Thailand, take 2....

20/08/2012

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It's been six short months since my last trip to Thailand, and I couldn't wait to get back! I desperately needed a holiday and thought that I could easily slip back into the Thai way of life......

Travelling with my best friend, Rupi, here is a few notes I made on our whirlwind holiday.

I am ashamed to admit it, but I initially thought the worst was happening when our driver from the airport pulled into a dark building at 12.30am wanting us to 'pay'. Even though it had only been six months since my last trip here, the fear crept in. The stories that you hear on the news, the dangers....all of it replayed in my mind at warp speed. All of this while putting on a brave face so as not to alert him to my fear. It was a humbling moment to step into a clean, airconditioned office, with 3 reception girls (one very pregnant) and be greeted with smiles, welcomes and cool water and fresh towels. That moment I knew I had nothing to worry about. The Thai are genuinely friendly people, however their idea of friendly is very different than ours. They have no issue telling you the harsh truth, no matter how hurtful we may think it is, they are merely stating a fact. 

Heading to the resort, I relaxed. So much that I didn't even care that the driver was topping 180km- I trusted him. Anyone who has visited an Asian country before will know what I mean- the driving is atrocious and extremely advanced. 

There are no road rules, no pedestrian crossings, no road rage. Your life is in the hands of someone who weaves in and out of traffic like a pro, dodging tuk tuks, motorbikes, scooters, dogs and people. You just have to let them. This is what they do.

After a few doses of my beloved 'Australian Bush Flower Essence Travel' drops on the plane and when we got the the hotel, we both slept deeply and awakened to a new day.

It took a few short minutes for me to get used to the smell again, and even less time to get used to the heat. My body was crying out for some warmth and I could feel it working its magic. 

Breakfast is a fun affair. Table after table of fruit, breads, hot food, traditional Thai and Japanese foods, Western foods and fresh juices. It is so easy to eat a big breakfast; baked beans, mexican potatoes, ratatouille (awesome for breakfast!), toast, and lots and lots of fresh fruit. 

On the street- this is the fun part. The vendors with the fresh coconuts are my fave- for about 50B, you can walk along with an icy cold, freshly cracked coconut. They sell bags of paw paw, pineapple, watermelon- all so fresh and sweet.

You will get asked if you need a taxi, a tuk tuk, a massage, a pedicure, a suit, a handbag, a t-shirt......all of it up for bartering. 

As I whiled away the hours on the beach or by the pool, I felt the ideas flowing quick and fast. From now on, 2 holidays a year. It is now a pre-requisite. 
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My kind of street food!
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Delicious fresh salads....
Massages were a-plenty, we shopped till we (I!) dropped (no-one can bargain quite like Rupi), I swam, and swam, however my favourite day by far was our trip to Phi Phi Ley, Phi Phi Don, Khai Island, Maya Beach and Monkey Beach. I love the colour of the water, the blinding blue, the hot sun and sand, and the fact that you lose all track of time.....
You all know I love my coconuts.....but there is nothing quite like a freshly picked, chilled coconut that is cracked in front of you. I had about 4 a day......
And here are some sneaky pics from my phone.....

Waiting to board in Melbourne
I never stop working.....but I love it!
I love funny signs.....
Breakfast was a delicious fruit salad.....look at that dragonfruit!
I only understand one word on this sign....
I found it easy enough to order Thai dishes and make them vegan. Thai paste usually contains shrimp paste and fish sauce, and is often cooked with chicken stock. However, I find that asking for 'Vegetarian' (the word 'vegan' doesn't mean a lot there) with NO (you have to be firm!) fish sauce, shrimp paste, animal stock, meat, fish, egg or dairy. It sounds like a mouthful, and I often had to wait a little bit longer for food, but it was worth it.
Juice 'bars' were fresh and so cheap!
Indian food is amazing in Thailand; again, just order as above- with no ghee. We ate at the most incredible Indian restaurant!
If only it were that easy!
And having fun on Bangla road with the 'Ladies'!
What a fantastic holiday with my beautiful best friend. I wish I could do it all again!

Enjoy,

VH xxx
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A well earned Vegie Head holiday....

