of two daily baths.
Back to the guest house, showers and another visit to the night market for dinner. Before we went, the owner of the guest house looked at the Lao skirt I had purchased and said it was too much although others had said the price was good. She said she would take me to a place where I could get one cheaper. I got on the back of her motorcycle and off we went. "You no like, no buy." I bought. On the way home, there was an older couple obviously newly arrived. They had their backpacks and were looking at a map. We pulled over and the guest house owner told them she had a place. They were a little dubious until I said I was staying there and it was quite nice. We showed them the way and at the entrance to our street, I got off to walk in with them. "You talk English to them." They took a room and then we went to the tailor to have my skirt finished and headed to the night market again. This time I had a Lao-style ham and cheese sandwich and a fresh fruit shake. A large french roll was sliced and then filled with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sliced ham, cream cheese and sweet/hot pepper sauce. Quite good.
There were two young women from the Philippines staying at our place and we all decided to take a tour of the city the following day and then take the night bus back south. We got up early to join in the alms giving to the monks, visited temples and the palace which is now a museum, ate by the river, walked the morning market and then drove to a nearby ethnic village. There we met a man who was back in Lao visiting, He lives in France, but has also lived in Canada and other places around the world. He speaks at least four languages. How does a Lao, in a land with only three Universities offering only undergraduate degrees, (and one of them fairly new), come to be a well-spoken world traveler? I'm not sure, but I have his e-mail address and will be interested in what he has to say.
They were making paper next door. This particular paper is made from the bark of a tree. It is dried and then soaked for a day, boiled and pounded and then the pulp is spread on a frame submerged in water. Flowers and sometimes leaves are placed on the pulp and then pushed under the surface. The frame is lifted out of the water and after only a minute or so, is put to the side to dry. You would think the pulp and the flowers would all slide off the frame onto the floor when it is placed upright. It doesn't.
The night bus was supposed to be VIP bus wasn't. It did get us to where we needed to go however. We arrived in Vientiane at 4:30 or 5:30 in the morning. The minivan drivers wanted more than we were willing to pay so we waited around until a tuk tuk driver made us a better offer. It cost us less to go to see a few places and then go to the bus station than it would cost to go straight to the station. It is strange that minivans and tuk tuks are comparatively expensive as are bathroom charges, while some rooms and food are quite inexpensive. There doesn't seem to be an explanation. A mahout can earn $70 a month, about the same as a teacher. A fairly short ride in a minivan might run $3. The Lao sandwich which is about 8" long was 3000 gip and a entrance to a bathroom was often 2000 gip.
This has been a rather lengthy entry so I will stop for now and come back in a day or so and complete our journey. Now it is time to marinate my dog again.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
44th Anniversary, Chinese Center Mae Chan
Saturday was the 44th anniversary of the Chinese Center in Mae Chan and I was invited to attend their celebratory dinner and auction. "Is it dress-up or casual?" "Dress like a princess," was the reply. (An old princess, was my response) After putting on one of my fancier dresses and lavender jade jewelry, I drove to the hospital to pick up my friend. Was she dressed up? No. Pants and her Rotary shirt. What had happened to dressing up? She had been told it was not necessary, but I had not gotten the word. This promoted a discussion of the difference between dressing beautifully and dressing smartly,(clean and neat).
Beautiful and smart, we arrived at the center and were escorted to one of the tables reserved for Rotarians. Needless to say, I was the only Westerner in sight.
The food was quite good even though, at times, not always something I could name. There was a variety of sea food, meats, vegeetables, fruit and desserts accompanied by the always present bottles of coke and whiskey. Having eaten mussels once previously and finding them a complete waste of time and money, I left them to the others to enjoy, only to find our oldest member had kindly put one on my plate. Nothing for it but to eat a mussel. Was it any better this time? No, but at least the wasps that accompanied my first try were absent.
Until last year, I had not realized that jujubees were actually fruit. I knew them only as chewy jelly candies much loved by some of my friends. They are real and were in our final dish of dessert.
The auction went on during dinner and I was not prepared to see a plate of oranges go for 25,000 baht,(500 per orange), or more than $750.00. Three other plates were sold for about 10,000 each. A small refrigerator went for less than than the first plate of oranges. There were special lamps and Chinese figurines all sold off to raise money for any needed disaster relief in Mae Chan. I'm not sure of the exact amount raisaed but believe it to be upwards of 200,000 baht. Not bad for a small town.
There were also drawings for irons, desk fans, umbrellas, tickets and footballs as well as a grand prize. I won one of the desk fans and, as a result, am assured of good luck in the coming year. A little luck is always welcome.
