Remember I said there were so many stories I didn’t have time to tell. Well, for those of you going through withdrawal, frantically hitting REFRESH in your web browser, these are some more tales from the road…

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Looking through the ruins of Angkor Wat, I met Australian Bradley and his girlfriend Catherine (Cat). Bradley and I hit it off and he shared with me a secret: He was going to propose to Cat in the ruins of Angkor Wat. This is him giving her the ring. He didn’t get down on one knee, which would have made the shot perfect, but I think Cat was so surprised she didn’t even notice. Somehow, I’m trying to get to Australia for that wedding…

That is a tree growing within the ruins of Angkor Wat behind Cat and Bradley. I’ll find some more shots of that.
Siem Reap, Cambodia

Notice anything about these two shots? Yes, there are YOUNG children riding on these bikes, with no helmets. In fact no one seems to wear a helmet in Southeast Asia. Most people can’t afford cars and gas is relatively expensive, so everyone rides a scooter or motorbike. And a whole family gets on the family motorbike. Dad in front then children, INCLUDING toddlers, wedged between Mom in the back. Crazy to me as a Westerner with all the motor vehicle laws we have. But when you’re used to doing something since you were born, it becomes second nature.

This child in red cannot be more than a year old!

The Venetian, Macau, China

I talked about being an Instant Celebrity in Macau. But you see the woman in the picture below? I’m not sure who she thought I was, but when I had my arm around her to take pictures, she was SHAKING! I tried to pat her to calm her down and say it’s OK, but she probably didn’t understand me.

Or maybe she just felt the power! Yeah baby!

Ao Nang, Thailand

The main reason for me to go to Thailand was to see some muy thai fighting, live and in person. What I did not know was that they start these fighters early. These two look like they can’t be any older than seven. Muy Thai is Thailand’s national sport and a source of pride for the entire country. This is no different than American kids getting involved in Pee Wee football or Little League at young ages. Except that these 7 year olds are trying to knock each others heads off!


Bangkok, Thailand

I don’t eat at McDonald’s much…since I care about my health! But when I was overseas I always stopped into McDonald’s to see what was on the menu. Just like McDonald’s in Hawaii had SPAM with rice, the menu conforms with the local appetites and customs of the local country.

McDonald’s in Bangkok had a shrimp patty on the menu. It wasn’t bad actually, but you could tell it was cooked in the same oil used to make the fries. Hey, why let all that grease go to waste?
Also all the Thai McDonald’s had Ronald McDonald in the traditional Thai greeting – a slight bow with hands pressed together. I’m lovin’ it!

Going Thru Withdrawal? Get Your Fix Right Now!! is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel

Today I was at the beach in Railay, Thailand. Gorgeous beach. But I was out of there in about 2 hours.

I’ve spent alot of time in Caribbean, even lived there for a time as a kid, and at this point for me, a gorgeous beach with crystal clear blue/green/aquamarine water is like any other gorgeous beach with crystal clear blue/green/aquamarine water.

So what could I do different on this trip that I had never done before?

A Thai cooking class! Brilliant.

Considering I like to eat, this seemed perfect. I signed up for Siam Cuisine Cooking School, about a 10 minute drive from Ao Nang. It’s a family run school and restaurant.

I was met by ‘Pin’, who proceeded to give me a 2 hour one on one lesson in Thai cooking. Since I was the only student the class went by quickly. Normally it was 10-12 students and the class runs 5 hours.

Pin give me an overview of all the ingredients and described how we/I were going to use them.

Me, before I start slicing and dicing….

First dish up was Pat Thai (Fried Noodles Thai Style).

Looking now at the pictures I didn’t realize how nice the dish and food were presented. I pat myself on the back.

You make each dish and then you sit and eat it.

The mad scientist at work….

In all I made 6 dishes in less than 2 hours, including the time of me sitting and eating each dish. They were

Pat Thai (Fried Noodles Thai Style)
Khao Phad Talay (Fried Rice with Seafood)
Tom Kaa Kai (Chicken in Coconut Milk Soup)
Pad Kra Prao (Fried Minced Chicken with Holy Basil) at left
Kaeng Ped Kai (Red Curry with Chicken) at left
Kao-Neuw-Ma-Muang (Sticky Sweet Rice with Mango)

All smiles when the class is done and the food is GOOD!

Total price for this class, including instruction and eating everything you make – 1200 baht or about $34US. Unbeatable.

Thai cooking is so simple and fast. You can make a 6 course meal in 45 minutes. I also got a little cookbook with instructions and list of ingredients needed.

How To Be Stuffed with Thai Food in 2 Hours is a post from: NoDebtWorldTravel