for the cooking class, the night market & the lady boy show

Master Chef here I come!! 

I wasn't sure how I'd go today as I am not exactly known for my culinary skills, and Thai food is never my first choice when it comes to dining out, but I was a little excited to give it a go! That's what this trip is all about after all.

Pom and her little husband (whose name I didn't quite catch) met us at our hotel and drove is to the local food market! A feast for the eyes and senses, everything and anything was on offer. 

Pom and her husband

The local market

Pom walked us around showing us different traditional ingredients, explaining there properties and uses before giving us time to explore while she shopped for our cooking class.

We were then driven to her house which has the perfect set up and would give the MKR kitchen a run for its money I think. 

We watched her complete each dish with ease before heading back to our own workstations to enjoy our creations, and given that I am still here to write about it I must have done ok! 

First course to cook was actually our dessert, Banana Pudding, as it needed time to cook in the steamer and then cool. Because apparently you are meant to eat cooked dessert at room temperature!

Setting that aside, we then made chicken and coconut soup, which we were then allowed to eat straight away.

Followed by Pork Mince Salad and Pad Thai. 

Almost looks edible right?

Everything was delicious, even if I do say so myself. We were also given a cookbook to take home with many other recipes included. I am not sure I'll be holding a Thai inspired dinner parties anytime soon, but I had a great time! 

If you happen to find yourself in Chiang Mai, do yourself a favour and go check out Pom and her kitchen and have a lesson, you won't regret it. Check out her website Cooking @ home.

We were chauffeured back to the hotel with a few hours until our next commitment, which was spent, collecting my washing and laying by the pool (again!)

Night markets are a big thing in these parts and the biggest ones in Chiang Mai were within walking distance of our hotel. Raht showed us a few of the main parts and then left us to explore on our own. I tagged along with the Aussie Mum and Daughter as we weaved up and down and in and out of the many many stalls each selling something a little different but a lot the same. 

As we strolled down on lane of stalls a small group of school children came running up to me and the lead boy ranted something at me that I could obviously not understand, I made it clear that I was sorry but I didn't know what he was saying, he shook his head in obvious disappointment and lead the group away. A lady at a nearby stall must have sensed the 'what the...' look on my face and explained that he was asking if I would go to his school and teach English! Seriously!! Is it tattooed on my forehead!? 

We had been told by a man we met earlier by the pool of a lady boy cabaret show at the night markets and our curiosity got the better of us, so we wandered down for a look. We were told to get there early as it packs out very quickly, sure enough we followed this warning and ended up front table! 

It was all harmless good fun and I was in awe of some of the costumes they were wearing and how in shape they were.... But sad when a lady boy looks better in a leotard than an actually lady {I do not actually own a leotard but you get my drift}. Co-ordination and dancing in heels left a lot to be desired, especially when said heels were broken, but what they lacked in that department they more than made up for in enthusiasm and smiles. 

Another big but great day!

{Linking up with Ms Mystery Case for Worth Casing Wednesday and Brown Paper Packages for Wednesday Wanderlust!}