Market of Eden

My Favourite Food & Travel Blogs

2016-05-31T17:40:00.000+07:00

As some of you might know, I've had to begrudgingly put some distance between myself and my beloved Thailand travel blog. The most obvious reason for this is that I no longer live in Thailand, and so my previous inspiration gathered from the delicious food, wondrous landscapes and thrilling adventures has completely dried up... along with my motivation for travel writing in general. Hopefully, one day, I will venture out into the wilderness again, but for now I'm settling for vicariously living through other people's entertaining explorations.

So I thought I'd compile a list of all the writers, food-lovers, adventurers, crazies, and perhaps even kindred spirits, who helped me along my own journey, made me smile, made me extremely jealous of the food they enjoyed without me, and inspired me to seek out new paths and places in Thailand and beyond. These are my favourites, their names still popping up in my search bar nearly two years after leaving my special Land of Smiles and All Things Deep-Fried. They are really worth getting lost in if you haven't already!

♡ Migrationology

"Food is the reason you should travel"

This was the first food blog I excitedly got stuck into while planning my move to Thailand. Mark must be the biggest foodie in the world, which is also obvious from his other blog Eating Thai Food. He runs Eating Thai Food with his friend Dwight from Bangkok Fatty (yup, that's the guy who stole the best blog name ever). Eating Thai Food is actually where I picked up all sorts of useful food phrases before I arrived, and was extensively reassured that I can happily be vegetarian in Thailand despite all the naysayers (the two meat-loving lads went veggo for an entire month for charity, and chronicled every little morsel they ate - amazing!) If you haven't already symbolically devoured every page on Migrationology, I urge you to do it right now!

♡ Never Ending Voyage

"Because life is short and the world is large"

Another blog from the early days, when the idea of moving to Thailand was still just a festering, giddy idea in my mind. I became more and more interested in their nomadic way of life, gathering all the info I could about Thailand and Chiang Mai. I love their particular tone of writing - they're never condescending and are always on the look-out for new cultural experiences and joys in daily living. The married Brits, Erin and Simon, are sweet-natured, kind and helpful, and never fail to inspire me to experience and enjoy life as much as I can. They're also foodie vegetarians and animal lovers, which gives them a few extra points on my favourite bloggers list.

♡ Fearful Adventurer

"A blog about fear. Love. Art. And adventure."

When I stumbled upon Torre DeRoche's About page, I thought I was reading about myself, my mother, my friends, or any number of people I know very closely behind their personas. The woman worries, and potters about. She admits to failing, and being afraid. How rare! So of course I was hooked, on her and her effortless words (her memoir is called Love with a Chance of Drowning) and I am still in awe of her today. I urge every adventurer to go and be inspired by her beautiful writing and her breathtaking photographs.

♡ Johnny Vagabond

"Around the World, Low and Slow"

Wes Nations is not your typical twenty-something tanned backpacker wearing too many bracelets and starting a head-colony of festering dreadlocks. He's perpetually 39 years old and first came up with the idea of creating a 'travelling website' back in 1998, when blogs and wifi didn't even exist yet! He has now been an independent traveller documenting different countries through a beautiful lens and refreshing viewpoint for many years. I first discovered his blog when looking up yummy Thai food, and found myself drooling over posts like Chiang Mai's Cheap and Tasty Street Food, but now I check back to see what new places he's exploring and giggle at rare anecdotes like A Cranky Cheeseburger Dinner in Thailand.

♡ A Little Adrift

"The world's too big to tell just one story"

Shannon is not just a travel blogger, she's an inspiration and a role model for travellers everywhere. The way she travels is with a kindness and caution that is so needed in societies that normalize destructive travelling experiences, like going to full moon parties or riding elephants. Shannon is an activist traveller, and since she started travelling the world back in 2008, she has written a book about volunteering, been named Traveller of the Year by National Geographic, and has spoken to students at universities around the US about global citizenship. She calls her blog a community with one common belief: a life of travel creates a story of the world worth telling. How can you not love this woman?

♡ 8 Miles From Home

"A Man, a Woman and Dog living the expat life"

Sacha and Jmayel are high school sweethearts who became bored with their life in England and decided to move halfway across the world to Thailand with their adorable puppy in tow. Since then they've blown up in popularity, especially with avid Thai fans who follow their every move both on their blog and on their Youtube channel. This is where they post "cinematic travel videos" which are smooth, stylish, and entertaining. Besides being two of the most down-to-earth and friendly people I got to meet in Thailand, their dog Eden keeps the more dog-crazy portion of their readers very happy - she was even part of a Thai TV interview with her humans!

♡ Tieland to Thailand

"A couple who sold it all, paid off their debt, and left behind the nine-to-five."

Chris and Angela were a typical "successful" American couple: they worked hard, earned good money and lived for the weekends. What began as a light-hearted joke about "retiring young" grew into something exciting that they could almost grasp within their reach. In 2013, they left their jobs, sold everything they owned, and bought two one-way tickets to a city in the mountains of Northern Thailand... on the other side of the globe. Now, their blog has grown into a powerful platform that inspires, informs, and empowers travellers who also want to leave their "normal" lives behind and live in Thailand. They are both lovely, genuine people who work hard to keep up with their blog, as well as their beautiful Instagram and Twitter feed.

That's all I have for now! I hope you enjoy immersing yourselves in these fantastic reading corners of the internet. It's been a pleasure returning to my little blog for an update, and I hope to share something with you all very soon.

Slow Living in Phrae (a.k.a. Khao Soy Heaven)

2015-08-26T02:52:00.000+07:00

Phrae is a small town about 3-4 hours away from Chiang Mai by bus, with a reasonable cost of ฿180 for a return ticket. A while ago I joined a Dragonfly English Camp at a remote temple school there, but I decided to stay in Phrae for longer than just the two-day camp, so my partner in mischief could join me for a few days afterwards and have a countryside getaway.

The first thing I noticed was the weather, because Phrae was a different sort of Northern place - it was significantly drier and more humid than Chiang Mai, with a landscape that was quite unfamiliar to what we'd explored already. The feel of the city was much more bare than busy Chiang Mai, and felt quite simple and uncluttered. The best part about our trip was that a short drive outside the city in any direction took you straight into middle-of-nowhere Northern Thailand. Perfect!

This was the real highlight of the place; getting lost out on the open roads alongside lush rice paddies, mountainous backdrops, and long, winding highways to bigger, busier places than quaint old Phrae. As usual, everything I mention is marked on the map below, which you'll need as there is not much English to be found in this tourist-less little heaven.

Concrete Hotels & Slave-lovin' Families

Our English Camp team stayed in the Mark Four Plaza Hotel, which was, disappointingly, out of the way of the city's centre, and awkwardly positioned behind the city's only mall, Mark Four Plaza. Although the hotel lacked personality, it was comfortable enough for ฿450 a night for a twin room, which I shared with another team member. Let's just say the area wasn't great to explore by day or night, and so we spent most of our free time cooped up in our silly twin room playing cards. Oh dear. Anyway, let's move onto the important part... the food!

Our first order of business was to get our hands on some must-have Phrae food, which included Thai desserts, noodles and soups. The Deputy Director of the school took us to the traditional Vongburi House (30 baht per person to enter), which is a museum of sorts dedicated to the Vongburi family's history. I gathered these people were pretty important because they had a museum dedicated to their family and a lot of relatives still in power in the province.

In case you didn't guess, the Deputy Director's name was Mrs Vongburi, and she explained the artefacts in the house and translated all the bits of Thai writing (they were mainly about slaves - cough - I mean, housekeepers). After the tour, she took us back downstairs to a simple outdoor cafe on the premises, which served amazing Khao Soy complete with perfect crispy noodles on top and all the authentic condiments. And if this is the first post you've stumbled onto in this blog, then let me catch you up: I'm obsessed with Khao Soy. And this one was a great introduction to Khao Soy Heaven, also known to locals as Phrae.

Our twin room at the Mark Four Plaza Hotel.

Mark Four Plaza Hotel: a little uninspiring.

Back to Basics at Bua Khao

Once the camp finished I made my way to the Bua Khao Hotel, which I had easily booked over the phone for ฿450 a night for a double room. When I arrived, I was relieved to be greeted by a friendly young lady who welcomed me upstairs and let me pick the room I wanted on the corner of the building - little did I know this view of the road below would offer me a fascinating insight into daily life in Phrae, with schoolkids squealing outside during the daytime and food carts pottering about during the evenings. The hotel itself is an old traditional Thai building which I will gladly take over a concrete hotel any day, with its walls made of delicately-carved teak wood and adorned with plenty of interesting artwork. Also, it's right in the city centre, which is perfect for exploring the place on foot, which is exactly what I had been dying to do since I had arrived.

Waking up in a cosy room at the Bua Khao Hotel.

Artwork in the bedroom.

Some of the pretty paintings hung around the hotel.

Heavenly Khao Soy at Pun Jai

Phrae is definitely tiny, and I was already confident I'd learnt the basics by that first evening. Once my other half arrived at the hotel later that evening, I tried to convince him we should go and gorge on delicious market treats, but he just passed out with the promise we would buy some more tomorrow. Unfortunately, it rained the next night, so many of the outdoor markets didn't materialise, and I never got to show him the famous Phrae desserts or soups I had been shown by Mrs. Vongburi (a warning to fellow explorers: don't rely on anything to appear again just because you saw it once!) What we did do, however, is discover that the best Khao Soy we've ever had is at a place called Pun Jai Restaurant.

The Pun Jai Restaurant sign to look out for.

The entrance to the restaurant.

Inside the restaurant.

Plates of fresh thingy-ma-bobs on every table.

These crunchy little fried chillies are excellent!

Delicious oily crushed chillies.

The busy serving table.

The finished product: lovely Phare Khao Soy, topped with fresh crispy noodles and a generous dollop of coconut cream.

Everything you need for a perfect Khao Soy.

The Beautiful Outskirts

Once we'd filled up on Khao Soy, and raved about how great it was again, we decided to make a trip outside the small town, and see what sort of adventures we could make for ourselves in totally isolated and pristine nature. We headed off to find Phae Muang Phi Forest Park, which we'd heard had interesting "mushroom rocks" and other unusual formations.

But first, I should tell you how to find a scooter in Phrae...

Since Phrae is not popular with tourists, there was almost no information available about hiring a vehicle, and we got a little frustrated and sunburnt searching on foot for a good two hours that morning. At some point we got reeled in by a very pushy songteaw driver who promised to take us to a place he knew. "A place he knew" turned out to be an ancient mechanic's repair shop, where he said we could take a scooter for a few hours for ฿300. Uh, no way, josé! This was near the bus station, so we left the songteaw (who had charged us ฿40 each for a 300 metre journey - horrible), and the shady mechanic, and walked back down the main road, Yantrakit Kosol. Ironically, we stumbled upon a bike rental shop a few metres away from where we had first got into the rip-off songteaw (these frustratingly funny things become frequent when travelling). And it was there we met a lovely young Thai student from Chiang Mai University, who had been travelling abroad for the last few years and happily chatted to us in her impeccable English. We ended up hiring a scooter from her for a reasonable ฿200 for 24 hours, and left the place relieved that we could now begin our adventure.

Phae-Muang-Phi Forest Park, home to mushroom rocks and other unusual sights.

The first peek of the strange rocks.

Lost in translation.

The view from the top.

Odd boxes with Thai messages inside them.

Country Nightlife

That night we went out in search of a spot to have a beer and maybe even make some new Thai friends. We found a great little bar called บุหงา near the centre of town - unfortunately I have no idea what it goes by in English, or if there has ever been a need to give it an English name. It was one of the highlights of our trip, filled with interesting pop posters and dim, moody lighting. The beers were cheap, the staff were welcoming, and we enviously eyed all the delicious food being served everywhere around us. By the time we left in search of another bar, the place was completely packed inside and out, filled with pretty people who were all unbelievably friendly to us! We then moved onto the little nightlife strip near the bus station, which was also packed with happy locals, great music and ever-flowing drinks. We were actually ushered into a place by a group of young Thai's who then proceeded to buy us drinks and quiz us all about our lives in Thailand. We ended up having a fantastic time with our new friends and were pretty shocked that Phrae could offer up such a good night out!

The inside of the quirky little bar when we arrived.

The same bar packed with people by the time we left!

One of the places we visited along the strip of bars near the bus station.

Saying Goodbye

The next day we took it easy and wandered around the streets buying little Thai snacks and greeting the lovely locals. We found the lazy atmosphere of the town terribly hard to resist and started to feel the effects of slow-motion living. The hours wasted away as we wandered around and eventually sat down for a quick bite at a lovely little coffee house called Gingerbread House Gallery & Cafe, complete with its own gift shop and art gallery. This was our last highlight in Phrae before grabbing another Khao Soy back at the Vongburi House and heading home.

A huge assortment of cute knick-knacks and thingy-ma-bobs.

Super duper cool postcards.

Lovely pieces of art for sale.

The inside of the cafe.

Phrae was definitely a special place for us, and we hope that more expats in Chiang Mai will take the trip out there for a quick dip into real country living. If you've been to Phrae please share your experience with the rest of us in the comments below!

Picnic at Tweechol Botanic Gardens

2015-06-05T03:25:00.000+07:00

If you're a big fan of day trips and have already hit up Ob Khan National Park for some cold beers and a refreshing swim, or spent a hot afternoon overlooking Huay Tung Tao Lake with friends, then you would definitely enjoy a lazy Saturday or Sunday spent at Tweechol Botanic Gardens in Chiang Mai.

The peaceful gardens are only half an hour away from the centre of the city and are extremely easy to find - they are literally just a straight drive northeast out of Chiang Mai. Once you arrive, you will have to pay an entrance fee of ฿80, which gives you access to the entire property, including the small "zoo", the charming maze, the old Lanna-style wooden house and museum, and all the different garden areas dedicated to various plants like herbs, cacti, palms and cycads.

You can also rent bicycles for ฿40 for 2 hours, but every time we've rented them the friendly guards said we could just ride them all day. The bicycles are a great way to see all the different attractions, and if you'd like to explore on water, you can rent paddle boats for ฿50 each. They carry two people and allow you to glide around with the swans on the beautiful lake. Lastly, you can hire a golf cart, which can be a lot of fun but also makes you feel like a big lazy lump! They're ฿200 for two people for your whole stay, or ฿300 for up to five people. Remember, opening times for the park are from 8 am - 4:30 pm every day.

Because of the care that goes into the gardens, pets are not allowed to join you, and you should keep in mind that there are hotel guests staying on the property. This isn't really the place for a rowdy drunken picnic with your buddies, but it is perfect for a day trip as a family, a couple, or with a few nice friends who won't swing around from the palm trees. All I can really say about Tweechol is that once you've spent a day there you will definitely be back a few weekends later. Here are a few pics from my various days wasted away at this beautiful place:

The old Lanna house and museum.

Looking up out of the labyrinth.

Butterfly in the maze.

Beautiful plant life.

There is a stunning collection of strange rocks and wood in the gardens.

Petrified wood.

Funny ostriches!

Gorgeous gentle creatures which you can feed greens to.

Best Foods in Chiang Mai & Where To Find Them

2014-10-16T17:11:00.000+07:00

Since moving away from Chiang Mai, I've found myself dreaming of all the mouthwatering dishes I took for granted when I lived there. Khao soi, som tam, curries, ice cream, salads, noodles, and of course, all those fiery chillies! So I've made a list of the most scrumptious, addictive, mouthwatering foods in Chiang Mai (in my opinion) and where you can find them all, of course!

1. SOM TAM

Som tam is a raw papaya salad and is a famous dish from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. However, only the Thai version of som tam appears on CNN Travel's list of the world's 50 most delicious foods, voted on by thousands of readers. Som tam is number 6, and with good reason - it's freaking delicious!

My only struggle is that they are different everywhere you go - one time it would be too sweet or soggy, another time too salty or crunchy. And as I tried to avoid fish sauce and other little floating sea critters, it could be quite hard to pick up the right som tam on the go. In fact, one of the most disgusting things I've ever eaten in my life was actually a som tam dish in Chiang Rai, which is in the far north of Thailand. It was a bite full of crushed up crab shell and tiny little slivers of crab legs, and tasted as if it'd been trawled through the salty, gritty ocean. Putrid! My boyfriend and I dubbed that particular taste 'Neppy', which probably stands for North Eastern Papaya Puking YUCK, or something equally silly. So if anyone ever mentions how their som tam is tasting a bit 'neppish', or they went for a swim in the sea the other day and got a mouthful of 'nepp', then at least you know what they're talking about.

In Thailand, I was lucky enough to learn to make som tam without fish sauce on a vegetarian cooking course. However, strict vegetarians shouldn't order som tam from street stalls or little local places, as they will always come with fish sauce.

The Usual Som Tam Suspects

- Raw shredded papaya

- Chilli (you usually say how many you want to determine how spicy it will be - we usually go for three, but it's always a different spiciness depending on if roasted red chillies, big chillies, or small green chillies are used)

- Palm sugar

- Garlic

- Lime

- Fish sauce (in vegetarian versions, I've been told they use mushroom sauce or watered mushroom powder instead)

- Dried shrimp (I hate these little pink freaks - sorry!)

