A trip to the Dentist

So guess what I did on my last day in Chiang Mai? That's right I went to the dentist. Sounds fun and exciting doesn't it. It was though. It's been years, and was desperately needed, and a cleaning was only $12. That's right $12. CRAZY! It wasn't like the dentist out of Marathon Man (Is it Safe? Reference for the older folks) or out of Alias (reference for you younger, and much geekier folks). It was clean, and modern, and man it was good. They wanted to do a sealing treatment, but I didn't have enough cash, so I passed. Honestly in you're in Chiang Mai, work the dentist into the travel plans you won't be sorry.

After that it was a trip to the proctologist...just kidding. I actually went to the blind massage school, and had an amazing hour massage for just $3. Those blind really know what they're doing. They can't see a thing, so they just feel all the trouble spots right away. It was a good thing they were blind though sicne my pained expressions could then go unnoticed. After that if was off to Bangkok, where 12 hours on a bus did away with any comfort I actually had from the massage. Well done Bangkok.


PRIZES!!!!! A TINY BUDDHA STATUE FOR THE FIRST PERSON TO NAME THE SOURCE OF THIS POSTS TITLE. NO GOOGLE CHEATING.

The Quest For Chicken

Now I can be a stubborn man. I'll give you a second to recover from the shock of that statement...Oh, done already? We'll move on then. This manifests itself when I'm traveling as an overriding desire to find places that I can't seem to find. If I want to get there, come hell or high water, I'll find it. The longer it takes the less likely I am to ask for directions, and it becomes a matter of honour, and my belief that I'm an excellent map reader (a skill that might come in useful on The Amazing Race I hope). Now this trip I've been a rock star at navigating. No matter what the city, after the first day or so, I'm usually good without a map I don't know where every street is, but I know areas, and how to find what I need. Bangkok however, KICKED MY ASS THE OTHER DAY.

So I set off to go to Wat Pho, since I didn't have enough time the other day. But I knew where it was, and was close by, so I left Khao San Rd, and started walking. Well I got lost. WAY LOST. So lost that I couldn't have told you what direction I was even heading in. I was also using the LP maps which were spread out over 10 pages, and I didn't even know which one to look at. That's when I became determined to find my way no matter what. It's not as easy as you think, since Bangkok has the worse signs ever. I eventually did find my way, and didn't get lost on the way back. Dignity tarnished, but salvaged.

Now all of that was a prelude to my quest for chicken. Lonely Planet kind of sucks, but their food recommendations are almost always bang on. So it was with that that I decided to dine at Soi Polo Fried Chicken. The best fried Chicken in Bangkok it said. I love fried Chicken...I mean love it, and I must admit, I made a damn tasty fried Chicken...damn tasty. So I was off to find chicken. The place however was pretty far, and a cab ride was out, as was walking. This meant braving the Bangkok bus system, and then taking the sky train, then walking a bit. The bus was easy enough, and the stop I wanted was near the MBK mall (which had awesome A/C so I just had to walk around there for a bit), so it was hard to miss. After that I figured out the Sky Train, and while I did miss my first stop, it was easily corrected. Then I exited to the street. I had no idea where I was.

I was dark so I couldn't navigate that way. The streets weren't labeled, and I had no clue where to go. So I figured I just walk to the next cross street and figure it out. Well the blocks aren't as close as in NYC, so I walked for 15 minutes before I came to a cross section...which had no signage either. So I turned and walked. I did see a big park, which was good, since the place I was looking for was around Lumpini park. I just had no idea what part of the park is was. So I continued walking. Now it turns out that when you're walking the streets of Bangkok, and see a big sign for an upcoming intersections the street on the sign isn't the street at the intersection, but the street that you're on. WTF? Who knew. Needless to say I walked around nearly the whole damn park. I was walking for at least an hour. It was getting late I was starving, and I'm lost at night in Bangkok. Time to swallow the pride and ask a taxi. They didn't know where it was either. I asked two drivers. No idea. They couldn't even speak English (despite the sign that says "Yes we speak English"), so they couldn't even tell me what street I was on.

So summoning all my navigatory ability (What? It's a perfectly cromulent word). I used the park,and the direction of traffic and all other little clues and was able to pinpoint exactly where I was. I was actually on the right street, but had walked about 15 minutes past Soi Polo. So I headed back. Now you might think that it's a bit of Thai humour that they have the best chicken on Soi Polo, I mean I did, I thought it was hilarious. Did they do it on purpose? Well it turns out the Bangkok Polo Club is on that street, hence the name. I don't know if that makes the joke better or worse, I'll leave that up to you. So I finally found Soi Polo, now I just had to find the restaurant (which I had been searching for for about 80 minutes). I was convinced that the place would be closed, but I was determined. Sure I passed a few places that looked good, but I wanted Chicken damn it.



