Chef Pants and the magic pizza

Despite an early start yesterday we decided against visiting the Angkor Wat site due to exhaustion from our long journey the previous day; instead we plumped for cooking school. We wandered in to town and had an ice coffee whilst watching the locals zip around on mopeds and then pottered about the market for a bit - wonderful bustling and smelt great from all the spices and herbs on sale. All the sales women perch squatting in the middle of the tables with their wares before them (including chickens displayed feet upwards towards the customers and live fish slapping out their death throes at the sales women's feet, awaiting a customer and the inevitable chop of a big machete knife- almost trod on one great monk fish making a desperate bid for freedom along the floor)

A few mellow jars were consumed whilst chatting to a Singaporean girl and her American boyfriend before we made our way to Le Tigre de Papier restaurant for our lesson in Khymer cooking. A nice lady named Chenny asked us to pick a started each and a main course each which we were then to cook. Simon picked fresh shrimp spring rolls and Fish Amok and I plumped for spicy mango salad and scallop Amok. She then lead us back through the food market this time explaining what every thing was and getting us to taste a variety of fresh herbs, fruits and vegs before taking back to the restaurant and up some narrow steps into an open sided thatched roofed turret atop the building.

The turret kitchen was spotlessly clean and a bowl of lime infused water was all set out for washing our hands before we were donned in chef's hats and aprons and set to chopping. She was very sweet and enjoyed our calling "Yes Chef" after she demo'd how to slice lemon grass, fresh sweet basil, tumeric, garlic, shallots, chilli etc. We also made a fab coconut custard which is steamed in a sweet green pumpkin for an hour. It was really really good fun and we learned heaps of techniques - cooking with out oil, the use of flavours and building each one into the dish separately , making the pastes. She also had us make little banana leaf bowls to serve the yellow curry in and sharon fruit roses to garnish the plate. One we finished we sat down in the restaurant and enjoyed obviously the finest meal ever (coz we made it!!)

After this we were full and tired and hot and came back to the hotel for a shower and rest. We wandered back out about 6.30pm for cocktails at the Foreign Correspondents' Club (The "F"- as we foreign correspondents call it!) Very civilized. To be honest I wasn't much in the mood for drinking a lot and took it easy. After the sublime surroundings of the F we went to the ridiculous ambiance of the Dead Fish Tower- a bar/restaurant with wooden platforms and steps towering ever higher,real crocs in pools and Apsara dancing (trad Khmer stuff for people with double jointed fingers)

By this time, feeling hungry again but not fancying any more Khymer cuisine, Chef Pants suggested pizza. Apparently back in the day the Khymer people innocently used marijuana as a herb in cooking and they still do this only now you cannot buy it openly in the markets. With the onset of tourism they have hit on the idea of making pizzas "happy" as (what we thought) a gimmicky option when ordering. Neither us were interested in this and ordered standard pizzas (telling the waiter "No thanks we're happy enough" when he grinningly offered to make it a happy pizza)
Well it was a small but actually very tasty pizza - Si had a beer with it and I a coke (as I say I wanted to stay sane knowing today may well be Angkor Wat day)

Hmmmmmmmm- the little sod went and happied our pizza regardless! Of course we didn't know this til we were back at the guest house enjoying a quiet (beer for Si, small Bailey's for me) Suddenly we were feeling pretty surreal and giggling at the silliest stuff. Slowly realizing why this may be, we decided to make a quiet exit bedwards. As I stood gingerly up from the table I became aware I was standing n something squishy and so carefully squinted all the way down at my foot. Whether it was the pizza which made my processing skills so slow but it took me a seemingly ages and slow dawning realization that it was a living thing struggling under my foot... The triple lutz, back axle and a semi quaver met with a standing ovation from all the audience except the French on the next table (who unfortunately were the only audience) All the staff came running in and it turned out the hijinks was caused by a little yellow frog! Suddenly a policeman appeared from nowhere and collared the beasty - I pleaded for it's life but could hardly speak for a sudden urge to instead beseech the French "You lot don't eat it!"It was all a bit nighmarish given the pizza induced high we were on and we made a sharp exit. Once in bed the blasted pizza really kicked in and at one point we were thinking of trying to score some gnocchi to bring us down.

