Some Food

I think I mentioned before that we are eating our evening meal in more often -- there are so many options for take-away. Dan especially enjoys going to Kom Market in the late afternoon to see what he can find. We usually have some type of noodles, a salad, and a protein. Last week I posted some brown noodles, barbecued chicken, and salad rolls. This week it is a cucumber salad, noodles with a few veggies, and son-in-law eggs (deep fried boiled eggs in a sweet and sour sauce).

On Thursday evening we decided to visit one of our favorite places, Spoon de Best. They served a Penang fish curry that was delicious. Unfortunately, when we got there, it was gone -- no sign of a restaurant; some travel agency was in the spot. We went on down the street to another place we like, Baan Na Na. I had a Penang curry with chicken. The little green balls are tiny eggplants, just larger than a pea. Dan had the same dish with pork. We also had some spring rolls.

I went to tai chi class every day this week. It was very tiring, but good to get back in the groove. It will probably take me most of the time we are here just to correct my form a little bit at a time. In a year some of the moves have lost their perfection. The class this week had people from France, Sweden, Canada, England, Singapore and the US. Here are just a few of us. Most of them won't be back next week.

Saturday morning I went to the market again. The choices are much better early in the morning -- I generally pick up our fruit on the way home from class, about 11:30. Eight bananas for 65¢, four limes for 32¢ (more expensive than some), peeled pomelo for 95¢, and two mangos for 95¢.

Tuesday Update

Saturday evening we went back to the Walking Market again. I was feeling better, up to the walk (about 2-2.5 miles altogether). We didn't buy anything, but it is always fun to see all the crafts and other goods for sale. We went a bit too early -- some vendors were still setting up, and the food courts weren't really ready. We ended up getting three sausages (Chiang Mai, German, and Garlic) and some spring rolls, all from the same vendor. The rolls were quite large -- two dots means shrimp, one dot means chicken. The sweet/sour sauce comes in little plastic bags, ripe for a spill, so we dumped them both into one of our bowls. This is my plate, with a bite of each sausage and half of each spring roll.

Sunday afternoon I had the last of my every-other-day massages; now it will be twice a week. I am back in my tai chi class Monday-Friday mornings and for now don't want too many other activities on my schedule. I am definitely feeling better, able to handle the .9-mile walk to class, an hour of tai chi exercises, and the walk back. I usually do a little shopping on the way back -- milk or fruit mainly.

It has been interesting to notice changes along the way. Old shops disappear and new ones take their places.

This rather odd place has opened. It is some kind of Hindu thing, not likely a shop or even a temple, more like a museum. It says "Lord Ganesha Free Entrance" on the outside. I haven't gone in, but must look in one of these days.

This corner used to have a store I didn't really notice. Just behind the white pickup there was a fried chicken vendor, who was set up there every lunch time. Now it is a new hostel.

When I walked by Le Light on my way home from class, they were setting up lunch for a large group of people. This table was right outside, but under their roof.

I've always walked by the fire station. Can you tell what is wrong with this picture? The white truck is blocking egress for the engine on the left.

Looking across the moat, I saw these enormous double-decker tour buses. We saw a couple of them last week on one of our more narrow streets. They usually seem to be filled with Chinese tourists, who love to come to Chiang Mai.

Saturday Morning Market

This morning I walked over to the Chiang Mai Gate market earlier than usual. On Saturdays there is an extra row of stalls behind the large indoor space.

I went a different way than I usually go and passed an antique shop with these wonderful big lions in front.

I didn't take many pictures in the market itself, but I couldn't resist these colorful jellied sweets.

Out in the back there were lots of fruit and vegetable stalls. And meat! Here are fried fish, raw pigs' ears, and raw pork ready for you to cook.

First Week

We have been in Chiang Mai for a week now. Dan has been doing a fair bit of shopping when he is out on his scooter -- some more hangers, new shoelaces, bottle opener, other miscellaneous items that will come in handy. I am still taking it quite easy, enjoying frequent massages. I walk out to a market at least once a day.