- Black crab (local river crabs caught in rice fields and canals - this is the North-Eastern specialty)

- Tomatoes

- Raw green beans

- Roasted peanuts (sometimes they aren't roasted, but roasted are best!)

People usually eat their som tam with either khao nieow (white sticky rice) or khanom chin (soft white rice noodles) and an assortment of raw vegetables, to balance out the spiciness, such as pieces of white cabbage or some local Thai leaves.

My favourite som tam in Chiang Mai

My personal favourite is from Something To Eat Before You Die, also known as I Din Klin Krok. Check out my friend Alice's lovely blog post about the place at Where to Eat in Chiang Mai? You can find som tam at hundreds of places in Chiang Mai, and you'll quickly learn how to order it exactly the way you want it - don't be afraid of being picky!

Feel free to leave your favourite som tam place in the comments below!

Som tam, sticky rice, and tempura veggies at Something to Eat Before You Die.

Takeaway som tam at home with sticky rice & greens; a healthy lunch; and an enormous sweet som tam at a cafe.

Delicious, saucy, fresh som tam without any fishy stuff. Yum!

2. KHAO SOI

I cannot imagine my life before khao soi. I doubt I was ever really fully living, without khao soi. What was even the point of eating, before khao soi?

Okay, that's a little bit dramatic, but probably closer to the truth than just saying khao soi is a good dish to try. The first time I tried khao soi, I didn't even realise I'd met one of my future food infatuations. Since then, I've been on a hunt for the best one, and so far I've found the creamiest, the spiciest, the prettiest - but not the best. That will have to be a blog post later on, when I have finally crowned The King of Khao Soi.

Khao soi gives me good reason to want to move back to Northern Thailand (and never want to leave), and also to travel to Myanmar, as it's widely known as a Burmese-influenced dish - and from what I've stuffed in my face so far, I love Burmese food. Apparently, it was also influenced by the Chinese Muslims, which is why Thais commonly use chicken in khao soi, and not pork. One of my favourite bloggers made a post compiling 33 Foods Worth Travelling For, and Chiang Mai's khao soi was number 3. Of course.

Simplified, khao soi is a creamy coconut curry broth with pieces of chicken, beef, tofu or soy protein, with fresh yellow egg noodles floating around, and crispy fried noodles on top. Add to that some squeezed lime, sliced raw onion pieces, pickled chunks of mustard greens, and generous dollops of wet chilli paste, and I'm still not even close to describing the addictive, authentic taste of this unique dish.

My favourite places to grab a good khao soi

1. Rod Sabieng Restaurant - huge bowl for ฿45, packed with tofu, veggies, and crispy noodles.
2. Khun Churn Vegetarian Restaurant - delicious, unusual & addictive broth with soy protein chunks.
3. Central Airport Plaza food court - fragrant, spicy broth with tofu, but I recommend taking it home to warm it up!
4. Khao Soi Stand near Wat Chet Yod - click on the name for the exact location, & go try it for yourself!
5. Aum Restaurant - a really filling veggie khao soi with potatos, carrots & a slightly sweet broth.
6. Pun Pun Organic Restaurant - another favourite, with its own unusual touch of flavours and spices.
7. Taste From Heaven Restaurant - I got to make my own khao soi on a cooking course, & yes, it was scrumptious!
8. Fuang Vegetarian Restaurant - lovely, sweet khao soi when you're in the mood for something different.

Where's your favourite spot to grab khao soi? Let me know in the comments below!

Khao soy at Central Airport Plaza; a massive bowl at Rod Sabieng; and lastly, at Fuang Vegetarian.

Messy, rich, delicious khao soi with tofu and vegetables.

Here you can get an idea of what you might get in a vegetarian one.

Khao soi with tofu from Central Airport Plaza.

Lots of chillies, red onion, and mustard greens in this one!

Prices at Central Airport Plaza. I think they must have raised them by now!

All the delicious extras at Central Airport Plaza.

3. ASIAN SALADS

Yes, you read that correctly. Now that I live in Spain, it's easy to get lovely salad ingredients as well as olive and balsamic oils for yummy, healthy dressings. But these salads are entirely different to what Thailand has to offer, and I miss them! So while there are plenty of fruterías (green grocers) in Madrid, I miss my weekly ritual of heading off to my local Thai market to pick up the usual Asian fruits and vegetables, curry pastes, noodles, soy protein chunks and tofu blocks, and a bunch of pretty flowers. My local market also happened to have excellent takeaway food, as many of them do, which included soups, stir-fries, som tam, spring rolls, and all other things beginning with S. Including Salad.

Salad stalls in Thai markets are generally made up of a bunch of containers which hold various ingredients to make up a salad. You can find almost the exact same setup in supermarkets, yet they are a little overpriced. In the local markets, you can get all the same things you ogle over in the expensive salad bars around town, but at the cheap price of ฿10 per 100g. Yes, really! And for that, you can stuff your salad package full of pop-in-your-mouth rosa tomatoes, soft-boiled eggs, steamed beans and peanuts, pumpkin and sweet potato chunks, beetroot slices, peppers, assorted lettuce leaves, and many more (sometimes strange) ingredients. Before you get it all wrapped up, you'll be asked if you want a salad dressing, of which there are always a thousand to choose from. So I usually end up buying too much of everything, and that's how I ended up eating these interesting salads almost every day. Now the only question is: why don't people have these awesome salad stalls everywhere in the world?!

Besides the salad stalls, there are countless restaurants and cafes serving Asian-style salads, and my favourite are the Burmese wing bean and tea leaf salads (seriously, go and try them now!). Thailand also does a few lovely salads like mango salad, cucumber som tam and yum khai dao (amazing, fiery fried egg salad).

The yummiest salad spots in Chiang Mai

1. The Salad Concept - a salad-lover's dream! You can basically order any kind of salad you want, totally tweaking it to your taste and customizing ingredients and sauces. This chain of restaurants are quite a bit pricier than the local markets, but they are proper sit-down places that are very popular with both Thais and foreigners.
2. The Burmese Restaurant - best place for Burmese salads, which are all unusual and scrumptious (I'm craving a tea leaf salad right now!)
3. Central Aiport Plaza's food court at the bottom floor - they have a great salad stand here with all sorts of yummy things like beetroot, steamed peanuts, beans, broccoli and a fantastic selection of dressings, all for a very good price, too!
4. San Pa Koi Market - my personal favourite for the cheap stuff, although most markets have their own variations.
5. Supermarkets like Rimping, Central Foodhall and Tops - if you're really desperate, you can always find salad bars inside these well-known supermarkets, but like I said, they are pretty overpriced. However, I could never help myself! Rimping by the riverside has a good selection, as does Central Foodhall in Central Festival Mall, and Tops in Central Airport Mall and Kad Sun Kaew Mall.
6. Cat House - it might be hard to choose a salad here, as all their food is delicious, but their salads are delectable too! The dressings really make them burst with flavour - the pumpkin sesame is my favourite.
7. Khun Churn - I can't write about Khun Churn anymore without having a bit of a sob. I love everything at that restaurant, including their salad bar, which is always packed full of delightful veggies and inventive dressings to go along with them. Don't miss their grilled aubergine, peppers and mushrooms!

Ridiculous, spicy, saucy wing bean salad found in Southern Thailand.

Takeaway tea leaf salad from The Burmese Restaurant.

My daily lunch, a salad I assembled with fresh goodies from my local market.

Another yummy lunch with some mustard and herbs on top.

I added dried soy beans and sesame seeds to this salad.

The salad bar at my former local market, San Pa Koi. Why don't people do this everywhere?!

A lovely salad stand at Khun Churn's old location - they've made it much bigger now!

4. WESTERN FOOD

Okay, now you're probably just rolling your eyes. Why on earth is this girl writing about Western food on a blog about Thailand? But just hear me out:

I ate Western food probably once or twice a week in Chiang Mai. I'm not going to lie and say I lived entirely off Thai food, or that I even lived entirely off cheap food either. Yes, I ate a lot of Thai food, but after a while it became more than just Thai food - it became bloody old boring Thai food, and then I started to feel like I was eating bloody old boring Thai food all the time.

That's where a Western dish came in to the rescue. Week after week of the usual stir-fried vegetables, curries and soups, with a salad or spicy som tam for lunch, you start to need a change of palate. Now, experiencing Western food in Thailand can often be strange, humorous, frustrating, or just plain wrong. So although the cheese might be processed and rubbery, and sadly sliding off your dry sandwich, or the hamburger patties are sometimes deep fried in tempura batter (nobody needs that many calories, c'mon!), or the pizza has freaking peas and carrots for toppings, with a dollop of mayonnaise (!?), Western food in Thailand still has something special about it. And honestly, when it's done right, it ends up being really good. Just how many times have you pulled off a common Thai dish like Pad Thai or red curry? Well, Thais pull off fantastic foreign dishes all the time, and master all sorts of cuisines like it's nobody's business.

Some of the best Italian food I've had is the stuff right outta Thailand's kitchens, and the tastiest falafel I ever ate was at a little place in Pai. I got to enjoy great Western sandwiches, wraps, pizzas and other farang favourites in Chiang Mai on a weekly basis, and for great prices too!

Chiang Mai's best Western eateries

1. By Hand Pizza Cafe - hands down the best pizzas in Chiang Mai!
2. The Duke's Restaurant - a well-known Western chain serving burgers, pizzas, sandwiches and salads. My favourite branch is on the riverside - great service and a pretty view.
3. Loco Elvis - my favourite Mexican spot in the city. Try their sizzling fajitas or comforting burritos while you sit back and watch your foolish friends sing karaoke.
4. Beetroot Stories - another regular brunch spot. Delicious vegetarian breakfasts, sandwiches and smoothies. Their special cinnamon and coconut milk smoothie is to die for!
5. Cat House - this place is just ridiculous. Their wraps, salads, burritos, sandwiches, and specials all have cheeky hints of Thainess (like passion fruit dressing or curried tofu) but this place really knows the meaning of fusion food! One of my favourites for a Western fix... with a Thai twist.
6. Bar Fry - pretty much the only "hip and trendy" place I can stand. Excellent assortment of foreign dishes done small, so grab your friends and share a dozen! They also do droolworthy french fries with a huge variety of toppings and sauces. Yum!
7. Bake & Bite - Wraps, sandwiches, breakfasts. Also a very well-known spot for foreigners. Do it!
8. Tacos Bell - a cleverly-named street cart usually parked outside the busy Zoe in Yellow nightlife corner. The cook, Khan, is a cheeky man who learnt English at temple schools, had a few homeless stints, and eventually figured he'd copy Taco Bell and sell fast, cheap, yummy Mexican favourites from a food stall on wheels. Who knows how he came to that goal, but his food is worth a try (and if you're wondering, yes, I have made the trip to buy dinner here when I've been totally sober - I really do like it that much!)
9. Eagle House - a lovely nature-filled, veggie-friendly place near the east side of the moat. Go here for muesli, smoothies, pancakes and a big cheap eggy breakfast. They also do good old-fashioned toasted sandwiches and chips.
10. SPECIAL MENTION: NaNa's Bakery - this place has the best croissants in Chiang Mai, and there's no arguing about it. Crispy on the outside, soft and steamy on the inside, these babies don't stand a chance, even against lazy lemurs who haven't even had a sip of their first coffee yet. Get here as early as possible (I mean like 7:30 am!) as they get sold out fast, and the last thing you want is to have to listen to some bozos boast about how they ate the last chocolate croissants, and they were delicious (you know who you are!)

Yummy avocado sammich at Beetroot Stories, along with their special coconut milk shake and a quesadilla.

Beetroot Stories menu and the inside of the cute cafe.

Lots of "tapas" and delicious bread with olive oil dip at Bar Fry.

More Bar Fry specialties: roasted red pepper hummus and grilled garlic zucchini.

Salmon and cream cheese wrap at Bake & Bite.

A piece of sneaky cheese trying to escape a roasted veggie sandwich.

A delicious cheese and bean taco from the street cart named Tacos Bell.

Two burritos and a bean taco, all from Tacos Bell opposite the Zoe in Yellow bar.

Here's what the cart looks like.

Dangerously good croissants at NaNa's Bakery.

5. Funny Thai Ice Cream out of a cart attached to a motorbike, and other desserts

Every day, without fail, an old Thai man on his ancient motorbike would come chugging along into my neighbourhood, and I could hear him hooting and spluttering from a mile away. I would usually be home during lunch, which is when he would decide to terrorise me with his tasty temptations, and it would take a lot of will power and loud humming to ignore him. At least once a week though, I just wasn't that strong, and I would end up buying one of his two choices: vanilla or coconut ice cream (which both taste the same) either in a little cone, or wrapped in a slice of bread with some sticky rice and peanuts on top. Yes, it sounds weird, but it's completely heavenly!

Other delicious desserts are scattered all over Chiang Mai, and one of my favourites is known as Ruby Framework. Yes, it sounds weird, but we came to call it this because our local takeaway joint had written this on their wall, and when we asked what it was, they couldn't explain it in better terms. This is the perfect example of a phrase being completely lost in translation! The dessert is made up of ice cubes and yummy chestnuts covered in a pink jelly, dropped in a bowl of sweet coconut milk. So although the term Ruby Framework relates to some web-programming jargon, you'll see that this dessert will also pop up in a Google image search of the term - perhaps because they look a bit like rubies, framed by milk? Eh, that was a stretch... Anyway, the dessert is actually called "Tub Tim Grob", and is worth trying if you're sampling all the sweet stuff in Chiang Mai!

Coconut flavour, or is it vanilla?

Vanilla... I think.

Oh wait, this one's got both. Who cares, it's all delicious!

Ice cream and peanuts without the bread.

Deep-fried ice cream at Taste From Heaven.

Interesting assortment of DIY Thai desserts at Khun Churn

Coconutty milk with ice cubes, jelly chunks, fruit seeds and pumpkin. Sounds strange, but it's the Thai way!

6. THAI FOOD

I'm not even going to go down this alley. I will get too upset to continue writing! Thai cuisine is one of the most interesting, intoxicating, and intricate cuisines in the world, and it is my favourite alongside Mexican (and probably other cuisines I haven't got round to trying yet, to be honest). Thai food has been terribly hard to let go of (do you know how heartbreaking it is to continually crave som tam, khao soy and fresh Thai fruits all in one day?) and everyone will tell you that you just can't go back to "normal" food once you've been cursed by Thailand. It's true! I find myself adding copious amounts of paprika, cayenne and hot sauce to everything I eat, and I always wonder where the damn chillies and garlic are in food I order from restaurants. And could somebody please tell me where the hell I can find a green papaya so I can make some som tam at least ONCE again in my life! Sheesh. Well, enough ranting about how awesome Thai food is. Just go out and try it for yourself - it is everywhere in Thailand, after all! Check out my favourite food pics below, and you can find all of it at the restaraunts on my map, which is in the bar on the top, righthandside of the site.

Glorious heapings at Khun Churn; salad, fries and avo wrap at Cat House; and good old cashew fried rice at Eagle House.

Cheap plate of veggie goodness at Thai Vegetarian Orchid; sukiyaki at Eagle House; more cheap assorted veggies at my local Jay shop (off Chiang Moi Road).

If you can believe it, all this is 100% vegetarian! You can find these at the Jay shops on Suthep Road.

Mushroom jerky, also known as CRACK! Find these at most Jay shops, either already cooked or refridgerated. Too good!

A Jay sign like this guarantees cheap, tasty vegetarian or vegan food!

Crispy soy protein, a heavenly stir-fried vegetables, and green curry - all at various Jay shops.

Crispy soy "chicken" with fried rice, along with hot and sour soup at a vegetarian joint in Southern Thailand.

Fresh and interesting Thai fruits, and a cool watermelon shake.

So that's it for now. These are the foods I'm drooling over from another country - and it's bloody awful! How about you? What are your favourites in Chiang Mai? What do you think you couldn't live without if you left Thailand?

How To Drive (And Stay Alive) In Thailand

2014-07-12T18:51:00.000+07:00

This is something that I deal with on a daily basis, and many of my friends have echoed the same sentiment: driving in Thailand is dangerous. So I decided it was finally time to write about it - about the facts, rules and advice on how to drive in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Let it be known that for the most part, Thailand has really great road infrastructure and excellent highways connecting the whole country. The problem is not the quality or layout of the roads - although as Chiang Mai is rapidly developing, there should be consideration of no-car zones or incentives to walk or cycle - the problem is with laws that are not enforced by authorities, who allow potential murderers to continue behaving badly on the roads, and all too often cause the tragic loss of life you can see in the newspapers every other day. So it's people that are the problem, too.

The Facts:

• Thailand has the second highest road fatalities in the world, with 80 lives lost every day.

• It has the sixth highest rate of road traffic accidents, killing up to 26,000 people every year. Yes, 26,000 people. Just let that sink in for a second.

• Even more alarming is that 70-80% of those victims are motorcyclists or their passengers, which is worrying for the majority of Thais, foreigners and tourists, whose chosen mode of transport are motorised two-wheeled vehicles (of doom).

• The most likely fatalities in road accidents are drivers and passengers who are helmetless or not wearing a seatbelt; tragically, this is often combined with speeding or drunk driving.

