Rialoves2cook: My favourite part of the holidays has always included family and, of course, food! Prae has been generous enough to offer us both. After a spectacular tour of the Northern mountains and waterfalls, her family has welcomed us with a feast fit for the king. I couldn't resist diving in to help and learn more about the art of Northern Thai cuisine, lighter on the sweetness and heavier on the savoury and spicy flavours. We've made Laap, a salad for all the meat-lovers out there, grilled fish, made soups, pork, sticky rice and so much more. My heart is full of gratitude, and my stomach is too!
#NorthernThailand #feelingblessed #rollmeoutthedoor
Posted: December 28th, 10:47 PM
YourOnlySunshine: Looks amazing Ria! The whole family misses you and we can't wait to taste those one day <3
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Maria lifted her head from where she'd nestled into Tom's warm shoulder as Jason stopped the truck in front of a tour agency in Chiang Mai. The building boasted a glass front, brightened with pictures of jungles, elephants, and zip lines. A few backpackers chatted with an older Thai man. He had a dark goatee and skin far more tanned than Prae's, but he shared her nose and heart-shaped face. As the man shook the tourists' hands and pointed at a nearby temple, Maria, Tom, and the others disembarked from the truck.
"Our last group has arrived!" Prae's father said in a deep voice while the other tourists left. "How was your day in the mountains?"
"Excellent," Tom said. "Thank you very much for arranging everything."
"And for letting us stay with your family," Maria added, extending her hand to shake Prae's father's. "I'm Maria, we all teach with your daughter in Bangkok."
He gave her a firm handshake. "Please, call me Nok. We are honoured to show you Thai hospitality, and if you feel brave enough, maybe you will sample homemade whiskey. Very strong but a tradition in our village."
"That's a tradition I fully support." Emma smiled and stepped away from Tong, who tried to get his arm around her shoulder.
"Do you need anything from the city before we leave?" Nok asked.
Maria looked up at Tom, trying to remember if they had all the pieces of their gift for the family: more whiskey, but the imported Johnny Walker brand, a box of birds nest drinks, hopefully still intact after Jason's driving, a bouquet and chocolates Emma had grabbed on their way through a village market this afternoon.
Tom rubbed a warm hand against her upper arm and smiled at her. Whether or not he meant to make her recall the waterfalls, it worked and brought a smile to her lips. It had felt nice to be close to someone who cared for her, and he didn't seem to regret it. She stepped nearer to him.
"I think we're good," Emma answered for them.
"Wonderful, let's go." Nok grabbed Prae's luggage, prompting Tong to carry Emma's bag and follow her like a puppy while Prae shook her head.
Her father whispered to her, and she laughed, a big smile brightening up her face. Tom slung his backpack over his shoulder and lifted Maria's suitcase from the truck bed. When she attempted to grab it, he shook his head and wrapped his free arm around her shoulder until they made it to the dusty black SUV behind the agency. Unlike earlier, everyone got an indoor seat.
Long after they left the city, Nok drove a twisting and undulating road up through another mountainous area to a village centred around one or two main roads. Some homes had bamboo rest hoses with grass roofs, others had chickens and dogs running in the front yards. Prae's father stopped in at a steel gate, inclining his head toward a chatting Tong who ran out to open it.
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