Yes, I am now a Thai cook. And, according to Julia Child, never apologize for your meals when they don't meet one's high standards. So - in the future - I will only apologize when I can't find the right Thai ingredients. Where does one find holy basil in Alaska? Or Thai eggplant? Pia (a new friend) and I went the Thai Farm Cooking School just outside of Chiang Mai. We were picked up from our hotel and taken, along with five others, to the local fruit/vegetable market where we were shown a variety of local ingredients that make Thai food unique. I was able to wander around a bit, and found some cotton fabric that is unique to the area. I had been looking for it for a number of days and really felt like ... read more

We are starting to get used to these early mornings, even those who believe they are supposed to be on holiday and shouldn't have to get up on a schedule. Today was a ride in our trusty songteaw out to the first elephant hospital of it's kind. It was started by a very courageous Thai woman who truly has a heart for the suffering of animals who can't speak for themselves. The Friends of the Asian Elephant foundation was started in 1993 with the woman going from village to village in the Chiang Mai area and witnessing for the ethical and safe treatment of elephants. With support from world and local organizations she built the hospital, and it has become a home for five permanent resident elephants, two of whom lost one of their front legs ... read more

Last night - before meeting our group for the obligatory meet up with our tour leader (who is adorable and has the most amazing sense of humor) Noelle and I went on a search for a few temples. I have yet to really figure out if they are temples or monasteries. I think they are a combination of them - as most of the ones we've been to are more like complexes of many different buildings, some of which are for the upkeep, the cooking and eating of meals, and the housing of the monks. So far, it seems the temples housing the buddha images are in the center of the complex. They have all been labeled as "wat" - so I will continue to refer to them as such. So, Noelle felt her trip to ... read more

Well, downtown Bangkok is living up to it's reputation. It's loud, dirty, vibrant with the pulse of humanity, and crowded with some of the kindest most tolerant of people. There are thousands of tourists on our street in historic downtown Bangkok, Th Rambutti, which parallels the famous backpacker's haven of Khao San Road. The entire street is not much more than open air restaurants, bootlegged goods, cheap trinkets, street cart foods, foot massage places (complete with fish pedicures and couches lined up on the sidewalk, and tour offices. Thankfully, the locals who work here have been so friendly and helpful. My first evening in Bangkok, and I choose to take a free shuttle over to the Aksra Theatre to see if I could catch a performance of the hun loo-ang (royal puppets). Alas, the theatre was ... read more

Travel is travel, regardless of where it begins, right? I took a short trip down to Homer for a short stay at a dear friend's cabin over the weekend. I needed a little break from the school year before seriously packing up for the summer and the trip to Thailand and then back to Southeast. It was a great drive, with some welcome rain. The beach in Homer and the sights along the Turnagain Arm and Kenai river region are some of the most beautiful in Alaska. Today is officially "less than two weeks" before heading out to Thailand! I'm in a "packing crisis". Just how much is too much or too little?!?! Rick Steves or Samantha Brown - I could use a little help if you happen upon this blog :-)... read more