The Cutlery Chronicles

Sunday, 19 April 2015

Week 17: THAILAND - Songkran Festival in Mae Rim & Chiang Mai

Image of the week: joining in the wet revelries during Songkran Festival in Chiang Mai
More images at the end of post
g

Where in the world

A mere half hour skip and a hop to the district of Mae Rim, where we enjoyed Chiang Mai's surrounding countryside for four nights.

Then back into the hot and sodden mayhem of Chiang Mai city for three days of Songkran Festival (Thai new year) celebrations.

Thoughts

our very lovely bungalow at

Ban Rai Tin Thai Ngarm Eco Lodge

The themes for this week have been: wildlife and water.

If I haven't mentioned it before, I'm a big fan of Mother Nature and all her work. Give me a forest and a trekking trail and I'm just as happy as when in front of good food.

To feed this second passion, we spent a few days in the district of Mae Rim in the hills and countryside surrounding Chiang Mai city, staying in a private bungalow in the glorious grounds of Ban Rai Tin Thai Ngarm Eco Lodge.

Here, £30 a night gets you two balconies, very comfortable lodgings, sensational views, and the night chorus of Thailand's wildlife.

On the agenda, orchid farms, elephant poo park (you heard - see Did you know? below), cycling, and the indisputable highlight of this area, the Queen Sirikit Botanic Gardens, found at the foothills of the mist-shrouded Doi Suthep-Pui mountains.

It's a sprawling 1000 hectares of vegetation, a complex of great grand greenhouses, forest trails, gardens, incredible hilltop views, streams, waterfalls and a whole load more.

If you're into wildlife and walking, this place is amazing - we spent a good five hours here. It's a do-not-miss if this is your bag and you find yourself near Chiang Mai. Incidentally, we didn't have to pay an entrance fee because it was Songkran, and the place was deserted for the same reason. Jackpot.

Tip: do not leave until you've descended along the trail through the cool and wet fern garden. An achingly beautiful multi-level moss-covered verdant wonderland in dappled shade, carpeted by ferns of every shape and colour, with dew collecting on leaves and trees reaching for the sky. You'll feel like an explorer in the depths of the jungle. So very excellent.

Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Mae Rim, Chiang Mai province

Also on the agenda in Mae Rim, dancing with 70 ladies from the local village.

On our first evening at the eco-lodge, our host Petchara invited us to join her and 'some friends' from the village at a party. She mentioned there'd be dancing.

It turns out a group of about 70 ladies get together each evening for an hour's worth of al fresco boogying to traditional Thai folk music, between 6-7, as part of a fitness regime. Before they start throwing shapes, they get their waists and weight measured, monitoring how much they lose over time; a sort of outdoor Thai WeightWatchers club.

The only foreigner for miles around, I was of course encouraged to join in. They were very accommodating and didn't laugh at me when I got all the moves wrong.

Dancing for an hour when you don't have a clue what you're doing is hot work in 35C heat, but good fun. There was also loads of food after as well as traditional and gentle Songkran water blessings from the village elders.

dancing, feasting and Songkran celebrations with the ladies of Mae Rim

it's the taking part that counts; attempting some moves with the dancing ladies of Mae Rim
l

And then it was back to Chiang Mai city for three days of Songkran (Thai new year) celebrations. And what a lot of fun that was.

On the third day we stumbled across the Songkran city parade, where groups representing local businesses were dressed up to the nines, simultaneously dancing to the live music and getting a hose down on the march to the temple, where the city governor was waiting to receive and bless them (with more water, of course).

Songkran Festival in Chiang Mai
l

But the best bit was the local fire engine getting involved, the source of a deluge of fine spray over the city centre, beneath which revellers of all ages were gathering to cool down (it was pushing 42C that day), party on and join in the carnival spirit.

It was only by complete fluke that we happened to make travel plans that had us not only in Thailand for Thai new year, but also in one of the cities with the biggest celebrations for it. I had never even heard of Songkran two weeks ago.

