Tag Archives: matthew kepnes

7 Delicious Thai Dishes

fruit 7 Delicious Thai Dishes

By MATTHEW KEPNES

Thailand is known for its great food. Thai food is tasty, spicy, delicious, and cheap. No matter where you go in the country, you’ll find food everywhere. From restaurants to street vendors selling everything imaginable, you could walk into the jungle and still find someone selling food. Next time you find yourself in Thailand, here are some delicious dishes you can’t leave the country without trying:

Fruit – Thailand has many delicious fruits. The tropical weather here makes it easy to grow great and succulent fruits. On every street corner, you’ll find someone selling the freshest fruit around – all for 30 cents.

Pad Thai – Probably Thailand’s most famous dish, this noodle dish is made with eggs, tofu, and green onions. You can find it everywhere but the place to eat it is from the street stalls in the Thai neighborhoods. It will be the best Pad Thai you ever eat.

Som Tam – This spicy salad is native to northeast Thailand but is one of the most commonly eaten dishes in all of the country. Every Thai loves it.  It’s made from shredded papaya, tomatoes, lemon juice, peanuts, and a lot of chilies. It’s one of the spiciest dishes in the country and if you aren’t careful, it will burn your mouth off.

spring rolls 7 Delicious Thai DishesPad Seeu – This is a thick noodle dish made with bok choy. The thick sticky noodles are quickly cooked with bok choy and oyster sauce. It’s really tasty and one of the most flavorful dishes in Thailand. Though the portions are usually small, the noodles are thick and heavy and you can get easily filled up by this dish.

Curry – You can get a wide variety of curries here in Thailand from red to green to clear to peanut based. No matter what you get it will always be good. My favorite is Masaman curry which is made from peanuts and potatoes and is a yellow curry.

Spring Rolls – Whether fried or fresh, spring rolls make for a great snack. Street stalls sell these all over and they make a great quick meal. Make sure to add some chili sauce for added flavor.

Fried Rice – This simple dish is found everywhere and while not exotic or special, the street vendors here make some excellent rice. It’s quickly fried with a few Thai spices and is really tasty.

Thailand is a great country with great food. So the next time you are there, make sure you try these dishes and make sure you eat frequently at the street vendors. They are safe to eat and have some of the best food around.

Matthew Kepnes has been blogging his way around the world for more than three years. You can read more about his adventures at his blog, Nomadic Matt as well about his recent ebook making money with your travel blog so you can have your travels pay for themselves!

Lounging in Lipe: Part 2

img 2666 Lounging in Lipe: Part 2

By MATTHEW KEPNES

Paradise Found

We spent our days on the beach and our nights at the bar. I’d lost my flip flops and, in true island spirit, was going barefoot. Life was simple.

Most of the foreigners on the island had come years ago and, captured by this place, returned every season. There was Kelvin the crazy Welshman, Fred the Frenchman, Julie the Swiss girl who seemed to speak every language, and Chris the young, lazy Canadian backpacker.

My plan was to spend four days there before going back to the mainland. I didn’t leave until three weeks later. Ko Lipe had captured me and I was its willing prisoner. I had found my beach. We explored the island everyday – crisscrossing the interior, exploring the town, eating at all the restaurants, and swimming at all the beaches. We left no corner of the island unturned.

img 2686 Lounging in Lipe: Part 2We set out to explore the little island near my bungalow. During low tide you could walk to it – as long as you avoided the urchins! During high tide, you could leisurely swim there, letting the current push you. On the opposite side of the island, the shelf dropped off deep and the current kicked in. There was a lot of fish swimming around showing all the colors of the rainbow. Neon blues and pinks darted around us. It was beautiful. We looked continuously for reef sharks but, sadly, we never saw any.

Days passed. I got tanner. My backgammon game improved. We all bonded at the bar each night playing football, jamming to music, and laying out under the stars. We celebrated birthdays and festivals and just being there. It was like the beach and I imagined this was what Thailand was like before mass tourism hit the country.