04/02/2012

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Well, the secret is out. Paul and I snuck out of the country under the cloak of darkness, to have a little bit of a break. Our phones were left behind, my personal profile page was shut down, and the only thing I continued to do was post for Vegie Head. 

We had planned this holiday for the past 6 months, and I'm not ashamed to say, that I was really REALLY stressed out about not being able to provide my loyal Vegies with a daily dose of Vegie Head love, and I also had a bit of a cry when we dropped Charlie off to my mum and dad's (and pretty much the first week we were away). It was the longest we had ever left her, and I was already missing her like crazy.

The flight to Singapore went off without a hitch- I fell asleep before we took off (the stress from crying Paul said) and we landed 7 hours later. We had private cars chauffeur us to and fro, and got to see the sights. I was so shocked to see how CLEAN Singapore is. People always say it's spotless- but it is something else all together. There wasn't a drop of litter anywhere in the city, nor did it look like there ever was, or would be. 

We stayed just near India Town (I retract my earlier statement- this part of Singapore was dirty) which was a happy coincidence. The smells were amazing, and the food....oh the food! Different Indian dishes to try, and always a smiling person to help me choose. 
We had landed right in the middle of the Chinese New Year Celebrations, so the whole city was buzzing with excitement and fireworks. The Year of the Water Dragon is a pretty big one for all the Chinese signs- being a rat, it means that I should 'head out into the world, as it is in the rat's nature to hide indoors, and take career risks', which both sound good to me. Our stay was brief, but we are already planning on returning to explore. 
Landing in Phuket, the first thing to hit you is the heat. The next thing to hit you is the throng of people waiting to put you in a taxi and drive you around the island. The sights and smells are overwhelming, but once my eyes and nose adjusted, all I could see were smiling faces and people bowing in the traditional Thai welcome. The occasional wind gust would blow the sweet, heady smell of rotting garbage or the overwhelming scent of raw sewerage, but after overcoming that, all I noticed was the tangy smell of lemongrass, rich jasmine and the briny scent of the sea 
Thailand is a place filled with culture, tradition and religion. However it is banging on the door of technology. Old men walk by, chatting on mobile phones. There are signs everywhere advertising the fastest interneed speed, or the latest computers for sale. Men and women wear traditional Thai clothing, and teenage girls roam the streets, wearing clothes made for Las Vegas showgirls. No one bats an eyelid.
The food is vast and varied. Traditional Thai food can be found in abundance, and very cheaply- from 40 baht (about 15c) to 120 baht ($3.50). There is plenty of Italian, Indian, Arabic, Mexican and fast food restaurants to feed the masses, not to mention street vendors that sell fresh fruit and cold drinks; both of which you need desperately here. 
We walked, shopped, talked to locals and travellers. There were 2 highlights for me. The first was our trip to Phi Phi Ley, Maya beach, Loh Sa Ma Bay, Monkey Island and Bamboo Island. We sat at the front of the boat, and got thrown around a little bit. but the fresh sea air and sun really blew away the Melbourne cobwebs. We weren't allowed to get onto Monkey Beach, as people have been bitten recently (ouch) so we admired the little guys from the boat. They are VERY well fed and there was a few little chubby ones- they were smart and sat near the boats so people could throw food at them. 
The water was pristine, so warm and reminded us of swimming in Maui. We snorkelled and saw the most amazing fish and sea creatures. Unfortunately the coral had been severely damaged in the 2004 tsunami and some of the stories we were told were horrific. The optimism and hard work of the Thai helped to rebuild some of the areas, while others have been left uninhabited. 
The second highlight for me was the cooking class (yes, yes, I can see you rolling your eyes!) which isn't a surprise. 20 of us were bussed off to the local market, and I was paired with my guide Ollie, who took me around the market, and was sublimely patient while I took photos of my beloved food.