A happy coincidence indeed.

A fire engine hose down. Songkran Festival, Chiang Mai
l

The best things I ate this week

Where to eat in Mae Rim, Chiang Mai Province

Typical Thai food from 'Grandma's cookbook'

Some very good eating was had at the bottom of a small hill surrounded by fields and greenery at little place called Baa Baa Black Cafe.

A whole section of their menu is labelled as 'Grandma's Cookbook'; it's one of those you want to order everything from.

We enjoyed:

a seasonal salad of pomelo, chopped pork, prawns, roasted coconut, birds eye chillies, garlic, shallots, fish sauce, palm sugar,
a panang chicken curry (curry paste, kaffir lime, fish sauce, coconut milk, sweet basil leaves)
yum chicken (coconut milk, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, lemon balm, shallots, green mango, coriander, birdseye chillies, fish sauce)

And more importantly, roti!

Vibrant, beautifully presented, good value, and in the unrivalled setting of the Chiang Mai countryside.

Baa Baa Black Cafe, Mae Rim Lagoon, 65/7 moo 6 Mae Rim, Sameong Old Road

Home cooking amongst the hills

Our host Petchara and her staff rustled up dinner on a couple of nights where we'd been out trekking all day and the thought of venturing to a restaurant was just too much.

There was goon chiang (sausage), made with pork meat and hard pork fat, seasoned with sugar, salt, pepper, garlic and Chinese spices. It's pretty sweet, but worked well with raw onions, tomatoes, cashews, lime and fish sauce.

There was also a life affirming bowl of khao tom - Thai rice soup - for breakfast one morning, with chicken, chicken broth, vegetables. All of the comfort.

Ban Rai Tin Thai Ngarm Eco Lodge, 113/4 Moo 5 | Ban Tung Ha bon ,Tambon Maeram, Amper Mae Rim, Mae Rim

top: Panang chicken curry and pomelo salad from Baa Baa Black Cafe. Goat biryani from Khao Soi Islam
bottom: sausage salad and Thai rice soup from the eco lodge. The dry roasted chilli condiment at Khao Soi Islam
l

Where to eat in Chiang Mai

Best for biryani

I've already dedicated a big section of last week's post to eating in Chiang Mai. But here's another great find.

Khao mok, which is Thai biryani. Had at At Khaosoi Islam, down as the best place for it in town. Expertly spiced rice, tender meat (we tried it with goat and beef), topped with crisp fried shallots and coriander. With it, a sweet and sour side sauce of coriander and mint, to spoon over your rice.

To this I added a few generous dollops of pounded dry roasted chillies mixed with a bit of oil. Like gunpowder chutney; lovely stuff.

Khao Soi Islam, Thanon Charoenprathet Soi 1, Chiang Mai (close to the night bazaar in the centre of the city).

Thai cookery lesson in Chiang Mai

Market visit and our teacher, Apple, overseeing our good work
Basil Cookery School, Chiang Mai

I
I donned my apron and kicked off my shoes for a spot of barefoot Thai cooking at Basil Cookery School this week.

A bubbly and uber-tattooed Apple picked us students from their respective hotels and stopped off at a local market to source the evening's ingredients. She talked us through the key elements to Thai cooking, cracked a few jokes, then packaged us off to the cookery school to put in practice what we'd learnt.

There are a whole load of cookery schools available in Chiang Mai, but Basil Cookery School caught my attention for a few reasons.

Firstly, it's an intimate group of no more than six students. Whilst at the market, I saw a dozen or so much larger cookery class groups, with numbers pushing 10-15.

Secondly, each student makes seven plates of food (one of these being a from-scratch curry paste). But the key thing here is attendees get to choose what they cook.

There are three options from each of the following: noodles, curry, stir-fry, soup, appetizer, dessert. You make your choice in the van at the start, and Apple buys the ingredients at the market accordingly.

top: frying spring rolls, prawn with tamarind, making curry pastes
bottom: mango sticky rice, making fresh coconut milk, hot and sour chicken soup
At Basil Cookery School, Chiang Mai

I've never come across a cooking class where students are cooking different things at any one time. It gives a freedom of choice and Apple did a great job overseeing it all. We even made coconut milk from a kilo of freshly dessicated coconut bought from a vendor at the market.