Flowering shrubs along the way:

Scenes at the Chiang Mai Gate market, lots of fried things!

We've been eating quite a lot of takeout in the evenings. (Yes, I'll get more pictures of that food.) Last night we went back to the Doo Dee, one of our favorite restaurants. Only one of the two servers we've gotten to know was there and she told us they had a new owner and new menu. The food was very good, but similar to so many other restaurants around. There was only one other customer during the 45 minutes or so that we were there. It used to be hopping in the evenings. The old Doo Dee had some unusual and different dishes that we enjoyed. Not sure we'll go back...

Dan's Massaman curry was delicious and presented beautifully.

My Pad See Ew also was presented well and included a small salad. It was large and I brought some home for lunch today.

At the end of the meal they brought us this fruit plate. It was lovely, but the watermelon wasn't the best.

Settling In

We've been in Thailand three days now and our routine is beginning to be established. This year we are back in a studio room rather than a one-bedroom apartment. The place we stay, Smith Suites, has become so popular that a number of ex-pats are staying here year-round and all the larger units are rented. We are on the third floor, so our view isn't nearly as good as it was from the sixth. But there is lots of storage space and the kitchen is well-equipped. The electric hob has two burners instead of the four we had last year, but we never use more than one anyway. I do miss a more comfortable place to sit and lounge. It is either the bed or a chair at the small table.

The first night we went back to a nearby place we like, the Blues Pub. I had my usual chicken with cashews, stir-fried with lots of veggies. Always delicious. It's nice to be recognized and welcomed back.

Not far from us was a new building going up last year. It is finally open, a hotel called just Bed. It is pretty expensive for here (around $75 a night) and looks really nice. The parking lot for five or so cars is right off the street.

This year we are doing less restaurant eating and more take-out. Friday we had chicken wraps from a vendor we've used frequently before. They are delicious. Tonight (Saturday) Dan went to a nearby market and brought back several delicious things. The first were five veggie wraps for salad. There were two dipping sauces. There is a small piece of meat in with the carrots, cucumbers and nice lettuce.

He got a bag of noodles. I'm not sure what the flavor was, but they were tasty. We also had barbecued chicken, about five pieces. All of this cost about $3.

I had my first massage today. I was happy to be back with Dang, who knows my body quite well and does a good job. She could tell it had been too long since my last massage! I haven't done a lot more yet, as I am still recovering from walking pneumonia. It is getting better every day; I still don't have a very high energy level.

Goodbye Hawaii, Hello Thailand

On our last day (January 1) in our rental house, we did laundry and packed up our things for the trip. The first place we went was a waterfall north of Hilo. It was beautiful from a distance. The path was fairly long and of varying altitudes, so I passed on it. (I am better, but still quite short of breath.)

As we left the waterfall park, we saw a local bakery in a small town. It was open (it seemed most places were closed on New Year's Day.) We stopped in and had some early lunch treats. Their baked goods were outstanding. Dan finally had a Hawaiian spam sandwich, sort of like sushi wrapped with rice and seaweed. Spam is very popular in Hawaii; it is on many menus.

On the way back into Hilo, we took a side road designated "scenic route." It certainly was. It went by the Botanical Gardens, which Anjali, Dirk and Tracy were planning to visit on Tuesday.

We also drove to some beach parks in town. One had an interesting kind of moat pool around a tree.

We sat in the shade for a while and watched people swimming and snorkeling. We talked with one woman after she got out and she said the water was quite cold.

We planned to eat a very early supper at a pancake house, one of the few places open on the holiday. Everyone enjoyed our meal, and a few even had pancakes! When we were finished, we headed for the airport, where Domingos, Dan and I checked in for our flight to Honolulu. Domingos was heading home to work. Dan and I stayed in a hotel near the airport before our late morning flight to Thailand.

