Laotian DIY Meal

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We all took a shower to get rid of the mud on our arms and legs and then had some chill out time which included a nice bottle of red wine for Cas and I on our terrace.
Cas found two great restaurants and the hotel provided what can only be described as an electric golf buggy to transport us there. It was very pretty as the tables were surrounded by a lily pad pond. Except...there was nothing on the menu suitable for Ed and Hat - so we politely left. A 15 minute walk along the main road, through the many stalls being set up for the night market and we and reached a bamboo bridge which took us across the river to the second restaurant. It was a really good decision because we had a fantastic time. The central black tiles on our tables were removed and fiery charcoal braziers was popped in the hole and topped with a sort of upside down slatted frying pan with a channel running around the outside for stock to make a soup. Then we had plates of very thinly sliced pork, chicken and buffalo and bamboo baskets full of colourful seasonal veg, mushrooms and a variety of noodles. It was all delicious. The kids loved being chefs and making food for us and they mostly stuck to the meat. The sun set and it quickly became dark. The whole evening was finished off with some noisy games of Jenga and a chocolate and fruit fondue. Pretty fairy lights lit the way back down the steps and across the bamboo bridge. After a while, Hat needed a piggy back and she said I was 'as strong as a boar', I suggested that she came up with a better animal and I was quickly upgraded to 'a bear'. A chapter of Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban settled everyone down for the night. A really great day.

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