Then I saw it. A cartoon roasted chicken in the window, a place packed with people. This was it. So I walked in. I was the only non-Thai in the place. They led me to my seat, I ordered a half-order (which LP said was enough for two), ordered a well deserved beer,and waited for the glorious meat. Now I was getting some stares. Lone white guy in a room full of Thai, I kind of stood out. I didn't care though, they didn't know what I had been through, they didn't know the lengths I went through to get here. Then the chicken came.

IT WAS SOOOOOO FUCKING GOOD




I mean it was insane how good this chicken was. Golden and crisp on the outside, moist and juicy on the inside. They even fry up garlic bits and pour it on top. And then there's the dipping sauce. Spicy, yet a little sweet. A really good Thai BBQ sauce. So I ate, and ate. After that plate was finished ordered another half order and eat that all up. All the while the Thais were getting drunker and drunker on 100 Piper Scotch (which made me kind of miss Piper. I miss my Dog). The dinner was amazing, and worth the journey. It took me all of twenty minutes to find my way back to the Skytrain by the way.

Being Taken For A Ride

So I was walking the streets of Bangkok, on my way to some Wats, when this kid approached me and asked where I was going. I said the royal palace, and then Wat Pho. Oh, they're closed for lunch, you should go around two. Now this didn't seem so far fetched, that happened in Vietnam and Cambodia all the time, so it had a ring of truth. Then he told me that the tuk-tuks with a certain number are government run, and therefore cheaper, and then pointed to a few places on the map I should go (most of which I was planning on seeing the next day, since I had just arrived in Bangkok that morning. He also told me I was in luck since this week there wasn't any entrance charge, and today was the last day. OK HERE IT COMES, IT'S ALWAYS THE LAST DAY WHEN THEY WANT TO SCAM YOU. Then he also names a place where I can get cheap clothes made. AND THERE'S THE SCAM! Low and behold one such Tuk-Tuk pulls up, and the kid talks to the driver and tells him where to take me all for 40 baht ($1). Now I know this is a scam. I've read about this scam. They take you somewhere, then take you to a jeweler or tailor, and they pressure you to buy over priced stuff. I've seen it before, but since I have no money, I usually get a cheap trip to a bunch of sights, so I actually like the scam. So we go to one Wat, and it was a really nice Buddha. NOW THIS IS HOW WELL THEY HAVE THE SCAM WORKED OUT. As I'm looking at the Buddha, this older man walks in and starts chatting. He asks where I'm from, and when I say Canada, he says he too lives in Canada, and is back in Thailand for a few months visiting family. He says he works for the Canadian consulate or something. He then tells me I'm lucky, because today is the last day of bale, bale,bale. And if I go to the tailor I get a special price and become a member, and can then order more stuff from back in Canada. MY GOD, THEY'RE ALL IN ON IT. He then says if I go to a specific travel place I'll get student rates which are much cheaper. This is one hell of a well designed scam.

So I get back to the Tuk Tuk, and the driver wants to take me to the tailor. I say no just to see what would happen, and that's when he tells you he gets gas coupons for bringing customers in. At least they're upfront about it. So I go. I'm led upstairs and we talk suits. Then it comes to price $280. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. I just laugh and ask if it looks like I can afford a $280 suit. So I leave. The driver kind of says I wasn't in there long enough to get him the coupon, but what could I do. After price is mentioned I can't say much without misleading the guy. So he take me to another Wat, this one with a 50 Ft. Buddha or something. It was quite amazing. Then it's back to the Tuk-Tuk ,and now he wants to take me to a jeweler. NO. Come on he says pretty much pleading. So I go. This is the last one he says after this two more sights and then to the palace. Well the jeweler was more than the tailor, so out I walk,and the driver's not happy, but he takes me to another Wat. This one was OK. So I walk out, and the driver is gone. No where to be found. Turns out though that I'm a 20 minute walk to the palace (which is only about 5 minutes further than when I started). So I basically got a free ride to a few wats I was going to see anyway, and it cost me nothing.

Hats off to the Scammers of Bangkok though, that was one well planned scam. On the way back from The palace (which was insanely beautiful by the way), I was once again offered a cheap ride. This time I elected to walk though, you can't scam the scammers twice in one day can you?

