Part of my fascination and inclanation to come to Vietnam has to do with a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in San Francisco called Tu Lan. Even with out Julia Child’s favorable write-up about this little grease pit in the middle of the Tenderloin, I could tell you hands down it’s the tastiest restaurant I’ve ever been to. I always get, without fail, tofu spring rolls (the fresh kind) with a nice thick, peanuty hoisin dipping sauce and “vegetable tofu crispy noodle”,  stir-fry. Delectable.

I wanted to come to Vietnam to see how this tasty food was made.

In my research on cooking schools in Vietnam, the Red Bridge Cooking School in Hoi An consistently popped up. The fact they have a clean and well-designed and navigable website sealed the deal. I signed up.

 

The day after Chritsmas, I met up with the 6 other students in our full day class and our very funny and chipper guide “Hip” to the organic gardens to see how the food is grown and to the market to buy the ingredients for the day. Everyone in our class was great, funny and we even had a chef visitng from Sweeden who has her own Asian take-away restauant there.

We visited the home of the family who runs the organic farm and were treated to a lemon, ginger and basil seed hot tea. I love the presentation.

Their spice are so much more alluring in these bamboo boxes!

Phi is the lead chef at the Red Bridge Restaurant and was our teacher for the day. He has boundless energy, an endearing Aussie twang and is an excellent teacher. I highly recommend taking their cooking class.

The first dish on the menu was Pho, pronunced “fur”. But to start, we made our own rice noodles. This is the steam pot where we ladled the rice batter onto the sheet there for it to steam.

 My noodles were far from perfect, but they still tasted good! We made both plain rice noodles and sesame rice noodles.

The noodles were cut and placed in the bottoms of our bowls in preparation for the pho.

Here is the final product. The most delicious (and healthy!) vege pho I’ve ever had.

Also on the menu was a banana leaf salad. This included actualy banana flowers finely chopped, gren papaya, green mango, lots of herbs and mine is topped with fried tofu. The “butterfly” crackers on the sde are from a giant toasted rice cracker.

 

I spent 4 days in Hanoi during the week leading up to Christmas. I’d heard mixed reviews about Hanoi and I think I’d give it one thumb up and one thumb down myself.

I had a great time walking around the Old Quarter and its outskirts taking photos of people and the wares they sell, all the while trying not to get plowed down by motor bikes, rickshaws, trucks and taxis.

Hanoi is incredible polluted and has an endless gray pallor cast over it. It makes for great lighting for photos, but wears you down after a while. But it is the capital of Vietnam and if you’re interested, there’s a lot to explore.

Everyone rides the motor bikes, from fast paced business men to new mothers.

I can’t visit a city without checking out the food market! I love how these bundles of noodles look.

Hoan Kiem Lake is next to the Old Quarter and attracts the usual: early morning exercise goers, young couples in love and tourists.

Bicycles seem to be a thing of the past, at least in the bigger cities. It is a remnant of the former generations.

Ahh… the chihuahua! This one was super tiny and extra mean. He and Diego would get along great.

Ever since they instated a helmet law, there have been a lot fewer deaths, as you can imagine.

I did not get to see Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body on display at the museum. I think he’s out for refurbishing or something!

A photo of the early morning tai chi goers around the lake.

I learned something here. I never know that mung beans were sifted off from the bean sprouts!

I have to say that I am very impressed with how much effort the Vietnamese have put into Christmas. As a predominantly Buddhist country, Christmas is a bit of a novelty for them, not a holiday filled with tradition. I know it’s just for the tourists, but it is fun to see the Vietnamese kids dressed up in red outfits and having their photos taken in front of the Christmas tree.

Dessert included Santa cakes!

The hotel where I am staying had this sent to my room along with a Christmas card. I love the tree on top! Haven’t tried the cake yet, smells of passion fruit.

This was the most clever Christmas decoration that I saw. Those are the Vietnamese hats making up the Christmas tree in a shop window.

Santa balloons were for sale all over Hanoi.

Here’s a Vietnamese kid dressed up in a Santa suit, but not too sure he wants to meet this other Santa here in the shop.

