Taking off with LAM

When we stop to work it may be for extended periods of time, example one year. This gives us time to take in the town, city or island community we are contributing to. Some experiences are outstanding, some not so good, a golden rule we travel by is the people make the place and the good food is just a bonus!

If you have been thinking of taking off around the world but don't think you can leave your job behind, family, pet or comforts. Think again you can and you should! It's easy to travel, well no, it's challenging, tiring and sometimes alittle hairy (you know what I mean), but the rewards are life lasting. The people you meet along the way open some many paths, opportunities lay around every corner, life becomes a choose your own adventure.

Everybody travels now adays, oldies are out there with backpacks, families with kids, single women with toddlers, the list goes on and on......

Ok so maybe you don't think you've got the money, it's so expencive with airfairs, travel insurance, vaccinations and general living expences. It's true these things are expensive, you folk out thousands of dollars sometimes before you have even left your home country, so save a little harder before you go. Don't have that third, fourth or even fifth drink, take public transport instead of a cab, cut back on your smoking, eat dinner at home, stop getting take away coffee, cutting back on little things goes further than you think.

So you've done it you've saved your money, you've got your ticket (and the rest) your on your way. How long do you think you want to be away? From our experience it's a bad question to ask yourself, just be away and see where the journey takes you. The options for extending your finances are limit less wether you have a working visa or not, from voluntry work, to cash in hand there are always options, you just have to want them.

And the food, OH THE FOOD, wine and good times .......................

Land of Extremes

An old friend once said to me, "When you go to India, the most important thing you can pack, is your sense of humour!" After some time on the road, you begin to understand how very important this is. India is a place of contrasts. You must also come here with an open mind and an open heart. Don't try to understand it and don't try and change it, and whatever you do, never judge it.

India's contrasts are as varied as it's population of 1.3 billion! You can be walking knee deep in monsoon rain in the south, while there are millions of people in the north wondering if they will ever see another drop of rain in their lifetime. You can stand at the railway stationand watch an orderly, quiet, well dressed few hop into an air conditioned 1st class compartment, while at the other end of the train, a manic crowd symbollic of an all out riot, fight their way to a seat in the 3rd class carriage. But rest assured, the poor farming family, rich in generosity and smiles, will be the first to offer you some of their delicious home prepared meal, a refusal will not be accepted. You will be walking down the street wafting in open air sewerage, and just before you start dry wretching, the air will be thick with the sweet smell of sandalwood or some freshly cooked samosas.

India is a land of extremes, it is, hot, wet, green, dry, colourful, noisy, smelly, clean, manic, calm, disorganized, methodical, spiritual, friendly, confronting, hilarious, harsh, povert stricken, happy, graceful, historical, powerful, optimistic, India is absolutely everything!

And everwhere there are cows.

You Tube, we made it!

After months of travelling and recording data, we have finally downloaded some shorts to utube. If green olives cured in a sweet brine and coated with sugary, chilli syrup raise some interest in you, keep an eye out for our food adventures.

We have four videos broadcasting at the moment and are planning on downloading more. We encourage you to make comments on our videos and watch for home cooking demonstrations being broadcast from our kitchen in Vientiane.
To see our videos search; www.youtube.com/LooseAppetiteMovemen

Our features are;

Flies Off My Sweet,Sweeties!

Sago Worm

Food Glourious Food

2am Starving in KL.

Living the rich life!

If you enjoy feeling rich without actually being rich Laos is the destination for you. Bundles of 10 000, 20 000 and 50 000kip bills are in circulation, millions of kip pass through your fingers daily. Unfortunately they are only just worth the paper they are printed on. Life's great when you can live off $10 AUS a day, including a few beers as you watch the sun go down over the Mekong at the end of another hard day in southeast asia.

For breakfast you can indulge in a fresh baked baguette which is a blend of rice and wheat flour. These come plain for 3000kip (40c AUS) or fill them with pate, salad and flossy pork. A cup of rich strong Laos coffee kick starts your heart for a mere 3000kip.

Lunch time is great for a bowl of noodle soup, fine rice noodles cooked to perfection come in a bowl of steaming pork based broth with fresh greens, chunks of meat (your choice; pork, chicken, duck or beef) and crispy pork crackling. 7000kip (90c AUS).

Freshly squeezed fruit juice and shakes are avaliable on every corner for just 5000kip (70c AUS).

Dinner time, well anything goes! In Vientiane there are many restaurants serving up local cusine, French, Italian, Indian or Korean, there are even a few steak houses to be found. Depending on what's your flavour you can spend as little as 14 000kip ($1.80 AUS) or as much as 300 000kip ($38 AUS) for Foi Gras in the best French restaurant in town.