So now that we know Thailand is a haven for irresponsible and inconsiderate driving, which often ends in accidents and needless deaths, here are a few ways to combat the country's pandemic (keep in mind I lived in Chiang Mai - Bangkok is another monster altogether).

Travelling safely on a beautiful road somewhere in Northern Thailand.

Characteristics of Drivers in Thailand:

Vans, buses and trucks
Here's the part where I'll admit I've always been terrified of humungous vehicles. In Thailand, I'm even more terrified, and I can thank my ten or so bus trips that involved hyperventilation and chest pains. When I say bus, van, and truck drivers in Thailand should be institutionalised, I can back it up with the countless news stories of their frequent fatal crashes. While I understand that most, if not all, of them are working awful hours for awful pay, and many are on yaba to stay awake and make good times, the dangers they impose on their passengers and other drivers on the roads is just criminal.

No checking when entering roads from side-streets.

Unfortunately, many people don't seem to think anything of pulling onto a busy road without checking for oncoming traffic - the attitude is that it's your job to avoid them! I have personally come within inches of colliding with an absent-minded motorbike or car driver more than enough times, and it still happens now! It's just a normal thing for drivers, so be aware that you're the one who's expected to move out of their way.

Indicators? What are those?

Driving in Thailand, you will either encounter motorbikes that have left their indicator on for the last few hundred metres, passing countless roads they didn't turn into, or you will find many people who simply don't use their indicators, and will sharply turn without warning. This is especially scary when you're on a motorbike and cars decide to swerve in front of you on a whim. Again, just stay away!

Angry, helmetless scooter-driver. Yikes!

Driving on the wrong side of the road

Sometimes this is actually understandable, especially on highways when the next U-turn is 5 km away and you're well on your way to the next province. After enough time in Thailand, you will be used to scooters and motorbikes driving on the far edge of the left lane, avoiding obstacles and potholes, just to save time. That doesn't mean it's still not dangerous, and drivers need to watch out for vehicles on these little side lanes.

Driving too slow or too fast
This is something I'm still figuring out. The speed of driving is completely random from one road to the next, with some drivers hobbling along awkwardly and holding up the traffic, and others going 100 km down residential roads. (We almost lost our lives once, right near our apartment, when a car came screeching towards us at a horrific speed and we had to scramble out of the way because he clearly wasn't able to brake to a stop. Phew!)
On highways, many drivers take their turns over two lanes, while it's harder for people to speed in the city because it's more condensed. That doesn't mean they don't when they can though; any time after midnight and especially on weekends, watch out for drunk drivers in their cars whizzing down the moat roads in the Old City.

Special mention: TOURISTS

Unfortunately, our world doesn't share a universal driving system full of polite etiquette and sensible rules, so you will come across people who are visiting Thailand and aren't used to the way of the road yet. This can be quite dangerous, especially because you can't anticipate what these new people might do!
Sometimes people might revert back to driving on the side of the road they are used to back home or they might not make it through a set of traffic lights because they're used to patiently waiting their turn. Drivers in Thailand tend to run through yellow lights instead of slowing down, and many of the timed traffic lights aren't properly calibrated for the amount of traffic which invites people to act recklessly. I've seen many almost-collisions happen in these situations.
Other times, people are so preoccupied with trying to find their way, they just completely forget about driving and stop wherever they are to pull out a map or point at things. The general consesus is to avoid driving near people who might look lost or confused, as they might do something unexpected and dangerous. C'mon, guys! You'd never do this at home, so don't do it somewhere else!

Two wheels is the way to get around in Chiang Mai.

How to Drive in Thailand:

Be wise with the cops. Yes, this is my number one rule!
This is a bit of a touchy subject in Thailand, because while it's public knowledge that the traffic police here are mostly corrupt, at the same time they do some necessary work (just not enough, in my opinion). I made a very controversial post about it called "Know Your Traffic Police Checkpoints in Chiang Mai", which has gathered tons of shares and comments, and a whole heap of passion, tension, and downright fury. Have a read, and come to your own conclusion, but one thing is certain: be wise when dealing with the traffic police. Do not let them target you, bribe you or blame you for anything that isn't your fault. And always make sure you are totally legal, from your helmet to your vehicle, registration and driving licence.

Always wear a helmet on a motorcycle, as a driver or passenger.

There are just no excuses for this one, and I cringe every time I see two adults squashed onto a motorbike with a baby in the middle, all three of them helmetless and without a care in the world. No. Just, no.

Be aware at all times. So aware it borders on paranoid.

You could act like you are playing a game when driving in Chiang Mai. It's called Dodge The Crazies, and this is the setting: cars and bikes turn out of side roads without looking, songtheaws (red trucks) always pull over to a stop without indicating, and drivers that do indicate leave their blinkers on for ages, leaving you clueless to their intentions.
So how do you deal with all these obstacles? I'll tell you! Be switched on, at all times. Be aware, check your surroundings, and only then make your move (do I sound like a driving instructor yet?) When you turn, change lanes, or pull out of a spot: be a creepy crawly. Sudden movements cause sudden death to those who don't creep and crawl. The rules are simple, and you will almost never get into an accident you could have prevented if you just follow them.

Don't let yourself get bullied.

Easier said than done. This is like trying to ignore the mean kid while he pokes you with a pencil and asks you why you are poking yourself. Car-bullies always push smaller vehicles around, whether they be rickety three-wheeled motorcycles with carts attached to them, or little old ladies on bicycles.
In Chiang Mai's case, there are way too many vehicles, and the infrastructure can barely deal with the traffic. You just have to ignore it as much as you can, and carry on driving reasonably and responsibly.

Big orange thing from the future going real slow in the fast lane.

Double check, triple check, check so much you know the license plate.

Indicating to turn is not enough, and even after a few hand signals - which you shouldn't do on a motorbike unless you're the passenger - drivers will still blatantly disregard you and attempt to mow you down. Always make sure you can drive somewhere, no matter if you have the right of way or not (there is not so much right of way in Thailand, more like "you snooze, you lose"). Cars are big old bullies, like I said, and other bike drivers are mostly insane. Yes, I believe it.

Don't drink and drive. Duh!

Every time I go out somewhere at night I scratch my head wondering about all the drunk people driving to their different homes on the highway or through the city, in cars and motorbikes alike. Both equally stupid and selfish.
Drunk drivers are a huge problem that Thailand needs to crack down on: where are the breathalyser checkpoints in popular nightlife areas on the weekends? Where are the metered cabs waiting to take people home (without ripping them off)? Why are the jails full of poor people, drug users, and petty criminals, and not potential murderers who get in their vehicles and swerve off into the night? I could go on, but you get the picture.

Don't drive aggressively, or speed.

Aggressive drivers don't do well in Chiang Mai, mainly because they have to compete with other aggressive drivers, and then everyone ends up looking like fools on the road. Especially in the old city, which is quite a small area, and unfortunately the long moat roads are a haven for midnight racers.
If you want to see Chiang Mai's version of the Fast and the Furious, hang around on any stretch of the Superhighway late at night. During the day, too, especially if heading up to an overpass or a turn-off. Those are the best places to speed, apparently. How do I know? Burnt rubber, glimpses of near deaths, and trails of stinky exhaust fumes, that's how!

Watch out for pesky street dogs who might decide to chase you for fun.

Don't drive at all, if you can
This might sound like a simple suggestion, but honestly, there are very few alternatives to driving your own vehicle in Chiang Mai. The mayor has been promising to get round to implementing a public transportation system for years (there was talk of bus services back in 2010, and most recently, his tune changed to "there are no funds for public transportation").
Songtheaws are slow and a big contributor to the air pollution in the city, while tuk-tuk drivers are very keen on squeezing your pockets dry while also being huge contributors to the city's air, and noise, pollution.
Bicycling is always an option but some do complain that city planning doesn't allow safe bicycle paths - remember up there when I said little old ladies on their bicycles are always bullied by cars? But then again, I do know many people who cycle in Chiang Mai. Perhaps they are just a lot braver than me!
And of course, there is walking, but since I arrived here, walking has become less and less pleasant due to the constant hollering of tuk-tuk drivers and the sickening scent of exhaust fumes. Unfortunate, as the city is lovely to walk around, particularly the old city with its pebbled alleys and the pretty lights and trees around the moat.
Sometimes, we have to travel by bus or van. Visa runs, for example, or short getaways to Pai. In these situations, make it your mission to sit up front with the driver (not as easy with buses) and make sure he knows you're there. Buy him an ice cream or coffee at one of the 7-11 stops, make small talk - the general idea is to keep him awake and alert with your antics.
The last time I did this, I actually asked the driver of my van to kindly slow down and stop tailgating other vehicles, and told him how I was fearful of an accident - he calmed down considerably, and spent the rest of the time chatting to me about his interesting life as a van driver all over Thailand!

Be kind, and patient
This might seem like a strange how-to, but it seems to work for the most part. When you let other people have their turn, you will have yours, instead of everyone trying to scramble and fumble over one another. When you wait patiently, somebody will stop for you, or let you get to where you need to go, and a nod in their direction is always appreciated. When you drive selfishly or angrily, you will find driving much more difficult as opposed to driving calmly and kindly, which in turn attracts more calm and kindness your way. Okay, was that too wishy-washy? I must be done here.

A huge ornamental portrait of The King on the side of a highway. Quite a common sight!

So here are my final observations about driving that apply to big cities the world over:
1. Who else thinks zooming around in big hunks of metal is pretty strange?
2. Also, isn't it funny how we're all in a big rush to get somewhere, pretty much all the time? (But mostly, we're just on our way home to plonk down in front of the TV in our PJs)
3. Okay, this one really baffles me... why do we feel the need to squeeze through everyone else to all get stuck at the same red light?
4. And, finally, don't you think it's really rubbish how we're never alone on the road (except at 3 in the morning), so we constantly have to battle with other selfish, absent-minded, or plain psychotic drivers? Like, couldn't we make a system already where we all got teleported to work at the same time or sucked up a cool sky tube to go grab dinner or something? Or, maybe someone else has a better suggestion?

I'd say, all we can do is try and be a little less selfish, absent-minded, and psychotic ourselves, and realise that we're all on the road with somewhere to be (even if that is just safe at home in front of the telly). What do you say? Do you agree?

Another distraction - adorable smiling dogs!

What a happy little guy.

A bonus smile from the driver!

Chiang Mai's Best No-Name Thai Restaurant

2014-05-16T15:45:00.000+07:00

Almost every night of the week I get takeaway dinners from my local no-name restaurant, which is seriously lacking in ambiance as well as pretence, and is bursting with delicious, simple, cheap Thai food. I know there are lots of these around, and other people have also been lucky enough to find their own special no-name place, which are usually conveniently located to them or just housing some friendly cooks and other interesting locals. Mine has become a bit of a special place for me that I have grown to appreciate quite profoundly, and expect to miss more than many other places once I leave Chiang Mai.

I wasn't sure how to write about this particular place, as it's hard to recommend a restaurant with rickety stools and street dogs sniffing at your toes, but then I realised to be true to the place I would have to write about the people.

Fast Food (Thai-style)

I'll begin with the chef, who is quite a stern, stout woman who stands a few centimetres below me, with a long ponytail and arms that are permanently stuck to her hips. She's a wonderful woman, in my humble opinion, and is one of the hardest-working chefs I've ever seen in action (I've had the pleasure of spending far too much of my own time in chaotic restaurant kitchens). Whenever I sidle up to the open-plan kitchen to offer my order to the staff, I always feel quite pleased with myself when she gives me a glimpse of a grin, and begins pulling all sorts of utensils out of her apron, ready to get down to no-nonsense cooking.

And then there is the male chef, who is not in the kitchen as often as the woman, but when he is we're always excited, because of his astonishing prowess when it comes to his food. He always sneaks in a little extra of the best ingredients when the woman's not looking (cheeky), and cooks with such joviality it's hard not to get wok-happy just watching him.

The other staff who work in the kitchen are kind and modest, and go about their business efficiently and quite methodically, considering how busy this place can get in the evenings. It's sort of like a Thai take on a fast food joint, although much less organized, but still just as quick and addictive.

Didn't I mention it was going for the rustic look?

Neverending Naughty Treats

Next door to this no-name place is... you guessed it, another no-name place, which serves up cheap steaks, salads, fish and chips and other Farang usuals which the locals seem to enjoy a lot. Nearby to that is a Som Tam stand run by a funny old Thai woman who always wears pyjamas and publicly condemns naughty street dogs that frequent the area, along with her partner who grills various bits of meat on sticks and often sneaks leftovers under the stand for the same naughty street dogs. Opposite their stand, a sassy young woman named El will sometimes set up her own little folding table, and on it she'll sell big bags of fresh mussels with a signature spicy sauce - not for the faint-mouthed at all.

El's friend Wut is also a young regular in the area, and has a great little stall selling fresh crispy pancakes with shredded coconut and cream fillings (Khanom Buang), which he always tries to force on us for free. If you ever have one, well, you will have to have five, and that's why we tend to avoid them! Near his set-up is a little noodle and soup stand, and if you can force down some dessert, there's a mild-mannered Muslim lady who sells calorie-filled rotis along with whatever spread or yummy sweets you ask for, from Nutella and sliced banana to plain old jam and butter. As you can tell, there's no shortage of sweet treats in the area.

The entrance to the 7/11, where all the action happens.

The Farang-inspired fish & chip and steak shop.

Roteeee! Yummeeee!

A little noodle and soup stand off to one side.

Som-tam, corn on the cob (or mielie as us South Africans call it) and dried squid sticks.

El at her spicy mussell stand, with a young Disney fan holding an awkward white dog. How perfect is this scene?

Big Boy Daeng

Along with all these regulars is a steady flow of intriguing characters, who we love to observe while we wait for our takeaways. It's also the territory of our favourite street dog, Daeng, who is also favoured by the locals - the old Thai woman selling Som Tam loves to tell us how good he is (Daeng dee mak!), and then in the same breath, how naughty he is too (Daeng sorn mak!). We love giving him a big stroke and waiing all the locals hello, and if you add some good food to that combo, I think you've got an irresistible deal.

Our beautiful boy!

This is the closest we've got to having our own dog. SOB!

So if you're in the area and you're itching for a no-frills Thai dish, try something here, because you will probably be coming back - if not for the food, then maybe for the people... and if the people fail you, there is always the adorable Daeng!

Best No-Name Restaurant Breakdown:

Drinks:	The small eatery's fridges stock beers and sodas straight from the 7/11 next door.
Food:	With an endless menu up on the walls (only in Thai script, unfortunately) this is the sort of place you can order absolutely anything, so long as you know the name of it (in Thai, again). - The majority of the dishes are ฿30 - ฿40 each. - If you want any extras, larger portions (or to add noodles to your soup, for example) the price will rise to ฿60 - ฿80. The great thing about this place is the ability to tweak your food to your tastes. - We haven't explored the more expensive dishes like fried fish, which are ฿100 or so. - The fruit stand at the restaurant features various fresh fruits every day, like pineapple, melons, papaya, and more, which range from ฿20 - ฿40 per packet.
Pros:	- Service is fast and efficient. The woman is a little grumpy at times, but you can chalk that down to the fact that she works so damn hard every day. The man is always friendly and is fascinating to watch in the kitchen - hair flicking while egg-flipping is his forte. - Food. There is a lot to be said for food that is simple but done well. There are enough dishes to eat something different every night of the week, from a simple fried rice to an elaborate Tom Yum Goong. In my opinion, some of the classic Thai dishes that are fairly common could stand up against many variations in the city and still come out on top. Their Pad See Ewe, for example, is the only one I ever want and their Green Curry could confidently beat many of the lazy, under-developed green curries from here all the way to Bangkok. - Location. Conveniently right next to a 7/11 where a mixed group of locals hang out every night. A good place to watch the world go by, which includes the favourite street dogs, some curious characters and the token toddler whom everyone adores. Next door to a Thai place that does cheap steaks, salads, fish and chips among other favourites, and a horde of street food stalls from Som Tam, spicy mussels, crispy pancakes, sweet rotis and more.
Cons:	- Atmosphere. This is not a fancy, sit-down sort of place. It's great for takeaways if you live nearby or even the quick dinner before you go out. - Service. Again, not that sort of place. You tell the cooks exactly what you want as if it were a street food stand, and then wait for them to make your grub. There's no customer service at this sort of place, which makes it all the more convenient.

Check Out Some Foodies Here:

My dinner most nights of the week. Also known as Pad Pak Ruam (stir-fried mixed vegetables).

Another day, another Pad Pak Ruam.

Very clever Thai packaging. This is a takeaway green curry and some sticky rice.

Green curry (Gaeng Kiew Wan), ready to serve. Better than 90% of expensive restaurant curries.

This is my boyfriend's favourite dish: spicy noodle soup with shrimp (Tom Yum Goong sai Bah Mi).

Adding noodles to Tom Yum Goong makes it a much heartier meal.

One of my favourites: a sweet, slightly spicy coconut milk soup with mushrooms (Tom Kha Hed).