No one at our table drank any whiskey so it was tucked in my bag, the largest one available, for use at a later date. All in all, a fun evening and another memory.
Beautiful and smart, we arrived at the center and were escorted to one of the tables reserved for Rotarians. Needless to say, I was the only Westerner in sight.
The food was quite good even though, at times, not always something I could name. There was a variety of sea food, meats, vegeetables, fruit and desserts accompanied by the always present bottles of coke and whiskey. Having eaten mussels once previously and finding them a complete waste of time and money, I left them to the others to enjoy, only to find our oldest member had kindly put one on my plate. Nothing for it but to eat a mussel. Was it any better this time? No, but at least the wasps that accompanied my first try were absent.
Until last year, I had not realized that jujubees were actually fruit. I knew them only as chewy jelly candies much loved by some of my friends. They are real and were in our final dish of dessert.
The auction went on during dinner and I was not prepared to see a plate of oranges go for 25,000 baht,(500 per orange), or more than $750.00. Three other plates were sold for about 10,000 each. A small refrigerator went for less than than the first plate of oranges. There were special lamps and Chinese figurines all sold off to raise money for any needed disaster relief in Mae Chan. I'm not sure of the exact amount raisaed but believe it to be upwards of 200,000 baht. Not bad for a small town.
There were also drawings for irons, desk fans, umbrellas, tickets and footballs as well as a grand prize. I won one of the desk fans and, as a result, am assured of good luck in the coming year. A little luck is always welcome.
No one at our table drank any whiskey so it was tucked in my bag, the largest one available, for use at a later date. All in all, a fun evening and another memory.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sticker shock
My apologies for not having posted anything earlier. My computer and I have been having some disagreements. When I first tried logging on to post somethingon the new blog, I found myself with a page of instructions - all in the Thai script. This, even though it was an American, I think, web sight. My Thai isn't close to being able to cope with that! Then my e-mail carrier decided it didn't like my password and no matter how diligently I followed the instructions for resolving the problem - it still refused me entry.
The laptop and I made a trip into town to see my computer guru and, after some clicking and fussing, he was able to resolve the problems. I am not sure how to do all that he told me, but, I can reach this sight so....
I am still amazed and have sticker shock at times. When in the US last spring, I was finding it incredibly difficult to spend $8.00 to $10.00 for a simple lunch. Dinner was even worse. Now I am back in Janjawatai and find myself amazed once again. Now it is because of how inexpensive many things are.
A week or two ago there was a problem with my car. A mechanic came to the restaurant where I was stranded, but was unable to fix the problem. He did get the car started so I could drive home and said he would come to my house in the morning and start it up again so I could go to the dealership in Chaing Rai. That came to a grand total of almost $3.00. There was no cost at the dealership, but I had to go to another shop for the alarm system. There I spent another $20.00 or so. Most of that was for the part itself. On top of that, they serviced the car immediately and we were on our way.
I took students to a local football game in the city. The tickets - about 60 cents each. No parking fee. Sunday, I decided to have my hair trimmed and drove to a shop by one of my favorite restaurants. A trim and a bit of blow dry was another 60 cents. I had taken a shower and washed my hair or it would have been a little more I presume. Somtom, green papaya salad, sounded like a great idea and, since there was a stand right in front of the shop, spent another 60 cents for lunch.
You can pay more obviously, but it isn't necessary. When I do go to someplace catering to the tourist or the more leisurely classes, I cringe at the costs. $4.00 for fried rice that I usually buy for 60 cents! On top of that, the cheaper meal is often better and there is probably more of it. I must admit to being spoiled by living in the north. Bangkok is generally more expensive, although you can eat cheeaply there as well. Other costs, such as housing tend to run one more. You also have to want to be in a big city with all its noise, traffic and masses of people.
Cars seem to be expensive and I haven't figured out how people can afford to buy them. A car ten years or older is common when you go to buy a used one. We wouldn't consider that as a rule, but it is common here. I also spend a fair amount on my dogs, but that is another story for a different time.
Come the first of the year, I will be looking for a house to rent and I am told that I should be able to find something resonable for under $100 a month. I'll let you know. When you see a trip to Thailand offered at the "low price of..." - make sure to check to see exactly what you are getting for your money. A little can go a long way if you plan.
The laptop and I made a trip into town to see my computer guru and, after some clicking and fussing, he was able to resolve the problems. I am not sure how to do all that he told me, but, I can reach this sight so....