Crazy Horse Buttress

I arrived in Chiang Mai with a little bit of trepidation. I mean Lao was incredible, and I had heard that Thailand was pretty jam-packed with people, and I wasn't sure I was ready to take that. I don't think I could handle Vietnam right now, that's for sure. Thailand however was kind of the reason for this trip, so I was looking forward to seeing it, but was afraid that I was about 10 years too late, and the Thailand of my dreams was a thing of the past.

After leaving Lao, I took a boat across the Mekong to Chiang Kong, and from there took a bus first to Chiang Rei and then to Chiang Mai. I was traveling with Cat, a girl I had met on The Gibbon Experience, and who was gracious enough to allow me to follow her to Chiang Mai, sine I had no idea what I was doing. She had been in Thailand for awhile working for a Thai non-profit in Chiang Rei. She was working on a Thai citizenship project, working to get Minority Hill-tribes, Thai citizenship. So at this point she was pretty familiar with way Thailand worked, and it was pretty convienient to follow her lead along the way. Turns out that I shouldn't of worried about Thailand. Sure it's full of people, and chain stores (including McDonalds and Starbucks, boooo), but it still has charm and relaxed atmosphere that is unmistakeably SE Asian, and therefore quite a nice place. It's like any other city in some ways, but unique, and quite a place to spend a few days.

The first night we went to the Night Market which was huge, and soooo touristy, but still a sight to see. I just can't sem to get enough of markets no matter what they are. The next day I went sight seeing, and that's when I realised that I still have had it with sights. It's still Wat, Wat, Wat, statue, Wat, Wat, Wat, and I've had enough. Sure they're all nice and beautiful and incredibly serene and such, but I need to DO something. I need to experience things. There are numerous treks available, but they're all so over done, that you're not really seeing the real culture, you're seeing the Epcot center version of Norhtern Thailand. One trek had you riding elephants, rafting, visiting a temple, and two villages all in one day, with lots of other tours, where is the adventure in that? You're supposed to be in a remote hill tribe and ther are more tourists than Thais.

So what should I do? Well, I went climbing again. It was even better this time than in Lao. Me, along with two Americans went in the morning to Crazy Horse Buttres, and proceded to climb some of the most fun and challenging routes I've ever done. The two guides were excellent climbers, and both were on the National Climbing team. They just kept setting up routes until we just couldn't do them anymore. They kept doing harder and harder ones, finishing with a 5.13, which totally kicked my ass. I managed to get up it, but it was hard. Jos and Jen know how much I suck at climbs with a lot of small holds, and this one was full of them. It was still totally amazing though, and a great way to see some of Thailands natural beauty. We finished off the day with a 65 m rappel into a cave that was filled with little stone tower things, they kind of meminded me of Inukshuks (which I obviously have no idea how to spell). I was much more fun then seeing a bunch of Wats again.

The Gibbon Experience

I was sitting at a bonfire in Muang Ngoi, talking about the possibility of doing some treks before I left Lao, and one of the people there mentioned The Gibbon Experience (TGE). It's a conservation effort to maintain the habitat of Gibbons, specifically the Black-Cheeked Crested Gibbon, which is endangered. They've built a network of treehouses accessible only by ziplines. Being the good Biologist that I am I left the next day to head to Bokeo. The trip there was rather uncomfortable as the speedboat seats are more like a box, and you ride for 6 hours with your knees around your head. It was damn fast though.

I got to Houeisai (Way Sigh, in case you care to pronounce it properly), but there wasn't a tour for the next two days, so I had to wait a bit in the border town, and there was nothing to do. It's pretty much just a stopping point to cross over to Thailand which is just across the Mekong. I had now followed the Mekong from Vietnam to Cambodia to Lao, and in a few days to Thailand. TBE sounded amazing though. It's just in its second year, and its really only heard about through word of mouth, since its so new,and not in any guide books yet. It's a three day trek with two nights in the tree houses, and lots of walking in the jungle. I went for option two which involved more hiking, but also more wildlife. There were only 6 of us in the group, so we wouldn't be seeing anyone else. The other option was to stay in the first treehouse and just hand out. There were only 6 people in that option so in total there were only 12 of us in the whole place. This could only happen in Lao, anywhere else and there would be wall to wall people.

