Thai cooking class

We are here in Thailand. Why not take some Thai cooking classes?

First we head to the local market and discover some new Thai herbs and spices.

I can't say going to a Thai market is anything like an American market.

The pictures say it all.

We finally arrive to the cooking school at our instructor's home. He has the front room and his yard transformed into an outdoor cooking area.

Between the breaks, there is plenty of lounging areas to relax.

Our produce fresh from the market.

Yes, I'm excited to start cooking and better yet... start eating.

A few new learned tricks....

and walla... a Thai dish is created.

Plus, we are now culinary artists!

Time to make curry.

I asked if they had a food processor.

They handed us a Thai food processor.

With this new founded knowledge, have Hailey fix some Thai food for you.

Waterfalls and Hill Tribes - Doi Inthanon

A day trip to Doi Inthanon we pass by a waterfall. They call this Diamond Falls because when the sun sets and reflects on the water it appears like diamonds are sparkling.

Trekking through the banana forrest.

Look bananas.

A local villager

Every house has a "spirit house". This is the village spirit house. Thai people build it so the spirits have a house to stay in instead of their homes. If someone is ill, they will sacrifice something like a pig and place it in the spirit house.

White Tamarind tree - the villager said when there is no water in the forrest, they find this tree and cut a stalk to drink water.

The flowers they grow to sell to the local market. I asked why they cover the flowers and they said so they won't get too much water and get diseases.

Our local guide taking us on one heck of an adventure. Up mountains, across rapids, through rice fields all in the pouring rain. Of course, my rain coat is in the hotel room.

The view while hiking.

A few slips in the mud and hand washing in the water channel.

So with all good pictures come a good story. The one story behind this is that we were drenched from the down pour of rain during our hike. The trail turned into a mud bath. The 3 girls who went down before me were all muddy from clinging on to the side of the mountain. I decided I was smarter than that. I hugged the side of the mountain and grasped roots and branches only to find out they were full of thorns!! I released the branches with a yelp and did the splits down the muddy slope. So much for being graceful.

With bamboo as their resource, everything was made of bamboo.

The villagers offered us hot coffee to warm us up after our wet and muddy trip.

Three local kids. I shared crackers with them and they were so humble.

Siphon (our guide) showed the girls a plant which you can make soap from or break the stalks and blow bubbles. The girls had so much fun!

The hill tribes are scattered thought the mountains with people mostly descending from Burma during the unrest. They are simple people and make money off of growing rice, flowers and coffee. I don't drink coffee, so I bought six bags of it.

Wat Chedi Liem - Buddhist Temple

Wat Chedi Liem is a Buddhist Temple on the outskirts of Chiang Mai at Wiang Kum Kam. The most interesting feature of Wat Chedi Liem is the tall Haripunchai style Chedi. The Chedi has five tiers with niches containing stucco figures of the Lord Buddha. On each level the figures have a different pose. Our monk tour guide told us all about Buddha. There is an area to place your coins and a prayer is delivered via speaker. Also, ladies are not allowed to enter. When asked why not, our guide stated "Because women are very powerful!" Nicely put!!

Lacquerware in Chiang Mai

Thai Lacquerware includes such a broad range of handmade items in so many different sizes, designs and quality. The first room shows the lacquerware production. The lacquer was a thick black goo. The host showed us how it is applied to the wood and left alone a week to dry. She stated the goods usually had 6-8 coats of lacquer applied. Walking through, there was a man basket weaving bowls, plates and vases. Others were painting or making designs with broken egg shells. What a fantastic way to use the resources.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Sa-wat-dee Kah or Hello in Thai! Our first trip to Thailand, we skip Bangkok and fly straight to Chiang Mai because of the flooding. The first thing we commented on was the rain and how green the scenery looked throughout the mountainous valley. I think Chiang Mai is my new favorite vacation spot. Not only are the people genuinely friendly, the scenery beautiful, and tons of activities, it ranges on the I can afford this scale. Heck, we had daily foot or neck massages for 150 baht or $6 for an hour. Hard to pass up a good deal. The people are hard workers as you see children on the sidewalks sweeping with palm branches. We walked miles and noticed the buildings were deteriorating but the surroundings were free of trash. We did stumble to some areas where they wee burning trash. Not for the mild nose. We also planned our trip perfectly. We found out we would be here during the Lantern Festival or Loi Krathong Festival.