Travel – Page 106

Luang Prabang: The “River of Orange”, and breakfast at “Same-Same”

December 14, 2008 mmm-yoso Lao Restaurants, Laos, Luang Prabang, Travel

Every morning, there flows a river of orange through the streets of Luang Prabang:

From where we stand, it's a quiet river, a solemn river. Instead of the rush of water, there is just the sound of bare feet shuffling against against asphalt…

and the swishing of robes….

For the uninitiated there is the distinct feeling that something special, and perhaps sacred is taking place. Even the dogs stop their search for food and tuk-tuk chasing to stop and watch:

Sometimes called the "Saffron Circuit", it is the collecting of "alms" by the Monks that occurs every morning. At just before 6am every morning, the Monks from the Wats around Luang Prabang start lining up. And at a prescribed drum signal start a well beaten path around the city of Luang Prabang collecting sticky rice, fruit, and other sustenance for the day. This occurs every day…. rain or shine.

Upon check in to the Chang Inn, the young fellow working at the front desk asked us if we'd like to give alms the following morning. Having just an inkling, of what needed to be done, we said yes. And woke at 5am. Walking to the front desk we were prepped for alms giving. Right on street in front of the hotel everything was nicely made ready for us.

It was a nice touch that we, being totally ignorant of the how and what's of alms giving, really appreciated.

And so it came to pass…. kneeling on my creaky knees, we gave sticky rice and bananas to the young Monks…. some of them looking no older than 8 years old. They would walk by, discreetly open the container by their side, and we'd place some sticky rice or a banana in it.

For some reason, I felt a deep stirring, and was touched in a strange way that I wish I had the eloquence to convey.

After the rice and bananas were gone (we were told that at this time there were over 300 Monks in the Wats surrounding Luang Prabang), we retreated across the street.

Even though we found this to be beautiful and exotic, we tried to keep a respectful distance. During our stay in Luang Prabang, we woke every morning at least by 530 am, and stood outside to watch this. Watching this ancient tradition became our own little ritual.

We had another little ritual in Luang Prabang…. breakfast here:

Located at the end of the "Fresh Market", on the street which heads to the Mekong, is this little stand. The sign is in Lao, except for the phrase "Lao Coffee". We had been wanting to try some Lao Coffee, so we stopped here on our first morning in Luang Prabang.

The Woman running this stall, never moved quickly, but at an exact measured pace. And always exactly the same steps were followed each time.

The coffee was made following some exact steps; glasses were rinsed out with hot water from the boiling water pot. An exact amount of what looked like very highly condensed coffee was placed in the bottom of the cup, followed by condensed milk and a sprinkling of what looked like raw sugar. The cup was topped off with hot H2O, and served in the traditional manner, with a chaser of mild hot tea.

The coffee was wonderful, rich, smooth, yet strong, with chocolate overtones. Much better than any cup of Vietnamese or Thai coffee I've ever had.

While savoring our coffee, the Missus and I decided to try some of the noodle soup, which everyone else seemed to be getting.

You chose the type of noodles you wanted, and what kind of meat, and again the Woman worked at a careful cadence, with exact steps that were followed for every customer on every visit. The soup can be adjusted in taste with fish sauce, chili sauce, limes, various herbs, etc, etc…..

This was a great bowl of soup. Even though it looked clear, the mild essence of pork came through. And though I'm pretty sure that the infamous 3-letter flavor enhancer was used in the broth, it was savory without being too salty. The noodles were fresh, and obviously bought from one of the many noodle vendors in the Fresh Market. It had a nice stretch, and a good al dente chew. The pork was an afterthought……tough and chewy….but man this was great broth and noodles.

And the Missus enjoyed munching on some green beans while waiting:

So why do we call this place "same-same"? The Woman running the place doesn't speak much English. When we arrived on our second morning, She greeted us with a small, pleased smile, and simply said; "same-same?" And so, every morning, we'd walk pass the main streets and the Fresh Market, up to the stall, smile and greet the Woman, and place our order; "same-same". Same order, same price (2 coffees + 1 bowl noodle soup – 20,000 Kip, approx $2.50/US), same great coffee, same comforting soup. Same-same……..

One last word(s) about the Saffron Circuit:

The area we stayed in was a short distance from most of the Guest Houses, and Lunag Prabang's main drag. We were situated right next to Sensoikharam, and several other Wats. This made the viewing of the morning alms collecting a peaceful and relaxing experience.

On our fourth morning in Luang Prabang, we noticed a bunch of buses parked alongside the road. With ever more mini-buses driving and parking along the street.

We noticed loads of Thai tourists disembarking, and had also realized that our little Hotel was booked solid with Thais. Many of whom lined the streets giving alms.

But for each person giving alms, there were two friends or relatives taking photos…..whether a photo opportunity, or to prove they gave alms, I'm not sure. But these folks were getting right up close and personal with the Monks.

We followed the procession down into Luang Prabang and couldn't believe the feeding frenzy.

Having checked my cynicism at Luang Prabang Airport I found this a bit disillusioning. These are still young men, and they are following a time honored tradition, so we tried to approach things with respect and discretion. It is a special moment for us tourists, something that I may never have the chance to see ever again. But this was a bit much, and very tough for us to see……….

Upon return, I watched Anthony Bourdain's episode on Laos, and paid special attention to the last portion where he mentions the mixed feelings about doing a travel show, and the damage to a culture that it can do….. I've come to really appreciate his viewpoints, he seems to get it. Striking that balance is important………..

This obviously well to do "businessman" was especially aggressive…….

It made us concerned about the future of this tradition. What's going to happen in 10 or 15 years? Our tourist dollars are important, but I'd hate to see a culture forever altered. And will rue the day that some facsimile of this becomes a tourist show. And even more….. I wondered what the dedicated true believers thought of us? And even worse, what terrible things were we(the Missus & I) doing to this culture. Did we do things the right way???

Luang Prabang: We arrive, “Wats going on”, and dinner at View Kheam Khong

December 10, 2008 mmm-yoso Lao Restaurants, Laos, Luang Prabang, Travel

As we arrived at Luang Prabang Airport and walked to the transportation stand, things just felt right. We were dropped off on Ban Wat Nong, and went looking for accommodation. Our first choice was full, but just as with Vientiane, we lucked out, and chose The Chang Inn. Quite expensive by Luang Prabang standards, but it was located away from the real touristy part of Luang Prabang. Which proved to be a blessing as I'll describe a bit later.

If you thought Vientiane was laid back, just arriving in Luang Prabang dropped my blood pressure and pulse rate several notches. We were indeed charmed by this UNESCO World Heritage site. But even more captivated by the people, who, though a bit quiet at first, are warm and friendly.

Make no mistake about it; parts of Luang Prabang, especially Sisavong from Luang Prabang Primary School to Kitsalat are very touristy. But even during the busiest hours, except for a short period in the morning, and the afternoon rush, things are relatively quiet.

Even the evenings exhude a quiet charm. And though we didn't spend much…. or in fact, hardly any time on the main tourist drag, we walked past it several times a day.

There are only 4 main streets going East to West in Central Luang Prabang, so you'll be familiar with the town in no time. There was one Australian couple who caught the same van to the airport in Vientiane, whom we kept seeing. And we saw one young lady from Singapore, named Audrey, who came up to me, because she thought she knew me, everyday. In other destinations, when we started seeing the same folks more than twice it was time to leave. In Luang Prabang, we joked that no day would be complete until we saw them!

Luang Prabang is the "City of Wats", with over 30 temples! Don't worry, I won't bore you with all of our Wat photos. Here are just a few:

Wat Xiengthong:

Called the "Golden Tree Monastary" this beautiful Wat is located on the tip of the Luang Prabang Peninsula.

Built in 1560, the Monastary was under royal patronage until the monarchy was terminated in 1975. The North Gate has an direct entry from the Mekong River.

For us the most interesting of the 20 or so structures in the Wat were the tapestry of the "Tree of Life" and the Tripitaka Library(built in 1828), with it's beautiful mosiacs of local traditions.

If you check out only 1 Wat in Luang Prabang, this should be the one.

Mount Phousi:

Smack dab in the middle of town, and right across the street from the National Museum are the steps up Mount Phousi (also called Phu Si):

At the top of the mountain, you'll get a total 360 degree view of peninsula-like Luang Prabang, with The Khan River, Vatmou-Enna (the main street from the airport)

And a distant view of Wat Phol Phao (aka Santi Chedi – The Peace Pagoda).

