Firstly, I have always nattered on about how bad Thai coffee is and for years that was true. Instant Nescafe with lots of canned milk and sugar was about the best a traveller could get. Over last six years, I have witnessed real coffee start to appear in Bangkok. Now, however, a coffee cafe' culture is springing to life. According to a young Thai guy we talked to, the coffee scene has become a status symbol. If one can afford to hang in a cafe' sipping (sugary) espresso, one is above the hoi polloi of the grubby market folks. Whatever the reason, good and better coffee is available on a much more widespread basis, and not just in Bangkok. Class struggle or not, I am reaping the benefits.
And... Factoid #2:
Khorat boasts a large Japanese Ex-pat community. There are also a number of Japanese businesses and manufacturing facilities here in Khorat. One result of this population is an inordinate number of Japanese restaurants. After seeing some of the traffic through this windowless and unwelcoming establishment, we decided there was probably a bit more than tempura on the menu.
It was a hot and sultry walk-about through the old city of Khorat. There are still a few of the old teak building scattered here and there, but mostly the old town is no different than the new town except that it is surrounded by a moat. Two and four story concrete shop housed dominate the architecture. The wealth of Nakhon Rachtasima is not in it's sights, but in it's people. Everywhere we went, It was smiles and open curiosity. So far, we have simply not seen a single Farang (European traveler/tourist).
The clouds were hanging low and the air was thick enough to cut into blocks. The old Wat in the old city is surrounded by "water" that is even greener and stranger looking than the moat that surrounds the rectangle of the old Khmer city. Even with the plumes of neon green, the water seethed with life. We saw a five-foot long water monitor slither into the green slime. And, there were these guys:
The denizens of the Wat pond, the mouths of the catfish.
If you are one of the devout, you can have your ashes placed into the foot of the wall surrounding the temple. If you are one of the wealthy devout, you can hove your own mausoleum on the temple grounds. I have wandered many of these strange little "graveyards" that are a familiar sight at most Wats. It is the photographs that I find poignant.
It was time for lunch and we were lucky travelers. We chose an open-air pick-a-pot joint across the street from the Wat. The cooks were all smiles and we proceeded to try to parse out what was on offer. Out of nowhere appeared a young Thai man who asked if he could help us. The owner's son, he had studied at Univeristy of Wisconsin, which explained his english language skills. After a few minutes of discussing the various curries, we were treated like royalty, set up with food and drinks, and entertained by our host. We asked various questions about Khorat, learning about the Japanese, the coffee scene, and about the young gent's studies abroad.
One of my best meals yet, and very much Isaan-based cuisine. In the foreground of the bowl is a dry and meaty pork curry, more reminiscent of Lao than that of Thailand. The combinations of spices in the curry base was wonderful. It was so much fun to try and parse out the individual spices. There are other flavours besides the standard chile and curry. Allspice seems to be used here as well as a moe herb base. Of course, there is the Isaan standard, "plah rah," a fermented fish paste or sauce. The greens and leafy are a standard both here and in Lao.
Our crew at the cafe'. One of the best meals ever. I have come to realize that this particular journey is not about sights, temples or shrines. All of that stuff is cool, and we will still pay attention to those things. This trip, however, seems to be about plugging in with people, which we are having a great time doing.
"Look at me, Ma! I'm on top of the world!"
The clouds were breaking off, the heat was heating up, and the sun was beating down. It looked like the evening was shaping up to be a lovely chance for another walk-about. What could go wrong...?
We heading back to our digs for a siesta/shower/smoke break. As evening came on we were back out on the streets, heading to the far side of the old city for walking dinner through the the Night Bazzar.
But one the way, we met this fellow. This one is actually the girl lizard. A Water Monitor, about four feet long (easy), and right in town in the city moat. But wait!! There's more.
"Only you... can make my life worthwhile..." Lizards doing the mating dance. Big lizards.
Here is a link to a YouTube video I managed to shoot. Warning: contains Lizard Porn.
So we asked and we walked, we ate and we ate. Mmmmmm, crickets and bamboo grubs! Yes!
We noshed our way through the the smaller night market dodging a few rain drops.
Noodles under the cover of the 7-11 awning. This is a special Phad Thai made in Korat. More savory and with a little crunch, it kicks culinary butt.
After a few twists and turns, we found the main night bazaar. Grabbing some poor skewers in chili sauce, we decided to walk the full length and check it out before settling on some more substantial dishes. This proved to be a bad plan. Note the heavy clouds in the upper left of this photo. Also, if you look carefully, you will see a lovely Farrang in the photo as well.
Thirty minutes later, the Bazzar had turned into a wading pool.
First there is pulse of cold breeze, then another. Then the patter of a few rain drops. The heavy patter is a sure sign that it's time to seek cover NOW. Luckily we did. For the next thirty minutes or more, we watched a full-blown monsoon rain wreak havoc on the night market. Food was floating away, as were buckets, gas cylinders, and those little plastic stools. The poor folks were chasing after floating belongings as the storm sewers were overwhelmed and the water rose higher. It was truly a sight. Here are two videos that I shot, images and sound that capture this event far more than I can with written word. It is worth watching them both because the second one shows how much worse it actually got.
Khorat Monsoon #1
Khorat Monsoon #2
Trapped like rats, we finally had to make a break for it. I stuffed all my gear into my shoulder bag and tucked that under my shirt. My Heart pulled her umbrella down low and off we plunged, splashing along looking for a street with higher ground. One minute into the deluge was like standing in a warm shower turned on full blast. The danger was the precarious footing as the water hid all of the holes, curbs and deep spots. We picked our way through the the flood, carefully avoiding the ankle and leg breakers. Finally, as the rain eased to normal volume, we ducked into a cafe' for sit-down food.
Laarb stew inside a real restaurant. Not bad, and the roof was a big plus.
We waited out the storm, which eventually faded to a mild dripping. Squelching and splashing, we wandered back to our digs and hung up the wet stuff to dry. Showering off the grit and grime of the street water was another essential step.
And there you have it folks, just another day in the rainy season here in Khorat. Tomorrow we journey on, but that is the stuff of another blog. So, as always, Ciao for Now!
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