Yes Virginia, there is a Vietnamese Santa Claus! And he handed bears gifts!

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Luang Prabang, Laos: Part 2

December 20, 2008

I made a list of my favorite things to do while traveling. It basically came down to photographing, walking, eating and shopping.

So it comes as no surprise that I decided to take a cooking class while here in Luang Prabang to see exactly how they make everything taste so good! I had done a little research online as to the best cooking class to take and Tamarind seemed to win hands down.

Tamarind is  owned by an Australian woman named Caroline and her Lao husband, Joy. They met when she was a tour guide here several years ago and they have gone on to create a restaurant, cooking school and they sell local food products. (You can read their bios here)

The day began with a market tour. The fruit and veg. section was tame enough, but the meat section was something completely out of this world! Other than the typical piles of slaughtered animals, there were things like trachea, congealed pigs blood and roasted rat on a stick to cook in your soup for flavor. It was very eye opening and made me and even more hard core vegetarian, especially while I am in this country. You just don’t want a rat head popping up in your soup, I don’t think.

Two of my favorite cookbooks are “Hot Sour Salty Sweet” and “Mangoes and Curry Leaves” by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. I love the books for the photos… it’s like a travel journal with recipes. This photo of rice noodles was inspired by their cookbooks.

Congealed pigs blood.

I like how simple this is.

Back at the market, a lady trims the toenails from the pig’s feet.

I don’t know what these are. They were laid out to dry. I call it art.

Lao tuk tuk.

And I can’t leave Laos with out a few dog pics!

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Luang Prabang, Laos: Part 1

December 19, 2008

I flew over the mountains and into the tiny airport for Luang Prabang. It was the luxurious way to arrive, sparing me from a 12-hour bus ride through the fog and along the edge of the mountain to get here.How is it that places and events are never what you expect them to be? Instead of wide boulevards and multi-storied balconied buildings, Luang Prabang is more Carmel, with wooden signs that all look the same naming the restaurants, shops and sights. The entire city of Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and some argue it is the most beautiful town in SE Asia.

Laos itself is sandwiched between Thailand, Vietnam and China and has remained largely removed from the modern world until recently. But now that it is on the traveler’s map, Laos is changing rapidly, modernizing and sweeping in to reap the rewards of a tourist industry.  To be honest, Luang Prabang is almost too discovered. On the plus side, some smart entrepreneur who understand how depleting to the culture the tourist industry can be, have come in and set up eco-tourism companies and fair trade shops. But it feels as if Westerners are behind many of the businesses here, they too want to make a profit.

The people of Laos are very gentle and calm and perhaps this is because the country is predominantly Theravada Buddhists. It is common for the boys to become monks for several years as part of their education and as a rite of passage, I imagine. (It definitely cuts down on the teenage angst.) The city is dotted with Buddhist temples and wats and lots and lots of Buddhas.

The monks daily diet is reliant upon what the people of the town give them to eat each morning. After their morning prayers, the monks walk through the city as the citizens (and tourists) sit along the side of the road doling out balls of sticky rice, bananas and cookies to each of the monks. It is a beautiful old tradition. The monks pray on behalf of the people and the people thank and honor them with food.

One of the wats I visited is also a school of arts, where young monks can practice the art of wood carving, casting, painting and drawing.

The path up to Wat Phu Si is a long and steep climb, perfect for meditation.

Caves where Buddha slept and imprints of Buddha’s foot are paid homage to at Wat Phu Si.

There are many different Buddhas here… Fat Buddha, Sleeping Buddha, Enlightened Buddha…

Here are some of the young monks as they come down the street waiting to be fed by the people.

The view over the Mekong River in Luang Prabang.

Monks collecting alms.

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Another Night in Bangkok

December 18, 2008

How do I love Bangkok, let me count the ways. (Sorry Elizabeth Barrett Browning, but I am in love with a country.)

This is my third trip to Thailand and I ….. I think a lot of it has to do with fond memories from trips past. It was a welcome respite after a month of chaos in india in 2001. And then a familiar stopping point on my way to Australia in 2004. On this trip, Bangkok once again is a  familiar face when I recognize no other’s.