The locals of the island were native sea gypsies and historically nomadic fishermen but with increased tourism to the island were slowly exchanging fishing poles for bars and restaurants. Being there long term allowed me to get to know them really well. There was the owner of the sandwich shops, Mai, who I visited everyday. She always had my food ready (I’m a creature of habit) and always taught me Thai. Her family and I conversed over breakfast or lunch. There was also the local soup shop owner, who didn’t speak any English but was always happy to see us come in and always had a smile on his face. The locals took time out to ask us about our day and always waved and smiled as we went by.

img 2730 Lounging in Lipe: Part 2But paradise slowly faded as we all began to trickle off the island though. Nothing perfect last forever. First the German couple left, then my friend, followed by Chris, and then finally me. Paul and Jane stayed longer but my visa was expiring and it was time to go.

After Christmas, I reluctantly boarded the ferry back to the mainland; sadden by the fact I’d have to wear footwear again. I never have made it back there. Maybe it’s a good thing. Ko Lipe was my utopia. Any return trip might ruin the dream in my head. Somewhere out there there’s another Lipe waiting to be discovered.

Matthew Kepnes is a travel blogger at Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site. For more pictures from Thailand and the rest of the world, take a look at Matt’s Travel Photos.

Travel is About Who You Meet, Not Where You Go

amsterdam Travel is About Who You Meet, Not Where You Go

One of many Amsterdam canals.

By MATTHEW KEPNES

I play a lot of poker. Too much actually but that’s another story. It was while at the Amsterdam casino I met Greg. Greg was really friendly and offered to show me around Amsterdam. I was a little disarmed by his exuberance and friendliness, because here was this guy who’s been losing money to me, now offering to take me out and show me the city. You always hear stories about locals ripping off travellers and so, with a lot of his Euros in front of me, I graciously declined. A few days later though, I saw him again and we talked. He ran a poker club and told me I could come by any time. By this time, I found out he was on the level and supposedly a great guy. Sadly, I was leaving for Spain the next day. “I thought you were here for awhile?” he said. “I was. I was here for a week. That’s a long time in this city!” I replied. “I wish I could stay longer but I have a flight booked. I’ll be back sometime though.” In two weeks, I was back. In Spain I felt the lure of the city call me, so I boarded a flight and went back.

Greg and I became good friends during my stay in Amsterdam. It was because of him that I met many locals and had a “Dutch experience” in Amsterdam. Yet before I left, I couldn’t reach him to say goodbye so I told another friend to tell Greg good bye and that I’d be back to win some of my money back from him.

river Travel is About Who You Meet, Not Where You Go

River of Amsterdam.

Sadly, I wouldn’t get that chance. A few weeks after I left, three men entered Greg’s poker club and, as they robbed his house, shot him. I only knew Greg for a little over a month but in that time he changed my impressions of people. His friendliness and welcoming attitude was disarming. On the road, you put your guard up to avoid bad situations yet at the same time want to be open and interact with the locals. It is a constant struggle to find the right balance. Greg showed me that there was no reason to always be on your guard – that sometimes people are just being friendly.

Greg epitomized the idea that travel is about whom you meet and not where you meet them. I could have met him in any city in any country and he still would have treated me like he had known me for years. I’ve travelled to places I feel in love with despite of the people, people who made me fall in love despite of the place, and travellers who just made a bad place a little more enjoyable. When you meet others who fill your day with excitement and joy, nothing about the place really matters.

That was Greg. Greg was the local we all hope to meet. The one who has the key to the city’s door and is willing to open it and expose its secrets. I’m not sure where Greg is but wherever he went; I know he left an impression on many people. He left one on me. His goodness shines on and it won’t be the same without him.

So Greg, wherever you are, this is my goodbye and this is my thank you.

Because it’s people like Greg, that make this nomad travel the world.

Nomadic Matt is an avid traveler who is gearing up for another round the world adventure. You can find his blog, photos, and other travel tips at http://www.nomadicmatt.com