Where to Get a Massage in Chiang Mai

2014-01-10T10:39:00.000+07:00

I feel I have to add a disclaimer to this post, because I am in no way a fan of massages in Thailand. I walk out, after being kneaded and touched so personally for an hour or more, feeling quite vulnerable, and for lack of a better word, strange. And yes, that might seem strange in itself, but I haven't been able to get around it. So I just don't do massages, and maybe I'm missing out - what do you think?

But, there is hope for those of you who might be similar to me, or maybe those who are new to Thai massages or just massages in general. I found someone who makes me feel totally comfortable and secure, and whose gentle manner is irresistible - so irresistible I had to dedicate a post to her!

Her name is Nok, and she gives the best massages I've come across in Thailand - gentle, but not too gentle, and with some infectious laughter thrown in for free.

Nok, the lady with the gentle touch.

The name of the place is Leelavadee by Sarapee Massage, and it's located down a quiet soi a little way outside the old city. Its location means it's not frequented by tourists (the few times I've walked into those places I was immediately put off by the lack of personal touch) and the lack of tacky décor is another good sign. The women who work there are personable and speak a little English, and the owner is an elderly man who has a thing for serving copious amounts of Pandan tea (nobody's complaining). I've listed the services Leelavadee offers below, as well as some photos, and if you do end up going, please share your experience in the comments!

Leelavadee Price List:

(Open every day besides Tuesday from 11:00 - 21:00)

Body & Feet:
Thai Massage	200
Foot Massage	200
Oil Massage	350
Body Scrub	680
Foot Scrub	300/hr
Head & Face:
Ayurvedic Oil Head Massage	300
Facial Threading	150
Thai-Indian Herbal Facial	380
Herbal Steam	100/½hr
Hot Wax:
Arm	250
Underarm	100
Half Leg	250
Full Leg	500

I've also included a few places below that are highly recommended by my friends and boyfriend (it seems everyone is looking for a great massage in Chiang Mai, without any funny stuff or bored masseuses talking on their phones while massaging people) so have a look at those too, and let me know if you've found a gem of a place in Chiang Mai, and I might just include it!

View Where to Get a Massage in Chiang Mai in a larger map

Some cute statues at the entrance to Leelavadee.

Outside area, decked with funny bubble chairs.

Some interesting books and magazines in their collection - if only I could read Thai!

The waiting area where you get to guzzle all the Pandan tea you desire.

Quaint décor in a quiet setting.

Lots of old authentic Thai thingymabobs.

Recommended Massage Places (nothing dodgy here):

- Lila Thai Massage - this well-known place has always received great recommendations from friends. The masseuses are all former inmates that are being offered the chance to earn a dignified living and successfully re-integrate themselves into society, which many are not able to do given the discrimination that former inmates face in Thailand's job market. They have quite a few branches around Chiang Mai.
- Ketthawa Thai Massage (no website) - this was my boyfriend's favourite place to get a massage, and from a male masseur, because he was much stronger than most women masseuses... and my boyfriend suffers from a really stiff back and neck. There are also female masseuses at this place, and massages start from a very reasonable 150 baht - probably because this place is not at all marketed to foreigners, and no one speaks English! But give it a try if it sounds like your sort of place.

- Lanna Thai Massage School - this is where we did a 5-day massage course which was worth every penny and taught us invaluable techniques which we still practise on each other today. The people who work here are kind, patient and the massages they give are very attentive to your problem areas. Highly recommended!

My Cost of Living on 20K

2014-01-02T20:37:00.000+07:00

It's been over a year since I wrote my cost of living on 37K, and obviously as a private teacher my schedule went through some ups and downs since my first cost of living post. It's about time for an update, so you can see what life might be like on the other side of the coin. Here's my cost of living making around ฿20,000 a month in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

This is definitely not one month's salary!

Note that in my last post, I was lucky enough to be working at a kindergarten that paid me ฿19,200 a month, which is an excellent part-time salary by Chiang Mai standards. That job finished ages ago, as well as the lovely Turkish students I was teaching almost every day. It has been difficult to replace that kind of regular income, as so much private teaching is on a course-by-course basis, which means you say goodbye to your students at the end of their 20 hour or 40 hour course - as well as goodbye to your regular paycheck. On the other hand, regular work can be found - it just requires a little more digging, which a lot of people don't want to keep doing every few weeks to keep their income reasonable.

I recently heard a story about a co-worker of a friend. This man comes from a non-native English speaking country, and has been teaching in Chiang Mai for the last 6 or so years. He makes around ฿100,000 a month ($3200). Hard to believe, isn't it? Well, that's what I thought, at least. So to try and figure out how a full-time teacher making a 30k salary at a government school manages to make more than anyone I know teaching in Thailand, I poked around a bit. And the answer is: private teaching! (Although, he is doing more private teaching than I've ever done.) He is literally working in all of his spare time, and perhaps he has a reason to do so, but I don't (except to try and save some money) so I make substantially less than that.

My work schedule is a bit complicated, yes, but I enjoy it, much more so than a full-time school environment where I'd just end up staring out the windows and daydreaming. I've dropped one language school due to being rather busy with the first one, and I've also taken more time off to focus on my writing. I have one student who takes Business English classes with me from Mondays to Thursdays during his break, who pays me quite well, as well as two teenagers who I teach on a Sunday. I also tend to take any job that comes my way from my language school - all these gigs put together are enough for me to survive on for now. My cost of living is still the same as it has been since I first moved to Chiang Mai, so the only setback is that I'm saving less money by working less.

As usual, everything's in Thai Baht, and my cost of living is half the full price because I'm half of a couple:

Cost of Living in Chiang Mai
Rent:	2,750
Bills:	50 for water 600 - 800 for electricity (in the recent months we have been using the AC a lot more) 250 for internet
Eating out:	Street food or dinners from our local place add up to about 100 a week Eating out at restaurants on the weekend cost anywhere between 500 - 700 a week (this has also gone up as we are in love with more places now!)
Groceries:	100 - 150 a week at our local fresh market 200 a week at supermarkets
Entertainment:	1,000 or more a week goes on drinks with friends, movies or other fun activities. This still seems quite expensive, doesn't it?
Petrol:	260 a week
Airtime:	90 a month. I use my phone quite rarely - most of my communication or plan-making is done online.
Laundry:	20 - 40 a week
Other:	500 - 1,000 a month for picking up a bottle of vitamins, going to the dentist, or taking the a yoga class now and then.
Monthly total:	*12,000 minimum - 14,000 maximum (about the same as my last post)*

My various teaching jobs in Chiang Mai
Kindergarten	Job: 3 hours a week, twice a week Pay: 275 an hour Total: 3,300 a month
Language School #1 Private lessons at same language school	Hours: a few days out of a month, various teaching jobs, like substituting, judging competitions or debates, and English camps Pay: 300 - 400 an hour Total: about 4,000 a month Hours: 3 hours a week, twice a week Pay: 260 an hour Total: 3,120 a month
Private student #1	Hours: 1,5 hours a day, Monday to Thursday Pay: 300 an hour Total: 7,200 a month (however, this student has an erratic schedule and cancels a few times a month, so this ends up being more like 6,300)
Private students #2	Hours: normally 2 hours on a Sunday, but sometimes more Pay: 300 an hour Total: 2,400 - 3,000 a month
English Camps	Hours: infrequent, as they are hard to fit into busy schedules. One camp could last anywhere from a few days to a week or more. Pay: 1,000 a day, as well as paid transport there and back, accommodation, and food. Total: depends
Monthly total:	19,120 - 20,620 (not including English Camps)

As always, here are way too many photos of my students:

I love this photo of the little girl on the right trying to copy a smile.

"Here's how you do it!"

"No! THIS is how you do it!" Haha.

Way too excited!

I love this kid! His name is Up and he's always grinning like this!

Looknai giving me the "shy pose".

The girl in the middle, Mook-da, is extremely naughty!

Sweet little K1's.

"Guys, how about we drag him around by his limbs for a while? Who's in?"

Lovely K3's: Yodfon, Bam Bam, Mymeen and Oom Im.

Ice and Ice 2 showing off for the camera.

Sweetheart Cartoon.

Ice 2 getting creative with Cartoon!

"Aaaaaah!!"

These two are so naughty! But they look quite sweet now, don't they?

A beautiful project completed by my K3's.

Ice looking guilty after he'd poured my gold glitter all over himself.

A beautiful smile from Tonnam.

These are the two 16-year-olds I teach on Sundays. They are lovely and well-mannered (as you can see!)

Joking around.

This is a kid with baby powder on his face from a game we played at an English Camp. He cracked me up so much!

Some kids doing a dance at an English Camp.

Me with one of the older girls at an English Camp.

Me with another student at an English Camp.

Some poor students waiting to be judged during a speech competition.

A young half-Thai, half-South African girl. She had a great speech all about growing up in SA!

The finalists reciting their speeches for the last time.

A statue at a high school (you guessed it - it's not a Buddhist school).

High school kids munching their lunch.

Another statue at the high school.

A judging sheet I filled in for this particular competition. They are usually a bit strange...

Here's a young Chinese girl I taught for a while. She was very shy, but ended up babbling a lot in English by the end!

Both my Chinese students who I taught for a while. I got this job through an online advert in Chiang Mai.

A funny note from a kid at a school where I substituted for a few days.

Another note. At least they are using English!

A group of young talents at a high school in Chiang Mai.

The kid on the right's nickname was 'Obama'!

My judging table at another speech competition.

Some of the students from a temple school after they had recited their speeches.

The lunch buffet at the competition. Yum!

The winning team from Wichai Wittalaya School. Although, all these kids were half-foreign so it was a bit unfair...

What do you think is a fair wage in Chiang Mai for English teachers? What costs you the most money in Chiang Mai - is it buying things, going out for drinks, or just eating out at expensive restaraunts? Do you think it's possible to save money while teaching English in Thailand? Leave me comments below!

My Local Beer Buffet! Rod Sabieng Restaurant

2013-12-16T17:37:00.002+07:00

I'm writing this post at the risk of exposing one of my favourite little hideaways, where I regularly sip on some cheap beer with close friends, sing along to terrible 90's songs, order the same three dishes over and over again (they are that good), and eventually stumble home after getting one too many "crazy-falang" looks from the waiters. The place is called Rod Sabieng Restaurant, which sits unobtrusively opposite the train station, and offers great, affordable Thai food until late at night - but enough of that. The important thing is, this is my local beer buffet, and nobody seems to know about but me (the fact that almost nothing related comes up in a Google search should tell you enough).

The beer buffet has been around as long as I've lived here (going on 16 months) which says a lot for Rod Sabieng, as most beer buffets in the city seem to quench the bar owners' thirst for money within a few weeks, and leave plenty of people wondering where to drink without breaking their budgets. However, there have been a few changes over the last few months, with the new alcohol tax in Thailand bringing the price up to ฿139 when it used to be cheaper. But who's complaining at that price, right? Also, they don't leave the jug of beer at your table like they used to, but instead bring it round when they feel like filling it up (I suspect we might have had something to do with this new rule - whoops).

The food is consistently good, and after a few meat-mishaps in the early days, the staff now understand that I'm the difficult one who sends back pork-filled Vietnamese spring rolls which I had asked to be vegetarian. Make sure the staff know what you're on about as they are all very willing to put up with any requests, especially strange ones after you've had too much beer. They also have a great stock of mushrooms and tofu, so veg-versions of most dishes will be bulked up and filling, if you know how to ask for it!

Rod Sabieng Breakdown:

Drinks:	Cheap! Chang Draft buffet every single night, from 5 pm til 8pm, for ฿139 per person. Other drinks available, ranging from large Leo beers for ฿70 to a small bottle of Sangsom for ฿179. Not bad at all!
Food:	Pretty much everything myself or my friends have eaten at Rod Sabieng have received positive mmm's and oooh's. The food is solidly and authentically Thai, packed with strange ingredients and way too much chilli (just how I like it). - The majority of the menu's dishes range between ฿69 - ฿99 a plate. - The fried fish dishes are more expensive at around ฿179 or so, each. - Dishes with snapper fish are the most expensive at ฿249. - Surprisingly, the international food section of the menu is not more expensive than the Thai section, with a burger being a reasonable ฿80.- There are some great bargain dishes, including Pad Thai, Khao Soi and Sukiyaki, for ฿45 - ฿55 each, and fried rice dishes for ฿49.
Pros:	- Atmosphere. The simple wooden chairs amidst hanging plants and dim lights are a great way to spend an evening unwinding. - Service is good from most of the staff, although it was better before when you could fill up your own glasses. - The bathrooms have recently been renovated, and look fancier than ever. - Music. Most of the time, sing-along tunes come from the big box speakers dotted around the restaurant - think Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven, The Eagles' Hotel California, and Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On. So bad they are good, with the occasional Avril Lavigne or Robbie Williams thrown in to make it even worse (ie: better). Usually, you can expect great live music from a guitarist or pianist when it gets a bit later. - Food. The food is a great introduction to typical Thai fare done well. My carnivorous friends rant and rave about the Neua Tied Tieaw (sesame sun-dried beef fried with crispy lime leaves), while we all collectively rave about the Pak Boong Tord (deep-fried morning glory salad, with an unbeatable sauce filled with chillies, coriander, peanuts and shredded carrot). Special mention goes to all the Thai spicy salads on the menu - they never disappoint with their spiciness. In fact, they make you cry. - Location. Great for me! It's right near my place, which could be a bad thing, actually...
Cons:	- Location. There aren't really any nearby bars or places to hang out after the beer buffet, which is why it's just really for some dinner and beers with friends. - Service. The beer jug is no longer left at your table, but now filled up irregularly by whoever decides to saunter over. Personally, I don't enjoy or see the need for you to be interacting with staff more than a few times in an evening, which is a downfall for Rod Sabieng. You have to constantly draw attention to yourself, and even when you ring the bell provided, they are reluctant to rush over. Also, there are two or three waitresses with bad attitudes who seem to seethe at the idea of bringing over a mosquito coil or ashtray, leaving the task for a good fifteen minutes every time. (Unfortunately, you do come across this behaviour in many different places in Thailand - I tend to chalk it down to their own personal problems or depression, and try not blame myself.) - Mosquitoes. As usual (this is Thailand, people).

View Market of Eden Nightlife Map in a larger map

Khao Soy and beer - perfect combo!

Having a poke around inside the Khao Soy... yum!

Thai spicy seafood salad.

Stir-fried mixed vegetables (Pad Pak Ruam).

Excellent Sukiyaki (Japanese noodle and soup dish).

Deep-fried morning glory with spicy dipping sauce - hard to resist after a few beers!

These two signs stand outside the restaurant.

A daytime shot before the sun goes down.

The place is filled with ferns and plants, just how I like it.

Some natural décor.

Little seedlings sprouting in homemade pots.

Vintage posters.

Great mood-lighting (I detest fluorescent lights).

Evening ambiance.

The inside area where the guitarist usually sets up shop.

Menu shots - click to zoom.

These are dishes from their Specials menu.

Regular menu starts here with appetizers and recommended dishes - click to zoom.

Curries and spicy soups.

Thai spicy salads and Veggie's lover (we still haven't figured out who Veggie is, sadly).

Seafood and fried dishes.

Noodles (number 1005 is Khao Soy) and drinks.

Steaks, sa-paghetti and sammiches!

Overnight Escape at Fern Paradise

2013-12-11T15:20:00.000+07:00

A little while ago, I got that familiar itchy-feet feeling, and needed to escape my city of Chiang Mai. This happens quite regularly, and it might come as a surprise to some, but I get incredibly sick of Little Bangkok, with the same busy cityscape day in and day out. Also, exhaust fumes give me headaches.

I looked up a few choice keywords on Google and came upon a peaceful-looking resort named Fern Paradise. I was almost immediately sold when I landed on their website, complete with pretty pictures and easy navigation. Our one night's retreat from the city was booked.

Paradise among the ferns.

We stayed in the Superior Room, which cost ฿2600, and came with wi-fi, a TV with CNN and BBC News (you don't know how long it's been since I've had a glimpse of foreign news), free coffee, tea and water, and some sort of luxurious concoction of shampoos and conditioners that made my hair smell like a papaya. Oh, and the room was nice. Pretty nice. Pretty beautiful, actually.

While we were there, I got to interview the owner and architect, who is a very interesting man: an environmentalist, photographer, fern collector, and much more. He was an inspiration to talk to, and gave me a brief lesson in a variety of subjects, ranging from nature to Thailand's Lanna culture, to the importance of having great passions and dreams.

The only shortcoming we experienced at Fern Paradise was the food situation. The dinner is not cooked on the premises, although you do order off their own menu. I later learned that the food comes from a nearby restaurant, and although it was very good, it became a problem when one of our dishes never arrived, and we were still starving at 9pm. Myself and my boyfriend are both terrible grumpylumps without food, so we had a big debate over whether to order one more dish, knowing that we couldn't go to bed with grumbling stomachs. We did order another one, which turned into two when the waitress sniggered at our herbivorous ways and said, "You will still be hungry, I promise.". Of course, we regretted it when it turned up at 10pm and we had already waited the hunger out in our room, discussing the strange incident. In the end, I chalk it down to my bad luck with food in Thailand - damn me for being an insatiable vegetarian gorger!