And the beautiful Mekong and the distant mountains on the other.

And of course at the summit of Phousi is ….. you guessed it; a Wat:

Check out the "little guy" taking a rest near the Buddha in the lower right hand corner. Rising out of the summit is That Chomsi:

Which can be seen from all over Luang Prabang.

We left via the winding stairs, opposite of the way we came:

Pastanother shrine (not really a Wat), and large collection of Buddhas:

And even Buddha's Footprint….a photo oppotunity not to be missed!

Since we had such a wonderful dinner on the banks of the Mekong in Vientiane, we thought we'd do it again here in Luang Prabang. There are many restaurants lining the cliffs alongside the Mekong. Every Guesthouse has a restaurant! View Kheam Khong was one recommended by Lonely Planet, so we thought we'd give it a try. Being famished, we ordered a ton of food; and many dishes that I'd been waiting to try.

We started with the Khai Pene served with the traditional accompanyment of Jeow Bong:

This was love at first bite! Khai Pene is made from river moss that is dried and pressed with sesame seeds, garlic, tomatos, and the like. It is fried before serving. Jeow Bong is Luang Prabang's signature chili dip, garlicky-salty-mildly sweet-spicy, laced with Water Buffalo Skin for texture. The Khai Pene tastes like high-octane fried kelp with the bitterness toned down, or nori with flavor cranked up times 10. I'd end up getting this dish whenever I could. Great with a Beer Lao.

Here's the Missus's love at first bite; the Luang Prabang Watercress Salad:

The Missus loved the tender and leafy, shoot-like watercress in Luang Prabang, which was less bitter than any watercress I'd ever had. If I could only tell you how many times the Missus had this dish in Luang Prabang. I've already covered the dressing, which is egg yolk based. This was the second best version of this dish we had in Luang Prabang.

Fish Laap (Fish Larb):

The fish was kind of mushy, but not muddy in flavor. A bland version of Laap.

The Lonely Planet recommended the Fried Green Chili with Duck:

Which was nothing more than a mediocre stir-fry. And the duck was tougher than the water buffalo skin in the Jeow Bong!

I'd been looking forward to having the classic Laung Prabang version of Or Lam, a very distinctive "stew". So we ordered the Or Lam Pa (fish stew):

Again the Missus had problems with the "bitter" flavors that pervade certain Lao dishes. The fish was mushy and without flavor. There were lots of hard pieces of lemongrass stem, and of course there was the Sa-Khan, pieces of stem from the Piper ribesioides tree…..more like branches. The Sa-Khan when eaten….you actually knaw on the stem/branch (minus bark), gives you a tingling sensation, not unlike Sichuan Peppercorns. I was to help make a version of this when I took a cooking class, which tasted much better than this.

Half the fun was just having a Beer Lao (or two), marveling that we were actually in Luang Prabang. Sitting in this empty restaurant, watching the Mekong quietly flowing by, I was embraced by a feeling of tranquility. Author Natacha Du Pont de Bie mentioned a legend that said the site for Luang Prabang was chosen because it was "so remarkably beautiful". All I know is here I was having dinner (again) on the banks of the Mekong, watching some folks fishing….

And I don't ever recall feeling so relaxed during a vacation………

Vientiane: Petang, Wat Si Muang, Bounmala Restaurant, and we’re headed for Luang Prabang

December 6, 2008 mmm-yoso Lao Restaurants, Laos, Travel, Vientiane

The Missus has a way of trying to maximize our "experiences" when it comes to vacations, and this last afternoon and evening in Vientiane was no exception. The day had started with a visit to Khou Din Market, at noon we had lunch at Nang Kham Bang Restaurant, and now, after an all too short nap, we hit the road again. There was a restaurant I was interested in, and being about 3-4 kilometers away, getting a tuk-tuk seemed like a good idea. The Missus had other plans, though! There was (yet another) Wat She wanted to visit, and it just so happened to be on the way.... by foot.

We started off, down the now well-worn (by us) riverfront street of Fa Ngoum, passing the back of the Presidential Palace and Mahosot Hospital. A few blocks down, in the courtyard of one of the Wats we spied a young man tossing a metal ball in the air:

He was playing a popular game called "Petang" in Laos. Otherwise known as Pétanque, a remnant from the days of French Colonialism.

The Young Man, was very nice, and much to our surprise spoke excellent English. He explained the game to us; the objective is to get your boule (metal ball) as close to the cochonnet (wooden ball) as possible. He even had the Missus give it a try, showing Her a few of the techniques, as well.

It is harder than it looks!

We really enjoyed talking to this young man, and during the course of our conversation, we found out much about him. For the sake of the post, let's call him Mr"A". Mr A, is currently a student, in the final stages of attaining a very high level degree. Coming from a very poor family in Savannaket Province, he has no means by which to support his education. Because he was very involved in the community back in his hometown, he was referred to this Wat. And now is one of 4 non-Monks who live on the grounds of the Wat.

We were slowly coming to realize how important these Wats were to the fabric of the community. We enjoyed chatting with MrA, and decided to invite him along for dinner. He accepted, and asked us if we would wait a few minutes, he returned a short time later, clothes changed, and nicely groomed for dinner. He looked much better than I did!

We asked MrA if he would grant us a favor…. we wanted to visit Wat Si Muang before settling in for dinner. MrA was more than happy to walk with us to Wat Si Muang, and was even happier to teach us a bit about the history and various ceremonies regarding Buddhism inLaos. Wat Si Muang was a busy, and bustling place, even at this time of the day. Being home of the Guardian Spirit of Vientiane, Si Muang is one of the more important Wats in Vientiane.

The home of the Guardian, the City Pillar is wrapped in sacred cloth.

Within the Sim, MrA took us to make offerings, and receive blessings, and also took us to the rather odd looking artifact to the right. During the Siamese-Lao War of 1828, Wat Si Muang was razed. The stone figure sitting on the pillow is of a Seated Buddha which survived, albeit a bit melted, the inferno. It is believed that this Buddha has the power to grant wishes. In order to do this, from a kneeling position, you must raise the Buddha up over your head three times while making your wish. I could tell by how hard the Missus was shaking while trying to raise the artifact, that one of the wishes crossing Her mind was, "I wish this thing were lighter". In my mind, I was wishing and hoping that the Missus didn't drop the Buddha, thereby destroying a sacred relic… how many years of bad luck would that be??? To my relief, the Missus completed ~~Her seated clean and jerk~~ raising the Buddha the required number of times, took one of the slips from the wooden box, and had the Monk recite Her "fortune". What it is, She's not telling…. I think it's something between Her and Buddha!

Leaving Si Muang, MrA, never having heard of our destination Bounmala Restaurant, flagged down a tuk-tuk, and asked directions. He was told it is far away, and costs 40,000 Kip (about $4.50/US). So we piled in, and drove about 2 blocks, and was let off! MrA was flummoxed…..he had been taken for a ride, so to speak. I couldn't stop laughing! For some reason, the fact that the tuk-tuk driver would take advantage of a local made me feel better. It's not only tourists that get scammed……

But at least we had arrived at our destination, Bounmala Restaurant.

This looked more like a pub than a restaurant, with mini-watercooler beer dispensers on the tables of several groups of locals having a good time, along with a few "Beer Girls" to help the House sell liquid refreshment. And I'd have been a bit hesitant about eating here if not for the wonderful scents surrounding the whole area!

Now here's where I need to apologize…… night falls like a big dark curtain in SEA. And the following will be some of the worst photos I took all trip. I can understand if you want to leave, and perhaps return another day. I had thoughts of not doing this post. But this was by far the best meal we had in Vientiane.

We started with the Papaya Salad (Tam Mak Hung):

Best papaya salad we had during the whole trip. The spiciness was countered with a balanced refreshing citrus kick. The addition of the perfect amount of Padek (Lao fermented fish sauce) gave this dish an added savory component, making it a bit richer. Wonderful stuff for 10,000 Kip (just over $1/US).

Bamboo Shoot Soup:

A very thick, dark, and almost potage like soup, full of various herbs. The soup had a pronounced bitterness to it; it was our first significant encounter with the bitter flavors that the Lao seem to enjoy, and lace many of their dishes with. Not my favorite dish in the world, but I'm glad I tried it.

