Looking at flights

Looking at flights. I must say that I am amazed by airlines who at first glance seem to be OK, from a price perspective, and then you look deeper and it turns out that they charge you for everything. Bag I can sort of understand even though I thing it is pathetic, but at least you can pack so that you avoid checking a bag. But when they start charging for seats, I get worried. If I can't avoid the charge - and I can't since a seat is mandatory - they should also not charge for it, it is pathetic. If you ask me that is ridiculous... And no, I am not going to use these airlines, I much rather fly with an airline that I pay a bit more to, by the looks of it, but without being charged stupid extramoney... It tends to be cheaper in the long run...

Somtum

Somtum. That's what it's called, the papaya sallad. Need to try and figure out if I can make something like it myself. :-)

And no, I am not done with my stories about Thailand, there is more to come but I have to find some time for it...

I am back in Germany

Back in Germany, I will soon start editing my posts - i e add photos and correct page breaks, but first I have work waiting and clothes to wash. But bare with me!

I don't want to go home

At least that is what I suspect I will be feeling around the time this is being published... As that is what I always feel when I have to pack and travel back... What will the next adventure be?

No, this is not a food blog

Just for the record;

This is not a food blog. This is a blog about me, and since food matters to me there will be food here now and then, but there will be travel tips, things from my life, and just observations in general.

Right now I have a pause from the blog though since I am away and travelling, I don't expect to have access to internet when I am away. But some postings have been scheduled in advance...

If I happen to walk into an internet cafe I may however write a post, but that we shall see.

Otherwise, I'll be back for real when I am back in Germany.

Hot hot hot hot. I hope.

On today's menu:
Laos-Isann food - the area up north where Thailand meets Laos is supposed to be the spiciest kitchen. Well, we shall soon see... I have ordered spicy, maybe I am stupid but I want it the Thai way. After having to send food back because of lack of spices several times I am in for the kill. Of my tongue that is...

Kanin Chine Kang Lao - spicy traditional soup from Laos, with mixes veggies, esaan anchovies, and rice noodles.

And Laab Moo, minced pork and liver with spicy Esaan Lime based salad...

And sticky rice, the sticky rice may be my saver... :-)

Already had sticky rice today, but as a snack, from a street vendor.

UPDATE: It was hot. VERY hot! Grand!

Heading into the city - a little about everything

Heading into the city again, using minivan this time. One must try all different ways, right, so that I know what to recommend and what to use in the future myself... Was planning on Reading my book but I managed to forget it at the last place I was staying at - the book and my excellent Bangkok map. I realised before I left the island but I couldn't be bothered to go back, I just hope the owner hands it to the Used Books store and doesn't throw it away. I'll by a new copy the next time I order books, which will be soon anyhow.

Anyhow, so here I am on the minibus. A word of warning for those of you heading out to Thailand: They love to sell return tickets. Avoid that, ask for one way even when that is more expensive in total. But chances are that you'll be wanting to take another connection back home, if you don't want to wait an unnecessary long time, and besides, how easy isn't it to lose a little ticket when you are warm, sweaty, sun- and sand drenched? Very easy, I'd say... So one way tickets is the thing.

I ended up taking a smaller boat home, an enjoyable experience, you got closer to the water and could feel the movement, and you didn't have the same diesel fumes either, which was pretty nice. The part of the pier you get off at is a bit further left, seen from land, and once you arrive you also have info for tourists. Minivans are big business so beware of the people trying to sell you tickets, it seems getting it from the (official? Unofficial?) tourist info was the most clever. And forget the people trying to sell you taxi trips, the taxis are pricy and not worth the price, they can't drive

aster than the minibuses anyhow. The normal bus is cheaper (take the air conditioned one, not the local) but it doesn't stop quite everywhere. But the bus still takes 3.5 hours while minivan is about 2.5 hours. The bus is about 150 cheaper but that is 3 EUR so it's not a fortune if you are from the west.
1 hour time difference may be worth the 3 EUR. Minivan doesn't have a toilet but if you have to go, tell the driver and he'll stop - and it's far easier than using the toilet on the bus. A bus toilet is crammed anyhow and when they then ad a bucket of water, which is what is used instead of toilet paper (as I said before, never go anywhere without tissues in your pocket...), on the floor it gets tricky to go, especially when you have big feet like me. There was almost no space for me to cram my feet in so that I could close the door, and then I wanted to squat, as it didn't feel like the cleanest place. Try that in 80-90 km per hour... Otherwise I am OK with the toilets here. Yes, many, especially on the country side, as well as public ones, are of the model where you have to squat (funny note by the way, they are often marked American Standard. I have never seen a toilet for squatting in the states...

(But yes, I suspect it's just a brand. It's fun anyhow)) but quite frankly I wouldn't have wanted to put my behind on the toilet seat in all places anyhow. It IS a bit of a problem to some westerners, yes, since we are not used to sit like that and may have to balance on our toes but I am fortunate to be able to do it without much effort so...
The lack of soap is worse but that's solved through carrying disinfection liquid of the same type that is common now, to help preventing spreading of swine flu. Good for travelling, or get the gel. No need to overdo it but when I can only wash my hands with water I will use the disinfect liquid.