However, when we rose for breakfast, we were pleasantly surprised by eggs, croissants, jam, fruit and real coffee, and all qualms we had about the food were forgotten. I then interviewed Niwat, the owner, which I hope you'll have a look at here. His mind is worth a read! And Fern Paradise is worth an overnight escape.

Our dinner - delicious Tom Kha Gai soup with mushrooms instead of chicken.

Stir-fried Chinese watercress.

One of my favourite naughty dishes in Thailand - battered vegetables with an addictive, acidic chilli sauce.

After our food disaster, we rose to this! Fresh croissants, yes please!

A rice barn in the resort, which has been converted into a lovely bedroom.

Ferns everywhere, from all over the world.

Our room - The Davalia Barn.

Our view outside of the ferns and trees.

Beautiful four-poster bed.

I always appreciate the little touches.

Cool lock and key!

An old photo of our rice barn being converted into a room.

An illustration of the Davalia Barn.

Relaxing under our rice barn.

Swinging on a swing.

Perfect.

Venturing out into the jungle.

More lush nature and greenery.

Another rice barn, along with some free bicycles to ride around the area on.

The pool in the resort.

Lounging about.

A bright pink fern!

Interesting fern leaf tips.

Another oddly-coloured fern.

Baby ferns. It takes years and years for ferns to grow big!

In the fern nursery, learning about all the different plants and where they came from.

Niwat showing us the fern spores.

Some lovely guestbook entries.

One last shot of our bedroom at night. Pretty!

Experiencing Elephant Nature Park

2013-11-27T16:22:00.000+07:00

After being in Chiang Mai for over a year, seeing Thai elephants was definitely a long overdue experience. We had been apprehensive about jumping on the elephant tour bandwagon for a number of reasons - the most important being that we are very sceptical about the role of animals in Thailand’s tourism industry. Also, I'm allergic to tour groups, tourists, and toury-touristy type things in general.

Another reason we were so late to go play with the big gentle giants is that personally, I was not all that desperate to see them. Having grown up in South Africa with a family who all had ants in their pants, I was often taken on camping trips out in the bush or on the beach, or rustic cabins out in the forests and mountains. There were times we’d wake up to a zebra casually nudging through all our supplies, or a warthog grunting at the entrance to our tents. My dad always pushed me and my sisters to be explorative and unafraid of the wild (and I suspect he also secretly hoped we’d roughen out all our soft little girly edges). That encouragement led me to numerous encounters with nature and wildlife that impacted me profoundly from a young age.

I remember a time I sat face to face with a hyena, perched on a step while the stinky dog was a few steps below me, curiously sniffing out our leftovers from our dinner hours before. There was another time my over-enthusiastic gran jumped out our car to snap some close-up pics of a rhino, which began pawing the ground, perhaps preparing to charge, while we yelled at her profusely, “Get back in the car! GRAN!” to which she replied, “Just one more snap! That rhino would never charge an old lady like me!”

I have always been proud of my country’s passionate wildlife conservation efforts, and was horrified the first time I actually met somebody who said they hunted for sport. He was a Midwestern American, unfortunately dumb as a piece of plastic, and I fantasized about stalking and executing him for days after our retch-worthy meeting. Many South Africans share this sweet sentiment about hunters and poachers, and those in the know will annoyingly bombard you with endless conservation facts and figures...

Like the one about African elephant populations hovering around 700,000, while Asia only has about 32,000. Or the one about the biggest threat to Asian elephants being a lack of space, not to mention the abuse and hardships that working elephants still suffer from even today. Without getting too deep in the elephant dung-pile, I always knew that by coming to Thailand I would be exposed to issues surrounding wildlife and nature that I’d struggle to understand. And I do, all the time.

This is why my stomach sank when my boyfriend said to me the other day, “That’s it. I've had enough of all these people on Facebook having a big elephant party! Let’s do it!” I had to give in, because it’s a rather reasonable desire to want to see elephants in Thailand, but I had two conditions: I did not want to ride an elephant, and I did not want to see them chained up.

After a search on elephants in tourism, and the state of elephant camps in Thailand (and much outrage and ranting from me) I found the Elephant Nature Park. I was immediately drawn to their statement “our aim has always been to provide a sanctuary and rescue centre for elephants” because when you search for elephants in Chiang Mai, you will land upon more than a few elephant camps, whose messages don’t seem to be about rescuing or rehabilitating elephants, but more about how you as a tourist can have a good time. Another selling factor was that Elephant Nature Park’s lunch was already vegetarian, which might seem silly to some, but says a lot about their attitude towards all animals. Our day at their park was promptly booked, for 2500 a person (again, a lot cheaper than others).

A picture that sums up the entire park: elephants, dogs, nature, and caring people.

A friendly mahout and his elephant, which he kindly let us stroke.

An ellie and her boisterous baby.

This baby elephant jumped around so much he collapsed in exhaustion.

He then got nudged around with some big trunks, but didn't seem to care!

An elephant rushing off in a hurry to get somewhere important.

Another baby, being fed watermelon (elephants love watermelon).

A sandy baby elephant.

On the way to the park, in a minivan with 8 other excited people, we watched a video about the park made by some travelling filmmakers. Of course, hearing about the plight of some of the elephants made a tear fall out my eye, and once it was over we started spotting some of the very elephant camps we had just learnt about in the video. As we passed elephant after elephant with heavy, awkward saddles on their backs, or hooks fixed into the back of their ears, I started to feel very positive about our choice to visit the Elephant Nature Park instead of one of these camps.

I was not disappointed. As the van pulled into the park, we were greeted by about 300 barking dogs, all rescued and being cared for on the premises. When we walked into the main building for tourists – a large wooden house on stilts – we were greeted by naughty panting dogs having naps under our feet, and plenty of other people milling about all eager to get close to the ellies.

Orientation began, and we were given all the obvious rules, like: Don’t use flash cameras on the elephants (I mean, camera flashes are unpleasant enough for us humans), and don’t startle the animal by walking behind it or making rash movements (it’s never a good idea to go “BOO!” at a 3 ton giant, anyway). On top of that, many of these elephants had been rescued from abusive conditions, which was even more reason to be calm and gentle. On the other hand, some of them were mischievous and playful, which was also not terribly safe, because a swing of their trunk could kill you.

Feeding and Learning:

Erick's first time interacting with an elephant - a magical moment!

Feeding an elephant by putting big hunks of watermelon near the trunk.

A greedy, grinning elephant searching for more food.

Our guide, Ae, was a cheeky Thai woman with a kind heart, who watched over our interactions with the elephants, and made sure no one was acting a fool. She led us around the park for the entire morning, and answered all our insufferable questions (particularly mine). We learnt about the individual elephants’ daily habits, their adopted families and friends, which ones were bullies and which ones were sweethearts, and the back story of each elephant we met. At one point, I even came across the resident cow, who happened to think she was another elephant. I gave her a pat and a stroke, she gave me a nudge and a sniff, and we moved on.

The resident cow who thinks she's an elephant.

*Sniff sniff. Not interested.*

Elephant teeth!

Pretty toenails!

Lunch:

For lunch, we were presented with the mother of all buffets. My boyfriend immediately switched into hyperactive mode, and yelled at me excitedly, “Look! Wing bean salad! And what’s this? AVOCADO.” – gurgling noises followed. We all ate a delicious lunch together, chatted, and then moved onto our second half of the day – bathing the elephants.

This was the salad table, which included naughty nacho chips!

From left to right: wing bean salad (my favourite!), job's tears salad, pomelo salad, and papaya salad.

Pomelo salad - always an unusual tangy flavour.

Fresh, creamy avocado drizzled in sesame seeds, almond slivers and pecans.

Papaya salad without the fish sauce - yes!

These are some of the dishes from the hot food table - here we have some pad pak ruam (stir-fried veggies).

A fiery but sweet aubergine curry.

This delicious curry scared me at first - I had to ask Ae whether the meat-like chunks were really vegetarian.

Green beans - yum - and a sprout, tofu, pumpkin mix which had already been devoured when I got there.

My boyfriend's plate. Don't tell anyone, but he went back for seconds.

Bathing the Ellies:

After spending some more time milling about, feeding and making friends with the big beautiful creatures, we finally got into the river with some of them, and were told to splash them with buckets of water. At first, I questioned whether the elephant would turn around and give me a glare, because being splashed by some pesky little humans didn't seem like the best past time for me. For elephants, it is. They happily carried on munching big hunks of watermelon, while we all took turns getting in the water and drenching them. I swear I heard a purr.

Ae, with the lovely Medo.

Part of the river that runs through the park.

Flinging mud - classy!

Medo worked in the logging industry until a log fell on her rear leg and injured her. She was then seen as useless by her owners and her injury was never properly treated. Fortunately, she now lives a peaceful life at the park and feels no pain from her old injury. She does have a bit of a funny walk though.

Some elephants trotting towards the river for their daily bath.

Erick and his friend, who munched watermelon while getting splashed.

All in all, I wouldn't recommend the Elephant Nature Park, because I found it very hard to leave the elephants, and naturally I wanted to stay there forever (I actually ended up being that person when the van wanted to leave and I was still daydreaming inside the park). If you want to meet some amazing creatures, learn all about them, feed them, bathe them, but NOT ride them or watch them perform in any way, then you should put Elephant Nature Park at the top of your list.

Personally, I walked away from this experience having gained knowledge and compassion: elephants are sensitive and gentle souls, who are regularly taken advantage of in Thailand and around the globe. I salute those whose lives are devoted to bringing less harm to them, and by doing so, bringing more peace to the world.

The Burmese Restaurant & Library

2013-11-02T13:16:00.000+07:00

If you've been in Chiang Mai for a while, there's a good chance you still haven't discovered the delectable hole in the wall known as the Burmese Restaurant and Library. And for those who have - you're a fan, aren't you? I've barely tried enough Burmese food in my lifetime, and this is where I should probably mention I've never even been to Myanmar. But Thailand is their neighbour (although not the friendliest of neighbours, if you do a smidgeon of research) and therefore, influences have crossed paths, cultures have entwined, and my favourite thing of all: a food fight of sorts has taken place over the long course of history, resulting in an abundance of unusual dishes that get me very excited.

Burmese cuisine is very much about influences, and share many elements of flavour from India, China and Thailand. Also, because of their diversities in religion and spiritual practices, much of Burmese food is missing beef and pork. Vegetarian dishes are common, although if you dig a little deeper, you will find they are most likely pescatarian, as Burmese cooking requires a heavy use of seafood products, such as fish sauce or shrimp paste. Another important note is that the bulk of Burmese soups are made of meat broth bases, yet the cuisine as a whole still contains very little meat - perhaps this is to do with the state of their meat industry? A little research led to me articles on frequent diseases among their pigs and chickens. Just a tad unappealing.

Anyway, let's get back to the good stuff. I've had Burmese dishes in Chiang Mai a number of times, and a few more times in Mae Sot, which is a town that sits on the Thailand/Myanmar border to the west. It's a place that is usually spoken of in the same sentence as Burmese refugees, as it has either 100k, 200k, or 300k, depending on which numbers you believe. Either way, there are a ton of them, and therefore this is a good place to experience the overpowering influence of Burmese culture, including their food. So, for someone who's had maybe twenty Burmese dishes in total, all of them in Thailand, it says a lot that I now call Burmese cuisine one of my favourites. I can't wait to get over there and explore more of their fresh, unique, creative dishes, but for now I'll just share the ones from the Burmese Restaurant and Library below:

Burmese Restaurant Breakdown:

Prices:	Food: Absolute bargain at ฿30 for a dish, and ฿5 for a serving of rice. Drinks: This is not that sort of place! You get free water, and there is a 7/11 next door where you could buy an iced tea or soda, which is what I usually do.
Location:	Opposite the entrance to Nimmanheiman Road, Soi 13, or otherwise opposite The Salad Concept. A great location, right in the middle of Nimmanheiman, but very easy to miss.
Times:	Open at random times, unfortunately. We've seen this place open until late at night sometimes, and then close at 4pm other days. It has also been closed without notice once or twice, but it is a popular lunchtime place with locals.
What makes the Burmese Restaurant special?	It's got authentic, delicious Burmese food, of course! The actual place (or plastic chairs outside a food stall) is not very impressive, but the food more than makes up for it. This is also a great takeaway place on the way home, when you're in the mood for something that isn't Thai, but still as cheap!

View Market of Eden Vegetarian Restaurant Map in a larger map

Tea Leaf Salad - we think it's the best dish at this place.

Tamarind Salad at The Burmese Restaurant.

Tomato Salad. Fresh, vibrant flavours with peanuts for a crunchy texture.

Tea Leaf Salad. The flavours are so unusual, and it's packed with crispy beans, nuts and seeds.

About to feast!

Mango Salad - not quite ripe mango dressed in peanut sauce.

Pennywort Salad.

Another feast, all for ฿100.

I told you the place is not that glamorous...

The menu is only one page, and this is it!

Khun Churn Vegetarian Restaurant (& Buffet)

2013-09-30T18:59:00.001+07:00

NOTE: Khun Churn has another new location as of December 2015 (see the map below).

WARNING: This is the longest and most exhausting post I've ever made, and it's all about FOOD! So don't look if you're hungry, as I can't be held responsible for drool clogging up your keyboard. Seriously.

Now, when you have the combination of being a bit of a cheapo and a vegetarian, you might end up a Khun Churn local, as myself and my other half have become. Believe me, it's no achievement - in fact, it's rather easy to become addicted to the goodness you'll find there, from the lovely atmosphere in a dark wood building, to the impeccable service, to the fresh, interesting, delicious food and drinks, to the shockingly low bill at the end of your meal. Yes, it never ends!

And just so you know, my partner in crime is a recovering meat addict, and regularly raves about Khun Churn's mouthwatering Khao Soy (which is one of the few we know that uses meaty-like soy protein chunks) and their addictive tempura-battered crispy vegetables. Every single day, their buffet choices change, although you can always count on the regulars to be there, such as Khao Soy, Som Tam (papaya salad), and a huge table dedicated to making your own salads.

I can't recommend this place enough! You can probably tell that by this massive post, full of photos of the restaurant, the lunch buffet, and plates of food, as well as the entire menu and a map to their location. So let's get started...

Perfect Khao Soy at Khun Churn.

Evil battered sesame pumpkin strips!

Khun Churn Breakdown:

Prices:	The buffet is fantastic value at ฿179 per person, which includes salad dishes, savoury dishes, soups, desserts, and an assortment of ice teas or juices. The rest of their dishes are reasonably priced (from ฿50 - ฿100 or so). I managed to photograph the entire menu, so you can see for yourself exactly what everything costs.
Location:	*Khun Churn has yet another new location!* ~~Nimmanheiman Road Soi 17~~ ~~The Old Chiang Mai Cultural Centre, on Wualai Road~~ Kad Farang Shopping Plaza, Hang Dong Road. (Check out the map below for more details. The pin is quite far away from the others, on the south side of the Old City.)
Times:	Open from 8 am – 10 pm. The daily buffet is from 11 am – 2:30 pm.
What makes Khun Churn special?	(I had to make a list): - The variety. There are few buffets that offer so many delicious and creative dishes that appeal to all sorts of palates. - The food is absolutely delicious – vibrant, fresh, comforting. I regularly crave a number of things from Khun Churn that I haven't found anywhere else. - The service is always welcoming and attentive. It's a place we always leave big tips, even though tipping is not a common part of the culture in Thailand. - The prices. This is probably why we feel inclined to leave big tips – the food is just too cheap for what you get! - Finally... Khun Churn is special to me, just for being such an excellent vegetarian place. It's where I'll bring any visitor from back home, whether they are vegetarian or not, and it's a place plenty of omnivorous friends of mine have enjoyed and recommend to others. That to me is always uplifting, and it does a great job of promoting a meatless way of life. The owner is doing something fantastic, and I applaud him for it!

Shots of the (old) restaurant:

Sorry, best I could do given I don't live in Chiang Mai anymore!

The Regular Buffet Foodies:

The salad bar with the usual culprits: carrot, onion, assorted lettuce leaves, peppers, cucumber, boiled eggs and more.

Some assorted cooked and raw plain vegetables for anyone who needs more veggie goodness!

The star of the show: Khao Soy.

The Khao Soy table on another day.

Thai desserts - delicious.

The assorted iced teas and drinks which are included in the buffet

The Varying Buffet Foodies:

One of my favourites in Thailand! Ugh!

Similar to Pad See Ewe (stir-fried fat noodles with egg) but with lots of mushrooms.

"Northern Style" usually just means it's going to be interesting.

There is always a yummy variant of rice to go with the rest of your foodies.

Bamboo shoot dishes - I can go either way on those...

Vegetable Panang curry - yes!

A different Panang curry on another day. They were both delicious!

Crispy wonton stuffed with sweet potato.

Deep-fried eggplant. Things are getting dangerous now.

Deep-fried sesame carrot sticks.

On a different day: deep-fried sesame pumpkin, flanked by sweet plum sauce and tangy sour sauce.

Sukiyaki - a vegetarian take on the famous Japanese hot-pot dish.

Crispy fried tofu corners with a herb sauce.

Deep-fried wild beetle leaf - whatever that is, it's amazing.

Yakisoba - another vegetarian version of the dish known as "Japanese Chow Mein".