The first day started with a 3 hour drive on some of the most dusty and bumpy roads I had ever been on. Once at the camp we had to hike 40 minutes to the fist village to gear up, and then zip over to the first treehouse. IT WAS AWESOME! Zip lining is the most fun thing ever, but man is it scary at first. Once there we were given a rundown of the trip and the aim of the project. The goal is to not only protect the gibbons, but they also use the money raised form the project to train villagers to be guides and to act as rangers, which hunt the poachers which are killing the wildlife. They're goal is to make the project totally Lao run in a few years, thereby providing income and jobs for the remote villages, which are mostly comprised of minority tribes. For the three days we would be split up into two groups. The four girls went in one with me, and a German named Eddie in the other group. We would switch treehouses the next day. Once the guides bring you to the treehouse, then they leave you only coming back to drop off food and supplies. So you're basically on your own in a treehouse in the middle of a Lao forest. That could never happen in North America.



The first zipline from the treehouse was a 100m crossing between two off the mountains, with a drop of over 100m. It was a spectacular view, but nerve wracking as well. Then we did a few more zips and a bit of hiking to get to Tree House 3. We started settling in, and unpacked our trunk of food, and in it were all kinds of snacks, and the most amazing thing, a carton of cigarettes and a bottle of Lao Lao Whisky. They let you get drunk and give you unlimited access to ziplines! I love these people! Truly only in Lao. So Eddie and I settled in, and give some more zip-lining, and then it was time for dinner, which the guides brought up and then ate with us. Their English was Ok, but it was quite fun trying to communicate with them. I had to break out my note book a few times to draw pictures for the point to be made. At about that time the sun went down and the view from the tree house was spectacular. Then it was time to break out the Lao Lao, and do some more night zip-lining. We even did it with out flashlights for a bit, which was insane. We then passed the time telling tales of our trips, and Eddie convinced me to take a SCUBA course in Southern Thailand. The only sounds you could hear were from the wildlife, and it was quite peaceful. There was a full moon, so the surrounding Mountains were outlined,and we just sat and watched while playing cards.



Then we heard some rustling in the trees and the next thing you know there was this big cat on the railing on the treehouse. It looked like a Mercat, but it turns out it was a Civet Cat. The Civet Cat is probably most famous for eating coffee beans in SE Asia, which are then collected after passing through their digestive system, and t's supposed to be the best coffee ever. I'll eat a snake, but I'm not drinking poop coffee. Maybe I'll bring some home for Dad though. We watched the two cats which were climbing around for 40 minutes, before they finally got pissed at us and left. There was a nice piece of poop on our railing the next morning though, to thank us for the evening (no coffee beans though). After the visit from the Civet Cat the only visitors were insects, which wasn't to much fun. Falling asleep to the sound of birds and bugs was quite relaxing though, especially the 'I-go-you-go' bird (that's what he call sounds like).



The next morning we had breakfast in the treehouse. There is something incredibly amazing about drinking a good cup of coffee while hundreds of feet in the air, sitting in a treehouse. We got to do some more ziplines (which I was just told are also referred to as flying foxes, which is a much cooler name to tell you the truth), and then headed for a 3 hour hike through the forest (jungle?) to tree house 4. About 30 minutes into it we heard a rustling through the trees, and that's when we saw it...A fucking Gibbon!!! Now there are people that have worked at the place for 2 months that haven't seen a Gibbon, so we were pretty amazed. It passed by really quickly, and man can those things swing fast. I wasn't able to get a picture of it though, although we then stood there for 20 minutes hoping more would come. We did see a few other animals including this huge bird, but unfortunately that was our lone Gibbon experience.


Tree House 4 is by the river, so along the way we did some swimming, while the guides caught some fish. There was also a waterfall near TH4, so that was kind of neat. The view from TH4 isn't quite as good as TH3, but it was still pretty awesome, and this time the guides stayed with us which was pretty fun. We were going to teach them a few card games, but they were pretty tired. The next day we hiked back out to the village, and then caught a lift back to Houisay. We might not have seen too many Gibbons (but the other group saw none, so HA!), but the experience and solitude made the trip so worth it. Definitely one of if not THE highlight of my trip. If you're ever in Lao, GO! Heck even if you're not in Lao, book a damn ticket and go.

The Perfect Place

Muang Ngoi Neua. That's the perfect place. When you decide to travel to SE Asia you imagine remote villages, with no roads full of friendly locals, where you can relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the area and eat some good food. Then you get here and its just tourist everywhere, with modern conveniences and that little dream dies a bit. Then you go to Lao and your heart perks up a bit. Then you take a bud up to Nong Kiew, then take a boat to Muang Ngoi Neua since there are no roads connecting teh two, and then you've found the perfect place. Muang Ngoi is about 6-7 hours up river from Luang Prabang. It has one main street and only has power from 6:30-9:30. After that its just up to the moon and your flashlight. There are no roads which means that there are no cars or motorbikes, and therefore no Honking.