Some of my favourite dishes from this evening class: tom sap gai yang, an Isaan hot and sour roast chicken soup. Sour with tamarind and lime - extra sour for me please. Kung ma kaam, stir-fried prawns in a tamarind sauce. Under on the sugar, over on the tamarind.

And no Thai meal is complete without some khao niaow ma muang, mango sticky rice, topped with crunchy fried mung beans. I simply cannot get enough of these Asian mangoes. Exquisite.

Classes run Mon - Sat from 9.00 - 15.00 (morning class) or 16.00 - 20.30 (evening class) and cost 1000 Baht (about £20) per person.

It includes hotel pick-up and drop off (within 3km) and a recipe book to take home.

Basil Cookery School, 2/4 Siri Mangalajarn Rd. Soi 5, T.Suthep, A.Muang, Chiang Mai

Note: This class was kindly hosted by Basil Cookery School. All views are my own.

Street food must-eats

Street food in Chiang Mai

the sign wasn't kidding when it said 'ALL butter roti'
Roti stall, Chiang Mai

There's a good amount of Chiang Mai street food covered in last week's post.

But this week, I treated myself to some Thai-Muslim roti from a street stall, of which there are quite a few dotted around.

You can have them plain or stuffed with all manner of sweet or savoury goodies: banana, chocolate chips, egg, marmalade, corn, cheese, something called milo which seems to be similar to Nesquik milkshake powder.

Next time I'm getting one with a mataba filling: diced potato, beef, seasoned with curry - a Southern Thailand speciality.

The dough itself has no sugar added, so if you've gone for a sweet stuffing, there's the option of dousing in condensed milk should you fancy it.

Did you know?

Making paper from poo.

making paper from elephant poo
Elephant POOPOOPAPER Park, Chiang Mai

Paper can be made from animal poo - who knew.

It actually makes perfect sense. To make paper, you need fibres of some sort. These days we use wood, but in the past these fibres have come from scraps of rags, corn husks, hemp, flax, nettles to name a few.

The poo of herbivorous animals (elephants, horses, cows etc.) contain a lot of undigested fibrous plant matter, which after being boiled down and cleaned up, makes for some pretty good paper pulp.

Better for the world than cutting down trees.

Elephant POOPOOPAPER Park manages to encompass eco-tourism, history and culture, artisan crafts, education, hands-on paper making, a unique shopping experience (loads of poo paper products that would make great gifts) and as many poo puns as you can shake a stick at.

It's only 100 Baht (about £2) to get in, and if learning about this type of thing and having a go yourself is your bag, it's good fun.

My insider tips

Waterproofing during Songkran.

Don't be a party-pooper and stay indoors if you happen to find yourself in Thailand during Songkran.

Instead, buy a waterproof pouch for your phone and wallet (you can get them in Thailand) or invest in a dry sack to hold bigger items, put on clothes you don't mind getting soaked and can easily wash after, and head outdoors.

If you're in Chiang Mai, my advice would be to avoid the moat as super-soakers and water guns will refuel from it, and it's not the cleanest. Instead, wonder the rest of the streets and you'll get wet from the much cleaner tap water.

Either way, you don't want to end up swallowing any of it, so be conscious of that.

Also, sitting in a restaurant in sodden clothes after the sun has gone down isn't huge amounts of fun. So, if you plan to stay out after getting a soaking, I'd suggest wrapping up a spare set of dry clothes to change into.

This kid got Matt good. Songkran Festival in Chiang Mai

Highlight / Lowlight

Highlight. Apart from the final day of Songkran celebrations in Chiang Mai which was huge amounts of fun (see image of the week picture), I really enjoyed the Siam Insect Zoo in Mae Rim.