Some of our Plates on Different Days:

Glorious salad! And strawberry juice (which was part of the buffet that day).

A plate full of nom.

A Khao Soy close-up.

My meal: some battered sesame carrot strips, my favourite ginger green beans, and Khao Soy to die for!

Another plate: wild beetle leaf and sesame pumpkin strips, those green beans again, and red curry with rice.

My meal on another day: Panang curry, fried rice, stir-fried oyster mushrooms, crispy wontons, and papaya salad.

A typical Thai dessert: a bowl of sweet milk kept cold with ice cubes, and bits of pumpkin and blocks of jelly.

A big, fresh mango shake. This is not part of the buffet - we just love it!

Finally! Menu Pics:

(Click to zoom)

Breakfasts.

Breakfasts and soups.

Appetizers.

More appetizers.

Salad - some of the tastiest in the city!

Oriental soups.

Thai spicy salads - always interesting!

More Thai spicy salads.

Main dishes.

More main dishes.

Agh! Too much choice!

Curries and clear soups.

More curries and clear soups.

Snacky things.

More snacky things. A few of these quickly becomes a feast though!

Never-ending post. I told you!

A bunch of traditional Thai chilli pastes and sauces done vegetarian.

Local Chiang Mai dishes.

Delicious Thai desserts, ice cream, and ice teas.

And finally, drinks. That wasn't the whole menu by the way...

Neighborhood Bar Chiang Mai

2013-09-27T13:48:00.002+07:00

Here I'll tell you all about one of my favourite bars in Chiang Mai - Neighborhood. It's more up-scale than the lovable Bus Bar, and right in the middle of the action on Nimmanheiman Soi 17, but it's also a great place to unwind and sip on some fancy German beer for a reasonable price. There's a regular band comprised of a very talented guitarist and a lovely singer, who like to belt out Michael Bublé and Dido covers after singing their whimsical rendition of Happy Birthday (of course). The atmosphere is one that I crave on a regular basis - not too hectic, not too mellow, not pretentious, but not totally scruffy either. Neighborhood has a lot going for it, and feels like a much more established bar in the area, despite only being around for 3 years.

Neighborhood Bar Breakdown:

Drinks:	There are numerous specials at any given time, although many of them are before 9pm (which is why this is a good bar for pre-drinks). There are also plenty of imported beers for great prices and in all sizes, from small glasses to enormous jugs. There is also another menu just for cocktails, and of course, the usual spirits are also available.
Food:	The food at Neighborhood is authentically Thai, which is great, although there are few vegetarian options. But there are also food carts that hang around the area, as well as the wandering hawkers selling snack foods like quail's eggs and nuts. - The prices of individual dishes start at a cheap ฿59 for a simple dish of stir-fried vegetables. - Seafood dishes begin at ฿150 for squid and shrimp, and end up at around ฿249 for bass or red tilapia. - The menu is endless and includes plenty of local favourites, such as a number of famous Thai soups and spicy salads. - There are also a few Western snacks like French Fries for ฿89, and they recently added another page to the menu, filled with deep-fried chicken wings, onion rings, and other fatty farang favourites (I joke). I'd like to give special mention to Neighborhood's Yum Kai Dao (a spicy Thai salad made up of chopped fried egg, coriander, onions, garlic, lime, tomatoes, chillies) – it is the spiciest one I've had in Chiang Mai, and by far the most delicious. Try it if you dare!
Pros:	- Atmosphere is relaxed with upbeat live music. - The level of noise is perfect inside and outside, that allows for lots of conversation. - A simple, open layout that allows waiters to be able to see you at all times. - The service is always attentive and friendly even though the waiters mostly don't speak English. - Classy décor with a stylish, wooden interior. - A refreshingly mixed crowd of young and old, with a more “upmarket” style compared to other casual bars. - Plenty of outdoor seating for smokers. - Great drinks specials and lots of fancy beers – this is a big attraction compared to our local drinking spots. - The bathrooms are clean and functional. Yes! - No mosquitoes! Ever. - It should also be said that Neighborhood is in a fantastic area, full of places to get great food, go clubbing, or just to move on somewhere else for more drinks.
Cons:	- Food is on the expensive side, and the dishes might feel a bit overwhelming for people not used to proper Thai food. - Sometimes, it can be difficult to communicate with the waiters because of the language barrier. - Food carts selling intestines and other grisly bits like to park right in front of the place, probably just to make me queasy. Although, that's not really Neighborhood's fault! - Hence, there are not enough cons about Neighborhood, really. It's one of my favourite bars in Chiang Mai.

Some of the outdoor area.

Another shot of the outdoor area, with a singer in the blue corner.

Inside.

Cocktails! Yummy.

Note that these menus are incomplete - I get funny looks sitting around snapping menus.

View Market of Eden Nightlife Map in a larger map

Rabeang Pasak Treehouse Resort

2013-09-26T23:09:00.000+07:00

I have something to confess: I have been trying to write this post for almost two weeks. I have written paragraphs of mumbo-jumbo, and then just gone back and erased it all, multiple times. The truth is, there is no story to this post, or any interesting anecdotes, or even a single photo of food! It's just going to be a no-nonsense, straight-up photo post, seeing as the main attraction of staying in a Treehouse Resort is, of course, the treehouses themselves.

The Longan Treehouse.

A few weekends ago, we had a little play-date at the Sticky Falls, and then made our way to our nearby accommodation: The Rabeang Pasak Treehouse Resort. It's only about an hour and a half north of Chiang Mai, but honestly, it's a bit of a difficult journey, and a little hard to find. I would say it's more appropriate for a romantic getaway, or a family looking for some relaxation, but for us, being stuck at the treehouses with a large group of falangs for more than one night wasn't a very attractive idea.

Yes, the place is beautiful, the food delicious, and the tree houses are an amazingly unique place to cuddle up in, but other than that, there is not much to do in the area except try and casually adopt the owner's kittens without him noticing, and name them things like "Jeremiah" or "Sofia". If that doesn't work, there are also some lonely pigs available for a deep conversation, or perhaps a fat furry caterpillar. Other than that, it's just you and a view of the sunset over some mountains, which you can find a quick stroll away from the resort.

The prices are hard to navigate, and also another reason I was reluctant to do this post. Although there was a large group of us and we were given the largest tree house (The Longan House), there still wasn't enough room or things to sleep on, and my boyfriend and I ended up staying in another tree house (The Jackfruit House). While the confusion raged on, I sat with a sunken heart hoping we wouldn't have to fork out ฿1500 for a new tree house, especially since the mistake was not ours. Also, my boyfriend and I pride ourselves on our penny-saving travelling skills, and rarely latch onto other groups who are willing to throw their big bucks around. In the end, however, it worked out all right, and we solved the problem by each chipping in for all the accommodation, and our delicious dinners (฿300 each), while the breakfast was free. All in all, it was a beautiful place run by a friendly family, but if I were to do it again, I would do it as a couple, or perhaps take a visiting relative there for a quiet weekend in the middle of nowhere.

View Rabeang Pasak Treehouse Resort in a larger map

The jungly path to the treehouses.

A little pond behind The Rabeang House

The Rabeang House.

The Rabeang House and its miniature waterfall.

The Tamarind House. This one was kind of scary to be in!

Inside The Tamarind House.

Casually having a swing at The Tamarind House.

Climbing The Tamarind House.

It's quite a journey getting back down.

View from the Tamarind House - perfect for spying on people!

The Bamboo House.

The Bamboo House's backyard. Nice!

Another shot of the Bamboo House.

Beautiful.

The largest treehouse - The Longan House.

Steps into The Longan House.

The tiny living room in The Longan House.

Another shot of the living room.

Climbing upstairs.

The master bedroom.

A miniature chair on the balcony.

The Longan House.

The Jackfruit House - where my boyfriend and I stayed.

Our bedroom. So cosy!

The gorgeous balcony at the very top of The Jackfruit House.

A very large furry friend.

A not-so furry friend, who was also rather large.

Taste From Heaven Vegetarian Cooking Course & Recipes

2013-09-11T16:00:00.003+07:00

Panang curry, Khao Soy, Tofu on Herbs, and Green curry in a coconut.

For my 23rd birthday, my boyfriend spoiled me to a cooking course at one of my favourite restaurants in Chiang Mai. Taste from Heaven is another vegetarian place that does all the classic Thai dishes without meat, and bulks up their dishes with delicious soy protein, soft and hard tofu, and unusual mushrooms.

The cooking course consisted of 9 dishes for two people (6 for one person) and you can choose whatever dish from the menu you would like to learn to cook. My boyfriend chose the following dishes (which were all fantastic choices):

1. Somtam (Papaya Salad)
2. Fresh Spring Rolls
3. Tom Yum Soup
4. Tofu on Herbs (Recipe below)
5. Panang Curry (Recipe below)
6. Green Curry in a Whole Coconut (Recipe below)
7. Stir-fried Aubergine and Tofu
8. Khao Soy
9. Deep-fried Ice Cream

In this post I'll show you the food we made, in order, and throw in a few of the recipes (they are all for single dishes, but the portions are huge). I would 100% recommend doing the course yourself, as the cooks are a pleasure to hang out with for a day (9am - 3pm) and it's much more affordable than many others in the city (900 per person).

PLEASE NOTE: Taste From Heaven has a new location! They haven't updated on their website yet, but here it is on my map below, and here's their Facebook page.

View Market of Eden Vegetarian Restaurant Map in a larger map

Can we start eating yet?

Our initial assortment of food when we first arrived at 9am.

The unusual view of the outdoor area of the restaurant below - someone likes roofs!

Our first task - get the boyfriend to chop the coconut.

Mmm, fresh coconut water!

Some of the ingredients on our work station.

One of the restaurant's cooks, who was our awesome instructor.

Preparing to cook the ingredients for the Green Curry.

The finished Green Curry inside the fresh coconut.

Green Curry Recipe (Gaeng Kiew Wan/แกงเขียวหวาน):

Measurement	Ingredient	Notes
¾ tablespoon	Green curry paste	Cheaply available from any fresh market, more expensive in supermarkets.
1 whole	Purple aubergine	The bigger the better!
2 whole	Thai aubergines	These are the long green ones that come in bunches.
3 strands	Long beans	The very long strands of bean that also come in bunches.
1 block	Baby coconut tree	These are the white blocks at fresh markets soaking in water. For this curry you should have a block about the same size as a hand.
½ block	Tofu	You can use either the white or yellow block of medium tofu, which are cheap at the markets.
¼ piece	Red or yellow capsicum	Use more if you like! Also known as red or yellow peppers.
1 whole	Bird's Eye chilli	These are the big, long Thai chilli peppers that aren't so hot. You could use whatever colour you like.
1 – 3 whole	Small regular chilli	Choose how many you'd like based on your tolerance. One is negligibly spicy, but three or more is hot!
10 leaves	Thai basil	Available in bunches from markets and supermarkets.
5 leaves	Kaffir lime	Make sure to remove the stem from the middle of the leaves, as it's not very nice to chew.
100 ml	Coconut milk
200 ml	Water
½ tablespoon	Mushroom powder	This is a vegetarian powder available at markets or supermarkets. In Thai it's known as Pŏng Hèt or ผงเห็ด.
¼ tablespoon	Palm sugar	Available from markets and supermarkets.
2 tablespoons	Cooking oil
¼ piece	Mushroom stock	Vegetarian stock available at markets and supermarkets, next to the pork and chicken ones (you just have to spot the little mushroom pictures).

Method:

1. Chop your all your aubergines into bite-sized chunks.

2. Slice all your long beans into 3cm strips.

3. Cut your baby coconut tree into square bite-size pieces.

4. Cut your tofu block into 4 pieces.

5. Cut your capsicum into bite-sized slices.

6. Cut your Bird's Eye Chilli into half the size of your bite-sized chunks.

7. Cut your small regular chilli and Kaffir lime leaves into small, thin slices.

8. Now, turn on the heat up high on your wok or frying pan. Add your cooking oil and curry paste.

9. When it's sizzling, add your mushroom stock and let it melt.

10. Add coconut milk, and mix.

11. Add water, and let it start boiling.

12. Once it's boiling, add all the ingredients except the Thai basil leaves.

13. Let it boil for 3 – 4 minutes. If it's too dry, add more coconut milk. If it's too thick, add more water.

14. Mix in your mushroom powder and sugar, and then taste it. If you want more of either, add it. If it tastes good, add the small regular chilli pieces.

15. When you serve it, sprinkle all the Thai sweet basil leaves over the curry and gently mix.

NOTE: You can add or take away whatever vegetables you want. I've made this curry with cauliflower and soy protein chunks, and without long beans, for instance, and it was still delicious!

Crushing up some peanuts for the Panang Curry.

Concocting a delicious curry!

Yum. Panang Curry finished!

Panang Curry Recipe (Gaeng Panaeng/แกงพะแนง):

Measurement	Ingredient	Notes
½ tablespoon	Panang curry paste	Cheaply available from any fresh market, more expensive in supermarkets.
½ block	Tofu	You can use either the white or yellow block of medium tofu, which are cheap at the markets.
10 pieces	Soy protein chunks	Cheaply available from any fresh market, more expensive in supermarkets.
½ whole	Red or yellow capsicum	Also known as red or yellow peppers.
1 whole	Bird's Eye chilli	These are the big, long Thai chilli peppers that aren't so hot. You could use whatever colour you like.
1 – 3 whole	Small regular chilli	Choose how many you'd like based on your tolerance. One is negligibly spicy, but three or more is hot!
5 leaves	Kaffir lime	Make sure to remove the stem from the middle of the leaves, as it's not very nice to chew.
2 tablespoons	Roasted peanuts	Also cheaply available at markets.
50 ml	Coconut milk
25 ml	Water
½ tablespoon	Mushroom powder	This is a vegetarian powder available at markets or supermarkets. In Thai it's known as Pong Hed or ผงเห็ด.
½ tablespoon	Mushroom sauce	This is a vegetarian replacement for oyster sauce and it can usually be found with the oyster and soy sauces in supermarkets or markets. In Thai it's Sot Hed or ซอสเห็ด.
½ tablespoon	Palm sugar	Available from markets and supermarkets.
1 tablespoon	Cooking oil
¼ piece	Mushroom stock	Vegetarian stock available at markets and supermarkets, next to the pork and chicken ones (you just have to spot the little mushroom pictures).

Method:

1. Soak the soy protein chunks in warm water. Usually I soak mine for close to half an hour. When you are ready to start cooking, squeeze the water out of them and dry them in some paper towels.
2. Crush up your roasted peanuts in a mortar and pestle, if you have one. If you don't, you could break them up by rubbing the bottom of a bowl over them, or something similar.

3. Cut your capsicum into bite-sized slices.

4. Cut your Bird's Eye Chilli into half the size of your bite-sized chunks.

5. Cut your small regular chilli and Kaffir lime leaves into small, thin slices.

6. Now, turn on the heat on your wok or frying pan. Add the cooking oil and curry paste.

7. When it's sizzling, add mushroom stock and let it melt.

8. Add coconut milk, and mix.
9. Add tofu, soy protein chunks, capsicum.

10. Add water, and let it start boiling. The sauce should be quite thick.

11. Immediately, add roasted peanuts, mushroom powder, mushroom sauce, and palm sugar.

12. Taste it, and then add the small regular chilli and Kaffir lime leaves.

13. When you serve it, you can add a few drops of coconut milk on top of the curry for presentation.

The chunks of tofu and mushroom balls for the Khao Soy.

Cooking the Khao Soy.

The finished Khao Soy!

So far we had completed the Green Curry, Panang Curry and Khao Soy.

My boyfriend Erick crushing some lemongrass for our Tofu on Herbs dish.

Cutting up some fresh black pepper for Tofu on Herbs.

Deep-frying the soft tofu.

Soft tofu with deep-fried lemongrass, herbs and black pepper sauce.

Tofu on Herbs Recipe (Unfortunately no longer available on their new menu!)

NOTE: I am not sure what this particular dish is in Thai, as I've only ever seen this at Taste from Heaven. You could describe something similar at a restaurant but it might be difficult to get this exact dish. Here is some vocabulary you could try:

Tofu	Tawhu	เต้าหู้
Soft tofu	Tawhu orn	เต้าหู้อ่อน
Herbs	Samun phrai	สมุนไพร
Deep-fried/fried	Tord	ทอด
Black pepper	Prik thai daem	พริกไทยดำ

Recipe:

Measurement	Ingredient	Notes
1 tablespoon	Black pepper sauce	Available at supermarkets.
2 tablespoons	Flour
1 whole	Soft tofu	You can use any variety you like, as long as it's soft. These are the ones packaged in plastic and squishy to touch.
½ whole	Green capsicum	Also known as a green pepper.
1 – 2 whole	Small regular chilli	Choose how many you'd like based on your tolerance.
1 stalk	Lemongrass	Available at fresh markets in bundles.
3 cloves	Garlic
10 leaves	Kaffir lime	Make sure to remove the stem from the middle of the leaves, as it's not very nice to chew.
10 leaves	Thai basil	Available in bunches from markets and supermarkets.
50 ml	Water
½ teaspoon	Black pepper	Try and use fresh, raw black pepper if you can!
½ teaspoon	Palm sugar	Available from markets and supermarkets.
Enough to deep-fry	Cooking oil
1 tablespoon	Butter

Method:

1. Cut your soft tofu into big chunks (you can see the size in the photos above). Coat them in the flour.
2. Deep-fry the flour-coated soft tofu in the cooking oil. They should cook quite quickly, but you want them to remain soft. As soon as they are done, set them aside on a paper towel and let them rest.

