Saturday 3 rd of January 2015 and they called me at 6 o’clock, yes, nice to be back in the early morning routines again. I was down for breakfast at 7 and it as nice food. The only disappointment was that they didn't had fresh bread. But when I passed the restaurant a wee bit later they had
fresh baguette and croissant.My Teacher came to pick me up with a TUK TUK and we took off towards the morning market. We started in a rice shop and we looked at different kind of rice. Then we walked to the market and we had a look at all the different vegetables at the market.
We tried the different leaves and other plant and I recognised some of the tastes. This was very interesting and I enjoyed every minute we spent at the market.
We went across the street to buy some chicken and I asked my Teacher to go on, I would stay behind as I really don't enjoy the sights to be seen in a butcher shop.
When we were ready it was time to go to the place where we were going to cook the food. And this experience had been worth nothing if we had not went to the morning market together. This was
very interesting and I got to see all the ingredients.This had been a great morning and I was looking forward to the cooking. I only wanted to cook the sweet green curry with chicken. But my Teacher told me that we were going to cook several items:
• Steamed fish in banana leaf
• Chicken larb
• Some dip for sticky rice
• Som Tam, papaya salad
• Mango with sticky rice
• Sweet green curry with chicken
The steamed fish in banana leaves and the chicken larb was excellent. We added a chilli in the dip and this was not possible to
eat as it was very hot.We didn't add any chilli in the Som Tam, I have lived in Thailand for several years but never tried the Som Tam. So I wanted to try this dish, well, this was disappointing. Now I never need to
try that again. It was amazing to cook, the only spices we used was leaves and herbs and it tasted fantastic.This was very fun and I really recommend this to everyone.
For sure better than looking at caves, I have seen one and that is enough. Maybe I can take a cooking class in Pakse as well.
 Arriving to the morning market
 We're having a look at different kinds of rice
 We're having a look at different kinds of rice
 Buying vegetables at the morning market
 Buying vegetables at the morning market
 Looking at different vegetables at the morning market
    Pepper wood
  We're going to buy chicken
   On the way from the market to the cooking school
 On the way from the market to the cooking school
 We reach the cooking school
 Preparing for cooking
 Preparing for cooking
 This is where we're going to cook
 Time to get started with the food and we start with steamed fish in banana leaf
Known as Mok Pa in Lao
 I know, if you're under 40 you won't believe me. But this is much more fun
than to make a tit out of myself at a bar. Or to spend the day with a hangover  The fish is prepared and we just need to wrap it in banana leaves
 Wrapping the fish in the banana leaves
 Time to steam the fish
 Steaming the fish for 30 to 40 minutes
 We go to make more food while the fish is steamed
 Preparing the steamed rice
 Preparing the steamed rice
 Preparing the steamed rice
 Preparing the steamed rice
 Preparing the chicken larb
 Preparing the chicken larb
 Preparing the chicken larb
 The chicken larb is ready
 We try the Chicken Larb and it was delicious
 We try the Chicken Larb and it was delicious
 We try the Chicken Larb and it was delicious an I had to have another one
> We try the Chicken Larb and it was delicious and I had several of these “snacks”
 We try the Chicken Larb and it was delicious
 Time to make Som Tam or as they call it in Laos: Tom Mak Houng
 Time to make Som Tam or as they call it in Laos: Tom Mak Houng
 Time to make Som Tam or as they call it in Laos: Tom Mak Houng
 Time to make Som Tam or as they call it in Laos: Tom Mak Houng
 This is what I came to do: Sweet green curry with chicken
 This is what I came to do: Sweet green curry with chicken
 This is what I came to do: Sweet green curry with chicken
 This is what I came to do: Sweet green curry with chicken
 This is what I came to do: Sweet green curry with chicken
 Chicken larb and Som Tam
 Chicken larb, Sweet Green curry chicken, Som Tam
and the steamed fish in banana leaves  Steamed fish in banana leaves
 Time to eat
 |
I was very happy when we left, it had been a great experience, one of the best experiences in
Laos. I was attending a Cooking school in Thailand, one week and that was of course interesting. But not even close to the experience I had here in Vientiane.I was alone at the cooking class here in Laos and in Bangkok I was in a class. And we missed the whole “market” experience.
And the food we cooked here in Vientiane tasted
much better. And the Mango sticky rice must have been one of the best mango sticky rice I have ever had.The only thing that was scary was when we arrived. My cooking Teacher showed me a
wasp's nest. Well, this would be something, to be attacked by a million angry wasps.We took the TUK TUK back to town and my cooking Teacher dropped me at my hotel. I was very full when we left the cooking class, but as it had been some very healthy food I felt good. I spent some time in my room drinking a diet drink before I left to look for a TUK TUK.
I wanted to go look for loudspeakers for my Lap Top, the loudspeakers I bought in Vang Vieng capsized and sank not long after the purchase. The girls in the reception recommended the K-Plaza.