That embarrassing photo to the right is of Ping Pet (Grilled Duck), one of the best items we had during our trip. Grilled to perfection, the duck meat was more on the chewy side, but oh the flavors!A chili garlic sauce was provided, but really wasn't needed for this dish. MrA kept apologizing for the tuk-tuk incident, and now the cost of the grilled duck – 40,000 Kip (approx $4.50/US). But we explained to MrA that we're on holiday, and this for us is a wonderful treat. Plus, the conversation was priceless!

The last dish, and really bad photo, is of the fantastic fish larb. All of the wonderful flavors of a classic larb, combined with moist and tender pieces of briefly cooked fish. Man this was good!

Our conversations ranged far and wide. From questions that we were asked constantly during the trip; "ok, you are Americans…. but what are you REALLY?" To queries about our work, and everyday life. Forgetting that even though the 'D' in Laos PDR stands for Democratic, it is still a Communist Country, the Missus asked about corruption and government fraud. MrA gracefully answered; "oh, I cannot say…." After an evening of unforgettable food and discussion, we walked MrA back to the Wat, and made our way (by foot) back to the hotel, for a night of blissful, food induced sleep.

We awoke the next morning, raring to go, we would be heading for Luang Prabang. We decided to take one final stroll around Vientiane….

And stopped by the Scandinavian Bakery for a quick breakfast.

This was the most tourists we recalled seeing in Vientiane.

Soon after returning to the hotel, we packed. Having just 7 kilos of stuff a piece meant pretty quick packing. Wattay International Airport is tiny. After going through the first security check and through the ticket counter, you wait sitting on plastic seats in the run down, "naturally air-conditioned" main lobby. You don't want to be going to the restroom here; take my word for it!

It is best to wait until being called through to the second security check point, and to the departure gate area.

There is only 1 gate at this airport and the area is air conditioned. The Missus even found the best Soy Milk She's had in years in the one shop in the gate area. The restrooms here are clean and well maintained. But that doesn't mean you won't find anything interesting…..

The Missus snapped this photo in the ladies room:

For some reason She found it particularly funny!

When your flight is called, you walk out onto the tarmac. We were flying Lao Airlines. Even though we heard folks expressing a bit of concern about Lao Airlines, we felt perfectly safe….

After all, we had Monks sitting in the front seats. And we had been blessed by a Monk in Wat Si Muang…. I didn't remove mine until I got home!

And Luang Prabang lay ahead of us……..

Our posts on Vientiane:

A walking tour and PVO.

The Lao Orchid Hotel and dinner on the bank of the Mekong.

Morning in Vientiane nd Khou Din Market.

Nang Kham Bang Restaurant.

Vientiane: Nang Kham Bang Restaurant

December 2, 2008 mmm-yoso Lao Restaurants, Laos, Travel, Vientiane

The Missus was craving some Larb for lunch. This sounded like a mission for our own guardian angel in Vientiane, Ai from the Lao Orchid Hotel. Just as with previous queries, Ai grabbed a few of her cronies in a semi-huddle, made a couple of calls, and came up with the result; Nang Kham Bang Restaurant, which just happened to be 2 blocks away. After walking right past it twice, we stopped, and actually read a sign for a change……. you just know I wasn't going to ask for directions…..

The interior is kind of odd. It is divided in half by glass; one part of the restaurant is air-conditioned, the other half is not.

The menu, itself was a conglomeration of interesting dishes like stuffed frog legs. The clientele, was all Lao. We learned how to identify a "real" Lao (as in places where Lao folks actually eat), by this:

Why the sink? Well, if you think about it, the required item for meals is:

Sticky rice. And the most important eating instrument is….well…your hand. So washing your hands right outside of the doorway makes complete sense.

The first thing to arrive was a plate of greens, veggies, and herbs:

We were to find that it was typical to find a plate of green beans, and other items provided to accompany your meal. The most interesting item on the plate were these little eggplants.

We started with some Stir Fried Morning Glory:

This was not as good, as the version we had eaten the previous night. These were rather tough, and strangely, on the bland side.

Next up, Beef Laap(Laap Sin):

This had a nice balance of sour and spicy flavors, with a mild nuttiness brought on by the roasted rice powder. Not much in the way of beefy flavor, and as we found throughout our travels in SEA, the beef was on the chewy side.

We also ordered the Papaya Salad (Tam Mak Hung):

Nice and balanced sweet and sour flavors, I have a feeling they went easy on us in the spicy department. Crisp and refreshing, this was probably in the top three with regards to Papaya Salads on this trip.

Of course, it wouldn't be a meal without some comic relief from the mmm-bozo! When the veggies arrived, the Young Man serving us pointed at some chilies, and warned us by saying "ka-boom", and miming a mushroom cloud rising from what would be his now shattered cranium with his hands. No need for the ol' skull-and-crossbones sign here, we understood….

You know of course, we paid no heed to the young man's warning. The Missus and I both sampled a pepper. "KA-BOOM" is an understatement. Lucky for me, having had some experience with chilies, I didn't let my lips get involved, so you wouldn't find me lying face down in a pool of cerebral spinal fluid, nor would I be picking pieces of cranium and grey matter out of my papaya salad, but this stuff was pretty potent. The Missus turned several colours, red, sweaty grey, then pale white, as She told me She could feel the pepper burning a trail down Her esophagus, and into Her stomach. God only knew what tomorrow was going to bring. I think we've had our share of spicy food…but man this was hot!!!

Later when asked about this place, Ai told me that the local folks with "money"…. i.e. who can afford to, eat here. It did turn out to be a nice refreshing meal for under $10/US. And knowing not what the Missus had planned for later that day (after my little midafternoon nap, of course), I'd probably end up needing some "refreshing"……

Nang Kham Bang Restaurant

Khoun Boulum St.

Vientiane, Lao PDR

Laos – Morning in Vientiane and Khou Din Market

November 24, 2008 mmm-yoso Laos, Travel, Vientiane

After a restful night of BiaLao induced sleep, we both awoke, refreshed. Walking out to the small balcony, we viewed the serene, early morning Mekong, rolling along.

The view was tranquil, but the air was acrid…..

We were soon to find out why:

The infrastructure in Vientiane is not quite up to Western standards, and though I saw what could very loosely called "garbage collection" we also witnessed a lot of trash being burned. Not so bad if it were only leaves, but plastics, and other items were being torched as well. Much of it happens early in the morning, creating a distinctive stench.

The streets of Vientiane seemed still at this early hour. To say that Vientiane is sleepy is an understatement.

Even the very busy Setthathirath Road is quiet at 630am.

We walked to the very highly recommended JoMa Bakery and Cafe.

Very popular with European tourists and Ex-pats. JoMa is clean and bright, and though the various offerings did not look particularly inspiring to us, I had my Coke Light, and the Missus a Latte, while we sat and contemplated the day.

It was a nice quiet place at this time of the morning.

We strolled back slowly to our hotel……we were now operating at "Vientiane speed". A wonderfully laid-back pace…..

Just like Nong Khai, we had a Wat next door; in this case right across the street. Walking through the Wat on the way back, the Missus ran into an inquisitive Monk….. which resulted in a nice diversion. Well, maybe not for the Monk, who was suddenly subjected to a number of questions.

Arriving back at the hotel, we noticed Ai was working yet again. Among the subjects we chatted about was how was the lack of fresh fruits and such at Talat Sao. Ai laughed, and told us that the "Fresh Market" was on the block in back of Talat Sao, next to the bus station. So after a quick shower, guess where we were headed?

We decided to take the route up Chou Anou, than down some side streets and Samsenthai. This area is Vientiane's unofficial Chinatown.

We passed this Peking Duck Restaurant, and the Missus slipped in to check it out. Complete 3 course Peking Duck Dinner just 100,000 Kip (about $12/US)!

Kind of made us wish there were more people with us.

We saw these young men making Mantou.

And walked pass the huge Lao National Culture Hall.

Right across from the Lao National Museum. I wish we had a bit more time, but never had a chance to visit. Next time perhaps.

Further down the avenue, the Vietnamese shops appeared, including a few Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich) shops.

Crossing still not so busy Lane Xang, we soon found ourselves in the back of Talat Sao.

Past the bus station, and the line-up of tuk-tuks.

And into Khou Din Market. Just photos…..

After the Missus picked up some Dragonfruit, we headed back the way we came. Back on Chou Anou, we noticed what looked to be a former movie theatre.