It's a chance to get up close and personal to a whole host of critters: scorpions, beetles, stick insects, lizards, a glorious butterfly enclosure.

When I was younger and I used to fantasise about hiking the Amazon, my dad would say to me 'how do you expect to go trekking in the jungle if you're scared of a little spider in your room?' Good point. I hate spiders, but more specifically, tarantulas.

Well, dad, I swallowed my fear of these godforsaken beasts and shined a torch into a few of their murky tanks, where hairy ones the size of my palm were picking their way over old bits of wood and earth. Hideous creatures, the spawn of Satan, and still the stuff of my nightmares.

But all other creepy crawlies, big fan.

handling the critters at Siam Insect Zoo Mae Rim
A caterpillar, red dragon, mantis and millipede

Lowlight. This week has been very good to us, but there was one single moment of great fear.

The annual water-throwing festivities of Songkran started a day earlier than we were expecting in Mae Rim. We'd just got to the end of our road on the bicycles and turned the corner, when we were very unexpectedly launched upon.

A whole bucket of water went directly over my camera, which was strapped across my chest.

The people who threw it were apologetic - most tend to be careful, or avoid you altogether, if they see you're carrying something valuable that could get damaged.

But thank the powers that be, there was no harm done. There could have been some serious tears though.

getting drenched in the Chiang Mai countryside, along with all the locals.
Songkran in Mae Rim

Next week

Fifteen days spent in Chiang Mai province (eleven of those in the city) has come to an end. It's a glorious part of the world, but it's time to move on.

Next up - Bangkok.

Postcards

Mae Rim, Chiang Mai province

Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, Mae Rim, Chiang Mai province

Songkran Festival in Chiang Mai

Sunday, 12 April 2015

Week 16: THAILAND - Chiang Mai

Image of the week: monk-lings catching leaves blown from the trees in a temple courtyard on a blustery afternoon
More images at the end of post
l

Where in the world

A short flight from Phnom Penh in Cambodia to Chiang Mai in north west Thailand, where we did a healthy stint and stayed for seven nights. Hello country number six.

Thoughts

Thailand. Arguably the most accessible and easy to negotiate of the Southeast Asian countries. The place that almost everyone who's been to this part of the world has visited.

Well, we finally meet. And my first impressions? What took me so long.

The first thing I notice about Chiang Mai, Thailand's largest city in the north, is that there is order. Traffic rules and lanes are obeyed, drivers slow down on the approach as you cross the road (I haven't experienced that for a while), and pavements are free from the clutter of motorbikes.

It's quite a contrast from Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, for example, where to counteract one way traffic, motorbikes create a new lane going in the opposite direction - on the pavement. It's fun trying to work out if you as a pedestrian are in fact safer on the road.

(But Vietnam is not even close to the road pandemonium that is Mumbai, which can only be described as death-defying, should you survive it).

Attitudes are respectful and polite. I love the greeting of the palms together sawatdee ka (see My insider tips below) and the fact people will stop and let you pass in a crowded space, rather than barging through.

In a country known as 'the land of smiles', smiles are a currency unto themselves, where exchanging one with someone in passing goes a long way. I do, to everyone, and almost always get an even bigger one in return. It makes you feel good; I sometimes forget that as a Londoner.

An observation I can't help but make; there's a higher number of fuller figures here. In a continent that's known for its sleight frames, I put this down to the heavy presence of western chains - Starbucks, Mister Donut, Dunkin' Donuts, and the rest. Even Tescos and Boots have made it to Thailand.

Mall in Nimmanheminda, Chiang Mai
l

The presence of the west is always a good indication of an Asian city's wealth. It means the overseas want to invest, which leads to more progression. This can also be seen in the fact that there are noticeably a lot more cars here, as opposed to the motorbikes and mopeds which dominate the roads in Vietnam and Cambodia. More cars, more money.

We spent a lot of time in the trendy area around Nimmanheminda (where our accommodation was) where you can't walk five feet without coming across another hip and independent cafe. It's where the young urban professionals come to play with its glossy malls and specialist boutiques - yuppie-central.