Galangal (similar to ginger), lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaves are sold together in a little bundle. They are used in many Thai dishes, and are the most popular produce items bought.
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These are Thai eggplants. They are very similar to large purple eggplants, however they are not as acidic. Used widely in curries and soups, they are generally served a little bit crunchy.
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Jackfruit has to be the most disappointing fruit I have ever tried. It was like chewing a deflated balloon. It's substituted for banana or mango if people can't have/don't like either.
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The smells from this stall were amazing. This woman made the pastes herself, pounding away with a motar and pestle. She was so proud of her pastes, which is why they were on display. The other vendors had their pastes already in little bags or jars, which may have meant they weren't that fresh. I was told that when Thai men are looking for a wife, they look for a woman who has strong arms. This means that she makes her pastes from scratch and will be good in the kitchen! Big muscles I don't have, but I think Paul is a lucky boy.
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There was a lot of distressing things at the market as well. I turned my head away numerous times at the sight of the animals being sold. Nothing gets wasted in Thailand. Every part is eaten.
I took this photo because this little guy broke my heart. The crabs were all alive and tied up, and at night a wet blanket is placed over them so the mosquitos don't sting their eyes. His little face is just gorgeous, and if I could have bought him and set him free I would have.
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The Thai don't drink the water from the brown coconuts- they cut them open, drain them of their liquid, and scrape the inside with this machine. The meat is then squeezed- the first squeezing produces the cream, and the second produces the milk. The left over coconut is dried.
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Kaffir Lime trees start producing fruit after 8 to 10 years. These limes were intense- the smell and taste is truly incredible.
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Green mangoes and chilli sauce are sold together. Thai cooking is all about the balance of flavours- sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami (this information is in my up and coming e-book). 
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The class was amazing- we were shown what to do, then were sent off to a little bench of our own. This is Tom Kha Gai or Coconut and vegetable soup. I made this with tofu, chilli oil and vegies. The lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves cut through the richness of the coconut cream, and the mushrooms and tofu really filled this dish out.


Making Thai Green Curry Paste- pastes in a jar often have dried shrimp added- making homemade paste ensures yours is shrimp free! And it tastes 1000000 times better as well.
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We also learnt Pad Thai and Thai Green Curry. Absolutely amazing. I will never eat at a Thai restaurant again. The teacher gave me an A++ for taste and presentation!
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This is coconut sticky rice with mango. It is slightly salty, which balances the richness of the coconut and the sweetness of the mango. It is one of the most amazing desserts I have ever had.
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Everywhere I went, I tried the fruit smoothies or mocktails. They were all fruit based- pineapple, watermelon, lychee, dragonfruit or canteloupe, blended with ice and served with a gorgeous flower.
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I also had coconuts everyday- sometimes it was so hot, this was all I wanted to eat! They cost about 15 cents, and were so fresh. On the islands, we watched them being picked and bought to the ground. In the city, they were sold from carts and restaurants, all of them opened up in front of me. 
When we arrived in Koh Samui, we were pleasantly surprised at the slow pace and relaxed atmosphere. The stall holders were even friendlier, the service even slower and even the dogs that roam the street were happy to have a nap in the shade. It rained solidly for 2 days and nights- sheets of rain drenched everything in sight, and one night I sat up for hours worried that the pool under our villa would flood (silly now, but at 3am in a different country it can be a little bit scary!).
On another rainy day, we visited Angthong National Marine Park. This is the lagoon- you cannot swim in it, but it looks just amazing. It is salt water- one of the few salt-water lagoons in the world listed. There are caves underneath the mountains that let the sea water in. 
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On the way home, one of the belts in the engines broke. We sat on choppy sea for over an hour, with the rain pouding the windows and people leaning into bins being sick. I was feeling quite giddy here, but focussed on my breathing and looked at the horizon. Not a good day! (And not a good picture!)
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On our last night, we had a romantic dinner overlooking the bay. I nearly fell off my chair when I saw that half of the menu was created by a holistic nutritionist! This is a raw smoothie- almond milk, goji berries, cacao, coconut meat and dates. Amazing.
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All in all, we had an amazing time. It was exactly what we needed after a year of Paul working to the bone, and me working about 16 hours a day. 

Working on Vegie Head never feels like work, and I still made sure that I was on it regularly enough to make it seem like I will still at HQ! I'm sorry for the slow replies to emails and messages, and hope you understand.

I am refreshed, revived and have many ideas for 2012. More videos, more classes, more recipes, more e-books and lots of general yumminess.

 It's going to be a big year Vegies and I'm glad you are all along for the ride. 

Love Adele, Paul and Charlie xxx
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