Page 40 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2025 THAILAND
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Eight days later, in Chiang Mai, our his wife, a teacher; his father and mother,
group was divided into foursomes for retired farmers; and his son, a law student.
evening home-hosted dinners. As Ron and I, We walked his garden, admiring his long-
and Linda and her daughter Erin, traveled to beans, fruit trees and bee hives, while an-
the city’s outskirts to meet our hosts, we all swering his questions about the United
felt anxious. Linda and Erin experienced States, our professions and impressions of
these meals on previous tours, and, Linda Thailand.
confessed, “They can be awkward.” All of us were enlisted to fold banana
Our concerns evaporated as we stepped leaves around sticky rice for our steamed
out of our SUV and into the arms of our dessert, before we were seated around a
gregarious host. In very passable English table in the compound’s gazebo. To our sur-
(especially compared to our Thai!), the for- prise, the grandfather brought a glass jug
mer postman introduced us to his family - of homemade “moonshine” to share. Tiny
40 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE SUMMER 2025