We keep it cheap so there is more kip for beer Laos! On the Mekong you pay for the view at 10 000kip a large bottle ($1.30 AUS), small bars around charge 7 000 to 8 000kip ($1 AUS) but if you buy from a distributor you can pick up a case (12 large bottles) for 63 000kip ($8 AUS).

1 litre bottles of 'Two Elephants' drinking water will set you back 1 000kip (15c AUS).

Eating and drinking around Laos is a fun,cheap way to mingle with locals and get a feel for there lifestyle.

They do love to eat!

Stop Over

Finished work, oh what a feeling! On route back to Southeast Asia I had a stop over in Brisbane catching up with family and friends, reuniting with Megan, seeing Luke... Plus having a day at the football.

No day at the football is complete without some footy food. We indulged in a chicko roll, hot chips, hot dog and of course the good old Aussie Pie. Just like I remember it fatty, crumbly pastry with chunks of some kind of meat and thick sauce combining the inners, what a treat.

Megan and I were lucky enough to be in town for a fair trade fashion show where fibres and textiles were on display from various undeveloped nations. Local designers are proud to showcase these resources and nobody is taken advantage of in the production of items.

We caught up with Luke who is now working in Noosa (Australia), no doubt enjoying the sun, surf n turf!

But the time has come to get back to southeast asia for the cost of living in Australia is killing me........................

Back to working the mo mo!

After travelling for 5 months it's always hard to put your head down, bum up and get back into work. Having fresh local produce always helps with creativity and inspiration, in my case anyway!

As the sous chef at Lake Moeraki Wilderness Lodge, I cooked for a limited amount of people each night (averaging from 30 to 50 depending). The menu was written daily, meaning I was given the chance to source and utilise fresh produce. With only my imagination to limit me, the environment was perfect for a summer of work and fun (before heading back to south east asia).

Living in a rainforest is a feast for the senses; there are glorious smells in the air and tranquil sounds as life skips past your eyes. Looking around there are many sources of food; ferns, berries and lettuce varieties -all safe to consume. To walk to a river bank and pick vibrant watercress to put on the night's menu (salmon gravalax w broadbean, feta, basil and watercress salad) is exciting. The freshness is to die for! For many chef/cooks this is only a fantasy; but at Lake Moeraki it's reality!

Summer on the South Island's West Coast has been a blast! I've had the chance to deal with seafood straight from the ocean (still kicking), and try some delacacies I've never seen before. One event high on the culinary calendar and not to be missed by those looking for food adventure, is the 'Wildfoods Festival' , (if you are up for the challenge). It's legendary in this part of the world!

Let's go to LAM BITS to discuss more unique New Zealand fare.

Chicken is off the Menu

Go to LAM Bits for some great chicken recipes...But there will be no chicken for the people of Vientiane for a while... the authorities apparently want to wipe out the dreaded Bird Flu once and for all. During the last couple of weeks, all poultry and pet birds in Vientiane have been destroyed. Chickens, ducks and eggs have been confiscated in the markets. Restaurants have been banned from selling poultry.

It's difficult for the people of poor country to deal with. Chickens ( and eggs) are a good source of income and some people who have been selling these products for years are at a loss as to how to make money now. There are no unemployment benefits here.

Rather than hand over the birds to the authorities, many people have had parties and cooked up a feast! Though compensation is promised to those who hand over their birds, no one seems confident of getting much cash in the end.

The government is planning to import more fish and pigs to replace poultry, which until now, has been a major part of the Lao diet. It may be 3-6 months before the familiar wake up call from roosters is heard in Vientiane again.

Eco Lodge Living

A change from the hustle and bustle of south east asia has given my lungs a break and my taste buds a refreshing change. From months of rice, noodles, curries and soups to bbq crayfish, fresh lamb, venison, cheese and fine wines.

Tune in Alanna!
Living on the remote West Coast of New Zealand has introduced me to life in the rainforest. Surrounded by native food supplies, wildlife and fresh clean air has replenished my lust for good old european flavours. A standout has been the taste of saltwater over freshwater fish and crustations (often farmed in south east asia). The clean fresh flavour opposed to the muddy, dirty flavour I became accustomed to in asia, has been a joy to indulge in.