But it took me some time to find a TUK TUK driver
that knew where the K-Plaza was. And when I found a driver that knew K-Plaza I had to start haggling about the price.Like in Bangkok in the beginning of the 90's or as it still is in Phuket. And they are not embarrassed when they tell you the price. They want millions.
- Yes, I understand that YOU WANT millions but I won't pay millions. 20,000?
And then it starts and I had wasted quite some time before I was on my way, or at least I was hoping
to be on the way to the K-Plaza. I had been on the way three or four times.- Do you know K-Plaza?
- Yes
- How much?
- Several millions
- I pay you 20,000
- 50,000
- 30,000?
- OK
We took off and even though he had told me he knew the place we stopped after 15 meters and he asked for directions. I just got out and stopped a new TUK TUK and we started all over again.
- You really are impatient! Can't wait for him to ask for directions
Nothing to do with being impatient. I have done this so many times, all over the world and you just ending up wasting a lot of time looking for the place. Several stops asking for more directions so I got out of the TUK TUK.
K-Plaza, and they had nothing and I stopped a TUK TUK
- The Shopping Mall
- Yes
- How much?
- Several millions
- I pay you 20,000
- 50,000
- 30,000?
- OK
No stops to ask for the way and, well, I got worried when we started to come out in the outskirts of Vientiane. He had no clue where I wanted to go. We stopped at a place and this was for sure not the place I had had in mind. A Supermarket named ASEAN Mall.
We left and he was soon dropping me at the place I wanted to go to. I found a memory card I needed and I went to look for another TUK TUK that knew Scandinavian Bakery
- Scandinavian Bakery
- Yes, I know the place
- How much?
- Several millions
- I pay you 20,000
- 50,000
- 30,000?
- OK
And now we were driving around town looking for the Scandinavian Bakery, the driver had no clue
and we were wasting time. Several stops to ask for Scandinavian Bakery before we found it. (Just behind my hotel) I paid the driver, and he was not even embarrassed to ask for tip.-
Scandinavian Bakery had by far have had the best baguettes I have tried in Laos. Well, L'Elephant in Luang Prabang had very good baguettes as well. So if you want baguettes in Laos I can really recommend Scandinavian Bakery and L'Elephant. You won't be disappointed.
OK, I was very disappointed with myself, my diet seems to have gone South, far South here in
Laos. I'm convinced that I cannot go for holiday without eating myself out of the clothes. No fruit and fish, only baguettes and other stuff making my swell up like a balloon.I had too much to eat at the Scandinavian Bakery, one huge baguette with cheese and ham. I topped this with 2 pastries and 3 mugs of tea. Now I will go for a constitutional
to burn some of the calories along the Mekong River. I reached Mekong just
as the sun was setting over Thailand across the Mekong.Saturday evening and there were a lot of people walking and jogging along the Mekong River. There were also people playing
badminton. Something I should have done instead of spending the time at
the Scandinavian Bakery eating myself out of all proportions. I passed the first few girls
playing badminton and I was soon up on the road going along the Mekong River.I walked up the river and I passed the market, seems like there is a market every day and they were setting up the tents. There was 2 places with aerobics or whatever they call it. I haven't seen this in Bangkok for a long time now.
Back in the days, and yes, Aladdin was participating
in the aerobics in Banjasiri Park. It looks easy but it was damn hard. Back then they had this aerobics, almost in every street corner in Bangkok.
But now I have not seen it for a very long time. What happened? And now it seems like thy need it more than ever.- Hmm, well, maybe because they have moved to Vientiane
It was a beautiful evening and I walked around looking at people for a while, I skipped the ice cream at Dairy Queen and I started to walk back to my hotel. I was still full after the visit to the Scandinavian Bakery.
Plenty people along the Mekong River
Plenty people along the Mekong River
Plenty people along the Mekong River
Exercise along the Mekong River
Exercise along the Mekong River
Exercise along the Mekong River
Last day in Vientiane is coming to an end. I stopped at a mini mart to buy a few bottles of diet drinks. I was very happy with my day. I will keep my eyes out for a cooking class in Pakse. Green
Discovery have had a office in every town I have visited in Laos until now.So I'm sure there is a Green Discovery in Pakse as well so I will
hopefully find something to spend the Monday with in Pakse. Tuesday and I'm off for the Vat Phou Cruise. And I will fly back to Bangkok next Friday. Well, Laos Airlines flight QV 205 from Vientiane to Pakse will be the next adventure in Laos.You just need to click HERE to find yourself in the middle of the Lao Airline flight QV 205 adventure. And this might turn out to be fun, well, most likely not. When was the last time you had fun on a flight? When have being sober?
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizen visiting my web page. How hard can it
be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page. Jiffy (also jiff)
noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.
ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.
So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
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E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.
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