About six years ago we made a pasta for the family at Cold River Guesthouse and any interested guests staying at the hotel... Within a day or two of our new arrival, Sisumvoot (father of the family) asked us to cook again. So, we sat out to make an Italian lunch in a very Lao kitchen. We decided upon lunch for several reasons - one of which is Sisumvoot's diet, which doesn't allow him to eat starch in the evenings. (He's trying to lose some weight.)
Nunu (14 year old daughter) and I set out for the market on her motorbike in a light, morning rain. I was on the back and in charge of holding the umbrella and myself. When we were last here in 2004, Nunu was still riding a bicycle and never at the wheel of a Honda Wave (the very popular scooter of the Lao PDR), but she is an excellent driver and we had a very fun time. I am certain that it was much more fun for me because trips to the market are just one of her many daily chores.
No canned tomatoes are available, so we decided to make the sauce by hand. Two kilos of tomatoes, 20,000 kip (about $2.50 and weighing about 1 kilo) worth of beef and pork, carrots, onions, garlic, Lao white mushrooms, and a peppery kind of basil and regular Thai basil were what we had to work with. Because we didn't properly estimate the portions, we made a huge batch of sauce and 3lbs of pasta! The two daughters at the guesthouse were eating it for days - but happily, they seemed to enjoy it. We cooked along side the family who was making a Keng Pa (fish soup) and it was a very fun exchange of cooking knowledge and techniques. In fact, interaction with this family is one of the gems of the trip as well.
Because of the beauty of Luang Prabang and our room overlooking the Nam Khan river, we did not go back to Vientiane when we anticipated. However, Pascal didn't want to make the drive by himself and we originally intended to go in his truck back to the capital. Tom decided to make the trip with Pascal and then return the next day via public VIP bus (with bathroom and air con). We didn't anticipate the quality of the roads in the rainy season... nor the unreliability of both vehicles on the winding, mountain roads.
Tom's trip down to VTE was going well until Pascal's car brokedown, having overheated due to a leak in the radiator. Then there was a small flood in the road, which slowed traffic tremendously. The following day was not easy either. Because of the small flood over the road the traffic had to pass very slowly (and there was a line about 50 deep for them to pass). Then there was a small mudslide further up the road, which had already been cleared but still had the same caution: traffic moving in both directions had to stop to allow cars, trucks and busses to pass one at a time. Route 13 is one the major north-south road in Laos - so this took a considerable amount of time. Next, the VIP bus seemed to suffer the same fate as Pascal's truck. With a leak in the radiator, the crew had to stop and constantly fill big plastic jugs with water to pour in the engine. I'm not a mechanic, but you can imagine how frustrated the passengers were. At times, the bus overheated and had to stop for hours at a time. The trip should have taken approx. 9-10 hours, but it took their bus 16! Tom was certainly happy to be back at "home" at the Cold River Guesthouse. Over two days he spent approx. 30 hours en route - that's about as long as it takes to get from Bangkok to New Orleans, including layovers.
During the time Tom was on Route 13 I went for long walks around LP and also spent considerable time cooking with the family. This is a very fun thing to do - and you really learn so much about the culture through food. Indeed - Lao food has complex flavors with simple ingredients (if you are in Lao) and it is a delicious way to explore. Tomorrow night we will try to make a roasted eggplant, chili, and shallot pesto sauce... we shall see how it works out.
Friday night we made reservations at the Villa Santi, former home of the princess of Lao and a beautiful compound, resort and restaurant. One week from Friday I will also land in New Orleans... so it's a good way to mark the end of the journey.
Tom has much work to do in VTE after I leave, and things are working out beautifully for his research.
Today it is July 23 - and a special Happy Birthday goes out to Jeremy, who is celebrating this day in Tanzania, Africa. We will have a special toast with our BeerLao tonight at dinner.
Sending love,
Steph and Tom
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