Was now a busy and packed noodle stand.

The street was starting to come to life, and we noticed that this young man had a special passenger!

Cracked us up…..but where's the pooch's helmet?

As we approached the hotel, and the always busy "ping" (grill) stall.

We noticed the bike riding pooch in the fenced off empty lot next door!

And realized we had seen the same dog the day before! I guess this is Vientiane's version of doggy daycare?

About this time, the drum at Inpeng Temple around the corner was going off.

It was lunch time!

To be continued……

Laos: Vientiane – Laos Orchid Hotel and Dinner on the Shores of the Mekong

November 20, 2008 mmm-yoso Lao Restaurants, Laos, Memorable Meals, Travel, Vientiane

Our little haven during our all too short stay in Vientiane was the Lao Orchid Hotel. Located a half block from the Mekong, the Lao Orchid is situated on the quiet side of Chou Anou street. As I mentioned earlier, we walked in and got a suite, which was quite large and comfortable. There was just so much, "space", something we had been without for a few days.

After doing the "Guest house thing" for the last 3 nights, the Missus was really craving some Western amenities (wow, television!!)….I guess we are just "soft Americans" after all! We were really impressed at how clean this place was….totally spotless, and possibly the cleanest floors (to this point) I've ever seen in a hotel. In fact, in keeping with the standard, we saw the housekeeping staff, and even the front desk folks walking barefoot. And we had no qualms about doing the same at all…..

Our view from the balcony wasn't outstanding, though we could make out the Mekong:

What really stood out here was the service …..especially from one young lady named "Ai". Ai spoke good English, and was very eager to be of help, a common trait among many of the Lao people we met. Ai went beyond the call for us, and displayed a great sense of humor. She found much amusement in my interest in Lao Food. A typical scenario would be an inquiry about, say "Naem", Ai would call the staff into an impromptu "huddle" and a short discussion would take place. After which, a concensus would be reached. In this case, "Inter-City makes the best Naem". Hmmm, Inter-City was the restaurant for a hotel next door….I wasn't too keen on hotel food. Funny thing was, Inter-City was recommended later on by several other folks in Vientiane (by "A", and the Young Lady at Lao Airways). This recommendation would prove to be ironic a bit later on. Ai's most outstanding favor, was a touching act of kindness; the Missus hadn't heard from Her parents since we left for our trip. On all of our vacations, the Missus's parents would always stay in close email contact; but this time our emails went unanswered…..the Missus began to worry. We tried making several international calls, but always ran into problems with connectivity. Ai, seeing how worried we were, told us to wait for just one minute……she than pulled out her own personal cellphone, and made the call for us, which got through. It is because of Ai that I quickly learned my second word in Lao (the first being Sa-bai-dee), kopchai (Thank you). And than to add to it, kopchai-lai-lai (thank you very much)…..which I used constantly in Laos.

Deciding to pass on Inter-City, we walked on over to the banks of the Mekong, which are lined with food stalls of all shapes and sizes.

Some of the stalls have elaborate platforms build stretching out over the Mekong, with proper dining tables and chairs. All of them specialize in mainly one thing; what they call "Ping", grilled items, mainly "Ping Pa"(grilled fish) and "Ping Kai"(grilled chicken).

After one quick pass down the Mekong, we settled on the first stall we had seen. It was a pretty modestly equipped stall, you could just say it was a big table. But the woman running the stand had the warmest smile, and though she didn't speak hardly any English, we appreciated one thing:

Everything served here was fresh, there would be no reheated, pregrilled fish served to us. All her fish were live and kickin'. There were only a few fish in the bucket, perhaps five, probably just enough for one evening's worth of service. The Missus had Her eye on one of the larger specimens, and the Woman let Her pick out whichever one She wanted.

We also got 2 huge live prawns that were thrown on the charcoal grill for us.

We ordered a few other items from the young person of slightly indeterminate gender who spoke fairly good English. When it came to the Naem, we were sadly told that they don't make Naem. That was fine with us, the fish looked great, and we'd be happy with whatever we got.

We walked down the hill from the now busy cooking area.

And had the seat on the cushion set upon a platform overlooking the Mekong. We were charmed by the setting…….

The eating area looked quite modest compared to some of the more elaborate stands and dining areas, but for us, it just "felt right". Like we were in Laos, having dinner on the banks of the Mekong.

This is also where I had my first taste of Beerlao, which was named by Time Magazine as Asia's best beer. And thus began my love affair with Beerlao, and apparently I'm not the only one . The beer is crisp and clean, with a mild sweet finish. According to the Beer Lao website , the hops and yeast are imported from Germany, and jasmine rice is used in the process(that explains it!). I must've had this every night except one while in Laos, and was desperately looking for it (to no avail) in Thailand. Even the Missus, who hates beer, loved this. There is nothing quite like sipping some Beerlao (called the Dom Perignon of Asian beers by the Bangkok Post) while watching the Mekong rolling by.

Meanwhile, our food started arriving. First up, was the Stir Fried Morning Glory:

This was the best stir fried vegetable we ate during the whole trip. Perfectly "wokk'd", crisp, with a nice crunch, great fish sauce flavor, and a nice garlic and chili kick. Excellent!

Of course some sticky rice:

And then a very big surprise:

It was the Naem!!! Where did this come from? I've been known to rave, along with Ed from Yuma, about the Naem Khao Thawt from Asia Cafe, but this was in a whole 'nother league! It was very good, a symphony of various crunchy textures, the crisp rice, the peanuts, pork skin, and the scallions. Nice heat from the essense of the chilies, along with the sweet saltiness of the sausage. The item that really got our attention was the addition of coconut milk, which gave this a nice sweet richness, and when wrapped with herbs in cabbage…this was beyond excellent.

The Missus, who was totally blown away by this, quickly ran up the banks to the stall and asked to see how they made this wonderful dish. "Oh no, we no make Naem….it's from Iiin-ter-Citeee!" Was the reply, along with lots of giggles. Now how's that for service? The folks at the stall had not wanted to disappoint us, so they ran on over to Inter-City, and got us some Naem! So in the end, we got our dish…and it was from Inter-City to boot!

Next up were the grilled prawns:

As we have often found, bigger is not necessarily better. These were tough, and had very little flavor. I opened one, and gave the Missus a taste, "eh…." While I was finishing mine up, a young boy walked over and tried to sell us some kind of trinket. The Missus, inspired by the moment (and uninspired by the prawns), offered it to the boy, who instantly, without hesitation, grabbed it, and made a beeline down the shoreline.

The last to arrive was our fish. It was gutted, stuffed with lemongrass and other herbs, crusted with salt and grilled. Served with a tangy-sweet-spicy sauce, it was somewhat of an anti-climax after the Naem. I really enjoyed the skin, mmmm-fish bacon! The meat was on the dense side, and though moist, really lacked any flavor. It was good, but not great. I did finish every inch of skin from that fish, though……

Along with 3 large Beerlaos, the meal cost us approximately $14 US. And that includes the Naem from Inter-City. Fourteen bucks for a meal we consider priceless…..fourteen bucks for such thoughtful and considerate service, and this view, sunset from the shores of the Mekong:

Priceless indeed…….

Perhaps it was the Beerlao at work, but it was at that very moment that I fell under the spell of Laos. And while the stress melted away, and my blood pressure dropped to levels not seen in decades…… I decided, we'd stay another day in Vientiane.

Laos: Vientiane- Across the Friendship Bridge, a Death March around Vientiane, and all this for a Banh Mi?

November 18, 2008 mmm-yoso Laos, Travel, Vientiane

Caution: Long post ahead, with minimal food!

I had been staring at the Thai – Lao Friendship Bridge every chance I had during our stay in Nong Khai. It didn't help that a view of the bridge was in clear view, after just a few steps from our room.

The process of crossing the bridge was quite simple; clear Thailand Immigration and catch the shuttle bus across the three-quarter of a mile bridge (15 Baht):

In a rather interesting "turn" of events; traffic in Thailand drives on the left, while vehicles in Laos drive on the right. Traffic lights on the Laos end of the bridge manage the change. Upon arrival at Laos Immigration, you need to fill in the application for Visa on Arrival. The price is $35 each for US Citizens…there is a sliding scale of prices based on Country of origin. For some reason Canadians pay the highest prices $45, while predictably, citizens of fellow Communist Countries pay the least – Cuba and PR China, $20/US.

