Home but missing the sun

And we are home... I don't know if I want to cry of joy or because I am sad. But I have to say that there is something very wrong with our reality...snow outside, freezing and we are tanned as hell... So I guess we did bring summer with us, at least my body did :) But before we get back to the Monday reality I still have a few Thailand pictures to show you. We took a Thai cooking class and learned to do a proper Thai meal. It only took us two hours I think, but it was well worth it since Asian cuisine is oh so delicious. And also so simple...it is great food with a mix of flavors that give you endless possibilities. Our menu contained: Spicy vermicelli noodle salad with minced chicken, Crispy fried minced shrimps marinated with coriander root and garlic, and Roasted duck in red curry. It was fun, we met some very nice people and I got to see Traian in the kitchen cooking something else other than breakfast ( between you and me, his curry tasted better then mine...hush, don't tell him! :))

Our chef

Fresh Ingredients, Pineapple, Tomatoes and Red Chilli

Spices: palm sugar, fish sauce, red curry paste.

Getting started

Cooking with a smile, the best cooking if you ask me.

Our Duck Curry is ready

The salad

Master Chef here we come :))

And our lunch, made by yours truly 

Thailand Part 5 - The local market

This week we made a visit to the local market in one of the villages of the island. It was part of our cooking class, so that we get more accustomed with the local ingredients. The market opens at 3 a.m. and it closes around 10 a.m and they sell everything from fruits and vegetables to meat and seafood. It was very interesting to see all the different fruits and vegetables that grow here and to get to experience how Thai people buy their food. They are very warm people and I think you can see it from the few portraits that Traian took. I loved to see a bit of everyday life outside our nice resort and to be able to capture a bit of the authenticity of this country.

Local Sweets

 Different types of eggplants

Purple eggplants

Curry paste

The red chilly, so present in their cooking

This lady, when she saw us take a picture, she starting arranging her hair

And now picture ready, such a warm smile

Fresh seafood

What looks like green peas in my hand are again eggplants, that have a very biter taste

I was a bit shocked to see that they sell fresh meat at the market considering the heat.
No freezer or any sort of cooling method...

This is are lemon leafes that smelled so good

Thai pineapple that is smaller than the one we are used to buy in our supermarkets.

The pink eggs are pickled eggs  

Cut baby girl with her dad

Yupa, the Chef and the guide from the Marriott Thai restaurant

Mangos

She was preparing to take all the merchandise on the scooter, in order to go and sell it in the other villages

Thailand part 4

I love this place, it is the most fun and relaxing holiday I have ever had. And I lost count of the days that is why the title of this post doesn't follow the logic of the previous ones. But back to my rambling about this place, we finally made it to the other islands. It was a day trip with a guide on a speed boat, it was exhausting  but the views we got to see were worth everything. We saw the Phi Phi islands and Bamboo island in one day. The water was clear blue and the sand was white and smooth, like everything you see in the touristic brochures. But as much as I loved the views I didn't like the tourist crowds. This islands are very popular, and every day there are a lot of boats bringing people to visit them. So I am very glad that we chose to stay on Mai Khao beach, where, even if the water is not crystal clear, we have the beach to ourselves. 

Pirate cave

Maya Bay,  the place where the movie The Beach was shot

Snorkeling with the fishes