What a wonderful day! In Kamosai - have to check the spelling - like something out of a movie. Plenty of time for a swim and breakfast by the pool before showering and dressing to board the tender taking us over to the mainland (i.e.island). I feel like a kid at a summer camp; the destination managers sort us out with numbers and water and check us out as we leave and enter. The drive in an air-conditioned van through the markets and streets (one street?) took about 40 minters, but with a long stop at a very large farmer's market (I'm working at getting a photo of it into my blog- very time-consuming at first. I'm on a slow learning curve.) There is a Mennonite expression that they eat every part of a goose except the honk. Well, here in Thailand they eat every part of the chicken except the cluck. The chicken feet on display looked lovely and I know they will jelly the stock.
Pigs' ears we know about but oh, the size of the pigs's heads on offer was daunting. Some people were repelled but I have seen sheeps' head in the markets in Reykjavík; it's called svið. If you've ever had head cheese you'd know something about it. I must admit I've never cooked it, but I have an open mind - and palate. The wealth of food available is wonderful with treasures of the sea and earth available, some of it quite expensive (our guide gave us sample prices) and some of it very cheap. He showed us dried squid strips that he used to chew as a child; he was very poor.
Well, we are not We drove on to a resort hotel right on the ocean, with little bungalows for rent on a winding path down to the beach. On a covered deck open to the breeze, above the waves, a long table was set up for the cooks, with tables close by for us to sample what we cooked. Talk about prepared! Everything was measured and set up for us. We worked in pairs, following the instructions of a lovely Thai cook and checked, when there was heat involved, by a young helper who took care of the little propane elements. We were each given a chef's hat and apron and a brochure with the recipes of the three dishes we cooked, and we received a certificate attesting to our skill when we were finished.
We ate what we cooked and it was delicious. I'll try to include a photograph of our coconut-bowl soup. Those of you who are within range of my home kitchen may profit by my new-found skill when I return.
On our way back to the tender, we stopped at a Buddhist temple. Those who were able climbed the 60 or so steps up to the statue to pay respects and take in the view. Well, I had eaten a full meal, it was 32 degrees Celsius and I'm 84 years old, in good shape but I didn't want to push my luck. So I sat in the shade with others of my group. (There were only 12 of us and only 4 opted for the climb.)
Back on the ship, I began to struggle with the iPhoto to send a couple of pix with my blog. I'll do it soon, but the battery is running low and I haven't written in my journal yet. Also, I have to write my date in Bangkok to arrange our reunion on Saturday.
My son Matthew has an expression when we're travelling together, beginning when we're coping with paper work and hanging around, and kind of bored or tired. He says, "Are we having fun yet?" Then when we are having fun, it's all the more meaningful "Are we having fun yet?"
Yes!!!