Thai Egg Custard in a Pumpkin

We had the pleasure of learning how to make this delicious dessert in Thailand at the Sompong Thai Cooking School. We definitely recommend attending their fun cooking class when visiting Bangkok. This dessert is light, easy and relatively fast to make. If you want to know what Thailand tastes like, try this recipe below.

---

 

Ingredients:

1 pumpkin (500-600 gram.)

4 eggs

1 cup coconut cream

1 cup palm sugar

1/2 tsp salt

5 pandanus leaves (or 2-3 drops of vanilla extract )

1. Clean the pumpkin, remove the top and scrape out the seeds and membrane, but leave the flesh intact. ( you can use a thai soup spoon for this process, which makes this process fast and easy)
2. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, coconut cream, palm sugar, pandanus leave/or vanilla extract and salt. Mix until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Pour the custrad mixture into the prepared pumpkin, filling until about 1/4 inches from the top. ( You can also use small custard cups, instead of the pumpkin to cook the custard. Pour the custard mix into the cups and add shredded pumpkin flesh on top.
4. Steam low heat the pumpkin in a stacker steamer or other steamer for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the custard comes out clean. It will look set but still jiggle a bit when shaken. The custard firms up as it cool ( about 10 minutes). ( If you are using small cups, steam for about 10-15 minutes.). To prevent your pumpkin from cracking, put it in a bowl that fits nicely around it, and avoid steaming with excessive heat. After the custard is done steaming, leave it to cool before you remove it from the steamer.
5. Cut the custard including the pumpkin "crust" into wedges and serve! Voila!

One Night in Bangkok

Bangkok is a modern city thriving with culture, art, music, food and anything else you could ask for. 

When we landed in Thailand's capital we didn't even know where we were going to stay. The trip happened so spontaneously we hadn't figured out any details. Luckily our good friends and fellow bloggers HandZaround were already there, and they booked us a room in a great little hotel where they were already staying called Eco House. Small but clean and private rooms with shower go for 500 baht or $15 in a great central location. 

The Tipsy Gypsies Tip: If you're traveling through SE Asia, Agoda.com is your best source for online bookings. Better deals can always be arranged in person, but unlike India or Europe Agoda beats Booking.com on prices almost every time.

The Tipsy Gypsies Tip: Public transport is an easy and convenient option but it doesn't always work out to be the cheapest here depending on where you are going and how many you are traveling with. Auto Tuk Tuks are a must try experience in Bangkok with their neon lights and lavish decorations but also know that Uber is available. Sometimes you don't want to haggle or have to explain your final destination so having this option is nice. And unlike many other countries, we tested and found that normal taxis were typically the same price as an Uber so don't be afraid to flag one down either.

Our arrival in Bangkok was unlike many others foreigners experience, as we had just come from nearly 6 months in India. Most people who arrive in Thailand from the west feel overwhelmed with exotic and foreign excitement. We felt like we had just returned to the U.S... and that was a good thing! As our other blogging friends YesKamp once said, Thailand is "Asia Light". 

The city was so clean, organized and people actually followed the rules of the road! We saw our sheets were actually clean when we checked into our budget hotel. We couldn't believe it!

All the stress, that had built up from the awesome insanity of our previous adventures in India melted away instantly. 

Having been on the road so long we skipped many of Bangkok's "must do's". Bangkok has more beautiful temples than you could ever want to visit. And having filled our thirst for temples months ago, we agreed to visit one but that was it.

We visited Wat Pho with two amazing new friends Karol and Agnieszka from Poland we had met at our hotel. The temple is absolutely beautiful. The architecture and the giant statue of sleeping Buddha are breathtaking. It's a huge temple too so if temples get you hot and bothered, there is plenty to explore at Wat Pho. But again, we've already seen so many temples in India, we pretty much dine and dashed.

What made us fall in love with Bangkok was the street food. From Chinatown to Chotochok weekend market (both must do's), to a hundred others we can't remember the name of or didn't have time to visit, there is an endless supply of new and exciting markets and dishes to try. 

The Tipsy Gypsies Tip: Spend an evening in Chinatown stuffing your face with as many dishes and beers that you can manage, and then proceed to digest your horrendously gluttonous consumption with an hour long foot massage for 150 baht or about $4.

The Tipsy Gypsies Tip: People touching your feet not your thing? Then after eating, settle down at Chinatown's Soulbar for a drink at let the sweet jazz melodies serenade you.

Our next activity is not something you necessarily need to do in Bangkok, but we do feel it's a must at some point during your trip. The Thai cooking class in an awesome experience if you are a fan of Thai food. From going to the markets to learning about the ingredients, to making your own curry paste to finally cooking and eating your freshly made dishes will most definitely inspire your cooking creativity for when you get home. We went, per a friends recommendation, to Sompong Thai Cooking School and they were fantastic. The teachers were really friendly and spoke great English. For a budget traveller it was a little pricey at about $30 per person, but we found it worth the cost. 

with Hanna and Zach from HandZaround travel blog

Our last great adventure was again, thanks to our friends HandZaround. They had interviewed a local artist who was also in charge of what are known as Trasher parties. These are events thrown in large venues for Bangkok's LGBT community and they are awesome. Through a special invite we all attended one of their concerts and it was an amazing night. Gay, straight or anything in between, the people and community are amazing and we highly recommend you see if an event is happening when you are there as you'll have the best night partying possible.