We flew Korean Air, as we have the past few years, as it flies from Seoul directly to Chiang Mai. We like not having to change planes in Bangkok. We got in about 11:00 and had a fairly quick run through immigration and customs. We didn't have to wait for a taxi, and we were in our room by midnight. Today (Thursday) we are buy getting set up -- Dan renting a scooter, changing money, both of us doing some grocery shopping. We'll be settled by evening.

New Year's Eve

On Sunday we had a quieter day, staying in our area in the southern part of the island. After a light lunch at home, Tracy went for a run toward a nearby beach. The rest of us drove there and dropped Dirk off. Then we drove along the coast road until it ended. We were a bit surprised at the number of residences in the area, as it is quite near the lava flow. We stopped at a number of spots along the way; the scenery was breath-taking everywhere.

This marker remembering someone was at one of the beaches.

This area was a more recent lava flow, as you can see, the vegetation is much younger.

At the end of the road there were several cafes and a parking lot. A sign said the black sand beach was a quarter of a mile away, so we walked on the path. This painting was obviously done by native Hawaiians. We saw several signs wishing they could have their islands back.

Here is Anjali at the black sand beach. There was definitely sand but the beach itself was pretty rocky.

On our way back, we picked up Dirk and Tracy. After some more downtime at the house, we went for an early dinner at Kaleo's, a wonderful restaurant in nearby Pahoa.

My coconut-crusted ono fish with liliko'i sauce was fabulous. (Liliko'i is passion fruit.)

Dan had Korean short ribs, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

None of us stayed up to see in the New Year, but the others all heard some very loud firecrackers at midnight. I never heard a thing!

This evening we fly to Honolulu and tomorrow on to Thailand.

2017 Reads

At the end of the year, I like to look back on the books I've read throughout the year and remember some of the best ones. According to the list I keep, I read 79 books in the past 12 months. I'm going to share some of my favorites.  [These are all fiction, even if they don't sound like it!]

R.F. Delderfield - To Serve Them All My Days. Another long English story, about a World War I veteran who ends up teaching in a small private school in Devon. (Last year I read God Is an Englishman, by the same author.)

M.M. Kaye - The Far Pavilions. A reread of one of my favorite novels set in India. A young English boy's parents both die; his ayah saves him and raises him as her own in a Himalayan kingdom. At age 11 they flee the kingdom, she dies, and he turns himself in to a British outpost. Years later, he is returned to India as a soldier.

Mackenzie Ford - Gifts of War. This story really stayed with me -- another World War I story. This one has a British officer who meets up with a German officer on Christmas Day. The German gives him a photo of his English girlfriend and asks him to find her after the war. The suspense of what and when he will tell her the truth is well-done.

Jacqueline Winspear - In This Grave Hour. Maisie Dobbs becomes involved with an evacuee child. I can't recommend this series highly enough.

Alexander McCall Smith - The Bertie Project. Everyone's favorite Scottish child and his neighbors have further adventures. One of the most delightful series out there.

Beatrice Colin - To Capture What We Cannot Keep. Scottish siblings and their chaperone go to Paris, become involved in the Eiffel Tower construction.

Carrie Fisher - The Princess Diarist. Carrie's untimely death took a good actress and an excellent writer from us.

Lucinda Riley - The Shadow Sister. The third book in this wonderful series focuses on Star, the sister who seemed the most dependent on the others.

Lindsay Jayne Ashford - The Woman on the Orient Express. A fictionalized Agatha Christie travels to Baghdad on the historic train and her life becomes entwined with two others.

Jojo Moyes - The Horse Dancer. A somewhat compiicated story about a teenage girl and her horse, her grandfather, and a young lawyer and her ex who become involved.

Donna Tartt - The Goldfinch. I wanted to read this book for several years, but its size was a bit daunting. Once I started, however, I couldn't put it down. A young boy is caught in a blast in the Metropolitan Museum in New York and gets away with a small painting, which has a lifelong effect on him.

Jennifer Ryan - The Chilbury Ladies' Choir. World War II village women form a choir; their lives are told through journals and letters.