3. Crush your lemongrass stalk with a mortar and pestle, so that you are left with thin, long slivers. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, maybe try slicing it with a knife lengthways, and then extracting the long hairs from inside the stalk.

4. Now deep-fry the lemongrass slivers, Kaffir lime leaves and Thai basil leaves. Do not let them burn or overcook, but they should shrivel and curl slightly. Once they are done, immediately place them on top of the soft tofu.

5. Cut your green capsicum into long, thin slices.
6. Cut your small regular chilli into small, tiny slices.
7. Cut your garlic cloves as large or as little as you'd like.
8. Turn on the heat on a new wok or pan. Add the butter, the garlic and the green capsicum, and fry until the butter turns a darker yellow.
9. Add the black pepper sauce, water, palm sugar and black pepper. Stir constantly to make a thick sauce. At the end, add the deep-fried lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil leaves, and the small regular green chilli, to melt the flavours together.
10. When it tastes good, pour the sauce on top of the soft tofu and serve.

Food time! Finally!

Back to our work stations to make Fresh Spring Rolls.

Fresh Spring Rolls with their accompanying peanut sauce and some salad.

Frying up the basics for the Tom Yum soup.

A quick sneak-peek of a beer bottle collection behind me (I am strange).

Shredding green papaya - I've always wanted to do that!

Papaya Salad in a mortar.

Mixing it all up.

Deep frying some coconut ice cream! I was very excited about this.

The deep-fried ice cream and fresh banana. Simple but delicious!

The Sticky Falls (Buatong Waterfall)

2013-09-05T14:28:00.002+07:00

The middle level of the Sticky Falls.

After being in Chiang Mai for a while, you may hear foreigners talk about a waterfall you can climb up like a gecko climbs up a wall, and they might refer to it as the "Sticky Falls", or maybe, the "Limestone Waterfall". You might hear a Thai person talk about "Buatong" or "Nam Phu Chet Si", and casually refer to it as a nice place to visit. They would all be talking about the same place, and anyone will tell you it is an attraction well-worth experiencing, probably unlike any other you've had before.

What makes this waterfall different to the hundreds of others in Northern Thailand, is that its fed by a calcium-rich spring at the very top, which rushes downwards over the boulders of the waterfall. This makes them feel and appear quite "sticky", and unless you've had much experience groping calcium-hungry rocks, you will be shocked at your ability to grip them with your bare skin. On top of that, they look rather cute, being all smooth and rotund, and almost seem like fat little steps when you climb higher up the waterfall.

The falls are about 50km north of Chiang Mai, in a very quiet, tourist-free area, sans the occasional Thai family or couple. There are places to stay nearby if you want to build a weekend around the falls, such as the Mae Ngat Dam Houseboats, or the Rabeang Pasak Tree Houses. It's also a good place for a day trip, and as the area is so isolated and undeveloped, it might be wise to bring a picnic and a few beers. You can't take any food or drink down to the actual waterfall, but there are picnic tables at the top level, and plenty of wild forest to explore.

View Buatong Waterfall in a larger map

To get there, you need to take the 1001 Highway, and that is the easiest part of the trip. If you are on the Superhighway, the 1001 turn-off is on the north side of the highway, east of Chang Phuak Road. It's the one that leads to Mae Jo. You stay on the 1001 for pretty much the whole journey. The hard part of this trip is knowing when to turn off to the waterfalls, because contrary to what earlier blog posts and articles might say, the waterfall is NOT well signposted. In fact, when we eventually realised we had already seen and passed the sign to the waterfall road, it was only because there are no other signs for 5km after that one. So if you see a big old sign that is completely washed out and faded, with a few other little indecipherable signs scattered around it, you're almost definitely on the right track. Also, it is the next road after a series of wooden huts selling vegetables and plants, along with a tiny bottle store, and probably a few friendly locals milling about. It's not hard to miss, unless you are notoriously prone to missing all things obvious, like me.

The steps down to the Sticky Falls.

Furry ground!

The limestone gives the falls a strange pale colour.

Going further down to the lower levels of the waterfall.

A beautiful place to waste a day away.

It poured down on the day we went, although we were already wet from the waterfall.

After the rain.

Aum Vegetarian Restaurant

2013-08-30T15:06:00.000+07:00

There is a little restaurant that might be easy to overlook if you are in the madness that is the old city. Right next to the overpowering Black Canyon Coffee, and opposite the Thapae Gate which leads into the square, is a hole in the wall which resembles a tiny log cabin from the outside. Yes, a log cabin. Parking outside the restaurant is not allowed, and you can easily walk by it countless times without taking a second glance, so the little place known as Aum Vegetarian Restaraunt often gets neglected in the majestic food landscape that is Chiang Mai.

Aum offers something which many Chiang Mai restaurant owners have yet to catch on to: a vegetarian visitor to Chiang Mai still wants to experience typical Thai food. The sad truth is a lot of them simply don't, usually because they have a bad experience, are misunderstood, are judged or humiliated, or just flat-out rejected. I cannot count the number of times I have had meat arrive in my food, and always marvel at the disregard for my requests. I wonder, if I were deathly allergic to meat, would I be taken more seriously? I'm guessing not.

So many restaurants and road-side eateries have the means to make their meals vegetarian-friendly, but for some reason this concept seems to be an embarrassingly incomprehensible one in Thailand. Aum has managed to transcend all this anti-veggo-nonsense, and simply serves Thai food, sans meat. At Aum, you can order any Thai dish you would find on the street or in a restaurant, and they will happily bring it to you, full of fresh vegetables and bulked up with delicious local mushrooms and potatoes. Their drinks are particularly tasty, which include shakes with delightful combinations of ginger and fruit, and interesting Lassi creations like Mint and Mango. The place is not overly fancy, and neither is the menu, but to me that just says it's not pretentious either. If you're looking for unusual food, then Aum isn't where it's at, but if you just want delicious Thai food done right, and meat-free, then it definitely is.

Aum Breakdown:

Prices:	Food: Average prices are between ฿60 - ฿90 for a dish. The vegetarian sushi is pricier, ranging from ฿120 - ฿165. The most expensive dish on the menu is the California Maki for ฿195. Drinks: Starting at ฿20 for fresh juices, and up to ฿70 for shakes with Spirulina. The most expensive drink is the Avocado shake with Spirulina at ฿75.
Location:	65 Moon Muang Road, on the east side of the old city. A central location, opposite Thapae Gate, and next door to Black Canyon Coffee.
Times:	Open from 11:00 am to 9:30 pm every day. (Watch out - this place is a very popular lunchtime hangout, and as it's quite small, you might have to wait.)
What makes Aum special?	It's a laidback place, conducive to lazing around and paging through old books, or strumming the guitar. The Lassi's are addictive, the food simple yet delicious, and it's always a good place to turn to when you want any Thai dish done vegetarian.

Khao Soy, which some claim is the best vegetarian one in Chiang Mai.

Some highly-addictive spring rolls with a fantastic peanut soy sauce.

The little rooftop garden which an orange dog inhabits.

The stairs leading the first floor.

The upstairs lounging area which has an old-fashioned feel to it.

A page of the menu which shows examples of all the food they make.

Two more pages of the menu, but there are still plenty more I couldn't capture. (Click for larger view)

The way Aum looks from the road.

View Market of Eden Vegetarian Restaurant Map in a larger map

Pun Pun Vegetarian Restaurant

2013-08-26T11:17:00.003+07:00

One of my favourite cheap eateries in Chiang Mai is the humble Pun Pun Organic Restaurant, nestled behind Suan Dok Temple. The place is much more affordable than the nearby Nimmanheiman restaurants, and offers fresh, mostly organic dishes which manage to be light and fresh as well as rich and comforting. The food seems to take a lot of inspiration from Thailand's neighbouring countries, while even the usual Thai favourites have unique flavours to them, which is a more than a welcome change. The menu is the length of a short story which makes it a very good place to bring friends or visitors to Chiang Mai, to share some new tastes and perhaps some old ones that might be more rare in local restaurants (like Chai tea or avocado). Scroll down to see photos of the food we could barely finish, the endless menu, and a map of the location.

Pun Pun Breakdown:

Prices:	Food: Ranging from ฿45 - ฿70 per dish. The most expensive dish is the Avocado salad at ฿90. Drinks: Starting at ฿20 for teas. Shakes vary from ฿30 - ฿45. Again, the most expensive drink is the Avocado shake at ฿60.
Location:	Drive into Suan Dok Temple, in the Suthep area. Pun Pun isthe first right after the "Monk Chat" sign. Very easy to find, and in a lovely setting.
Times:	Open from 9 am - 4 pm every day.
What makes Pun Pun special?	The menu offers almost too much variety, the food is original and bursting with new flavours, and the natural, quaint surroundings are refreshing. It's also nice to observe the monks and the daily happenings around the temple.

One of my favourite dishes in Chiang Mai: Yam Hua Blee, which is a banana flower salad of Vietnamese origin. ฿50.

The appetizer Tod Man Hed, which is deep-fried mushroom cake with a very interesting peanut sauce. ฿50.

The mega-rich Khao Soi, which is the most creamy one we've had so far. Delicious but dangerous for your waist. ฿60.

The contents of this veggie Khao Soi were a bit uncommon, but the mushrooms are always greatly appreciated.

Our table when we were done was still full of food! We took it all home though.

On another day, our friend had this simple dish: fried rice with cashews and vegetables.

The Pun Pun Pun Shake (yes, really) for ฿45. Pineapple, papaya, soy milk, honey, lime. Too good!

A modest outdoor location.

A very basic kitchen, where you can see the staff preparing the food.

Don't you know that touching your mouth is a no-no in Thailand?

Appetizers and Salads. Click the pictures for a higher resolution.

Noodles, noodles and more noodles (disguised as spaghetti).

Moving onto the less-healthy fried vegetarian section - yum!

What did I say about the menu being endless?

Creative shakes, tea, and vegetable juices.

My favourite page of the menu, which is also blurred, sadly.

View Market of Eden Vegetarian Restaurant Map in a larger map

Bus Bar Chiang Mai (บัสบาร์เชียงใหม่)

2013-08-22T10:55:00.002+07:00

There is an unassuming little bar that is nestled between the Iron Bridge, the Ping River and a high-rise hotel building. Bus Bar is an outdoor place with soft lighting, cheap drinks, and nostalgic 90's music. The atmosphere encourages long conversations with friends while watching tourists ride their bicycles across the bridge, or the groups of Thai students chatting, eating takeaways and taking photos of each other. The view of the river by night calls for photo-taking, as do the massive lights from the bridge which constantly drift from pink to blue to green to purple. And did I mention the bar itself is an old red bus? That's another reason to spend a relaxing evening at this little gem of a place.

Bus Bar Breakdown:

Drinks:	All the drinks at Bus Bar are well-priced. You can expect large beers to start at ฿70 for Chang Draft, and ฿75 for Leos. Buckets of ice are ฿20.
Food:	The food ranges between ฿50 - ฿100 per dish, and is typical Thai fare with plenty of seafood dishes thrown in. The usual dishes are authentically spicy, which is a welcome change from the dulled-down-for-foreigners food you find at many Thai bars or nightclubs.
Pros:	- Excellent ambiance. The coloured lighting in the area is beautiful, and it's hard to keep from zoning out at the views of the calm river and night-scenes on the bridge. - Service is laidback and not bothersome at all. It's nice to be in control of your table for once, and feels more intimate when you get to pour your own drinks at your own pace. - The bathrooms are clean and functional. - Location. Sometimes you just don't feel like going to the other side of the city for drinks. It's close to the river and the old city, but at the same time it's tucked away from the tourists and bustle. - Music. At times it can be on the cheesy side, but at other times you and your Western friends will be crooning along to old school tunes you haven't heard in ages. It's also a great opportunity for your Thai friends to make fun of you and question your music taste. - Mix of people. Some nights will oddly feature more falangs than other nights, when there might only be a few other tables with Thai couples or a few friends sharing food and drinks, like we usually do.
Cons:	- The location. If it rains, Bus Bar is a very unpleasant place to be. Also on the more chilly nights it can feel a bit miserable shivering at a metal table next to the river. - No drinks specials or promotions. - Mosquitoes. Lots of them! However, the staff do provide mosquito coils.

Bus Bar, facing the Iron Bridge.

A view of the Iron Bridge and the river from our table.

Purple! So pretty.

The bar and its drinks trailer.

Another little drinks trailer.

Bus Bar.

A band playing outside the bus.

People with a tower of beer and some blue lighting. Lovely.

A busy night at the bar.

The Story of the Deranged and Drunken Dingo Dave:

One night at Bus Bar, a situation arose that involved a very intoxicated Australian man, his two Thai friends, and his British caretaker. The Australian man stumbled into the place while his three friends scurried after him, and us and a few other tables turned our attention towards the events that were about to unfold.

This is the part where I'll clear things up a bit. The Australian man had not only stumbled into the place, but had half-undressed himself in the process. He had also been confidently exclaiming how he had "battled deadly snakes" before and that "this Thai piss-water" doesn't phase him. On top of that, everyone in the vicinity had to hear multiple times that he was "****ing Australian", followed by a lot of indecipherable swearing.

I'm sure you can guess by now that this unsavoury character was intent on getting into the river, and had chosen the grassy banks of Bus Bar to trample through in order to do so. By this time, he was down to his flesh-coloured underpants, and was still shouting at the top of his voice about conquering the river, being Australian and afraid of nothing, and a whole lot of other nonsensical ranting. We discovered that his idiotic urge to jump in the river had arisen when his rather nonchalant British friend had bet him ฿1000 that he wouldn't. Of course, anyone could tell that making a bet like that with this Steve Irwin wannabe was rather cruel, if not plain sadistic.

So now we had the Australian man weaving his way down to the water, a Thai woman yelling at him to stop being stupid, a Thai man taking photos and giggling uncontrollably, and a British man sitting at our table drinking our beer. Here are the photos I managed to capture, which show how the story unfolded. And no, I don't feel any shame for chronicling the actions of a poor drunkard - in fact, seeing disrespectful foreigners make fools of themselves is one of my pet peeves, and I, along with Thai people, have no problem having a laugh at their moronic antics.

The Australian culprit. Notice how he is not at all focused on the Thai woman expressing her concern for him.

I actually find this shot quite graceful.

One last chance to change your mind. No? Okay then, carry on!

Like a calmly bobbing swan, in the murky waters of the polluted river. Lovely.

At least he had great lighting.

Clearly this Thai man should work for the paparazzi.

And lastly, the expression on my boyfriend's face once the culprit returned to land.

The story doesn't end in rainbows, however, as shortly after the man arrived back at the bar, he started yelling about his phone being missing, casually accused us of taking it, and was then dragged off by his friends to go back to the hole they had come from.

The End!

Anyway, here's my map of Bus Bar in Chiang Mai. If you're on Google Streetview, note that the green construction barriers are where Bus Bar is now.

View Bus Bar Chiang Mai in a larger map

Chiang Mai Nightlife: My Top 10 List

2013-08-15T12:27:00.003+07:00

Chiang Mai is a young city full of vivid, creative nightlife, which varies from live music bars and neon-overloaded clubs to dingy holes in the wall and local beer buffets. There is always a place to be entertained, every night of the week and for every budget. Of course, among all these options, there are a select few bars, clubs, and entertaining hideouts that I enjoy more than the others, which I'll tell you more about after the map.

View Market of Eden Nightlife Map in a larger map

About Chiang Mai's Nightlife:

Class

Obviously, the better places to hang out in Chiang Mai are also the classy ones. That means no bathroom smells, no uneven floors, no plastic bags littered outside the entrance. If you can manoeuvre around the place in high heels, as well as sit down anywhere without landing on some toxic waste spill, you've found a keeper (think Chiq Bar or Monkey Club). But don't kick out the classic Thai experience of drinking round a rickety table outside a 7/11, or finding a mom and pop shop where some locals will force you in and pour liquor down your throats regardless of how much you object. Those sorts of places can also become keepers too!

Decoration

The whole venue has to look like it was funded by a reasonable budget, and that someone was ordered to go out and collect all sorts of arty knick-knacks, as well as a few pretentious arty lamps and spindly barstools. Nobody wants to fork out their hard-earned Baht to huddle in a cement-walled room drinking out of beer bottles, and throwing your money at overpriced menus just feels better when you do it from the comfort of a snazzy sofa, while gazing at a well-known pop art replica. There are tons of quirky little bars in Chiang Mai where the owners have made a creative effort, like collections of dominoes or walls adorned with inspirational sayings (Doggy Monster is a great little hideout with graffitied walls and clever colourful lighting).

Creative decor is always welcome.

Music

To be honest, most of the music you will hear in many clubs will be the same moronic radio tunes which you have heard over and over and over (one of the reasons we love Bus Bar is that you can sing along to Shania Twain followed by Eric Clapton and then get down to some James Brown - yes please!).

