Chiang Mai, founded in 1296, and the one time capital of the Kingdom of Lanna (currently the capital of Chiang Mai Province) is home to a mind boggling number of Buddhist temples. Over 300, to be vaguely exact. Each wat is unique, and many are easily accessible by foot, located within the moated confines of Old Town, while others are tucked away off winding roads (or on mountaintops) on the outskirts of the city. Continue reading
what mysterious wonders do the side streets of Bangkok hold?
The plan was simple: to eat. More specifically, to eat our way across Bangkok right up until the moment we were scheduled to hop the night train north to Chiang Mai. In a city known for its amazing and abundant street food, I imagined that the task at hand would unfold deliciously: dish by dish, street by street. Of course, my true intentions were not that pure. Continue reading
The music was hypnotic. The haunting sounds of a double reed instrument (called a Pi Java) twisted its way through the shuffle of the crowd steadily assembling for the evening’s fights. Small cymbals chimed. There was the rhythmic thump of a drum. It was like snake charming music. The Katha Mahaniyou was working its magic… Continue reading
In a city where 4 and 5 star hotels come with insanely reasonable price tags, it makes it easy for regular people to dwell in the lap of luxury- if even for a short time. In Bangkok, one is literally spoilt for choice. So…how to choose? We searched through pages and pages – one gorgeous hotel after another- it was overwhelming…Until we happened upon the website for Hotel Muse. Continue reading
We left the cool oasis of our beautiful room at The Muse Hotel, and decided to make our way across town to Wat Pho. It seemed as good a place as any to begin our exploration of Bangkok. Not only is Wat Pho the city’s oldest temple, home to 91 chedis, and a massive reclining Buddha; it is also in close proximity to a couple other noteworthy attractions- namely Wat Arun and the Royal Palace. Maximum sightseeing with the least amount of walking possible. Sounded good to me! Continue reading
As a kid growing up in a small northern NY town where chicken wings and burgers reigned supreme, I distinctly remember the first time I tasted Thai food. My parents took us on a 30 minute drive to the next (significantly larger) town over, to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant tucked into one of those strip mall shopping centre areas. It was an unassuming place that left an indelible mark on my palette. The exotic flavours of Continue reading
Food always has a story to tell. Like magic, certain smells, flavours, and meals have the power to transport us through time and space. Whether it is a fleeting snapshot from personal memory that is evoked; or a larger, more encompassing tale that describes a culture, or colours a country and its people. Food is transcendent. Continue reading
Down a road, past a long row of kimchi pots, past western style burger joints, and pubs filled with so many foreigners we had to momentarily question whether we were in Boston or Seoul, finally: a corner- a non-descript black door Continue reading
Sometimes you just have a craving for Thai food…or if you are me you are pretty much always have the craving. Continue reading
Good southern style bbq in Korea? With all the fixins? And an atmosphere that feels like you might be eating in an ‘off the beaten path’ rib shack? In Seoul? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Continue reading