After recovering from our Trasher party hangover we said goodbye to our new friends and headed south for amazing island adventures you can read about here. Bangkok is most definitely a city worth exploring as it has a lot to offer before you head to the beautiful Thai countryside.

We look forward to visiting this city again some day and can't wait to discover what else it has to offer. 

Get Tipsy on: Purple Gin

Although Thailand is known for wild parties with lots of alcohol and drugs, it's mostly tourists who do the drinking. When we asked the locals about some native drinks we were told that the locals prefer drinking rum or beer and the youngsters are the ones starting to take an interest in cocktails culture.

We were trying to find a cocktail that is not too sweet, refreshing and is unique to Thailand. We didn’t want to drink anything that came in a coconut or with unnecessary umbrella decorations. We visited Sarojin resort in Khao Lak and asked them for their recommendation. Per their recommendation, we agreed on a Purple Gin, also known as Disco Sour or Blue Magic.

Purple Gin is purple/bluish in color, hence the name and it’s color is 100% natural which comes from the butterfly pea flower that it is infused with. The Butterfly pea flower is widely used in Asian cuisine and now bartenders are also making trendy blue or purple drinks with it. Apparently this drink became quite popular recently on social media after the actress Margot Robbie drank something similar on her honeymoon.

The main ingredient of this cocktail is gin infused with butterfly pea flower, combined with sprite and a splash of lime that gives it a fresh, fizzy taste. The acid from the lime also helps to turn the blue tint from the flowers into a vibrant purple. Purple Gin is a light and refreshing drink that's perfect to sip on a hot afternoon.

We shared the ingredients of the cocktails here, so you could try to replicate it and taste a bit of Thailand at your home.

Try it at home Manual: You can use a powder or tea leaves of the butterfly pea flowers to make this drink. If you are using the tea leafs just add about 6-8 flowers directly to the gin and let it infuse in the bottle for couple of days.

Ingredients

Gin

(infused with butterfly pea flowers)

Sprite

Triple Sec

Sweet and Sour

Fresh kaffir leaves for decoration

1 Lime/lemon ( the acid of this will turn the color from blue to purple)

Ice

Diving in Thailand: Underwater Love

As I stared off the bow of the two-story liveaboard at the nearly transparent turquoise water, I couldn’t help but grin. For the first time in about 8 months, I actually felt like I was on vacation.

Anyone who reads travel blogs is well aware of the expression, “long term backpacking is not a vacation, it’s a way of life”… or something to that extent. It means it’s not always easy. Being constantly on the road and usually living off $20 per day in less than sanitary accommodations can take its toll on you. Yes, it’s a privilege, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Day after day of packing my bag, followed by traveling in a cramped hot train for 8 hours, followed by haggling with an onslaught of rickshaw drivers, and then unpacking again in yet another very questionable room, has taken more toll on me mentality, than any 24 hour work shift I’ve ever had as an editor.

When we decided to head to Thailand, it wasn’t exactly on schedule. It was either way too late or a little too early depending on how you want to look at it. Our stay in India had grown from our original plan of 2-3 months into what was now approaching the expiration of our prized six month visas. But a couple of weeks before our visas ran out, we ran out… of energy. We’d just landed in North East India and before leaving the airport, we concluded we’d had enough of the countries colorful and exhilarating chaos and it was time to move on. So we booked another ticket that left in a few hours and headed straight for Thailand. 

Because our departure happened so abruptly, we landed in Thailand with no plan or idea of where we were going or what we were going to do. 

After landing in Bangkok, we decided we were so wiped from India we were ready for more beaches and hopefully some relaxation. This lead to the discovery that Thailand was one of the cheapest and best places to get SCUBA certified. Yes! Bucket list here we come!

In less than 24 hours we found a company who was interested in hiring us to film some promotional material and after three days of awesome Bangkok fun, we were on a bus and ferry headed for the island of Koh Tao, the diving capital of Thailand. This may not be the best diving in Thailand but if you are looking for any type of certification, this is the place to do it. Best price and best instructors.

We had arranged a deal with Simple Life Divers. They have great prices although you can find some schools a little cheaper, but DO NOT compromise when it comes to getting certified. These guys really know what they are doing. Whether you are looking for your basic Open Water or want to become a Dive Master/Instructor, they offer it all.

The island is a great place to hang for a week. At Simple Life you’ll spend your day on the boat learning and the evenings downing beers at their bar with fellow students.

But enough backstory…

The Similan Islands.

They say bathing in Windex is good for the skin.

How YOU doin'?

A week later I'm sitting on this liveaboard thanks to Pirate Divers, floating next to the beautiful and remote Similan Islands (about 60km off the coast of Khao Lak), and I can’t believe what I’m seeing. The photos are real. This is the ACTUAL color of the water. And I’m living on this boat for two days, eating amazing thai food and doing three dives a day (sunrise, midday and sunset).

We’ve seen a lot in our travels; from some of the most exotic deserts, to the highest altitude villages in the world. But none of it is comparable to what’s deep in the sea. The experience is unlike anything we else. To be able to breathe where you shouldn’t breathe. To swim amongst some of the most beautiful and exotic creatures you will ever see, we were completely mesmerized by this new world. For 50 minutes you’re an astronaut on an alien planet.

We are beginners. Only certified to dive to 18 meters but we can’t wait to dive more. Whether it be a PADI or SSI certification, we can’t recommend exploring this world enough.

From now on, wherever we go, it’s not just about exploring the above, it’s also about seeing what’s below and we can't wait.