I like the cacophonous chatter of birds settling down to roost on the overhead electricity cabling every evening we'd walk back to our room. I liked the courtyards of temples more than the temples themselves (once you've seen one..), with monks going about their day and quiet spots to sit in the shade. I like that the city is not too chaotic, laid back and surrounded by hills; the calls of the countryside just a short drive away.

And I love that great looking food is absolutely everywhere on the street, and that the Thais are clearly obsessed with it. Kindred spirits (a load on food below).

Chiang Mai's surrounding hills
l

I've been in a constant state of sweat for the past week; it's been hitting the high 30's. I've had two afternoons occupied by monster smog-related medication-resistant hay fever attacks, and I've paid for the chillies in my meals most mornings.

But holy heck, I am loving Chiang Mai.

The best things I ate this week

Where to eat in Chiang Mai

Oh Northern Thai food, how I am falling for thee. With your pork, sticky rice, Burmese influences and dry herbs. There is so much more I want to try.

Virtuous eating and fine coffee beans.

Both Food 4 Thought and Bay's Café were just outside the door to our Air BnB room in Chiang Mai, and both had a strong following.

The former is a western-style health food restaurant turning out wholesome creative dishes free from nasty chemicals. The latter is the adjoining coffee hut run by Bay, specialising in fine beans and the pour over method.

I had a doorstop sandwich made with tofu sesame bread (cool, huh), pumpkin, apple, cranberry, cheese, bacon, and spiced pumpkin sauce, and it was great.

But they're probably most famous for their fully loaded mega-wraps, with daily handmade tortillas, ours stuffed with chickpeas, carrot, peppers, wasabi, mustard mayo and avocado (pic below). There was also a Mexican-style second with chicken, cheese, sour cream, veggies, brown rice and tomato salsa which was stellar, with a great kick.

And Bay rustled up a couple of pour overs at the slow bar, using local beans from Doi Saket in Chiang Mai province. It took about 10 minutes, but good things come to those who wait.

Both found at 5/5 Moo 1, Soi Sudjai, Tanon Khlong Chonlapratarn, Tambon Chang Phuak, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50300

Bay at the slow bar in Bay's Cafe, Chiang Mai

Nam prik ong; 'Thai bolognese'

Nam prik ong is a type of northern Thai dip (nam prik), of which there are many. This one is mild and with minced pork and tomato. It tastes a lot like a really good ragu, and when I spoke to John Chantarasak - half Thai and a chef at Thai restaurant Som Saa in East London (excellent by the way, go if you find yourself there) - he told me it's also known as 'Thai bolognese'.

It comes with a pile of crisp pork rinds (deep-fried pig skin, around which it is almost impossible to exercise self-restraint) for good pork-on-pork action, as well as blanched veg - winter squash, green cabbage, carrots, long beans. It seems to be quite similar in format to Cambodia's prahok ktis, but different flavours. Both are sublime.

You'll find this everywhere, but we had this at Khun Mor's, a reasonably priced restaurant considering its Nimmanhemin location, consistently turning out well prepared and authentic northern Thai food with no gimmicks.

Khun Mor's, Western end of Nimmanhemin Soi 17 (near Nimmanhemin Rd itself)

Sichuan heat at Shang Garden

Chef Chen is from Chengdu, China and joined Shang Garden at the Shangri-La Chiang Mai as Executive Head Chef just days before our visit.

He can't speak English or Thai, and his staff can't speak Chinese. The restaurant kindly hosted a meal for us at the chef's table with a view into how this kitchen worked; it was fascinating watching them communicate in 'the language of chefs' - hand gestures, pointing, head nods and shakes, a lot of eyes, and smiling, laughing. It seemed to work.

With him, Chef Chen brings Sichuan specialities. The bouncy, daily made dan dan noodles with Sichuan chilli and a chilli, sesame and peanut sauce was my favourite. The Sichuan beef with mushrooms, a close second. Both packing punches. Both exceptionally moreish.