Anyway a very paranoid night ensued and we have had a late start today. Off for some lunch now (needless to say NOT italian!!) then to Angkor for sunset this evening and to buy our three day pass around the temples. Love and Pizza Man - Caio for now xxx

Up a Thai Temple

Holiday in Cambodia!

"Holiday in Cambodia"-a Dead Kennedy's ditty we're kinda partial to, also a highly recommended weekend break! One small problem is that it takes an age to get here and is fraught with border crossing stress...

Actually we felt we got off fairly lightly after reading copious horror stories of dodgy Thai officials and then seedy downtown Cambodian Poipet (the border town you emerge into from Thailand).

After a luscious hour sleep in BKK interrupted only by heat and the noise of Spanish fans celebrating their success against Germany and the knowledge that we had a 4am alarm call - we took a taxi to Hualamphong Railway Station. [Top tip again! DON'T let taxi drivers in BKK take you anywhere off the meter- we were touted immediately we left the guest house and told "no meter" but that the trip would only cost us 300Baht - we duly told him of an interesting way to get there himself and flagged a meter cab down to the tune of 53 baht!!!!)

All the train windows were wide open as we set off bumping along out of Bangkok, passing again the shocker of shanty towns built in the very roots of the high rise hotels and office blocks. It really takes the breath away how these folks manage to live in such squalour and poverty, yet we saw one little girl all neat in her school uniform standing on a home made wooden walk way above the stench of stagnant ditches, having her hair brushed by her mother. At least she's being cared for and going to school but I wonder if all her school mates live in similar shacks or whether they come from varying backgrounds? I suppose she doesn't often have friends for a sleep over!

The countryside was lush and gorgeous paddy fields, full of storks, egrets, strange but beautiful looking kingfishers and everywhere folks tending their crops in searing heat!

The journey seemed never ending, taking 6 hours and ending with the joys of border crossings. Almost the moment we got off the train we were set upon by tuk tuk touts. Carefully we negotiated only the border and "only 50 baht" - all seemed understood and we set off. Immediately he turned away from the arrow pointing to the border and straight into a travel agency - well I wasn't having it - I cannot stand naughty boys who don't listen to instructions!!!! I yelled "If you don't turn around right now and take us to the border -we'll get out and no pay!!"(What an old colonial bossy boots- but I knew I should have brought our own rickshaw wallah on holiday with us!) Anyway I clearly scared the fisherman pants off him as he duly turned around and headed demurely off for the border.

It was then a relatively simple affair to fill out departure forms to leave Thailand and fill in medical release forms for Cambodia and then the visa forms for the Cambodia visa (though the border official did exactly what the guide books and websites said he'd do and tried to charge us a extraneous 200 baht on top of the $20 visa fee. I said "What's that for?"he looked at his feet and mumbled "express visa processing"! No need to fear if you're doing this- don't pay the baht and wait for the longer visa processing which took 2 minutes.

Finally we walked into Cambodia and got hustled on to a "government tourist shuttle bus" Quite funny because everyone on it was questioning the guys and all were really paranoid that this too was a ruse to get more cash out of us. Whilst journeying along the french girls in front of us suddenly groaned as they found the bit in Lonely Planet that says basically don't get fooled by the official shuttle bus. Great! We were especially anxious as we'd arranged for our hotel to have a taxi meet us at the Cambodian side not at some bus station.

Anyway- in the end it worked out okay and on refection we don't think they wre trying to rip anyone off (I think they are trying to allay rumours of scams and corruption by being ultra helpful and efficient but because the all new modern bus station is actually in middle of nowhere and completely empty it looks like some sort of very expensive scam. Our driver wasn't there and a kindly police man allowed Si to call the hotel and after some misunderstandings and complexities which we still can't quite get to the bottom of, we got to the Mother Home Guest House some 2 hours later.