You'll need to fill in a destination in Laos on your immigration form; just pick out something from Lonely Planet or another guide. The taxi and tuk-tuk mob once you clear customs is pretty crazed….this was the only time we faced such a "feeding frenzy" in Laos. $10 got us to Vientiane about 40km away. After checking out a Guest House, we kinda decided that we had enough of Guest Houses for now….we ended up at the Lao Orchid Hotel, and got a top floor suite for $65 a night. Super clean, great A/C…and most of all....something we hadn't experienced in a few days….television! The service was also amazingly good, especially a young lady named "Ai". More on Lao Orchid in a future post. In an interesting coincidence, we filled in Lao Orchid as our destination on our immigration form….

After checking in, and a quick shower (yes, it was very humid), the Missus had decided that we "just" had to do the Walking Tour outlined by the Lonely Planet Guide. As I looked over the guide, it said the "tour" was over 6 kilometers! Yikes, shades of the Matra – Taphin death march. And of course, just to one up the folks at Lonely Planet we'd start a few more kilometers out at Pha Tuat Luang. The Missus was obviously channeling Her inner Clark Griswald.

"perhaps you don't want to see the second largest ball of twine on the face of the earth, which is only four short hours away? "

Luckily, the one little tidbit the Missus followed, was to take the trip out via tuk-tuk, which dropped us at the gates of Pha Tuat Luang.

Pha Tuat Luang is considered the most important national monument in Laos. According to legend Ashokan missionaries from India erected a Stupa here in the third century containing a piece of Buddha's breastbone. The history of Pha Tuat Luang is as tumultuous as the history of Laos, and Southeast Asia itself, suffering through several assaults, and finally sacked by the Siamese in the early 19th century.

In fact, when the French arrived in 1867, they found the city totally abandoned. Even good intentions have not always worked out well for Pha Tuat Luang. When first restored by the French, the main entrance was restored facing South, instead of East!

The grounds were fairly busy….with a large group of Chiang Mai University student teachers, the one's in pink are Kindergarden Teachers, in Blue, Elementary School Teachers.

After about 2 kilometers, That Luang Road turns meets the main drag, Tha Lan Xang, at this large monument:

It's Laos' version of the Arc de Triumphe, called the Patuxai. Though the resemblance lessens as you approach…and the motifs on the upper level is unmistakeably Lao. I found a little tidbit of history of the Patuxai to be amusing. In the 1960's, the US purchased, and donated cement that was to be used for building a new airport….but Laos used it to build the Patuxai instead!

The Missus was fascinated, and charmed by the Patuxai:

I, on the other hand, agreed with this, honest to goodness…well, honest sign posted.

Does the Vientiane Tourist Board know about this sign?

Tha Lane Xang, with it's Government and NGO offices is by far the busiest street in Vientiane. Still, check out the traffic:

What makes the situation dangerous, is that what traffic there is goes at a pretty fast clip. And all the cars come in waves. And while walking down Lane Xang we came upon a sudden glut of cars…….it seems like the very large school on the boulevard was out for the day. We needed to cross the street…what to do?

He-he-he….just use the crossing guard! This young lady meant business!

Next stop on the tour…Talat Sao, the huge sprawling market. A seemingly endless maze of stalls, selling everything from textiles to household appliances.

On the second floor was a huge collection of jewelry shops. A simply mind-numbing number of shops and stalls ….

And suddenly we were in a modern, air conditioned mall.

Not quite what we signed up for…..but air conditioning was nice….very nice!

Next stop? That Dam (it's That Dam, not that Dam)…okay, another Stupa. Off on a side street lies the "Black Stupa" that supposedly houses a seven-headed dragon that came alive in 1828 during the Lao – Siamese War and protected the local population. This Stupa, according to legend, was once covered in gold, which was removed by the Siamese during the same War. I guess the dragon was too busy protecting the people? Right now it looks pretty…well unimpressive. One of the more interesting things about this walk was that we passed the American Embassy along the way.

Walking to the end of Lane Xang (yay!) is the Presidential Palace:

Luckily for me, the Presidential Palace is not open to visitors (whew!).

No such luck with Wat Sisaket, the oldest surviving temple in Vientiane.

All kidding aside, the Temple grounds are quite beautiful.

Wat Sisaket is also known to have an inner building holding over 2000 Buddha's. Unfortunately (wink-wink, nod-nod), we found that all these places close during lunch. And my parched throat, and my growling stomach was telling me it was time for a break.

We skipped our next stop, and the Missus led me to a building on the banks of the Mekong called PVO. Why PVO? Well, skipping our next destination, it was the "lunch stop" in the Lonely Planet Guide.

PVO is known for their version of the Vietnamese Sandwich, Banh Mi. I didn't quite know what to think of a Vietnamese Restaurant and Motorcycle Rental. But the ice was, well, ice, the water, was, well, wet, and the Coke Light was saccharide goodness.

The Sandwich, though big enough for the both of us, was not very good.

Instead of being crusty, the baguette was hard, dry, and scaberous. There was an entire scallion thrown in the length of the sandwich. And it was totally saturated in mayo. This was probably the second worst meal on the vacation, and I've never let the Missus forget it….take that Lonely Planet!

Riding the wave of rapid hydration I took a shot at talking the Missus out of finishing the "walking tour". No dice, She was not to be denied. To put it into the words of Mr Griswold:

"I'll tell you something. This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun. I'm gonna have fun and you're gonna have fun."

So we back-tracked to Wat Haw Pha Kaeo. The grounds housed an impressive temple, which was originally built to house the Emerald Buddha. We again ran into the education students from Chiang Mai University. A large collection of Buddahs reside inside the Sim. But for us, the various Buddhas lining the outside of the Sim was more impressive.

The Lao-style Buddha's are posed in various positions, including, Offering Protection (hands are out front, with palms facing front), Contemplating Enlightenment (hands out front, crossed at the wrist), and Calling for Rain (photo to the right).

There was also a huge jar from the Plain of Jars located on temple grounds. I actually enjoyed this! Hey maybe the Vientiane Death March wasn't too bad after all….

The Missus continuing with the single minded goal of accomplishing this walking tour in record time, marched off out of temple grounds, and headed left on Sitthathirath Road. We managed to squeeze in a stop at Wat Mixay, before heading back to our hotel on Chou Anou….and a much needed shower (I sure smelled past my due date by this time).

If you're ever in Vientiane, or Luang Prabang for that matter, you should pick up one of the excellent maps provided by Hobo Maps. We found the maps to be priceless. You can follow our walk on this map of Central Vientiane. After a short break, and having replaced the 4 gallons of fluid I lost during our walk, and ignoring the "snap, crackle, and pop" of my joints (apparently my synovial fluid was drained during this walk as well), I was looking forward to this:

The Missus had also moved on….She was already spending time with Her new constant companion, the Lonely Planet Guide, circling places of interest for tomorrows "walk". I could already see our Griswold-ian future:

"Tomorrow you'll probably kill the desk clerk, hold up a McDonalds, and drive us 1000 miles out of the way to see the world's largest pile of mud!"

But of course that's a whole 'nother post!

Thailand: Nong Khai – Strange Fruit, Kai Yaang, and other stuff…..

November 13, 2008 mmm-yoso Nong Khai, Thailand, Thailand, Travel

We awoke from a much needed nap, and decided to explore Nong Khai a bit more. This time, we strayed from the normal tourist path of the riverside walkway, Rimkong, and Meechai, and took a stroll down Prajak(Prachak) Sillapakhom. Prajak is Nong Khai's main business strip, with everything from the Esso Gas Station to a Honda Dealership lining the double wide (by Nong Khai standards) roadway.

This is by far the busiest street in Nong Khai, and the speed of the motorbikes and cars made crossing interesting….especially since driving is done on the left side of street in Thailand. One has got to break that rule we learned in the first grade, "when crossing the street, always look left, than right." It's amazing how ingrained those rules become.

Since the streets were wider, it made one's field of vision larger. And we started "looking up", and taking note of the French influenced architecture. Looking at the businesses from street level, you'd never have noticed…..

And this being Thailand, food was only steps away.

While aimlessly wandering down Prajak, we came across a fruit stand, and the Missus was smitten by this fruit.