Shang Garden, Shangri-La Chiang Mai, 89/8 Chang Klan Road, Muang, Chiang Mai

top: Bay's coffee, the tofu sesame bread sandwich, and a loaded wrap from Food 4 Thought
bottom: nam prik ong dip, and the sichuan noodles and sichuan beef from Shang Garden

Street food must-eats

Street food in Chiang Mai

Warorot Market is a buzzing hive of daytime activity, and arguably the best place in town to witness and take part in local Thai shopping at bargain prices. It's two minutes walk north from the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar and sits beside the Ping River.

Inside on the ground floor, and around the outside edges, you'll find the food. And boy, is there a lot of it.

I barely made a dent; every time I turned my head there was something else, just as appetising as the current thing I was scoffing, outrageously flirting with me.

My advice: graze. Keep buying snacks and bites until you can't stomach another. Then come back the next day and do it again.

Warorot Market, Chiang Mai
l

Below are just a handful of things to look out for. I'll be back in Chiang Mai in a week or so; Warorot market will be seeing me again.

Sai ua (aromatic Northern Thai sausage) at Dam Rong.

Gorgeous. Bloody fantastic. Scalding hot pork sausage crammed to bursting with a heady mix of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, red chilli paste, and the rest. So much flavour within those skins. You'll find these everywhere, but Dam Rong is the most popular in Warorot, and consistently busy.

You'll pay for it by the weight - use your hands to indicate what length of sausage you want - and they'll chop it up for you. Eat it straight from the bag. Rice? No need.

These guys also specialise in moo tod (fried pork). Succulent, lightly battered loins you can gnaw on as you browse the aisles for your next snack.

Khai soi (curry noodle soup)

And then, to the seated restaurant area of the market - down a few steps from the ground floor - with a row of hair-netted women tossing noodles and pounding the hell out of curry pastes.

They're a line of different establishments, serving an array of full meals to hungry shoppers fading in the Chiang Mai heat; noodle soups, curries, inviting vats of miscellaneous steaming stuff I couldn't identify. Point at anything and you won't go far wrong.

We had pork khao soi (curry noodle soup); another northern Thai dish (along with that sausage above) I was told to seek out.

Burmese-influenced, and also seen in northern Laos, it's a mix of boiled and deep-fried egg noodles, pickled cabbage (there's a lot of this about, excellent), raw shallots, lime, ground chillies, the meat of your choice, and a broth made from curry paste and coconut milk. Thumbs up.

Khao kriap pak maw (sweet / savoury dumplings)

Somewhere between a dessert and a savoury dumpling, it'a hard to tell. More evidence of that finely tuned Thai skill; balancing sweet with salty.

The skins are rice flour and tapioca starch, stuffed with a delightful package of minced pork, coriander roots, garlic, black pepper, peanuts, palm sugar, soy sauce, radish.

The colourings are natural - green from pandan leaves and blue from pea flowers. Topped with a drizzle of coconut milk, a sprinkle of crunchy fried garlic and handed over in a banana leaf. I'd say these leaned slightly more towards sweet, so a good one to have at the end of your graze.

Kanom ba bin (coconut pancakes)

Coconut, pandan, chicken, rolled around little sausages - have whatever you fancy. It's a rice flour batter and these ones had shredded coconut. A favourite sweet treat on the streets of Thailand. Mere pennies.

top: the blue sign of Dam Rong, their gorgeous sai ua sausage, curry noodles
bottom: the sweet/savoury dumplings, lady making pancakes, coconut pancake

Then there's a little strip of night time street food stalls near Chang Pheuak Gate (North Gate).

Khao ka moo (slow-cooked pork leg)

The lady to get this from wears a cowboy hat so you can spot her more easily - clever marketing. Her stall creaks under the weight of pork leg, with huge metal vats full of more gloriously braised dark, flaking porkiness.

Take a seat, indicate to the servers how many plates you want, and it will come with rice, pickled cabbage and an egg.