So far we love what we're seeing here. The countryside is stunning and people farm their land using oxen to pull their ploughs. Their are water buffalo everywhere in the fields - it is really lovely. The people are different too - extremely friendly.

Siem Reap is surprisingly new at first glance . It is open and light (no high rises) Lots of parks and royal gardens. Last night we walked into the centre where the bars and restaurants are and had the most delicious Cambodian national dish (Amok) Fish red curry - scrumptious. Draft beer at 50cents (about 40p) a pop and the meal about 3.75GBP.

There is a colonial feel to the old town and there are plenty of bars which have balconies which give a little more breeze and a view of proceedings away from the constant beggar action. I can feel this will be a continuing ethical issue for us...there are numerous land mine victims begging and also children (one very little boy could only have been about 4 years old and came running in front of us kneeling and bowing down head to the ground and little hands together) It's upsetting but also a concern that you don't want to encourage the life style for children. Prob best to remember how it feels to see them and donate to a charity when we get back.

Off to explore some more (prob staying here til 16th now as there's lots to see and do and the hotel is fab!)
More in a day or two.

Big lizard watch

Hi folks!
We arrived- finally- it was a totally knackering journey all told. Met with Rev. Bill at Delhi Airport- wow that's a lovely place!! NOT.

We only got to speak with Bill briefly as he was on the job protecting British borders from advancing illegal immigrants- which looked to us a little tough and involved a lot of passport scrutiny and endless phone calls to check people's destinations etc. Anyway even for the short time we had- it was great to see old Bill (looking exactly the same age as he was 11 years ago)

Arrived at about 8.30pm in BKK in 30 degree heat and no air. No probs checking in and a good snooze had by all. Yesterday we re-aquainted ourselves with some old haunts and some new areas of general bustling humanity and lack of loos (eventually the call of nature necessatating (sp) a bail-out by tuk tuk back to Khao San Rd.

Numerous beers and a sleep and shower saw us set up for a night out (definitely quieter than last year) All the usual suspects were out and about selling all the usual rubbish. One of the Burmese mountain women (adele) who sold us Elli's chirruping frog last year remembered us which was pretty incredible. Suddenly about 10pm I (Jo) began literally to melt and had to shakily ascend to bed where I fell asleep for an hour and felt worse when i awoke. Not sick or anything - can only put it down to heat stroke or something daft! Si went out and watched the footy game (starting here at 1.30am!)

Today we tentatively took our first Anti-Malarial pills with a yoghurt and muselli brekkie and then sat back to await the onset of the side effects. It's now about 4pm and no ulcerated gullets to be seen!

Went for a gentler wander around some quiet back streets and took numerous pix of a 4 foot monitor lizard as it swam up the canal and then started to explore the alley under a house! Not the prettiest wild life watching moment. Had our first run in with a wild dog- well it was a poodle but it seemed pretty wild to me- well if not wild certainly pissed off!! Suffice to say, I hurtled off down the street like a startled gazelle (okay buffalo) whilst Simon sort of laughed at me and later reassured me that if it had been a threat he would have ripped its head off!! All bodes well then for the remainder of the trip (Watch out canines)

Tomorrow we jump a taxi at 4.30am and set off by train to Cambodia border crossing.
Hope everyone is well... we're a little bit jaded I think but I'm sure we're just acclimatising. Next update should be from Cambodia.

Nambodia or Vietcam? Either way here we come!

Yep we've finally decided it is back to East Asia for some more fun and high adventure. Plan is 6 weeks to explore some of Cambodia and Vietnam.
We leave in 4 weeks... yes that's FOUR weeks. As usual this time frame is causing a flurry of panicked research, barely controlled excitement and well just plain panic!