Chiang Mai nightclubs and bars seem to be stuck in a time warp created by an Evil DJ Overlord who only plays 90's American Pop Chart compilations, and orders all his underling DJ minions to do the same. On top of that, Chiang Mai youth seem to be hopelessly fascinated by Adam Levine's gyrating hips and waning talent (ahem, Neighborhood Bar - but we still love it there). If you are lucky enough to catch a live band in one of the popular pubs or more alternative haunts, you will start to hear the same Thai songs over and over as well, which makes me wonder if there is a Thai Love Song Overlord (and if he's buddies with the Evil DJ Overlord).

This does sound quite negative, but it's not meant to be. The music only adds to your entertainment, and I have been pleasantly surprised many times by the tunes at some places, and once in a while completely blown away by the talented local bands (if you haven't hit up Boy Blues Bar yet, do it now!). As I said before, Chiang Mai is known for its passionate creative types, and is a blooming bud of raw talent and potential.

Drinks

A good bar or club in Chiang Mai has to have some sort of beer promotion (eg: 3 large Singhas for ฿179), some sort of liquor promotion (eg: a large bottle of Sangsom + 5 mixers for ฿329), and a reasonable selection of alcohol. Some places focus more on foreign beers in big manly mugs (Beer Republic), while others focus on glowing blue cocktails in glass vases (Warm Up Cafe) or large jugs of watered-down shots that are great for drinking games with friends (Ta Chang, one of the many happening bars in the JJ Market area).

"The Beer Experience" at Beer Republic.

Bouncers (Optional)

These big bears who hover around the entrance add to the classy factor mentioned above. They'll never check a foreigner for ID, and a lot of the time they aren't so much big bears as slightly smaller, sinewy boxer-lookalikes. Nevermind that - they're still necessary for when things get out of hand (usually at the hands of the very foreigners they "forgot" to ID, unfortunately). Not all places in Chiang Mai have bouncers, but it always feels better to have them around. Then again, I am South African, so I might just be in need of someone to calm my paranoias about safety.

My Top 10 Nightlife List:

1. Bus Bar - unpretentious, great music, and cheap enough for it to be a regular hangout

2. Neighborhood Bar - delicious drinks, classy vibe, and a great pre-drinks place on Nimman.

3. Rod Sabieng Restaurant - not exactly a nightclub or bar, but it's my local beer buffet - don't judge!

4. Bar Fry & Jagajee - another goodie in the Nimman area, where you can snack on fries and tapas before going out for more drinks somewhere else.

5. "The Off-Licence" - not exactly an official name, but this little arrangement of chairs outside a Nimman bottle store is perfectly-suited to meet my cheapskate needs, and they have a great selection of booze too!

6. Warm Up Cafe - the most popular club in the city (let's not count the gross girly bars), full of young fashionables and plenty of opportunities to "get jiggy wit it", if you're that way inclined.

7. CNX Rooftop Bar - a sweet spot in the Old City overlooking some classic Chiang Mai rooftops.

8. Boy Blues Bar - this is the place you bring visitors to blow them away with musical genius.

9. North Gate Jazz Co-Op - another great place for music lovers.

10. The Square of Despair - Zoe in Yellow, Roots Rock Reggae, Babylon Bar and the rest of them are a haven for wasted backpackers fresh off the train and dodgy locals looking for a piece of the action, but somehow, we end up back here every few months - partly for nostalgia and mostly because it's a whole lotta fun. Make sure not to miss a takeaway from "Tacos Bell" on your way out!

If you know of a place you want me to write about, please leave it in the comments below!

See you soon!

Pai #2

2013-08-12T13:00:00.000+07:00

In May 2013, during the last week of the school term break, my boyfriend and I hopped on our CBR 150cc, and began our adventure to the town of Pai. I had been on this Pai journey once before, in the high season, and didn't quite understand the difference going in the low season would make. Of course, the trip there was thoroughly terrifying, although extremely enjoyable as well (if that makes sense). A lot of the more treacherous roads seemed to have been repaired since I had been on the same ones a few months before, and there were many more construction workers milling about and fiddling with heaps of tar. It rained heavily, as usual, and this was the part that made the trip so dangerous. Unless you can overcome the paranoia of flying down a natural water-slide on your vehicle, I'd recommend pulling over for a coffee while the rain subsides, which it nearly always does.

Because it was so quiet in Pai, with a noticeable lack of people and parties, we spent more time exploring the town and its surroundings. We would drive aimlessly along the little roads that make rings around the place, and stop wherever we thought we had spotted something interesting. This is how we came to find a lonely chained-up elephant, the Pai canyon, some adorable puppy friends, and many, many beautiful views of the scenery. Pai is a lovely little town, but it does have an extroverted, party-crazed personality during the high season, and I'm grateful I got to meet the beauty of this place when things were calm, quiet and peaceful.

A lonely elephant off the beaten track in Pai.

Another shot of the beautiful creature.

A view of Pai right before the rain came.

Another Pai shot.

The Irie Bar, complete with chess sets, hot chocolate, and pool tables.

An adorable oversized puppy getting a scolding from his owner.

Walking up to the Pai Canyon.

Pai Canyon again, on a lovely, sunny day.

The raised path for hiking through the canyon.

An unfortunate sign somewhere outside of Pai.

An odd little trailer that sells love-themed mugs and other souvenirs.

Future-house-stalking 101.

A very clever garden on a roof. I like!

Here come the puppy shots. Brace yourselves for some cuteness!

Perfect little muffin-heads.

Happy face.

Happy face version 2.

In love.

The grumpy mommy dog.

Dozing off under a food cart.

And lastly, the "cow-dog" I had met in Pai on my last trip, guarding our bike outside our guesthouse.

Thai Water Festival (Songkran) 2013

2013-08-12T11:38:00.000+07:00

The Songkran Festival is the Thai New Year, which takes place for three days from April 13th to April 15th (although in Chiang Mai, the famous celebrations continue for up to six days or longer). The normal new year actually begins on the first of January like most other countries, but the traditional new year is still vigorously celebrated and is a national holiday for all, when many people either join in the festivities, go back to their hometowns to visit their elders, or simply take some time off to fulfil their Buddhist rites. Of course, the ritual that everyone knows about is the throwing of water, but there are a few more which many people overlook amongst all the wet chaos.

Even little people are dangerous during Songkran.

The first day is usually when more traditional Thai people will interpret the renewal aspect of a new year quite literally, and clean out their entire homes. As a time for cleansing, people will splash water on their Buddha statues to "bathe" them, and images of Buddha are displayed publicly for strangers to pay respect to with sprinklings of jasmine-scented water. People also choose to "cleanse" themselves, by making vows to abstain from alcohol or smoking, or refrain from other behaviours, similar to western New Year resolutions. The first day is also when the celebrations begin, at home and in the streets, and you can expect to get soaking wet walking or driving anywhere.

Wan Nao is the second day of Songkran, and is when many Thais will go to temples to pray, and offer alms to monks. Younger people will gently pour water over their elders' shoulders, and people believe their respect and kindness on this particular day will bring them refreshment of the spirit and prosperity for the new year. Another ritual carried out during this time is the act of tying strings around others' wrists, while uttering blessings and wishes of good luck. People aren't supposed to remove the strings, but rather let them fall off on their own accord, and some people take pride in amassing a whole armful of them, which carries all the blessings they have received.

The third day is when the city is completely transformed into a big, slippery, flowery-smelling mess, with street food stalls in full bloom, as well as parades filled with Buddhist decorations, traditionally-dressed Thais and plenty of water-throwing. By this time, many people are all partied out, but the streets are still full, and they will be for a few more days. Water-guns and buckets are still being sold by the boatload, and stories are beginning to emerge about people finding creatures from the netherworld lurking in the moat, and scooters sliding into Starbucks and destroying all the brownies, and so on. April is the hottest month in Thailand, with an average daily high of 36°C, and record highs over 40°C, which is another reason Songkran in Thailand has become more about playing with water than with traditional rituals. Add 2 million foreign tourists to that equation (in the month of April) and you have yourself a rather large party. Here are my photos from the Thai New Year of 2013:

Ready to strike as I'm driving past.

Throwing water from trucks.

My friend and I in the midst of the madness.

My friend and I again, completely soaked.

Fighting guns with buckets.

These guys have got some evil, watery schemes going on.

The generic water-guns for sale for a small fortune (mine broke within the hour).

Action shot.

Cute.

Big chunks of ice which are being broken up to keep the water freezing. Great!

I'm guessing a lot of people say RIP to their phones during Songkran.

The chaos at Thapae Square (along with a few way-too-wasted foreigners).

Wearing a helmet was a really good idea - what a smartie-pants.

Getting splashed.

Aargh!

The ground covered in water at Thapae Square.

Tripping Down South: Ko Phangan & Ko Tao

2013-08-09T10:58:00.000+07:00

The beach at night on Ko Phangan.

In March 2013, my boyfriend and I had begun our holiday in the south of Thailand, starting off in Bangkok, where we fled Khao San Road, stalked the malls, became Skytrain experts, and had the ceiling of our hotel room collapse. We then explored a bit more of Bangkok by motorcycle taxi, and landed up at The Museum of Death. After leaving The City of Angels, we had a quick break in Ko Samui, and then headed off to camp on a deserted island. So far, our trip had been overwhelming, fascinating, frustrating, fantastic, and breathtaking, and it was far from over.

After camping on the island of Koh Wua Talap for three days, and exploring the beauty of the Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park, we made our way by ferry to the island of Ko Phangan, which is a notorious "party island". Unfortunately, my boyfriend and I were exhausted, and just excited to eat some restaurant food and pass out on a soft bed. And that's exactly what we did.

Ko Phangan, in our opinion, was much nicer than Ko Samui. Of course, we could explore more of it quicker, as it is smaller and less populated. We could not, however, explore further inland, as most of the natural forest and mountainous area is pretty much inaccessible by vehicle, and I doubt many tourists leave the bustling coastline to wander around the wild parts of the island.

We ended up staying there for two nights, and spent most of our time wandering around slurping fruit shakes, eating delicious Mexican, Western and Thai food, and relaxing at our guesthouse. Our bodies needed a break from the sun and constant travelling, and this is why we didn't really do much on the island of Ko Phangan.

I liked this shot of the sleeping dog and statue.

Stoic island dog.

Perfect Ko Phangan waters.

Yet another shot of clouds, sky and sun in Ko Phangan.

We enjoyed a few drinks at this place, but had to leave before the party started out of sheer exhaustion.

Ko Phangan sunset number one.

Our second sunset on Ko Phangan.

Beautiful.

Myself and a silly golden labby who hung around our guesthouse.

Leaving the island.

From Ko Phangan we got on yet another ferry, and arrived at our final holiday destination: Ko Tao. As soon as we had arrived on the tiny pier, cramped with tourists and Thai hawkers, selling everything from sunglasses to diving courses, we knew this would be a special place. Our friend in Ko Tao had already hooked us up with Phoenix Divers, who picked us up from the ferry in a truck and took us straight to where we needed to be. While my boyfriend booked himself a diving course, I checked out the free accommodation, which was a cozy fan bungalow at AC Resort. My boyfriend then spent the duration of his course getting free breakfast at AC Restaurant and learning how to dive in various beaches around the island, while I rode around the place on a hired scooter, stopping for food and shopping now and then. On the fourth day, when he had finished his finished his course, we realised we weren't going to leave Ko Tao just yet - we had fallen in love with the place and wanted to explore it together - so we moved a few blocks away to a quieter area. Our authentic and affordable bungalow at In Touch Resort was perfect for us, and right next to their relaxed cocktail bar and restaurant on the beach. This is where the last bits of our holiday were spent, lazing around with pineapple shakes, perfect weather, and each other. Paradise.

A view from Phoenix Diving School during the sunset.

Oxygen, anyone?

A shot my boyfriend got while on a boat to a diving spot.

Practising his diving in the pool at AC Resort.

This is a huge centipede who joined us in AC Bar. Unfortunately, he had to die for his dangerous, partying ways.

A DJ booth overlooking the beach.

A fire-dancer outside the bar.

Another bar, where people sat around on the beach in a fire-dancing trance.

Pretty.

My early morning reading spot at a restaurant.

A beach I snuck off to for yoga and meetings with dogs.

Another view of the beach.

A bay from the beach that led to the ocean.

A very cute spotty-nosed dog.

A character casually chilling in the road.

The entrance to our rustic bungalow at In Touch Resort.

Our bedroom.

A very cool, blue bathroom.

A friend.

Another friend - the Tokay gecko.

My last sunset shot on our trip, waiting for the ferry to go back home.

Tripping Down South: Mu Ko Ang Thong Islands

2013-07-16T14:14:00.000+07:00

Paradise.

After spending a glorious two-day break in Koh Samui, we had to get up off the beach, dust the sand off,
and make our way to what would become the gem of our travels - Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park. This marine park covers 42 islands, in about 100 km², and has a population in total of about 20 people. This sounded like a perfect place for us to escape to, and try out our camping skills once again.

The only way for us to get to the park from Samui was to take a day-tour boat for 1200 Baht each. It seemed expensive, especially since we weren't interested in being a tourist, or doing any of the touristy-things the tour provided, but it was the only choice we had. We opted for the cheaper programme, which was just snorkelling and sightseeing, minus the kayaking. And we found ourselves feeling lucky when we saw that the kayaking was just from the big boat to the island shore and not much more than that - a little disappointing for someone wanting to experience the real deal.

Samui Island Tour.

My idea of a nightmare.

A peek of the islands in the distance.

After eating some pre-packaged croissants and drinking some sugary drinks, as well as listening to a lot of rules being repeated on the microphone ("Rule number one: don't wander off on your own and lose the group. Rule number two: don't go and swim on your own and lose the group. Rule number three: no having fun on your own away from the group." and so on), we arrived at the first island, Koh Mae Koh (Mother Island) around 10am. This was where we walked up a very steep and uneven staircase to see the Talay Nai (Sea in Island) - a massive emerald lagoon surrounded by steep cliffs. I later learnt this was actually a saltwater lake that had formed when the ocean eroded away the caves under the island, until eventually the main peak just fell inwards on top of itself, and this amazing lagoon was left in its place.

Almost there.

Talay Nai lagoon from the highest viewpoint.

Talay Nai from the lowest viewpoint.

On the way back down we got a shot of another island nearby.

Once we were done gawking at the views on Koh Mae Koh, we got back on our ferry for lunch, and made our way to the second island, Koh Wua Talap (Sleeping Cow island). And here's where I'll present a side note about the pain of being a vegetarian in Thailand, whether you're on a boat, in a restaurant, or even at your friend's place (then again, my friends are all cavemen). In times like these, which are often, I usually end up gorging on a heap of pineapple, which is the usual fruit on offer when they say "lunch buffet with fresh fruit". I also don't like white rice, so there really is no alternative when the common food is hauled out for carnivorous guests. So thanks, me, for shooting myself in the foot with the rice thing. And thanks, Thailand, for being so hopelessly backwards when it comes to dietary choices.

About to arrive at Koh Wua Talap.

Once we'd arrived on the island, we broke the rules and left the group, to go and make arrangements to camp there for a few nights. There we met an exceptionally pleasant young Thai man, who led us around possible camp sites and told us whatever we wanted to know about the island (we actually ended up watching him and his friends play Sepak Takraw, a common sport in Thailand, and he also showed us the first 3-beaked bird we'd ever seen).

Our faithful little purple tent.

Sepak Takraw - a combination of volleyball and football (kick volleyball).

An Oriental Pied Hornbill, which strangely looks like it has three beaks. Click the photo for a larger view.

While the tourists from the ferry scuttled around the island trying to get to more viewpoints, my boyfriend and I slowly set up tent, and then lazily floated around the warm shallow beach while the last of the tourists receded back onto the boats. When the island was empty again, and the sun started setting, we felt completely at ease, and excited for our relaxing stay on our own private island. There were cold beers on hand from the little restaurant, the sound of monkeys chattering in the palm trees, and a breathtakingly pristine beach laid out right in front of us. We also had a few days to explore the place, and we ended up climbing to the very top of the island (a steep 500m journey upwards holding onto a rope, and sometimes nothing) and playing around in the lotus caves (which involved more climbing). Then, we got back on a ferry and were on to our next adventure.

My weird toes in the beautiful sand.

Our own little beach.

Some Spectacled Langurs paying us a visit.

Quirky, funny creatures that like to romp with one another.

Spying on them in the trees.

A group of them looking like statues.

My boyfriend got this lucky shot of one of them jumping towards us.

A picture-perfect view of the sunset from our tent.

And now, the sunrise, which is just as beautiful.

Sunrise capture number two.

The necessary landmark photo.

Slanting palm trees.

The climb up to the highest viewpoint.

A shot along the way of some islands.

Beautiful turquoise ocean.

Almost at the top - yikes!

But there's no signal up here.

The view from the top.

Perfect.

Waking up on the beach to another beautiful sunrise.

Our next climb - not as gruelling as the first.

Inside the cave.

Going back down.

Almost at the bottom.

Next, we leave our little island paradise, and go explore our last two islands: Ko Phangan and Ko Tao.