'God. Shall we get another?' said Matt. That good.

Tom yam (spicy soup)

£*#%>&$ hot. Just look at the colour of it. Loaded with galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves. Spicy, sour, salty, and teetering on the pleasure / pain boundary; I paid for it the next day. But as is so often the case, it was worth it.

Fruit smoothies.

What better option for a refreshing, palate-cooling dessert than fresh and extortionately sweet fruit wazzed with ice.

Street stalls making these slushies are easy to find, along with places selling freshly squeezed juices or just the fruit itself, which vendors will happily cut up for you to eat on the go. Fruit is a very popular snack in Thailand and it's easy to see why; they are heavy with fructose.

My favourite is mango, because I just can't get enough of these alphonso-like SE Asian ones. A whole one goes in, along with water and ice. 40p and better for you than an ice cream.

It's worth noting some places will add sugar syrup which is totally unnecessary, so be sure to ask for no sugar just in case.

top: khao ka moo (slow-cooked pork leg), my rice face
bottom: chicken tom yam, mango smoothie, sizzling moo tod (fried pork)

street food near Chang Pheuak Gate (North Gate), Chiang Mai

The crux of the Chiang Mai street food story is, there's loads of it, it all looks great, I'm back in a week, so expect a lot more.

Did you know?

stapler-sized sewing machines

Clever gadgets. This is nothing but ingenious. Stapler-sized sewing machines that whir into action when you squeeze them.

Found for sale at Warorot Market, yours for just two bob. Never put up with a loose hem on the go again. Have these reached the UK? They should.

Mango plums. Marks and Spencer in the UK this week announced that they've started selling Thai mango plums, or marian fruit.

Thai mango plums

Except, they've made it out to be some new and exclusive hybrid they've helped develop: M&S has been working with specialist growers in Thailand for several years to create the new fruit.

Not really. It's not a 'new fruit'. They've been around in Thailand for ages and are available for sale everywhere here.

Regardless, they're lovely. Basically plum-sized mangoes with slightly tougher but edible skins. Although they'll be priced £1 each in Marks, which is extortionate.

My insider tips

Temple dress code. Temples are a place of worship and regarded highly by Thais. When you plan to visit them (and there are a lot of them in Chiang Mai's old quarter), wear full-length trousers (boys and girls) and sleeves up to the elbows.

Or, ladies, carry a shawl with you to cover your shoulders. And of course, take off your shoes before entering.

Thai greetings. It's quite incredible just how effective a respectful greeting is at breaking down cultural barriers.

When entering a business establishment, meeting someone or just passing an elder in the street, saying sawatdee ka (if you're female) or sawatdee khap (if you're male) will in return receive a wide and warm smile.

If you also put your palms together (as in prayer) and bring your thumbs to your chin - or to your nose when addressing the elderly - you'll have a new brigade of Thai friends in no time. The same phrase can be used for goodbye too, which is useful.

Here's a handy article on nine useful Thai phrases to learn, all easy to pronounce, and they'll get you a long way.

temple courtyard, Chiang Mai

Highlight / Lowlight

Highlight. The cats at Food 4 Thought. A mum and three gorgeous very playful kittens.

Lowlight. We came across a small, hot and weak chicken chick, sitting on its own in a plant pot in a temple courtyard. There were lots of hens around with their energetic broods, but this one was alone.

I picked it up and moved it to a spot where it had a better chance of joining the others, and left it a bit of water.

It was chirping away for ages, but no hen came. It stopped after a while, it must have been exhausted. We had to leave. I hope we helped. I hope it didn't fall prey to a snake :(

Food 4 Thought cats, and the wee lost little chick

Next week

We were going to head further north to Pai for a few days in the countryside. But it's the time of year when farmers burn parts of their land to prepare for planting, and we heard reports that the smoke, combined with the stifling heat, was unbearable.

So, instead, we're choosing a village in the countryside close by, just a half hour's drive out from Chiang Mai.

Postcards