Home James! Yes, I made it back from so far away. Air travel period, especially to the other side of the world with this giant metal tube carrying hundreds of passengers and all our luggage, pretty much “a chair in the sky” and how amazing it is these things can fly, for real? no joke.
I’ll miss the long hot lazy days along the Mekong River
and temple bells ringing at 6am, our household’s early morning temple runs and the community shares offerings with the monks daily
Seeing family is always nice, so many kindred spirits and history from way back and my agenda for 2 weeks? nothing pressing. Breakfast every morning with my dear aunt and uncle
Our favorite breakfast, Vietnamese rice crepes with freshly baked baguettes and coconut water from the coconuts in the front yard.
and my dad in charge of drinks, skillfully pulling down each coconut for us
my favorite part’s the center, the creamy and soft flesh of fresh young coconuts is very tasty.
I managed to eat every amazing dish and fresh fruit in season too, sweet mangosteens and rambutans
and jackfruit from my uncle Koe and aunt Li’s yard
fetching for mangos too in front of Cafe Yen Yen, our favorite neighborhood spot and cheremoyas (apple custard)
A short trip to the heart of the city
and this fancy hotel will pick you up in their old British taxi cab if you please
fresh produce everywhere
and fresh rice noodles too
for all those amazing rice noodle soups; a Lao take on nose to tail rice noodle soup is a favorite and with Vietnam as a neighbor, classic pho is a staple too.
and a twist on everyone’s favorite, green papaya salad but this one’s more like “the kitchen sink salad.” Done up exactly the same way as green papaya salad just without the papaya and instead you name it? noodles, macaroni, cabbage, squid, etc. spicy and savory with fresh lime, it all works even the new dude in town gives it a thumbs up, Vientiane’s latest and greatest statue of a highly respected general from way back.
Shabu shabu Lao style (sukiyaki/seen joum) is always good, cooking seafood or thinly sliced sirloin along with all sorts of fresh green leafy vegetables in a steaming broth with a dash of fresh coconut water and onions with all kinds of amazing dips (jaeow) is hard to refuse. And grilling shrimp or fish or thinly sliced steak, etc. (dahd seen) and then wrapping it all up in lettuce and fresh herbs with dips always satisfies too.
And bakers mastering their craft over there as well, freshly baked baguettes for pate sandwiches (more famously known as banh mi) and light and fluffy, creamy birthday cakes
Of course some Beer Lao with every meal, hands down my favorite beer in the world, made with fresh spring water and it goes down smooth. It’s kinda hard to find outside of Laos, I’ve been told though Belgium’s Stella Artoise beer comes close.
I was also a frequent diner at the neighborhood duck restaurant owned by our friend, Tak. Equipped with a bag of charcoal and a spray bottle of water well-seasoned ducks are grilled all day, every day over a carefully monitored flame and temperature. One of my favorite meals is larb duck, a traditional Lao minced duck salad tossed with fresh herbs and spices, a squeeze of fresh lime and a steaming hot bowl of simple duck broth soup with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and cherry tomatoes, eaten with sticky rice, it’s so good.
Traditional body massages were a part of our daily drill too
and some quality time spent with my cousins at our local neighborhood sauna. This old photo of the 2 sisters when they were kids captures them perfectly, always long chats and laughter for days
while we steamed away in the wet sauna heavily scented with fresh kaffir limes, so refreshing while we scrubbed our bodies with a paste made of tamarind and water, nature’s own exfolliant, easy. Headed home afterwards and the oldest of the two sisters makes the best bamboo shoots and mushroom soup (gaeng nor mai) in town, let’s call it a day!
LeucaDia 