Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013: Chiang Mai

We are learning that Thai time of 8.30 a.m. really means 9.00 a.m. -- which we are fine with.
At approximately 8.30/9.00 a.m. this morning, we were picked up by the Aoy Benz, the owner of the Galangal Cooking Studio www.galangalcooking.com
 

At the cooking school, we joined three young single women in their 20's from the Ottawa area who were staying in South East Asia for three months and a young couple from Hong Kong who were visiting Thailand for five days.  Initially, we completed a list of dishes we wanted to make.  Then we were taken to the market to buy the ingredients that we needed to make the various culinary delights.

During the morning and afternoon we made and ate the following dishes:  Green Curry Paste, Massamun Curry Paste (a whole of muscle power, but worth the effort); Hot and Sour Chicken Soup (delicious), Chicken in Coconut Milk Soup (wonderful); Papaya Salad (amazing taste); Minced Pork with Friend Holy Basil (truly unique taste), Pad Thai (what an achievement); Spring Rolls, Fish Cakes (very good); Deep Fried Bananas (amazing), Mango With Sticky Rice (heavenly).  Our instructors were patient, informative and fun.  We completed the day feeling very full, very satisfied, much more knowledgeable about Thai food and cooking  and very motivated to cook Thai food. 

Completing our cooking adventure, we decided to research travel from Chiang Mai to Laos.  It seems that this travel  is not as easy as it would seem as it can take a significant period of time depending upon the mode of transportation.  Our research revealed the options of taking a bus, small van, boat, speed boat and plane.  As we pictured ourselves on a speed boat for some six hours (pictures of our Panama boat trip in our heads), we decided that air transportation was the best option for us given our 'limited' time in South East Asia.  After talking with 'Jack"and a tour agent at our hotel, we booked a flight from Chiang Mai to Laos for January 25th.