January 14, 2018 – January 29, 2018

Next stop, Chiang Mai, Thailand for more amazing food, culture, and to meet up with John’s cousin Frank.  We rented a 2 bedroom apartment on Loy Kroh road just outside the Old City walls and this location allowed us to easily explore the city by foot, tuk tuk or red truck.

When we were in Bangkok we didn’t go to any temples so I was excited to be surrounded by them. Literally when you got inside the Old City walls they were everywhere but each still had it’s own uniqueness.  The detailed architecture, ornamentation, gardens and use of vibrant colors made me appreciate the craftsmanship and beauty of each temple.  Most of the time we wandered around and just looked at them from the outside because it was hot and we did not dress appropriately.  When we did go in, John (the baby), was so cute.  He would eagerly take his shoes off and go up the stairs, then inside he would wander around and sometimes he even got down on the ground and mimicked others that were praying.

As we travel we always try to do some specific activities for the baby so we took him to the playground at the park a couple of times, went to a cat cafe to play with the cats, and went to a couple of different mall playgrounds.  The baby got his first haircut in Chiang Mai too!  It was sad to see his beautiful, blond curls go but it was time.  The woman was very sweet and it only cost $5.  There were some tears but John played on his iPad so he dealt with it.

 

Of course another focus is food and I was happily surprised to experience a few new amazing dishes, but these were specific Northern Thai.  To start off with, my favorite, Khao Soi and I really liked it from a tiny restaurant called Khao Soi Khun Yai. It’s a spicy, creamy curry dish with soft egg noodles topped with crispy egg noodles and served with pickled mustard greens, red onion and lime on the side.  I wish I could have some now!

Another Northern Thai dish I fell in love with was Gaeng Hang Lay (Burmese-style Sweet Curry). It’s a deep, red curry with pork belly, ginger and other spices (no coconut milk). I tried it a at a couple of places and my favorite was from Aroon Rai. They captured the amazing flavor with a little less spice than other places like Ginger & Cafe.

Northern Thai Sausage must be mentioned as well. It’s a spicy sausage with fatty pork, lemongrass, garlic, galangal and other spice. It makes you wonder what kind of sausage you have been eating all your life.

One more savory favorite in Chiang Mai is Khao Kha Moo. It’s slow stewed pork legs and the outcome is juicy flavorful meat that falls off the bone. It is often served with a hard boiled egg, pickled greens and some extra sauce on the side. Yes it is all over Bangkok and Chiang Mai but if you get this from Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak food stall you will not be disappointed. It’s at Chang Phuak night market and you know you found it when you see a woman wearing a cowboy hat with a line in front of her.

For dessert, coconut ice cream with sweet rice, mango and crunchy rice on top. Yes, this was also delicious in Bangkok but the addition of sweet rice adds a little extra texture that elevates this to the next level. I have to admit, if someone asked me if I wanted rice in the ice cream I would have said no, but thankfully John bought this and shared it with me. I am so grateful!

We also went to a large local market selling everything for really inexpensive prices and were the only tourist there.  It was such a great experience to see how locals live because there are tourists everywhere around the Old City and it caters to them.  We bought a bunch of fruit and on our walk back we found a woman selling bugs at a different market. Frank bought some grasshoppers and him and John tried some.  Lets just say that there was a lot of leftovers and I was not going to try them.  They were not crunchy and could have been cooked longer.

Our trip to Chiang Mai was a good time, especially because we got to see Frank.  Meeting up with family outside of the US as we travel is such a memorable experience that I hope we get to repeat many times over the next few years.