The bus ride was interesting, in Lao they seem to be able to fit as many people as needed on the public buses, so if you want a good seat, you better arrive early. We waited in Nong Kiew for a bit, enough time to chat with some fellow travelers, and have a BeerLao. I met up with two Swedes named Petter and Christina, A Norwegian named Petter (I know we had a Peter and two Petters, crazy), an English bloke named Paul, and this crazy German named Rafael. So we crammed onto the boat and headed to Muang Ngoi. Now the only accommodation is these Bamboo huts, and they run about $1 a night. The town is tiny. Once settled into my hut on the riverfront, I heard some familiar voices, and realized that this Canadian couple I had met in Nha Trang was in the Bungalow right beside mine.

The first night we all just hung out, and when the power went out we ate by candle light. The moon was a waxing gibbous moon, so it was bright enough to see by, and I just sat in my hammock and watched the stars and mountains before heading to bed. The next day some of us went tubing, but unlike Vang Vieng there were no bars along the way. Just us, the Mountains, and the water, you couldn't ask for a more serene atmosphere. After a bit we were afraid the guy had taken us too far upriver and that it would be hours before we got back, but we managed to reach home in 2 hours so that was kind of nice. We celebrated our journey by going from street stall to street stall trying all these different dishes. One of the best was this girl making Papaya Salad, and man it was the best Papaya salad I've had to far. Catherine had brought a bag of peanuts which we asked to be added, and the girl said if we came back tomorrow she's bring some peanuts for us (which she did). We then had some hammock time, and then a nice dinner before heading down to the bonfire at the beach.



The next day was probably the best of all. We walked out of town to go towards the caves. No one was at the caves so it took us awhile to find the right entrance. WE had to wade into the water a bit, and then try to discover the right path, as there were no markings anywhere. I'm still shocked they let people into that place alone. A lot of the time we were walking across slippery rocks with 10 ft. drops on either side. The cave eventually ended with an 8 ft drop into the water below, but as there was no discernable way out, we decided to head back. That's when we got lost. Turns out we were walking in circles, and after realizing this tried to find another path. We went up one way, and finally saw a crack of daylight off in the distance. I have to say we were all a little relieved. I wouldn't say I was afraid, but we were all getting a little nervous. We went for a quick swim in cave entrance, and then walked to the next village for some food.



The next village was about 30 minutes away, and in the middle of some rice paddies. You have to wonder how they get their supplies, since the path we took is the only route, and it's not on the river. After lunch we wanted to see the waterfalls, so we walked to Ban Ha village which was another 30 minutes away. We soon reached the village only to be told that the water fall was 60 minutes away! We walked around town a bit and then found some local kids playing in the stream, and they took us to a smaller waterfall where we could cool off. We ended up hiking for over 6 hours, but it was nice to be able to do it without a guide, and without really any plan, but then that’s what makes Lao so great. We were all pretty tired, so we bought a few (5) bottles of Lao wine, and drank the lot by the moon light.

After that active day we decided to just lounge around the next day, so we went to the beach and swam the day away. We then went to the bonfire and there were a group of Lao kids playing the guitar and singing Lao songs, it was quite a night, and it wasn't even ruined by the free Lao Whiskey they were passing around. I was leaving the next day, while Petter, Raf, and Paul were going to try and go further North. It was tough to say goodbye to them, as they were really fun travelling partners, but unfortunately they just came from Thailand, and that's where I was heading next. It was also tough to leave Muang Ngoi, but I was getting itchy feet to start moving again, and I had heard about this Gibbon Conservation area, so I wanted to check that out before heading to Thailand.

I AM Just Here For The Food

So I figured if eating Lao food was great, well then why not try cooking it. A restaurant down the street was offering cooking classes, so I signed up, and got hungry. Now I haven't cooked anything since I left my Mom's inn, so I was a little nervous about the class. I ended up taking it with this older French couple, and they were a lot of fun. The women, Sylvie, had been to Lao before and knew a few dishes, but Jean-Pierre hadn't really cooked South-East Asian food though, but you could tell they were both really into food.

