I mentioned that I loved the food in India. All the cheap curries, tasty samosas and wonderful breakfasts. Well, now in Thailand I’m in Heaven. Thai food, along side Italian, is my favorite. Pad Thai, Green Curries, Spring Rolls, Tom Yam soup… It’s all good.

Finally, three days before leaving Thailand I got round to doing a Thai cookery course. There are hundreds to choose from in Chang Mai, but I was so impressed by the professionalism of the Eagle Guesthouse that I signed up for their Chili Club course with little further thought. I was not disappointed.

After selecting the 5 dishes each from the excellent cook book that comes with the course, we set off with our somewhat eccentric but wonderful tutor to the local market where we bought our ingredients. Each different herb and vegetable was explained to us along with some of the weird and wonderful fruits found here.

The rest of the day was spent creating wonderful dishes and eating them. We even did a bit of plate decoration creating a rose out of a tomato! Now I’ve dabbled a fair bit with Thai cooking before, but I could not believe how good my tom yam gam soup and green curry tasted. The correct fresh ingredients and the expert instruction were what made them so good. Who knows, some day maybe you’ll sample the goodness when I cook for you… Mr Fish, I believe you will have the pleasure first.

That night we wandered off to the weekend market. A huge expanse of street stalls stretching off in most directions within the old town. The usual tourist tat, along with some wonderfully creative items for sale. Unfortunately I was unable to buy the things I wanted for my home, firstly due to space and weight constraints, secondly because I don’t have a home.

The best find for me though, was a small photo exhibition / sale. A local university astronomy teacher, Mr Aniwat Sooksawat, set up the stall with his wife a year or so ago, and along with selling countless print and postcards, they were invited to set up a large gallery of his work in one of the local shopping malls. I mention this as I was so impressed by his work. Using only a semi pro compact camera this couple are able to capture the most stunning pictures, proving once again (and rather depressingly) that it is not about expensive equipment, but about composition, lighting, creativity, patience and being in the right place at the right time.

After speaking with the couple yesterday and asking many a question about individual shots, Espe and I went along to the shopping mall gallery today and I was once again blown away by the creativity and beauty of his shots. The collection has served as inspiration and motivation for me… In fact, to make me feel better about my own pictures, I bought a new lens today.

Check out his website, www.aniwat.com. Currently under development, it should be up and running within a few months.

As for Chang Mai, last time in Thailand I was gutted I didn’t make it up here. This time I’m gutted I’ve not got more time here. A four day trek at organised by the Eagle Guesthouse would be awesome (high five Jon), as would a day trip up the Doi Suthep mountain. Riding in the Mae Son Loop, a six day trip on motorbike, would be another unforgettable experience. All will have to be saved for another trip. It’s not all bad though. If all goes well, tomorrow I’ll spend the day mountain biking down the afore mention mountain.