And back to the trip; I feel like a real Thai country girl, stocking up with drinks, local snacks, fruit etc before boarding the bus/van, but going hungry or thirsty is my worst nightmare, and I have to remember to drink, I have no intention to get dehydrated- it's bad from all aspects. I am actually not just sticking to water as I normally do in Germany and Sweden - or the west in general - but here I feast on green tea with honey, soy milk and other things, I need plenty of extra energy as I move so much, and I add salt too, through the food and through snacks like dried seaweed etc (Japanese treat).

One looses a lot of it, and I have no intention to get I'll just because of stupidity. The extra salt helps binding the water and replaces the minerals I sweat out. Because yes, one does sweat... but it doesn't bother me, my body seem to take the heat well. It's certainly cleaning the system though, but I am glad I don't sit next to myself without having eaten some of what I have eaten - I am starting to think that there will soon be garlics and chillies growing out of my ears, considering how much of it there is in everything I eat, including the Thai breakfast I feast on; Rice soup with chicken and roasted garlic...

Will be hard to adjust back when I come home...

Food not to miss when in Thailand

Rotee. Also written Rote, or Roti. Simple pancake filled with something of your choice: Egg and banana seems most common, I prefer just banana myself, but there is in many cases many choices, or just point at what the person before you had and say "same" - that's most of the time the way I order food myself anyhow. Mainly a dessert I would say. I skip the condensed milk with it, otherwise often sprinkled over the dish.

Sticky rice with mango. DE-LI-CI-OUS! Eaten as dessert. But sticky rice can be eaten with a multitude of food; pork, veggies, chicken, other fruits.

Papaya salad! Made with unripe papaya which is cut in pieces looking like cabbage and then mixed in a mortel where chilies, tomatoes, spicy sauces and some other stuff is already mixed together. Spicy (but you can get it more western style by asking for less chili). There is a Thai name for it too but I can't seem to remember it now. S...something... (Updated: Somtum heter den!)

If you are up in the Chiang Mai area you must also try the local specialities, spicy sausages, made with meat and rice and spices. Try the Sunday market, the food quarters around the temples (the Sunday market is in the old town, starts at the eastern gate sort of in the middle (north - south/up-down if you look at the map)) and at the very east border, I'll try to add a picture when I'm back at home.

Durian, stinky fruit. Just so that you can say that you tried it. Buy some from a street vendor, try it. If you don't finish it, throw it away before getting to the hotel, they don't tend to like it in hotels... I personally didn't find it that stinky and I liked the taste, but it may smell different in a dryer, colder climate, what do I know.

Tom Yam soup, hot and spicy soup with seafood (can also be with chicken but I believe seafood is more common). This is a sort of national dish for Thailand and sold everywhere so I think everybody should try it once. I chose this for lunch from time to time.

Koh Samet - beautiful but...

After having met some interesting people on my trip, and heard a lot about Koh Samet, close to Bangkok (relatively, 3 hours by bus), and after hearig about it from relatives before I left, I forgot that I don't really like beaches - and anyhow, it is Thailand after all, a place where many people go JUST for the beaches, so I guess one should really see the sea here - and I decided I'd fly out from Chang Mai, down to Bangkok, and then take the bus to the pier and a ferry out o the island. So I did.

And in a very short time I realised my mistake. I don't enjoy trying to get a tan (and besides, who sees it anyhow when it's winter in Europe, no bare legs there...), and it's anyhow not very good for the skin to be exposed to too much of it, considering the risk of getting skin cancer etc. And salt water in combination with sun gives me blisters, so I have to wash of the salt after I go for a swim. Besides
I am, as I said, way to practical, and travelling alone I don't have anyone watching my valuables so I would be reluctant to spend too much time in the water anyhow, especially as I wouldn't have anyone to play with. Going in would be more something I'd do to cool off rather than to enjoy and it's not that warm right now, temperature is about 32 degrees C - 89-90 F. So as you see, the water is no reason for me to be on the beach. Although these could also be an excuse for not wanting to get wet, especially when it includes having to make sure you are displaying yourself to everybody, have to be hair and mosquito bite free and covered in sunscreen. I love wearing sunscreen and do it all the time but not in combination with sand I am sceptical... I prefer peeling when I'm in a spa and chose it myself. And I'm shy, i don't like to display everything.. All in all you could say I am just wining when it comes to beaches... ;-)

Thing is, I know all this, I know sandy beaches doesn't bring out anything good in me. I know that for me to like the beach it needs to be rocky.

And I also know that I love the nature or the urban jungle, and that's where I feel happy. Where I can visit old temples, where I can go to local food markets, eat local food, watch and interact with locals, see the normal life of the people - here for example monks going from house to house for alms, kids and dogs playing, people getting to work, people preparing food, and so on. Or in the jungle, I can be on the lookout for ant trails, exotic flowers,see plants I don't recognize, listen to burgs singing, see strangely form trees and so forth.

On the beach I can see sand, tourists and water. And despite Ko Samet being used by a lot of Thais, the westerners that are here are to a great extent... Guess what? Swedish... I can meet the swedes in Sweden.

Again, it is a beautiful island, it's just not MY thing.

Elephants in action

Had a magical experience at the elephant park north of Chiang Mai on Wednesday, will write more about it later, but in the meantime:

http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/

Check it out! Makes me feel bad about having been on a trekking tour with elephant riding though. Always avoided elephant shows where elephants are doing things that are not normal to them, especially in this part of the world, as they - the elephants - were often trained usting mean and brutal training methods, but the riding in jungle I felt was sort of OK, if boring for them. At least in some cases. But no, not really, according to the people in the park.

Again, more later but for now, just check the link.