Sarah Domet - The Guineveres.  Four girls with the same name are left at a convent in World War II. They fall in love with soldiers in comas, serve as altar girls, one becomes pregnant.

Fredrick Backman - Beartown. A small town's hockey team is the focus of everyone's lives; a rape disturbs the peace. This doesn't sound like a story I would like, but Backman's writing holds my interest every time.

Emma Donaghue - The Wonder. An English nurse is sent to Ireland with a priest to observe a young girl who is fasting. Is it a miracle?

Jessica Shattuck - The Women in the Castle. Widows of Nazi resistors and their children survive.

Anna Hope - Wake. The lives of three English women in the aftermath of World War I; their lives come together around the burial of the unknown warrior.

Alexander McCall Smith - A Distant View of Everything. Another in the Isabel Dalhousie series; this time she gets involved with a man who is suspected of fleecing women.

Melodie Winawer - The Scribe of Siena. A time travel romance of a modern woman who goes to medieval Siena and falls in love with an artist. This especially appealed to me because we were in Siena for a day a couple of years ago.

Helen Bryan - War Brides. Five women spend World War II in a village, return 50 years later to solve a mystery of what happened.

Penny Vincenzi - The Best of Times. The aftermath of a large wreck on the A4 heading into London and the effect it had on several lives.

Richard Russo - Elsewhere. [nonfiction] The author's memoir of his mother's OCD and his enabling her.

Rebecca Hunt - Mr. Chartwell. A librarian is fighting depression, which appears as a very large black dog who invades her home. She finds out the he visits Churchill, too. An odd book but gripping.

Petra Durst-Benning - While the World Is Still Asleep. Young women in 1890's Germany become obsessed with bicycling, which women are not allowed to do.

Alexander McCall Smith - The House of Unexpected Sisters. Precious discovers a sister she never knew existed.

Camille Aubrey - Cooking for Picasso. A young Frenchwoman makes lunch for Picasso and ends up posing for him.

Gail Honeyman - Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. A young woman suffers and recovers from a horrific childhood.

Lucinda Riley - The Angel Tree. A woman with amnesia for 30 years gradually recovers her memories.

Taylor Jenkins Reid - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. An old movie star tells her life story to a young journalist. There is a mystery that remains unsolved until the very end.

Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol. After seeing the recent movie, The Man Who Invented Christmas, I decided to reread this short novella. It does stand up!

Jamie Ford - Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. In 1942 a Chinese boy in Seattle befriends a Japanese girl. Her family is interned and 44 years later he finds relics and searches for her.

Luz Gabas - Palm Trees in the Snow. This Spanish book chronicles the men from the Pyrenees who went to Fernando Po (now part of Equitorial Guinea) to work on the cacao plantations from the 1930s to the 1960s. A modern linguist is the catalyst for learning the family secrets.

Saturday in Hilo

On Saturday we toured the Hilo Coffee Mill. It is run by three women with eight employees. They have 24 acres of coffee trees and do everything by hand. On Saturdays they sponsor a small farmer's market with produce, baked goods and a few other handmade things.

Here is Jeanette showing us one of the two roasters.

They have quite a few free-range chickens, kept primarily to eat the insects. This was a handsome rooster.

Coffee berries are red and you can see some here on the tree. They ripen at different rates, so there are green and red ones at the same time. After the tour they gave samples of various flavors and types of coffee, but since I am a tea drinker, I didn't participate.

After the tour, we went to downtown Hilo, where we met our nephew Andrew and his wife Angela at the Pesto Cafe for lunch. We hadn't seen them for four years (and longer for Dirk and Tracy) and had a great time catching up. After lunch we spent some time visiting at their lovely home on a hill above the town.

As we left, we stopped at a place called the Boiling Pots on the Wailuku River. It was a lovely series of falls, pools and rapids. Although there were signs warning of the danger of going down to the water, we saw several groups of people climbing around down below.

Not far away was the Rainbow Falls on the same river. It was stunningly beautiful.

Here are the eight of us at the Boiling Pots. What a great visit!