The class started with us gathering around the recipe book choosing dishes to make and drinking tea. After we had chosen, one of the cooks took us to Phousi Market, and gave us a tour. It was really fascinating. I mean I had been to markets before, but with a guide you got to really learn what all these weird things were, and man were there some weird things (the oddest being big blocks of solidified blood). If your at all into proper food hygiene though, then don't go to the market, the amount of flies that were on the meat, probably would had turned you vegetarian (unless you are vegetarian already, Hey Lisa!). So after wandering around the market it was back to the restaurant to learn about Lao food.

First the chef sat us down and showed us the basic ingredients in Lao cooking. If you don't have these she said, then you can't cook Lao. She then showed us a few other ingredients that we probably wouldn't ever find at home, since they usually are only found in the jungle. Me being the smart guy that I am had chosen a recipe that will be impossible to replicate at home since it contained quite a few jungle ingredients including this special kind of wood, which you soak and then throw into the stew. Where the hell am I going to find spicy wood in Canada? I just don't think Maple will cut it. She then told us the proper way to make sticky rice and sticky rice powder, which was really interesting. So after the lesson, we went to our cutting boards and the chef taught us how to properly chop garlic, shallots, lemon grass, and Galangal (which was really tough to cut). After that it was off to the kitchen.

The cooking part was really fun, except, again I chose the wrong damn dish, and spent most of the time stirring the stew, and breaking up sticky rice while the other two were stir-frying their asses off. We did eventually switch though, so all was good. The smells coming out of the kitchen were amazing, and we were just getting hungrier and hungrier. Finally we finished everything and sat down to eat. Below is a description of each dish along with a picture.

Mok This dish, which is a little different than the Cambodian Amok, is a coconut milk/curry based dish which is then steamed in Banana Leaves. It was pretty tasty, but not my favourite. The steaming of the coconut milk gives it an almost custardy texture which I wasn't a fan of. It was good though, and fun to fold into the leaves. Ours was made with chicken, but you could easily substitute fish. I think I like the Cambodian Amok better, as that is more of a stew served in a coconut, and while the taste is the same, I prefer the texture of Amok.


Fried Rice Salad This was probably my favourite dish. You take left-over steamed rice and mix it with beef and herbs, and seasoning, then roll it into balls, coat it in egg, and then fry it up until its a dark brown. Once that done you then break up the balls into little bits, and mix in more herbs and a fish sauce based sauce. It's darn tasty. It has soft bits and crunchy bits, and the flavour was incredible. This is one recipe I'm definitely trying at home, so if you want some come on over. Most south east Asian cuisine is a balance between Hot, Salty, Sweet, and Sour, and this dish does it really well, throwing the change in textures in there for good measure.


Luang Prabang Stew This was the dish I chose, and the reason I chose it was because the original dish I picked was coconut milk based and we already had two of those. This one had a long list of ingredients, so I thought it might be fun. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a pain in the ass, and I can't make it at home, but it was pretty tasty. The pain in the ass part was that after slightly roasting a ball of sticky rice you then have to break up the ball into little bits, since that's what thickens the stew. Well sticky rice is well...sticky, and it was hard to break it into little bits. Plus then I had to stir it for 30 minutes which was quite exciting let me tell you. It did use a bunch of jungle leaves, spicy wood, and jelly mushrooms so that was kind of neat. The taste was good, and it had a kind of earthy taste to it. So I'm glad I picked it, but there were better dishes to be had.


Ginger Chicken If you like Ginger, you'll love this dish. It starts by caramelizing sugar and water until it's a dark caramel colour, you then stir-fry the aromatics, and then add the fish. If I was making this at home I would have added more fish, but I could see them not wanting to give you a lot of fish for the class. It had a really sweet taste along with a strong ginger taste which kind of balanced out both. The sauce it pretty sticky, and coats everything really well. If you don't like ginger, well then move along. This one was a great one to watch being made since at each step you had to add the ingredients at the right time. The sauce had to be just the right colour, you had to stir-fry the onions, garlic, and ginger just the right amount before adding the fish so that the former wasn't burned and the latter wasn't under or over cooked. I'd say this was my third favourite dish of the day.



Coconut Milk SoupThis was probably my second favourite dish, and I think it's because it actually reminded me of the amok I was talking about earlier. It was basically a chicken soup (although you could add fish or tofu) in a coconut based soup. It smelled amazing and tasted even better. The chicken which is stir-fried first with aromatics like onion, galangal and garlic, was really tender, and the consistency was great. If I was making it at home I would probably cut some of the tings into smaller pieces. The jelly mushrooms were a bit big, and the odd texture made it a bit weird to eat, but it was a tasty soup.