A short walk thru the rainforest brings you to Monro beach where crayfish up to 2kg are abundant and blue cod (the choice for New Zealand's famous fush n chup's) thrive in the waters.
The lakes around the area sustain trout the size of salmon, 3 metre eels and tiny freshwater crays about the size of a prawn. The numbers of these edible species is so great that on any given day you can see them going about their routines, cruising the waterways. (The temptation to reach down and scoop them out of the water with your bare hands is strong and realistic.)

Lake Moeraki is located about 36km north of the Haast township on highway 6, on the west coast of the south island of New Zealand. The local industries here are whitebait fishing and hunting.

3 Months in Vientiane

The frangipani lined streets, abundance of temples and river side position, give the capital of Lao a tranquil, laid back feel. Despite a turbulant history, the Lao people are welcoming, friendly and fun loving. Vientiane has managed ( so far), to preserve Lao culture and tradition, despite (a growing) multicultural population, ongoing development projects and influences from greater access to technology.

It has been a hectic time on the Lao social calander of late... As Buddists, most Lao people do not partake in Christmas festivities; however, there certainly seemed to be even more Lao dancing and singing and Beer Lao and Johnny Walker Red flowing than usual during this time. New Year had many locals out and about to celebrate, though they let loose at their own version ( Lao New Year) in April. November through to February is an auspicious and practical (dry season) time for wedding ceremonies.Though an official midnight curfew is in place in Vientiane, private parties often continue into the early hours and there are a couple of options in town for 'another one for the road'...Lane Xang Hotel is close to Nam Phu on Fa Ngoum Road and on the same road, but further out is the huge uninspiring Don Chang Palace, complete with disco.

The strong Lao culture dictates politeness and respect. These qualities are indoctrinated by the family and the arrangement of villages within the city. Each village has a head person who makes decisions for and oversees that community. They approve living arrangements and most other matters that concern the residents and are responsible for implementing health and safety strategies. The government rewards villages which provide and maintain clean and healthy conditions and encourage education and development programs.

The French influence of the past is still in evidence; it can be seen in the old style French buildings, French street signs and by the availability of French wine and cuisine. Many older Lao people speak French fluently and the French government invest money towards language schools and projects to keep the language alive here. However, with an ever increasing community of expats from all over the world and the developing tourism industry, the push is towards learning English. Language schools are big business here as students want to secure greater work opportunities.

Vientiane restaurants represent the diversity of the people living here. Excellent French, Italian, Indian, Chinese,Thai, Japanese and International restaurants abound. Delicious, healthy, fresh Lao food is a cheap and delightful option. Dinner from a street vendor can be about $US1 and you'll pay about $US9 in a fancy restaurant for a New Zealand steak.

Lams Astray

Unfortunately, you can only travel on the Aussie dollar for so long. After 5 months of indulgence, it's time to cash up, for 2 Lams anyway!

The beauty of travel is that you never really know where you can end up. One day, your sipping beer by the Mekong, the next, your working in a kitchen in a remote part of the south island of New Zealand! This is where Alanna has found herself. She has taken a 5 month job as the Sous Chef at the Wilderness Lodge in Lake Moeraki. Her main reason for doing this is so she can get her arse back to the Mekong to drink more beer. A pristine environment, great local produce and some fabulous wines should amount to some excellent LAM stories. We look forward to hearing all about it.

Megan has been on the hunt for a job teaching english; it's no surprise she has found one in Vientiane. The capital of Laos is filled with awesome restaurants, coffee shops, pubs and super friendly locals. To call Vientiane a capital city is a bit of a contradiction in terms. The sidewalks are ever so slowly being paved and no one is in a hurry to do too much. The "city", which nestles alongside the Mekong river, moves at a slower pace than the current of the river itself. Megan's students are mainly teenagers and adults, and her time here will give her a great insight into the locals and the culture of Vientiane. She is living in a gorgeous apartment behind the "Just For Fun" cafe, an institution here, where Megan will no doubt find herself sipping coffee for many hours.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. So Jack, aka Luke, has decided to not get involved with the dirty "W" word. Instead , I'm up for 6 weeks of travel throughout Laos. How do you like them apples. See ya!

The Chinese Vegetarian Festival

It's believed this festival originated in Phuket, Thailand, where it continues to be practiced each year. It made its mark during a time about 150-180 years ago when inhabitants of the island suffered an outbreak of what is thought to have been malaria. Members of a visiting opera company from China also fell ill; they had neglected to pay homage to the 9 emperor gods that month...