Smell is the most powerful memory evoker I know. A million thoughts passed through my head as I came nose to nose with the noodles frying in the woks, lemongrass, chilies, limes, and the clean smell of soap and incense.

Tuk tuks are a fun, live on the edge of your seat (literally!) way to get around. I had to relearn a very important lesson. Never take a ride from a driver under 30 as they drive like maniacs.

I have no idea what it says, but I like the way it looks.

On the train to Ayuthaya, I decided to leave my camera in my lap and shoot from the hip. I didn’t have the highest success rate, but I got a few good shots.

Here’s another one from the train. My cameras not exactly quiet enough to play James Bond. I got caught by a few people!

Ayuthaya is a temple complex north of Bangkok and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Buddha Head

Khao San Road in Bangkok is an international backpacker haven. It’s a little scary actually. It’s not the Thais I am scared of, but the crazed and drunk backpackers from around the world.

I can’t go with out a dog photo! Here’s Diego’s very long lost cousin, TukTuk.

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Lost in Transit: Tokyo

December 16, 2008

For anyone who doesn’t already know, I am currently traveling through SE Asia for three weeks. I’ve traveled a good bit before and absolutely love this part of the world. I had no idea if I’d actually blog while I traveled, though many people asked, as it seems to go against getting the idea of immersing oneself into a different culture. But I have to say that technology has come a long way! I can now connect to wi-fi from my laptop from the luxury of a comfy chair in Bangkok and still be able to hear the sounds, smell the smells and stay connected with everyone I miss. So why not blog!

Though my travel plans were only suppose to include Bangkok, Laos and Vietnam, I had a surprise overnight stay in Japan on my way here! Thanks American Airlines for that 3-hour delay as it worked in my favor. I’d never been to Japan before and was very pleased to get their high tech barcoded visa stamped into my passport.

Technically, I spent 12 hours in Narita, Japan, we were on the way outskirts of Tokyo. It still counts though! I ate all sorts of crazy seaweed salads and pickled vegetables. Drank copious amounts of green tea and ate yummy gummy treats. I was amazed at how incredibly clean and efficient Japan is. I would like to characterize it as a Type A city. Even on the plane, the Japanese very very quiet and courteous. It was in stark contrast to flying in India. That’s for sure.

Here are a few photos from my very brief visit there.

In the airport, there is a very posh shop that sells couture mochi. Mochi are sweet treats made of glutinous rice and filled with flavored cream or ice cream. I tried the green tea flavor, their most popular, but was tempted by the chocolate banana flavor.

The coolest thing about this taxi is how the rear door opened with the push of a button that the driver controls. I was amazed at how technically advanced it was considering that it looked totally retro.

I’ve been really into graphics and this made me smile.

Breakfast at the hotel was an extraordinarily international affair. First, there was a mix of people from around the world descending upon this breakfast buffet. Tokyo is a major hub and all sorts of people were staying at this hotel for people lost in transit: Americans, Germans, Japanese, Koreans, Indians.. Add to that the fact that the breakfast was enormous with both a “Western” and “Eastern” buffet to choose from. I had mostly a Japanese brekky of seaweed salads and lutus root, except for the roasted potatoes and ketchup.

You know how Japanese art is so graphic and always has a mountain in it? That’s a huge generalization, but now I understand why. The landscape is the exact same!

Next up, Bangkok!

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Byrd Dogs

December 8, 2008

My friends Annie & Matt recently adopted a second hound dog to keep their first one company. Birdie, who is one, is a blue tick hound. Stella, the new addition, is a 5 month old black and tan. Birdie’s a little more wiley and Stella is a sweet heart with the longest and softest ears ever!

We met up at Hampton Park in hopes of getting some shots of the four of them to use for their holiday card. I won’t spoil the surprise by using one of those photos, but I will show you a few pics of the dogs!

This is Birdie.

And this is Stella, the newbie.

We had a really hard time getting them to stand together, so finally we tied them to the bench!

I love Birdie’s tail in this one.

See those ears!

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