So fun was had, food was eaten and I learned a lot about Lao cuisine which is something I knew zero about before coming here. Sure I had made Lap before, but I thought it was Thai. At the end of class they gave us a cookbook full or recipes, so if anyone wants some Lao food when I get home let me know.

BEST. SANDWICH. EVER!

Ok, remember when I told you that the sandwich from Can Tho, was the best sandwich, well I was sniffing glue, because the sandwich at PVO in Vientiane is clearly the best sandwich in the world. I honestly don't know what's in it. A lot of weird stuff it seems, but damn was it good.

First off, the Baguette was really good bread. Most sandwich places in South East serve an OK baguette, but usually they're too airy, and there is nothing to them. This one though, had just the right amount of bread and crust for a sandwich. Now onto the fillings. For veggies there were Green Onions, Cilantro (my most favourite herb ever, for those keeping notes), Tomatoes, regular onions, and Cucumbers. The meat is a little more difficult. There was definitely a salami like meat, although the spices were south-east Asian. Then there was the 'Pate', which is usually more akin to Spam, than pate. This one though was really good. I have no idea what's it's made from, and frankly if it's that good who the hell cares. Then they put on this spicy sauce which seems to have the flavour of Sambal, with the consistency of Aioli. All those things together....one hell of a sandwich.

The only negative, was that I didn't try it until my last day, so only got the one. I tried to get one in the morning, but the bus was coming too early. Fuck. There really wasn't much in Vientiane, but that sandwich made the trip worth it. It's funny though because you run into other travelers and ask what they thought of Vientiane, and they all say the same thing "It was kind of a dull town, but did you try the sandwiches at PVO?" Then you both get this glazed look in your eye as you try to remember the taste, and you can just tell that both of you wish you could get your hands on one right that instant.

Climbing Lao

I haven't been climbing in months pretty much since the beginning of summer and man do I miss it. So as I was walking the streets of Luang Prabang, I noticed an eco-tourism place was offering a climbing excursion the next day. I've never climbed outside before, so why not start in Lao. Man it was funner than hell. There was just me, and a French couple along with a guide, and we just climbed all day. I could tell I hadn't done it in a while though, because it was tough. Climbing the side of a mountain in Lao is highly recommended though. The view as you were climbing up was amazing, and just hanging off those rocks was a thrill. I miss climbing. I also missed Jos, Jen and Tomas though, you just can't find better climbing buddies than those three.

Sure later that day my hands were aching, and my legs were sore, but it was totally worth it. Guess what I got to do the next day to relax....

Potato Chips of South-East Asia

Now I love Potato Chips. I have this weakness for them. I'm more than happy to eat a whole bag of BBQ chips, and call that dinner. Going to South East Asia though, I thought I would have to find another snack somewhere. This I actually did, when Evan, the kid from the Halong bay trip introduced me to these sweet sesame peanut candies, which I instantly became addicted to. I needed the salt though. I was craving potato chips. Luckily Potato chips are everywhere here. In Vietnam, Pringles reigned supreme. They were everywhere. Every corner store, every sidewalk vender, there were Pringles. Now I hate Pringles, but I guess they ship well, and they seem to have caught on. So they made do for a while. In Vietnam you could also find other chips, but only in little small bags, that just wouldn't do. Cambodia was a bit better. They had larger bas and an interesting assortment of flavours...along with Pringles. The Potato Chip Mecca of South East Asia though, is Lao. This place is freaking awesome. They have Lay's here, and some other brand, whose name I can't decipher, and the flavours are endless. They have the regular BBQ, and Sour cream and Onion, but they also have Chicken Curry, Crab Curry, Nori Seaweed, Salmon Teriyaki, and my current favourite, Grilled Lobster. I kid you not, the chips taste like grilled lobster, and it is good! Now I just have to figure out a way of getting case home without crushing it.

Em & Alyssa were right, it is the Happiest Place on Earth

In Emily and Alyssa's excellent blog, they mentioned that Vang Vieng was like Disneyland, but in Lao, and they weren't far off. The whole place is just filled with tourists and there are fun rides everywhere. Of course there are no rollercoaster’s or bumper cars, but there is rafting, kayaking and tubing, and plenty of other ways to lounge the day away. Vang Vieng is fun, and that seems to be he only reason it's there. Now some people may consider that a bad thing, but if you hit it at the right point in your travels, then it's a magical place. After weeks of seeing sites, and going from place to place, it was nice to find a place that really just let you do what you wanted to do. It also could be called the Happiest Place on Earth just due to the abundance of 'Happy Pizza' places and 'Happy Shakes', which is pretty much just pizza and milkshakes laced with Pot or Magic Mushrooms.

