Katriel's Life Steps Part 7: Thailand
One of my best trips: Thailand and its customs.
In 2017, we made our way to Thailand with Devyn. I chose this destination because I knew the Thais had a unique way of cooking, and of course I wanted to meet them and experience it first hand. The secret of their recipes is to combine the 5 flavors we have in our taste buds. They are: bitter, sour, sweet, salty and umami. The latter is a mixture of salt and sugar.
They cook this way because of the hot weather in their country. The seasoning of their food helps them to sweat to lower the temperature and also makes the food and flavors irresistible.
We arrived in Bangkok, and as is my custom, we went out to eat. We were very impressed by the fact that the food places have their kitchen in the front, exposed to the street, and the dining room in the back. This is a very good marketing technique because the smell comes out to the street and it is easy to recognize which food is in which place. The foods you see are rice noodles, hanging smoked ducks, spicy and sweet noodles, spicy frog, etc. As soon as I arrived, I tried the frog and it was amazing
For drinks, they don't give you bottles, but plastic bags with a rubber band on top. You open the bag to put in the straw to drink. Not very comfortable, but very practical and eye-catching.
The next morning we went for breakfast, we didn't know where to go, but my motto is always to go where you see the most people, because for some reason they are there. We had peanut milk with fried pastries for breakfast. It was the only breakfast we found because other places had only savory food, they are not used to having breakfast.
Then we went to Phuket, it is a peninsula that has access to the sea and is a great destination for tourists. This region is full of monkeys and chickens that inhabit the area -, they walk with you and interact with you because they are used to being fed by tourists.
One day we rented a motorbike and went for a ride. We went to see the Big Buddha and Google Maps sent me on a different route. On this detour we found a giant elephant with a man behind it directing it gently with a stick. They are spectacular and convey peace and tranquility with their natural effect.
After visiting the Big Buddha, we went to eat at a local street market. Everything was very tasty: fried vegetables and chicken like in a stew and rice. Everything was spiced with ginger and hot. It was so spicy that they had to change our dishes, but that was because we are not used to food that spicy, even though it was delicious.
The next destination was Koh Samui, we stayed in an airbnb as we had done before. The owner of the accommodation was a super charming man named Choo. We told him I was a cook and he suggested we cook together. Every morning we made breakfast and he taught me how to cook his dishes. One I remember with great pleasure was shrimp in sweet and sour rice, a delicious recipe.
We had access to a private beach and women would come by to give us massages. A very funny anecdote that we remember was when we were walking along the beach and saw a man with a rake in the water. When I asked him what he was looking for, he showed me a bag of clams. He gave me some and we cooked them with ginger, fish sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil and they were amazing.
Another day we went on a trip. We took a two-hour boat ride to the highest mountain, in the middle of nowhere, by the sea. It was like a park in the middle of the ocean. It is full of monkeys and plants. They tell you that they swim there, which is incredible because of the long distance to the shore. I posted a video on YouTube of this journey.
At one point they took us snorkeling and we saw a wide variety of fish of many colors inside a large coral, they were all colors: blue, yellow, purple, etc.. The water is crystal clear and blue and when you swim you float because of the amount of salt in the sea.
Thailand is an experience that I recommend to everyone! We found it very economical and with a very wide and tasty gastronomic culture. I learned to combine flavors. Add salt plus sugar, plus fat, plus acid because it cuts the fat, and finally add bitter. In addition, the shopping in Bangkok is amazing. The clothes are of high quality and very affordable. I purchased tailor-made suits, choosing the fabrics and details. I bought a gray one and a blue one, and I still wear them today.
The last and most important thing is the people. They call it the land of smiles. They are humble and very grateful. They have a very admirable motto of service and they are happy to do it. Everybody tries to help and it is a great example.
We remember it as one of the best trips we ever took. It taught us that "those who do not live to serve do not serve to live".