We had never seen anything like it. The fruit had a threatening…and frankly, a bit of a dangerous look, in the "you wouldn't want to drop it on your foot" kind of way. In fact, I don't think it would look out of place being swung on the end of a chain in battle. The exterior of the fruit looked to have almost an exoskeletan, like that of a crab or a similar crustacean. So of course, the Missus purchased a Kilo, and started peeling as soon as we walked away from the fruit stand.

As threatening as the fruit looked fully dressed in it's armor……once peeled it looked quite harmless, almost silly, and kinda resmebled an….well, you can figure that one out yourself.

This was our first encounter with the Salacca, the fruit of a species of palm. I'm not a big fruit guy, but I enjoyed this; tangy and acidic, with a mild sweetness, it was right up my alley.

Returning from our "little" walk, the Missus decided that She "needed a break" from street food, and desired a proper restaurant, with a real table, real seats, and most of all "real ice, with some real water, in a real glass." We homed in on a large restaurant right off the street.

Food was almost an after thought here, as the Missus savored Her iced water, sipping it as if it was nectar of the Gods. After looking through the huge and exhaustive menu of Chinese and Thai dishes we ordered a few items.

Thai Fermented Sausage (Nam Sohd):

I found the flavor of the sausage to be only mildy sour, and over powered when eaten with the potent raw garlic. The chilies were positively searing hot….the Missus thought the flavor was a bit too "funky" for Her, but scarfed up all the peanuts.

Yum Nuea (Beef Salad):

I thought this version to be nice and beefy in flavor, but much too sweet. The Missus really enjoyed it. The mint added a nice flavor, and the onions were nice and sweet as well.

The main thing we really enjoyed was just sitting back and watching the world go by.

Of course, you know that I couldn't ignore the Kai Yaang (Rotisserie Chicken):

This stand was doing some major business….you could smell the chicken "fumes" from several blocks away. I recall reading that Kai Yaang, Khao Niaw(sticky rice), and Som Tam (papaya salad), make up the "trinity" of classic Issan foods. So you can be sure that we bought a bird, and a bag of sticky rice.

I thought the dark meat and the skin of the chicken was fabulous, a combination of sweet(a nice complex sweet – probably from palm sugar), salty, and savory. The breast was on the dry side. The Missus found the chicken a bit too salty for Her taste. I thought the sticky rice was the best I ate during the whole trip…..perfect and consistent in texture.

We walked back to our room, grabbed a bottle of Chang Beer from the reception area, and than walked out to one of the pavillions overlooking the deceptively languid appearing Mekong river, and watched the sun go down. After several days in which we seemed to be always on the go, it finally set in….we were really in Thailand! Things sometimes take a while to sink in……

Later we settled into our room. Since we're on the subject, a word about Mut Mee Guest House. Mut Mee, is without a doubt, the most well known, and popular Guest House in Nong Khai. And there's some charm to the place. It is very laid back, and has an interesting policy of not blocking out rooms. Folks can stay as long as they wish, so you can't be sure of which rooms are available on any given day. Thus, bookings can never be done for specific rooms. If you read this page on Mut Mee's site, you'll notice the sentence, "You can even stay in our house!" Which is what we did….

It's the room called "JPS" – "Julian and Pao's Suite", and is where Pao's Mum stays when she visits, an enclosed room attached to their home. Please be aware that this is still a Guest House. The windows and doors are a bit warped, so it's a wrestling match to close…you'll have to make sure to use the mosquito netting if you are prone to bites. The floor is also a bit off kilter, which can cause you to sway a bit drunkenly while walking over some of the floorboards…to us, this was just part of the charm. Plus, for $20 a night….what did you expect? The only thing that ever bothered me was when the water seemed to be shut off in the middle of my shower. The bathroom is down some stairs, and looks like it was enclosed just a few years ago…… You can watch the Mekong roll on by from your porch, or walk the mere 10 yards out the gate and sit on one of the pavilions like we did for dinner. When you check in, you are shown a book that is kept out front with your room number on it, you can grab beer and water from the frig, and just log them into the book. This is all done by the honor system, and everything is tallied up when you leave. An added bonus to everything is that since you're attached to his house, you'll undoubtedly meet Julian. We did, and had a nice conversation about Thailand, Issan, Laos, politics, and many other subjects…..

Out your side window, you can see the back of Wat Haisoke:

Which posed no problems as we rose early in the morning.

As we did on the morning of our departure from Nong Khai. We took our usual morning walk, and found the streets to be as still as the Mekong at this hour.

We had not had time the previous day to check out the very large Thasadej Market, which runs parallel to the Mekong for several blocks. So we decided to pop in for a look. At this time of the day, the aisles are mostly dark and silent…

Every so often you hit an open food court area.

Nong Khai may be very laid back, but it is still a border town, and the melting pot of nationalities will always show itself. While walking through the market, the Missus over heard a conversation….."I believe they are from Yunnan, by the accent."

One of the most succesful businesses in town is Daeng Namnuang, you can't miss their signs which seem to posted everywhere.

You can't miss the huge restaurant and large and clean production area which faces the Mekong. We watched in awe, as one car after another stopped in front of the restaurant early in the morning; folks running in to the shop, only to exit with cardboard cartons minutes later.

What does this place sell? They specialize in Namnuang…..Vietnamese Spring Rolls! So popular that folks grab boxes of it when leaving town.

For our breakfast before taking leave of Nong Khai, I selected a little hole-in-the-wall right at the edge of Thasadej…….a dark, cluttered, little place that looked almost like a warehouse with tables.

The Missus selected the Issan Sausage and Rice:

She thought the sausage too hard, gamey, and "porky". I thought it to be fine. The sticky rice was much too hard.

I ordered the Pad See Ew:

I didn't care much for this, the noodles were much to gelatinous and gooey for my tastes…almost like overcooked rice cake. The Missus, on the other hand, loved the egg, and enjoyed the dish. So after trading off our dishes, we each ended up with a decent breakfast!

We returned to our room, picked up our bags, wrestled the front door close, and padlocked it….went to the front desk and checked out. We headed up the path to the street…the one that had been shrouded in darkness when we arrived. It sure looked much more welcoming in day light.

As we hit the main road, we found our Tuk-Tuk Driver who had taken us to Sala Kaew Ku the day before. And we were on our way…the next leg of our trip was coming up fast.

You know which way we turned at this sign, don't you???

Thailand: Nong Khai – Sala Kaew Ku, and a ride on the “Yellow Bus” to Tha Bo

November 9, 2008 mmm-yoso Nong Khai, Thailand, Thailand, Travel

Early in the morning of what was our third day in Thailand, we took a quite stroll down the well paved and maintained promenade that lines the shore of the Mekong River. The contrast to "go till you drop" Bangkok was quite evident.

At this early hour, it was quite tranquil….

Even the chairs and tables for the Naga Festival were nicely folded up….and the pavement was swept clean.

Perhaps folks were still sleeping off the effects of several nights of partying…the Naga Festival runs for a week….

Transversing Nong Khai is not very difficult, there are only a few main streets going from East to West…..on the street called Meechai, full of guest houses, a few bars, and other pieces of the tourist infrastructure, we passed by this.

Yes, a Bus Station…..but the Missus spied something that got Her attention.

And so the Missus had found the first piece of our breakfast puzzle. These wonderful, orbs of coconut goodness was crisp on the exterior, but contains molten coconutty goodness inside. It is well worth risking, and often sacrificing several layers of skin….and even your lips for a great version of Kanom Krok…they need to be consumed hot. So if you run into lipless people in Thailand, chances are they've run into an irresistible serving of these coconut-rice snacks.

The Missus declared this the second best we had on our trip. The nice kernels of sweet corn placed in the center of the Kanom Krok was a nice touch.

While doing a bit of research, I found this interesting article noting the Scandinavian tie in with regards to Kanom Krok.

Leaving the compound, this platform caught my attention.

What was it? An impromptu nap area perhaps? After looking at the charts on the walls, it became clear; this was a Thai Massage station. What could be better than a good massage after a long bus ride? Looking over the poster of the various Masseuse on staff gave me pause…they looked pretty tough…like they could rip my arm off. The photos were very unflattering, and the women looked more like inmates than Masseuses.

Making our way back to the area of our Guest House, part 2 of our breakfast puzzle was solved.

There must be tens(hundreds?) of thousands of "food courts", of all sizes and shapes across Thailand. And this was one of them. There was something interesting about this food court in particular, which I'll go in to later. There was only one station open at the time we walked passed…..but once we saw what was being served, breakfast part 2 was solved.

