Bangkok to Chiang Mai

Bangkok, Thailand - a city where old and new Asia collide. One minute you are riding the skytrain to state-of-the-art shopping malls and the next you are surrounded by simple street stalls and ancient temples. As much as we enjoyed exploring the modern Bangkok, we were eager to check out the Thai markets, so one of our first stops was Chatuchak Weekend Market. With over 15,000 stalls, everything imaginable is sold here. From snakes to hand-made crafts, to aisles and aisles of clothes, you can spend days exploring this market. In one afternoon we went from eating fried grasshoppers and maggots, to having a fish pedicure and a Johnsonville Brat for dinner.

After scouring maybe a 1/4 of the market, we came upon a stall offering several varieties of fried bugs. We agreed that true "foodies" are obligated to try all sorts of "delicacies" so we apprehensively dug in. Seasoned with chili powder and soy sauce the fried bugs were actually pretty tasty...a nice crunch with a salty-spicy flavor. Carrying the rest of our bugs in a bag we continued on and passed sections of live rabbits, cats, dogs, and fish (for pets, not to eat we assume).

It was here, in the fish section, where we splurged and spent the $3/person on a fish pedicure. This "spa treatment" involved soaking your feet and calves in a tank filled with fish that would eat all of your dead skin. Only 20 minutes later you emerged with smooth, soft skin.

After exhausting ourselves at the market we headed to The Roadhouse for dinner. This bar/restaurant could have been in any Midwestern city as its interior was filled with rustic furnishing, darts, pool, and even a shuffleboard. The best part of this place wasn't the Midwestern feel, but the fact they had grilled bratwurst on the menu...and not just any bratwurst, but Johnsonville Brats. There was no way we could pass up this Midwestern delicacy. So, 8,000+ miles from home, we went from eating fried grasshoppers in the afternoon to enjoying a Johnsonville in the evening...proof that you can find just about anything in Bangkok.

As much as we love the MN comfort food, we have to say we have become addicted to Thai food. The creative combinations of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy are thoughtfully balanced in every dish. The past week we have been feasting on green curry with chicken, Pad Thai, fried morning glory, spring rolls, mango sticky rice, and numerous unknown dishes. We even took an extensive full-day Thai cooking class in Chiang Mai to help further appreciate our love for their cuisine. Who's coming over for home-cooked Thai food when we get back?

Figuring we needed a break from indulging in the local fare we rented a car with a cool Canadian couple we met a few days prior. Our road trip brought us to the small village of Chiang Dao. Chiang Dao is known for their intricate network of limestone caves and the four of us were ready to explore them. We set off into the caves with headlamps on playing the role of spelunkers. We had a blast squeezing ourselves through small nooks and crannies.

After our long day of exploring caves we were famished. We hit up the local street stall and stocked up on rambutans, mangosteens, and even durian. Exotic, sweet tasting fruit is insanely cheap and plentiful in Thailand. Our diet has been filled with these fruits along with an enormous amount of mangoes and papayas. Since all of our bellies still had room, we headed back to Chiang Mai's Sunsumi restaurant for dinner. At Sunsumi you pay $6 for all-you-can-eat pork, beef, fish, prawns, vegetables, rice, noodles, and a plethora of spices. The only catch is you cook it yourself at your table. Between the four of us we were boiling and grilling heaps of delicious food like pros.

Our upcoming plans...Saturday we're taking the slow boat down the Mekong into Laos to explore a new area and will eventually be making our way to Vietnam.