Rat- The Other White Meat

Last weekend we had another relaxing camping getaway at our top-secret undisclosed location where we spent many hours taking naps outside and playing extreme off-road bocce with some feasting on Thai food thrown in for good measure. 

Playing bocce down a hill- because we can.

On the way back to Bangkok, we noticed signs for small roadside stands that were selling grilled rat. So of course being the adventrous types, we decided to stop and try it out.

I think someone needs to work on their rat drawing skills...

Now before you all start freaking out and retching from disgust, let me explain that these are not the rats that you see scurrying around the city feasting on garbage. These rats are from rice fields where they spend all day getting fat on rice. These roadside stands then grill up the rat and sell them.

Brock exchanging baht for rat

I mentally prepared myself for trying the rat by repeating "This is grain-fed rat, it's a delicacy." and "You'll hate yourself if you don't at least try it." over and over in my head. But my preparation flew out the window as soon as Brock opened the plastic bag that the rat was wrapped in.

Look you can see its tail!

I didn't know if I could eat something that looked SO MUCH like a dead rat. So I let Brock and Guy try it out first and when they didn't immediately spit it out, I decided to go for a taste. 

The verdict- it honestly it didn't taste that bad, but it really didn't taste that good either. For one thing the rat was cold, so it tasted like cold, greasy chicken that was fortified with iron. The metallic taste of the meat did not appeal to me, and I didn't eat anymore after the first taste. But now I can say that I've tried grilled rat, and that was worth it.

"Camping" in Thailand

Camping has to be one of the best ways to spend a weekend. Many of our summer weekends (and even some not-so-summery weekends) were spent with friends or family at one of  the many state parks in Wisconsin.

What camping in March in Wisconsin looks like

Camping was one of the things that we thought that we would have to give up once we moved to Thailand. We were pleasantly surprised when one or our friends suggested a camping excursion to an undisclosed location in Thailand (Seriously, I promised under the threat of pain to not reveal the location, lest it become overrun with tourists and start to look like Pattaya).

I use the word "camping" very loosely when describing this camping experience in Thailand- it is nothing like the camping we are used to in Wisconsin. To me camping consists of planning meals, packing equipment in to our backpacks or car/motorcycle, making sure we have plenty of beer, sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows and telling funny stories.

Or wandering around in the woods trying to figure out where we are...

At the resort ( yes, resort) we camped at in March, everything is provided for you. They set up your tent, provide you with a sleeping pad and pillow and breakfast, lunch and dinner are all made for you in the resort kitchen. The only thing we had to worry about was bringing enough booze, because it's not really camping if there is no beer involved, right? 

I could really get used to this style of camping, except for one crucial element which was missing from the weekend. There was NO CAMPFIRE! Other than that missing element, it was a great vacation with awesome friends in a beautiful part of Thailand.

Despite what the sign says- there was no campfire.

Our tents set up in a row

They had props for photo ops

Love this library card cabinet!

Hammock+Camping=Perfection

Loved the beautiful flowers covering the hill

Nothing makes you feel like a kid again like a merry-go-round

Beautiful view of the valley

Enjoying the view and the Singha

"I shall rule them all!!"

Sunset over the valley