Simmered Pork Shank over Rice (30 Baht – about $1/US):

The broth provided was fairly salty, the pork was quite tender and mild in flavor. It seems that many of the sauces provided for these type of dishes is of the "must use" category.

We tried to avoid the tuk-tuk "feeding frenzy" in the area, and walked over to a side street where an older gentleman was minding a grill stand. There was a tuk-tuk parked in front of it. He asked us, "you want tuk-tuk", and we said yes….we settled on a price, and was shocked when he abandoned the stand! Starting up the vehicle he made a turn down a side street 2 blocks over, and called to a lady, who we found manning the stand when we returned. They've got quite a system working…..

Our destination? In all of the guidebooks we read; the one must see destination in Nong Khai is Sala Kaew Ku.

Sala Kaew Ku was the work of Shaman-Mystic-Priest-Yogi, Luang Puu Bunleua Surirat. This park is a collection of sculptures, some over 80 feet tall, representing various Hindu and Buddhist deities and stories. As the story goes, when Luang Puu was a child he fell into a hole. At the bottom he subsequently met a acetic named Kaewkoo who taught Luang Puu all the mysteries and secrets of the underworld. Surirat was born and raised in Laos, and in fact, created a version of Sala Kaew Ku on the banks of the Lao side of the Mekong. After the Communist takeover in the mid-seventies, Luang Puu fled to Thailand.

Luang Puu developed a devoted group of followers, all of whom he claimed were untrained in the creation of sculpture, but were powered by a divine source that enabled them to create these massive idols. As for Luang Puu, he died in 1996, but his mummified body can still be found on the third floor of the main building on the grounds. His followers say that Luang Puu's hair still grows, and needs to be trimmed from time to time!

For me, this was a strange side excursion…..the park is a sometimes bizarre collection of sculptures that range from the nightmarish:

To the fascinating:

The most popular piece on the grounds is the wheel of life, which is entered by passing through a giant mouth, and through a passageway that has been described to me as being reborn through a womb…..

Whether a mystical "Walley World" or a site of sacred significance, it's up to you. It was an interesting, and sometimes strange little side trip.

Upon returning to our starting point, the Missus determined that She wanted to "ride a bus"…….and had selected the Market Town of Tha Bo as our destination.

All hail the "Yellow Bus"…..

The ride to Tha Bo takes about an hour, and costs 20 Baht a person. The bus travels along the road, making stops as it is waved down…the seats are not very wide…..a second person can fit sitting "half cheek" style. The diesel fumes soon overtake much of the bus. If you want a short "rural Thailand" experience, this may be it!

The most interesting thing about these buses is the front dashboard area…..which has been decorated with various knick-knacks….some of which date back to who knows when???

In just over an hour we arrived in Tha Bo. The market is just across the street from the end of the line for the Yellow Bus.

Because it rather late in the morning I did not expect to see much at the market…..so I was rather surprised to see it quite crowded.

Tha Bo itself is quite small, with a population of about 16,000, making Nong Khai with it's population of 62,000 seem a metropolis. One of the interesting facts about Tha Bo is that the citizenship of the city is 80% Vietnamese. The largest church in the area is not a Buddhist temple, but a church called Wat Satsana Krit – the Christian Temple, indicative of the religion of the Vietnamese refugees who settled in the area.

One of the largest industries in the area is tobacco.

And besides the presence of a good amount of "Bun" (Vietnamese Rice Vermicelli Noodles), the market is like many we've seen throughout Southeast Asia.

There was also a fruit we had not seen before. You gotta love the vendor, who instead of standing, just sat on top of her counter!

At first, the Missus thought this was Longan, but I thought they were a bit too large to be Longan. It turned out to be Langsat (Longkong). When the Missus peeled the skin off, the flesh of the fruit was divided into 5-6 segments. The flesh was firm, and had a taste vaguely similar to longan, except sweeter. Delici-yoso!!!

As we left the market, we could see smoke drifting down one of the streets…along with the unmistakable smell of "charred animal flesh"…..

Ah yes, a plethora of pork sizzling away.

It even wore down the Missus, a noted Pork-o-phob……

2 sausages, and a bag of sticky rice – 30 baht (less than a buck).

These sausages had more pork than filler, and was only slighly sour. The grilling had created a nice crust. The sticky rice, was decently prepared. All in all, a nice snack to tide us over until we got back to Nong Khai. You could tell by the look on the Missus's face during the long, crowded, and hot trip back to Nong Khai, that all of the novelty of a "bus ride just like the locals", had worn off!

We arrived back in Nong Khai, and found ourselves right back where we started….in the food court. Check out some of the details in the photo; it gives a hint as to the location of the food court.

The Missus went for a Papaya Salad from one of the stalls.

This was a pretty strange version…..it was mildy spicy, and very, very, pungent and fishy. But the oddest thing were the rice vermicelli noodles at the bottom of the salad.

I was mesmerized by the smells coming out of this stall:

This lady had some major wok moves……

I ended up ordering a chicken dish. At first I thought it was chicken with basil, but the herb used to flavor this dish had a very earthy flavor….

The fried egg was a winner, though. And the cucumbers in Thailand and Laos always taste good. Not bad for 30 baht (less than $1/US). Of course you also need the ubiquitous fish sauce-chili condiment!

Any idea of where this food court was located? Here's another clue, check out where the utensils are stored…though these type of containers are not used much anymore, it should look familiar.

Yep, they are old surgical instrument sterilization containers!

And the food court is located right across from:

NongKhai Hospital…..it's the Hospital Food Court! It was also just a block away from where we were staying.

We walked back to our room, badly in need of a nap……

And dozed off, dreaming of what possible food was in store for dinner……

Thailand: One Night in Bangkok Part 2, and the Naga Festival in Nong Khai

November 6, 2008 mmm-yoso Bangkok, Nong Khai, Thailand, Thai Restaurants, Thailand, Travel

After wandering around Banglamphu for a while, we returned to our room, caught a short nap, woke, showered, and went downstairsto check-out. Lamphu House gladly stowed our backpacks, and we decided to do some sightseeing. Road traffic in Bangkok has earned some notoriety, and rightfully so, the city seems to caught in the grip of an eternal traffic jam. Luckily, there are several excellent mass transit options in the city. One of which is by boat. We were within easy walking distance of Phra Athit, and it was just a short boat ride to our destination Tha Chang.

The experience was an interesting one. The most amazing thing to me was how the young lady kept track of who had gotten on the ferry at each stop.

She would march up and down the boat, shaking her fare container, automatically stopping at every new customer.

Two stops later we had arrived at our destination. And wouldn't you know it, we stepped off the dock…into a rather large and busy "food court". And the fragrances made us realize it was time for breakfast.

From this shop…..

I ordered the Roast Duck Red Curry (35 Baht – about $1):

The curry was mildly spicy, and as seasoned well. The duck was pretty tender, and the flavor was on the "wild" side, which kinda freaked the Missus out. The Missus loves gamey flavors in most meats, but is of the opinion that all duck must taste of 5 spice. Needless to say, I enjoyed it much more than She did.

The Missus ordered Her "breakfast" from this booth:

It was a very tasty plate of deep fried fish with basil (40 baht):

The crosscut slices of fish had been, as the Missus put it, "fried to death, in a good way" and had the texture of a salty-peppery-savory jerky.

As a little bonus, the Missus had been curious about another dish. When She inquired about it, She was told it was "minced bird", and was given a little sample.

It was quite spicy, and on the chewy side, but very good nonetheless. All in all, a very nice breakfast.

We arrived at the gates of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace a bit early. And saw this procession of soldiers walking across the street.

The Missus, always the curious one, actually followed the soldiers across the street. As they sat down to breakfast……She started with the questions, as only the Missus can. Stuff like, "what are you here for, is there a parade?" I finally pulled Her away when, poking at their guns, She asked, "is this real?" It's amazing what She can get away with….had I gone down the same road, I'd probably be singing my own version of "One Night in Bangkok".

While we sat and waited for the venue to open, a very well dressed gentleman walked up to us, and informed us that the Grand Palace was closed for a Holiday, but never fear, he'd arrange to have us taken on a "special" tuk-tuk tour of some little known Wats. We almost felt honored to have been selected for the classic "Grand Palace is closed" scam! Of course the Grand Palace wasn't closed, and we saw students in school uniforms, so it obviously wasn't a holiday!

