Benevolent Bangkok

My second trip to Bangkok draws to a close. I must say that Bangkok has definitely come a long way since my first trip 2 years ago. I can't believe all of the new buildings (including the new airport, of course) that have sprung up over such a short time. Bangkok is really coming into her own as a world class city.

This time around, I did a little less sightseeing and a little more cultural exploration. Yesterday I took a cooking course at the venerable Blue Elephant (its restaurant is something of a Bangkok institution). Our instructor took us on a tour of a nearby market and explained various Thai spices and foods that I've never even seen before. Did you know that it takes about 50 fish to make one kilogram of base for the yummy Thai fish cakes? Or that supermarkets in Bangkok charge 2 to 3 times as much for exotic (to us) / local (to them) fruits such as dragon fruit and rambutan?

In my class, we learned how to make: a) Yellow Curry with Prawn, b) Spicy Chicken soup, c) Cashew chicken stir-fry, and d) Deep fried sea bass with green mango salad. All yummy Thai goodness, I tell you. Did you know that yellow curry is actually just red curry paste (which is less spicy than green curry) mixed with curry powder? We even learned how to make red curry paste from scratch -- during which I learned that if I were Thai, no one would marry me because I pounded the pestle too hard while grinding the chili. Go figure. ;-)

In short, I was once again struck by the awesome friendliness and kind hospitality of the Thai people. Everywhere you went, people smiled and bowed their heads, greeting each other with their palms held together and saying "sawatdee kaa" (if you're female). Everything is ridiculously affordable, yet western amenities are still widely available. If it weren't for the weather which kicks my ass (90% humidity all 4 days we were here), I would definitely come back more often (17 hour flight from LAX bedamned). Thailand rocks! (That, and staying at the Peninsula and getting upgraded to one of the presidential suites doesn't hurt either. ;))

My parents are safely headed home via Seoul, and I continue my journey solo. Tonight I head to Siem Reap in Cambodia, where three days of Angkor Wat magic await me. Khop khun kaa, Thailand.