Today started with a cooking class. We made Khao Soi and Sticky Rice with Mangoes! Khao Soi is very similar to a laksa but you serve it with condiments. It was all very delicious.

Three different colours of sticky rice. Purple, coloured with butterfly pea flowers. Green, coloured with pandan leaves. And white!

The condiments for Khao Soi – shallots, lime, fried chillis, coriander and spring onion, and pickled mustard greens. The pickled mustard greens are very traditional with Khao Soi and helps cut through the richness of the coconut milk based soup.

This was a fern tip salad.

Fried crispy noodles are another essential condiment with Khao Soi,

After the cooking class and our magnificent lunch we went to Duang’s family home. It is over 100 years old and is a traditional teak building. It is also covered by the equivalent of our National Trust heritage overlays. In front of this building is a concrete building that used to be a shopfront.

Duang’s family photos are also included under the heritage overlay and must not be removed.

The concrete decoration at the entrance – how did they do that over 100 years ago?

Duang’s beautiful open air kitchen.

Rabbit shaped coconut graters.

The kitchen sink!

Off to a temple! This is Nan’s most famous “wat”. It was constructed in 1596.This is the Temple that houses the original iconic Nan wall painting ‘Whisper of Love’ (ภาพกระซิบรักบันลือโลก) well known as Pu Man Ya Man (ปู่ม่านย่าม่าน), in Thai translation is Grandpa Man and Grandma Man. It is a depiction of a man whispering to the ear of a woman. According to local tradition, a man must have tattoos from his belly down to his knees. On his chest, there are red tattoos of a human figure used to show his prestige and social power. Because, the more human figures he has, it means the more servants and slaves he owns. This iconic painting is a resounding symbol of Nan City. And, The artist of the wall painting is Nanbuaphan (หนานบัวผัน).

The whispering lovers.

Because we have to have a photo of a fire truck!

Some candles burning outside a temple. In the open on a very hot day!!

Walking around town.

Then off to a market.

Pork Crackle – Yum!

Grubs -Yuk

Dinner was at a historic home that is now a museum. The Noble House is the home of Chao Fong Kham, whose lineage of Chao Ananta Worarithidet, the 62nd ruler of Nan.  The Noble House is over 200 years old. It made from teak wood and high basement like  ancient Lanna style .The upper floor is a residence and local museums .Showing the way of life in the past and Valuable ancient items such as silverware and woven fabrics, etc. In addition, it is a living local museum which is part of the conservation of the cultural heritage of the Nan people such as local  weaving.

A very refreshing purple butterfly pea drink on arrival.

All the food is cook in this outdoor kitchen.

Live entertainment.

Fishcake stuffed egg shells – Don’t eat the shells Gerard!

Fishpaste cooked in banana leaf.

Pork Curry with Sticky Rice.

Banana donuts.

Our farewell entertainment.

Today the Sport and Tourism Minister spent 2 days in Nan with a large delegation. They stayed at our Resort and wanted to speak with us Aussies. There were lots of photographers so I am guessing we ended up in the newspaper!

Big trip today up north to see the worlds only salt well in the mountains. It has been there for over 800 years and control of the salt well has been the cause of many wars over the centuries.

Instagramable photo opportunity at our coffee stop on our way up North!

The views were amazing from the coffee shop. As usual the photos do not do it justice.

This is a very famous road in Nan. It is called “Curvey Road Number 3”. Many Thai tourists come just to seen this road and don’t go any further. There were, what I guess would be, lots of influencers coming here with photographers.

I think this was an accommodation place along the way. Fabulous roof structures.

Lunch time! More food! This time though we managed to find a bottle of Australian Jacobs Creek Rose!

Lunch was a prawn salad, a mushroom stir-fry, pork ribs in broth, green fish curry, fried pork shoulder. Not many kitchens here have ovens so most things are deep fried. Most food here is served cold or at room temperature.

Handwash basin.

Dessert was pick your own banana!

Salt drying in the sun.

The 800 year old salt well. It is Buddhist lent at the moment. This lasts for 3 months and no salt is taken out of the wells and this time.

There are vendors all around the salt well selling salt!

The heavily salted water is pulled up from the well and put over heat to evaporate the water leaving the salt behind which then needs to be dried.

There were quite a few landslides along the road and a fair bit of road damaged due to all the heavy rains and flooding they have had. The scenery along the way was quite spectacular. They farm very steep slopes.

Then it was off to dinner to another riverside restaurant where we could see more dragon boats practicing.

Even in the pouring rain!

Khun Tai, Khun Tae and Ma’am. Khun Tae owns the hotel and the resort and Khun Tai is her twin sister who was visitng from Bangkok. Ma’am was our tour guide and clothes shopping helper extoadanaire!

Duang, Gillian, Romney, Mel.

This was a chicken and cashew dish, bit of Chinese influence in this one, and a Nan Sausage. I really enjoyed the Nan sausage, lots of lemongrass in it.