The Chinese visitors immediately set about appeasing the gods by performing sacred rituals and following a vegetarian diet for a month. The people recovered and there were enough converts to ensure this has become a yearly event. It is thought that by participating in this practice of pacifying the gods and abstaining from stimulants, then good health, good luck and peace of mind can be achieved. The ritual of some devottees ( called 'Ma Song' ), of becoming possessed by the gods, showcases extreme displays of self mortification. Because they are possessed by gods, they are believed to be immortal and to prove the strength of their belief, 'Ma Song' walk over hot coals, go up 'ladders' made of blades and pierce their bodies with a ( seemingly unlimited ) range of instruments. Our mate Tui ( see friends of LAM ) regaled us with a story about a 'Ma Song' that got carried away one year; instead of limiting himself to facial wounds, he pretty much committed ' hari kiri '. Supposedly, he did hold up longer than expected, but did eventually die.

In the hands of the gods

What a time we had on our return visit to Trang...some images have been impressed on us that won't ever be erased. A 'Vegetarian Festival', generally arouses thoughts of health and well being, rather than self mutilation, but it was extreme examples of the latter that surrounded us in Trang during this event.

The Vegetarian Festival takes place annually, during 9 days in September / October ( the date is determined by the lunar calander ). It centres around 2 Chinese temples in Trang, where people gather day and night, dressed all in white, to display their abstention from consuming meat and alcohol, having sex, telling lies and killing. Menstruating or pregnant women, or those in mourning, cannot attend.

It is a hive of activity, with make-shift restaurants providing free vegetarian fare ( see LAM Bits ); hawkers selling noisy dragon toys, virgin parades, Chinese dragon dances and riviting displays by those under the influence of the gods - all set to a deafening soundtrack of constant firecrackers and drum beats ( the noise is believed to drive away evil spirits ). (See 3 Little Pigs to Market ).

Phuket town

Phuket town is a pleasant surprise; it has an authentic Thai atmosphere with Chinese influence. Though the beach hubs on the island (such as Patong), are an example of the generic tourist beat, the town itself has retained it's heritage.

The backstreets of Phuket have much to offer; narrow streets with Chinese lanterns, old style coffee shops, noodle bars, street stalls and fantastic shopping for textile lovers (fabrics are sourced from all over Asia). It is satisfying to wander and make your own discoveries, especially in regard to food, as the cheap eat options are many and varied (see LAM Bits).

To our eyes, no physical effects of the tsunami were evident. The reminder of the tragedy lies in the many 'evacuation route' signs that have been erected and of course, the emotional recovery continues for the people. We didn't raise the topic with the locals we met casually, but on a couple of occasions, they reflected on their experience.

Festival of the Tenth Lunar Month

This festival is a big event in southern Thailand and represents the Buddist tradition of honouring the dead during 15 days in September. We observed how the people of Nakhon Si Thammarat appeased the spirits with offerings of food; the living get to indulge in delicious specialities as well!

The historic city ( and rumoured Thai-Mafia hub ) of Nakhon Si Thammarat, in the southern province of the same name, offers a great opportunity for watching the celebration of the Tenth Lunar Month. As Nakhon is not particually touristy, the people were excited to include outsiders in the events. Buddists believe the dead have sins and are sent to Hell as Demons. During the Festival, the Demons come to visit their relatives who provide offerings of food, to make peace and gain merit. We enjoyed sampling speciality foods, which were beautifully presented at the stalls in the grounds of Wat Phra Mahathat, where much of the action was taking place.

Contact Us!

Our 'Contact Us' recently suffered a breakdown and was in fact, not contacting us at all...If you have sent us any mail via this option during the last few weeks and haven't received a reply, we would greatly appreciate you taking the time to try again!

As a reasonably new website, we are keen to hear from you. Feel free to leave a comment on any of our pages, or use the now functioning again 'contact us' icon.

Ruen Mai Restaurant

'Ruen Mai' restaurant (Maharaj Rd, Krabi) came highly recommended for an authentic dining experience. From an extensive menu covering the complete repertoire of Thai cuisine our selections included;

"Yam Tua Pu" (wing bean salad).

Blanched wing beans, chilli, kaffir lime leaf, pomello and cooked prawns were tossed thru a dressing of lime juice, fish sauce, shrimp paste and sugar.

Finished with toasted coconut, shallot , flossy prawn and served with roasted cashew nuts and a boiled egg for balance.

80 Baht ; $2.85 AUD.

"Yam Makeur Poa" (roasted eggplant and coconut milk salad).

The flesh of charred eggplant (skin removed), was poached in coconut milk, garlic, chilli, fish sauce and sugar. The poached eggplant and sauce was then tossed with shallot, coriander, mint, chilli and crispy shallot.

Served with a boiled egg and fresh cucumber.