After paying the almost $10 entrance fee, we made our way into Wat Phra Kaew. I really loved the outline of the Stupa and various Temples against the Bangkok sky.

After walking along the grounds of the Wat for a while it struck me……Wat Phra Kaew was Bangkok in microcosm. Things seemed to be really packed in, a bit cramped, and crowded, but colorful and vibrant…full of life. The famed Emerald Buddha is quite tiny, and sits on a stand that is quite high, and so somewhat hard to see.

The Grand Palace itself seemed a bit anti-climatic.

We left, skirting the Palace walls, and made our way to Wat Pho(Temple of the Reclining Buddha). After paying the 50 Baht admission, we entered the main building. Prepared to be underwhelmed, I turned to the Missus and said, "ok, where's the reclining Buddha?" To which the Missus replied, "just turn around stupid….." I turned, and my jaw hit the floor….

It was a pretty impressive sight……..150 feet long, and 50 feet high.

The grounds of Wat Pho is less cluttered, and much more relaxing than Wat Phra Kaew. It is also the oldest Wat in Bangkok.

After wandering the grounds of Wat Pho for a while, we noticed it was getting a bit late, and we went on our way.

On our way back to Tha Chang, the Missus and I detected a scent that rose above the usual cooking smells of Bangkok. Curious, we ventured down an alleyway.

And our noses led us to this:

A quantity of seafood in various levels of fermentation, and barrels of dried shrimp, fish, and squid.

Quite an impressive array……

A few minutes later we were on our back to the Guest House to pick up our gear.

And headed back off to the Airport. As fate would have it, we found out our flight had been delayed, "for maybe 2 hours…." OK, so what to do at Suvarnabhumi Airport? We found that seating is rather scarce, and the Airport crowded, and the best option to find someplace to sit was at one of the fast-foodish restaurants. And there was one that I found a bit intriguing.

It is called 'R Burger', and is a Roppongi based Japanese-style "burger joint". If you are used to American burgers……the term burger is used in a rather loose context here. "Chicken burger garnished with Shiso and Ume dressing" anyone? How about a salad "stick"…..basically a Japanese riff on a Vietnamese spring roll. The burgers were pork, chicken, maguro….and announcing the newest addition to the R Burger line-up…the novel concept of a beef burger! (Looks like they are made from one-eyed cows, huh?)

And most importantly…..you just can't go without that special added ingredient….collagen ?!!!??!

It seems that the buns at R Burger are processed with Marine Collagen….I guess they inject their buns…to smooth out our "buns". In fact, you see the words "collagen", "healthy" and "smooth" strategically placed throughout the restaurant. Personally, I find that "Hot Dog", "Fried Potato Wedges", "collagen", and "healthy" a bit confusing. What was even more confusing was the "Avocado Salad Dog"…..which has no "Dog" and was basically a bun (don't forget the collagen), served with "hydroponic vegetable"…..to put it in overly blunt American terms…this was avocado, tomato, and lettuce, in a bun. All slathered with that most healthy of toppings; wasabi mayo…..hey, if the collagen doesn't smooth you out, the mayo surely will, right?

I purchased an R Dog "combo" which came with potato wedges and a drink. I chose a Green Tea drink…..which in a direct contradiction to everything else on the menu was exactly that, cold green tea…..nothing else.

The potato wedges were fried nicely, and if you're used to American portions, you'll be in for a shock…there were 7 wedges, served in a rather large paper sack.

Soon enough my 'R Dog' arrived.

It was a pretty large dog, long and thin, with a natural casing, but very little flavor….add to that the fact that I still can't get behind the idea of ketchup on a Hot Dog…though the Missus likes Her dog that way. What I really enjoyed was the bun….it was light, the crust was crisp, the bread a bit sweeter, but not too sweet….must be that collagen magic at work! And since we all know that collagen is the "glue which holds our body together" I had the added satisfaction of knowing that none of my limbs, or other body parts for that matter, would suddenly decided to take leave…my mind on the other hand, well, that's another story.

Finally, after what seemed forever…….our flight left for Udon Thani. One quick note on AirAsia, the flights are cheap, but as with any budget carrier, they will try to squeeze every Baht they possibly can from you…from charging for water (10 Baht), to charging for checking luggage. Luckily, the Missus and I were traveling light…..only carry on for us. The original plan was to arrive in Udon Thani at arround 4pm; catch a Tuk Tuk to the Bus Depot, and catch the bus to Nong Khai, which resides on the Thailand – Laos border. This way we'd make it into Nong Khai before dark. Unfortunately, our flight was delayed, and night falls like a dark, black curtain in this part of the world. We arrived to darkness, and the Missus was feeling a tad uncomfortable…..after a brief discussion I made an executive decision; we'd catch the shuttle from the airport to Nong Khai, and take our chances. Most of the folks getting on the shuttle were headed straight for the Friendship Bridge…the Lao border. We decided to get a good night's sleep…..in need of a destination, I muttered the only Guest House I knew of in Nong Khai….they very popular Mut Mee. We arrived to a driveway in almost pitch black darkness….but the really nice driver pointed down the pitch-black driveway, and smilingly said, "Mut Mee…down there". And, yes it was. We could hear the muttering of voices as well approached the end of the drive way….we made a turn, and arrived at a little desk fronting a kitchen area. A fellow with a British accent (Harps) greeted us with, "you are pretty late..…" And went one about the scarcity of rooms…..call it good timing if you will, but we arrived during the Bun Fai Phaya Naga, the Naga Fireball Festival. During the full moon of the 11th month, a mysterious event occurs in Nong Khai….mysterious fireballs arise out of the Mekong River…legend has it that mythical serpents create the fireballs. So, would we be able to get a room? Harps looked at us and apologetically said: "I'm sorry..…but it has been very busy….thousands of people. Even one of the Princesses visited! So the only thing we have is Julian and Pao's suite…and it is rather expensive…660 Baht a night." Are you kidding me? Less than 20 bucks a night…sold! Harps guided us over to the "suite"….and we freshened up…..(more on Mut Mee in a future post). Harps had also mentioned the festival, telling us it was about a 20 minute walk along the Mekong…and we could hear music playing. And soon enough we saw this from our front window:

Which only served the purpose of making us hurry even more…..plus we were pretty darn hungry. The banks of the Mekong in this area is paved, and well served with a walkway….which made things quite easy for us. Most of the restaurants alongside the Mekong were closed, the bars were of course open! And many of the businesses were releasing lanterns into the air:

This one had the unlucky fate of landing on the balcony of an abandoned building…starting a small fire…..it was handled with much good natured giggling……

As we approached the festival it slowly got more and more crowded…..and the every present fragrance of food was as intense as the music was loud. As we found throughout Thailand and Laos, everyone is up for a good time!

Along with the entertainment on a stage at one end of the festival:

Was this affair on another stage…..

Some kind of couples pageant….don't ask me to explain, I haven't a clue. I can say, that there was a speaking portion….but it looked like all the good looking young pairs from the area were involved….

Regardless, the Missus found this to be "really cute and charming" and stayed to watch for a while.

But eventually hunger trumped any desire to see who won the contest, and we walked pass all the food booths. As would be expected for a city along the banks of the Mekong; seafood was in abundant display.

Alongside the usual "meat on a stick", sweets, there were several Oyster Omelete booths.

And what Festival would be complete without a insect booth?

In the end, the Missus and I settled for some pretty basic stuff.

I went with some Pad Thai from this Father and Son team.

Kind of greasy, and lacking in tamarind tanginess, but serviceable.

The Missus went with a Papaya Salad from the smiling young man to the right. Quite pungent, with a bunch of fermented fish paste, it met the expectations of fair food. Nothing outstanding, but it quelled our hunger.

For dessert, I had some fried duck:

Tough, but with decent flavor……

The Missus went for a frozen popsicle like treat.

We hadn't seen any fireballs rising out of the Mekong….but had a fun time anyway. We walked back to our room, grabbed a beer and some water from the fridge at reception (Mut Mee works on a "honor system"….you grab stuff from the fridge, write down what you took in a book up front, and pay for it a check-out….I love it)., sat on the porch overlooking the Mekong, and along with counting the geckos on the ceiling, we counted our blessings as well…….hard to believe we'd only been in Thailand for a bit over 48 hours.

I know this has been a long post……but I thought you might enjoy it! Thanks for hanging in there!