Chiang What?

I write again with a full belly. I like this trend :). This time it isn't due to any scary insects or meat products, but to six delicious dishes I whipped up in the Thai cooking class I took today. Before I talk about this, let me tell you how I got here:
I boarded a long "slow boat" last week and drifted away from lovely Luang Prabang, Laos an hour and a half past schedule. That's Laos for you. Just when you are caught up in the pleasantness of the relaxed atmosphere, The Westerner kicks you in the side and reminds you that you are in Asia. Nine hours later, I stepped off that boat with a camera full of beautiful scenic photos and an upset stomach. I (along with the hoards of other tourists making the same journey) stayed the night in a rural village- turned tourist mecca. Pakbeng just so happens to be the midway point between Luang Prabang and the Thai border on the Mekong river. Every boat docks here and passengers pick up another in the morning for the second half of the journey. Pakbeng was a small village on the river, but since the inhabitants realized they could charge a dollar instead of twenty cents for a kilo of oranges, many have changed from subsistence farmers to broken English-speaking guest house owners. The scary thing about this is that the surge of money could mean a surge of opium dealing. The Golden Triangle- Laos, Myanmar, and northern Thailand- has been known for it's opium production for ages. I hope that tourists and their dollars don't bring opium back to it's glory days of popularity. I just went to a hill tribe museum and learned all about this topic. Opium was a big money-maker for hill tribes in the Golden Triangle region because poppies grew so easily there. But enough about drugs.
I ran off boat number two the nest day, bound to get into Thailand before the border closed. The only thing separating the two countries is the river, but going from one to the other is far more difficult than a short swim across. We docked after another nine hour day on the water, peeled our bottoms off the wooden benches, and took off for step one of country change: checking out of Laos. About half of my boat wanted to get to Thailand that day, so we all made a mad dash for the tuk-tuk (taxi in the form of covered pickup truck) stand, rode the short way to the immigration office, and had our visas successfully stamped by the time they closed. Then we had to wait for the ferry driver to have a cigarette and a chat with his friend before shuttling us from one bank to the other. By the time we got to the Thai side, the immigration office had closed. About fifteen other backpackers, middle-aged couples, and I were officially stuck between countries. Our choices were to sleep on the sandy banks of the Mekong or do something I will only refer to as "money changing hands." We chose the latter. It just so happened that two border officials were standing around outside the office. For two US dollars a head, we were in. Now, there's a first for everything- bribing your way into a country, included. I made it to Chiang Rai that night, with just enough time and energy for some chicken satay and souvenir shopping at the happening night bazaar. Chiang Rai isn't much of a town- it is mainly a base for trekking and hill-tribe visits through the north. I stayed there only a day before catching a bus to Chiang Mai, the Bangkok of the north. I have been here ever since, wandering around and keeping an eye out for places with ice water. It has got to be 90 degrees plus in midday and I am in the middle of the mountains! I met a couple from California who had been in the south a few weeks ago. They live on the beach, but said they couldn't go more than twenty minutes in the sun before needing to get in the water. This is why Thailand is not completely overrun by tourists.
Chiang Mai is a cool city. It was a walled city, complete with moat which still remains. Only parts of the walls are still standing. it is packed with traffic which does away with any ancient feel. But, old temples and monks walking the streets are always welcome reminders of where I am. I think I would like the city more if there were fewer grey-haired men with pierced ears proudly sporting a busty, scantily-clad Thai girl half their age. Again, I must remember where I am.
To get out of the heat, I signed up for this cooking course today. I learned to make six yummy dishes from the most feminine, non-lady-boy I have ever seen. It was good fun and made me even more excited to visit our Asian grocery store when I get back so I can recreate (to the best of my ability) these flavors. Calling all Asian food lovers: feast at my house!