Thus far the plan is: fly Heathrow- Delhi Delhi-Bangkok arriving 8pmish on 5th July for a three night acclimatisation period before taking a 5.55 train from BKK to the Thai/Cambodian border. We then expect some hassle from scammers as we get over the border and hopefully safely of to Siem Reap (a town near to Angkor Wat) It sounds lovely there and we think 5 or 6 days of exploring and chilling will be fun. Then we will take a boat to Battambang and hang out for a few days before busing down to Phnom Pehn (Cam Capital) It all looks a bit murky fro then on but possibly we will make our way to HCMC (formerly Saigon) and to Da Lat and up the coast of Vietnam arriving in time for four days in Hanoi before flying back to BKK and spending the final two days chillaxing again before the flight to blighty.

Sounds easy!

As usual Pants is being ultra adventurous and reading everything and anything and making plans to trek jungles in search of tigers and pygmy Asian Rhinos (bless his great white hunter heart) Meanwhile Jo is in her usual lather of rabid dog paranoia, typhoid terrors, malarial madness and added to all these usual suspects she's already lived in fine imaginative detail how it will feel to be blown up by a land mine or worse, watch as Pants is similarly annihilated!! So between us we should as normal find a comfortable balance between thrilling adventure and boring safety.

The research is part of the fun and to that end Jo is reading "The Quiet American" whilst Simon has insisted on watching "Two Brothers" the dreadfully boring tale of two tigers separated at birth to experience various sad fortunes (starring some nice tigers and Mike from Neighbours)YAWN!! I suppose I do get it though as the only other films out there about Nambodia seem to revolve around genocide, war, death and madness- which is nice!

Looking forward to Angkor Wat, the people, the food and the travelly bits. As usual we'll keep the blog updated when poss and hopefully someone out there may read the updates and monitor our progress into the heart of darkness!!! (like a snail crawling on the edge of razor blade and all that jazz!!)

Meantime here is a nice picture of a bee on a flower which I took in Audrey's garden recently!

Wildlife Adventures in Scotland

It's been awhile since we posted - partly this is due to the extremely annoying dark ages technology we are forced to contend with at school. I have been unable to get access to my email account from the flat so cannot send promised photos to Judith at AX Inn. So sorry Judith if you happen by here I am trying to get a slot in the ICT dept calandar to rectify the issue and then the promised pictures will be on their way.
Meantimes the attached was taken at Milton Shore (it was drizzling quite hard so the image is blurry I'm afraid) All in all this year's trip to Applecross didn't disappoint in terms of food, walks, laughs and wildlife. We saw a whopping 5 otters which was an incredible bonus. One occasion we saw a mother and 2 cubs which was really special.
Not only that but we had our tent raided two nights in a row by a pine marten (unfortunately we didn't see him/her) but on the second night it took a red canvas bad with Henry the hoover logo on the side.. If anyone has found this ... please let us know.
It was a shame not to have caught up with Dave and Aidan but I guess with our bad planning and their house move it wasn't to be this time.

Applecross here we come again!

Hurray! At a recent summit meeting in Genev... no actually to be honest in the pub (Inn at Whitewell to be exact) we decided that yes- we will head to my (Jo) fave destination ever... Applecross Penninsular Wester Ross, for Easter hols.

Physically I can already feel the pull towards that most perfect place and find myself lying awake each night recalling every detail of the panorama, the fantastic fresh sea food served up by Judith and her trustee gang of friendly, hardworking staff at Applecross Inn, the sea, the mountains, the deer, the otters we'll see again (that last from my lips to the gods' ears!!) Maybe we'll get to catch up with Dave and Aiden again which would be dure to be a laugh- the most bitingly funny chaps around and a guaranteed hangover is always in the offing when our paths collide!

As for recent months we've spent time in Devon with JB just before Christmas which was a great relief from the trials of a seemingly never ending Christmas term. JB- we're now convinced more than ever that those noises of sploshing and high pitched squeaking we heard in the brook that freezing cold starry night were otters! This from having seen Ring of Bright Water again recently (as part of my AX campaign against Simon's Seville campaign) and Simon King's Shetland Diary footage of the otter family.

Spent a lot of time at "home" at Stony too in the snow and it did look magical over Christmas deserted and snowbound (Narnia perhaps) Though after a week we were beginning to feel more like we were in the Shining!!