Our train journey to Chiang Mai is outstandingly beautiful, a cutting straight through the hills and a lot of jungle.
When we reach Chiang Mai it's the usual skirmish between warring tuk tuk and song thaew drivers. We opt for an older couple, although she is quite formidable. Our first choice is 650 baht which is over budget everywhere else is full. We wLk up, we walk down. It's high season and Chiang Mai is chockablock. Finally we find a place at 400 baht which is so tiny only one person can be off the bed at once. Chiang Mai is not appealing to is, in fact we are totally unimpressed. It's a young place, that's a definite.
The saving grace for our place is it sells beer at a time when they aren't supposed to due to the current election which doesn't start until 2nd February (go figure) and it's running at 65 baht a big bottle. A good price anywhere in Thailand.
An early start sees Adrian traipsing round the guest houses looking for something a little more 'us'. It transpires The Britannia Guest House is it. We have a huge room with balcony for 650 baht a night - you have to learn quick at this game - and it's blissful. Owned by an Australian guy and his Thai wife, it is immaculate. We are happy and Chang Mai looks good all of a sudden.
Walking tours of Wats commence followed by night markets and booking of cookery course. It's really not as bad as you might think here.
Our cookery course (which Adrian is a reluctant participant for) is on an organic farm some 17km from Chiang Mai. Our first stop is a market, a beautiful, immaculately clean food market. We're shown the five must have ingredients of Thai cuisine and the different types of rice available. Some wandering time sees me buying fresh pineapple and curry puffs, beautiful empanada-like pastries filled with chicken curry.
The farm is lovely, perfect cooking areas and herb and fruits as far as the eye can see. My chosen menu is red curry paste which then makes a Thai red chicken curry, tom yam soup, chicken with basil, fresh spring rolls and sticky rice with mango. Way too much food for one day and I'm FTB at the end of it. I'm quite chuffed when I get star pupil on spring rolls (the two top right in the pic).
All in all it's a great day with 8 complete strangers and the staff at the farm and I can't wait to get home and cook a Thai banquet, although I'll probably fall at the first hurdle. Does anyone know where I can get galangal from...?
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