80 Baht ; $2.85 AUD.

"Kaeng Prik Neva" (ball tearing beef curry).

" Possibly the hottest curry we have ever had!"

Thin slices of beef were fried in red curry paste with palm sugar, fish sauce and kaffir lime leaf. Fresh bunches of whole green pepper corns, red birdseye chilli and long green and red chillies added.

This dry curry had a small pool of juice at the bottom of the dish. Every mouthful was searingly hot, but very addictive. Boy didn't we pay for it the day after!

90 Baht ; $3.20 AUD.

We enjoyed the food so much we returned the following day to take a look around the kitchen and try a few more dishes. Another stand out was:

"Gaeng Som Pla" ( Sour orange fish curry).

A gaeng som doesn't use coconut cream and is based on tamarind. It seems almost 'unmasked' and quite sharp, fragrant and hot. On this particular occasion there were large pieces of snapper, lemongrass, tomato, kaffir lime leaf, chilli and a local flower; Sesban, which had a stumpy green stem and a white and orange tinged bulb.

90 Baht ; $3.20 AUD

Sawat dii kha!

Coming into the fourth month of our food journey ( after 3 months in Malaysia ); we are excited to enter the land of spicy, aromatic curries and endless choices of mouth watering flavours and textures. Welcome to Thailand! ( We arrived via minibus from Penang, into Hat Yai RM22- AUD$7 ).

As I write this, I am indulging in a marvellous Penang curry ( 30 baht, AUD$1 ); my mouth is briming with spicy, rich coconut and lime leaf flavours.

Most people have experienced Thai food outside of Thailand, but there is nothing like eating in the land itself. Maybe it is the freshness of the ingredients, maybe the smiles from the locals, or the stream of colourful people and activity as you sit at the roadside rickety tables ( often beside a rubbish bin or drain ), with an enticing plate of mouth teasing, sense stirring local cuisine. Or it could be the aromas of the frying chilli and garlic wetting your appetite wherever you go, or the sound of the ingredients sizzling as they hit a hot wok...

Our Thai journey begins in the south; we aim to disclose the features of regional Thai food and how it varies throughout the country, depending on factors such as the availability of native produce.

Thailand has a reputation of combining food with celebrations. During our stay, we hope to attend as many as possible, first with the Festival of the Tenth Lunar Month in Nakhon Si Thammarat and then the Chinese Vegetarian Festival in Trang.

No time to wean ourselves into the fiery food; the south serves up the hottest dishes in Thailand. We are head first into the heat - and loving it!

The Kelabit People

The Kelabit people are the original inhabitants of the Bario Highlands area. They have a colourful history and while in some ways their lifestyle still reflects their traditional culture, they have adapted in impressive ways to modern influences.

The strong character and build of the Kelabit people has been shaped by the harsh remoteness of their enviroment. They are productive, independant and proud people, with an amazing ability to adapt to circumstance. They are expert hunters,decorated war heroes ( for their part in fighting alongside the allies against the Japanese ) and to this day, are extremely self sufficent. Despite their lack of modern comforts and facilities ( eg. the town is powered by generators for only a few hours per day ), the Kelabits place high importance on education and keeping up with the outside world. They have organized a website for the area and market the Bario rice over the internet.

The Bario Highlands

Bario is located in a remote valley in the Kelabit Highlands, 1200-1500m above sea level, bordering Indonesia. The only access is via twin otter ( from Miri:FAX airline, Rm 70; AUD$25 ).

Bario is a stunning area, with beautiful vistas of mountain ranges, jungle and rice paddy fields. It has become a hub for the Highlands area, though is really just an airport, a few shopfronts, church, school and homes. All products not made or grown locally, have to be brought in via aeroplane or 4WD and boat. The latter option involves an extremely rough 9 - 10 hour road trip from Miri, on the newly created ( courtesy of a logging company ) unsealed mountain road. Simple longboats are then loaded for travel up river to Bario - a very challenging feat through rapids. It would be a daunting task for most, however the Kelabit people take it in their stride.

Mukah hospitality

We were overwhelmed by the generosity and friendliness of the locals in this small coastal town in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo.As soon as we hit the streets, people were going out of their way to ensure we were enjoying ourselves.

Mukah, a charming town on the coast in Sarawak, is not often visited by tourists. It made a lasting impression on us through the lovely locals, laid back atmosphere and pretty old -town homes. Little villages on the outskirts are built on stilts over the water; individual dwellings are accessed via a wooden boardwalk. We were made welcome everywhere and were shouted drinks and dinner more than once.