I am still amazed and have sticker shock at times. When in the US last spring, I was finding it incredibly difficult to spend $8.00 to $10.00 for a simple lunch. Dinner was even worse. Now I am back in Janjawatai and find myself amazed once again. Now it is because of how inexpensive many things are.
A week or two ago there was a problem with my car. A mechanic came to the restaurant where I was stranded, but was unable to fix the problem. He did get the car started so I could drive home and said he would come to my house in the morning and start it up again so I could go to the dealership in Chaing Rai. That came to a grand total of almost $3.00. There was no cost at the dealership, but I had to go to another shop for the alarm system. There I spent another $20.00 or so. Most of that was for the part itself. On top of that, they serviced the car immediately and we were on our way.
I took students to a local football game in the city. The tickets - about 60 cents each. No parking fee. Sunday, I decided to have my hair trimmed and drove to a shop by one of my favorite restaurants. A trim and a bit of blow dry was another 60 cents. I had taken a shower and washed my hair or it would have been a little more I presume. Somtom, green papaya salad, sounded like a great idea and, since there was a stand right in front of the shop, spent another 60 cents for lunch.
You can pay more obviously, but it isn't necessary. When I do go to someplace catering to the tourist or the more leisurely classes, I cringe at the costs. $4.00 for fried rice that I usually buy for 60 cents! On top of that, the cheaper meal is often better and there is probably more of it. I must admit to being spoiled by living in the north. Bangkok is generally more expensive, although you can eat cheeaply there as well. Other costs, such as housing tend to run one more. You also have to want to be in a big city with all its noise, traffic and masses of people.
Cars seem to be expensive and I haven't figured out how people can afford to buy them. A car ten years or older is common when you go to buy a used one. We wouldn't consider that as a rule, but it is common here. I also spend a fair amount on my dogs, but that is another story for a different time.
Come the first of the year, I will be looking for a house to rent and I am told that I should be able to find something resonable for under $100 a month. I'll let you know. When you see a trip to Thailand offered at the "low price of..." - make sure to check to see exactly what you are getting for your money. A little can go a long way if you plan.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Thailand foods
Thai food is quite good and is becoming increasingly more popular worldwide. Most Americans know the standards of pad thai, (stir fried noodles), tom yom, (soup with a coconut milk base), and fried rice. While those are certainly popular here, they are but a small sampling of what is available.
Many menus offer "American fried rice." I have yet to meet an American who makes fried rice with catsup, but that's what makes it American! I'm told that it came from servicemen who were stationed here years ago. Maybe they were to used to some very bad cooking in the mess hall and developed the habit of covering everything with catsup!
Who knows. I don't know of anyone who has ever eaten any, but it is still available so I must assume there is someone out there ruining perfectly good fried rice.
Grilled chicken, som tom, (green papaya salad), and sticky rice are practically the national dish. Rice and noodles are everyday standards. Even my dogs eat rice daily. Hot dogs, sausages and meat or fish balls in varying sizes are everywhere. They may be grilled, cut up and fried, skewered and heated and served with sauce, or whole in soups and cut up in salads. I rarely ate that type of food in the U.S., but find it virtually impossible to avoid here.
Many people in our area like to go to Chiang Saen to have dinner along the Mekong River. Woven grass mats line the sidewalk by the river. The small tables are low and most people sit on the mats, although small chairs are available. A popular item at these stands is whole fish steamed inside lengths of bamboo. It is quite good and is usually eaten with sticky rice. Each serving of rice comes in its own small woven basket complete with a lid.
I maintain that if it can be grown a Thai will eat it. That is not true, but Thais do eat many things that we Americans would never consider edible. "Survivor" teams could do well to have Thai members. They might not win the million dollars, but they wouldn't go hungry! One of my friends is constantly pointing out something and saying, "You can cook that." One of these days, we are going to go "grazing" in the area around my house and make dinner out of whatever we find. Could be interesting. Frequently, I look out the door and see a worker picking what I have assumed was just an ordinary plant only to find it is going to be part of his dinner. The som tom I often buy for my dinner always includes sprigs of leaves, pieces of long beans and usually a bit of cabbage as a side.
There are about 5 or 6 small restaurants near my home where they cook certain foods particularly to my liking. One has excellent fried rice while another makes wonderful soup and noodles with vegetables and pork. A third serves chicken or pork with rice, half a hard boiled egg, some greens and soup. It is hard to beat and costs less than $1.00. I almost don't even have to order. They know my preferences. I should try other things they have to offer, but ... on the other hand ...
—Carol Acosta
If you have questions or observations to share with Carol, please post a comment.
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