After spending the last few weeks visiting Palaces and Wats, it was nice to get to a place where you can relax and enjoy nature. I met a Dutch guy named Quoc on the bus, who, along with being a fashion designer/artist, was also of Chinese/Vietnamese origin, and it always surprised people that he was from Amsterdam. We decided to share a room, and found a nice place overlooking the river. The first night we just walked around a bit, and that took all of 15 minutes. Vang Vieng isn't a big place. It was on this walk that I ran into Tiffany from the Snedden lab. It was really weird to see a familiar face from home.

The next day Quoc and I went tubing which was really fun, you basically rent an inner tube, they drop you off, and then you just float down to the end. Of course along the way there are a bunch of bars, where you can get some Beer Laos, and relax in the sun. A stressful day it was not. They even have these huge rope swings that you swing on and then land in the water. It's a rough life. Quoc and I took a little too long at the pit stops though, and had to paddle fast towards the end to make it back by sundown. To relax at the end of a long day, we ate at this organic food restaurant, and then went to one of the many TV bars which show Friends non-stop. You just relax on these couch like things, drink beer, and just watch episode after episode of Friends. Don't like the season they're playing? Then just go down to the next place which is probably showing a totally different season. There were also bars showing Soccer, Family Guy, and Simpsons, so take your pick (by the way as I type this I'm sitting next to a young monk, who is checking his email account. Lao is a strange place).

The next day we decided to rent bikes an explore some caves. It was a nice 15 km bike through the country side, and of course when we get to the caves there was a tent set up serving nice cold drinks. Perfect! The caves were amazing. The fist one, Elephant Cave, had a Buddha statue and a stalactite in the shape of an elephant. The next cave, which we needed a guide and head lantern for, stretched for over 2 km, and ended in an underground lake. After sweating from the long hike, the cool clean water was amazingly refreshing. We then went on to the next cave, which wasn't as big, but was huge. It was supposedly used during the Vietnam War, and the Lao war, to house refugees, and protect people from bombings. They were pretty nice digs too. After the trip, we went to give our guides a tip and, then they said that it was $10 for the two of us. Now no one told use the price before hand, and we had to pay admission to get to the caves, so we thought that included a guide, which they make you take. We tried to say, how they should have told us upfront, but the guy wasn't getting it. We finally got it down to $5 for the, and despite the underhanded way, it was well worth the few bucks. The last cave we went to was all filled with water, and we had to rent tubes as well as headlamps to enter. It was spectacular though. We just floated into the cave, and soon we were in total darkness. The cave went on for a fair ways, and then we hit a sandbar, and decided to investigate the rest on foot. After walking about 75 meters we found a long dark tunnel which was submerged, and I (channeling all the curiousness of Tomas), swam to find the end. We had left our tubes further back, and I was afraid of getting electrocuted by the headlamps which were powered by what looks like car batteries, so I left mine on the rocks, and Quoc shone his down the tunnel so I could see. I swam about 200 meters, and the tunnel was narrowing, but at this point I couldn't see a damn thing, and decided to head back. Then we just chilled in the tubes, and enjoyed the sounds of the cave. It was an awesome experience.

Quoc had never been kayaking before, so we rented some, and a guide and went for a 20km paddle. The rapids weren't that great in the day season, but it was a lot of fun, and definitely quicker than the tubes. We did end up on the same route, and it was nice to stop on the shore for some beer and water swings. I tried towing some tubers down the river, but having 10 people in a chain attached to your kayak, made for some hard paddling, so eventually they detached, and I was exhausted. That night after watching a few more episodes of friends, and having an amazing Indian meal (honestly, best Chicken Tikka Masala I've ever had), we went down by the river, where thee are some after hours bars. The night before there weren't many people there, but this night it was hopping, and we stayed up till about 5am drinking buckets of coke mixed with Lao Whiskey. Along the river they had fires going, and like bamboo huts to relax in. Once again, it's a hard life in Vang Vieng.

Quoc and I spent another day or so in Vang Vieng, and then parted ways. Me heading to Luang Prabang, and Quoc, heading back to Vientiane, so that he could get back to Bangkok, and get a flight home. He was a great traveling companion, and hopefully we'll meet again one day, when he comes to Toronto to visit his cousin. Vang Vieng was great, and the perfect rest I needed before heading back to other cities. Sure it's a tourist place, but sometimes, that can be a good thing. I'm glad every place isn't like that, but it's nice to have a place where you can do a lot or do a little, and it's always a good time.