Settling in –
setting up the chess board on the quirky wood-carved table with a
hole in the middle of it; setting up a daily budget sheet; putting
things in their natural places.
After the delicious
12 hour sleep I knew it was time to get some exercise - use it or
lose it, right? - and so I walked over to the Princess Mothers Health
Garden, which was one of my favorite places to visit in 2012. I
noticed a few changes on my walk over, one of the best parts of the
walk had been altered, instead of an unusual covered walkway which
leads into the park, a parking lot and new condo building had been
erected, and while the building sure looks nice, I miss the
walkway. The park itself appears to have not changed much, although I
noticed that I had perhaps started a trend by mentioning this place
in my 2012 blog, because many westerners were there running and
walking, whereas in 2012 I found I was one of a few westerners who visited
the place. Another, more important, change is that the pipes
(supporting the roof of a small pagoda) which I had used for pull-ups have
become rusted and are eroding into nothingness, so I had to use the
most solid looking pipe and take my chances. I ran only 1 mile today,
but I hope to slowly increase the distance so that before I leave I
will be able to run up the Monk’s Trail on Doi Suthep and reach the
famous temple.
After exercising I
decided my first meal in Chiang Mai should be from the Free Bird
Cafe, which was my favorite place to hang out in 2012. I noticed that
it had, again, moved to a new location, which fortunately was only 1
mile from my condo. I walked the busy streets and arrived at a
pleasant place which had outdoor seating in a quiet garden. I ordered
a curry dish, samosas, and a passion fruit smoothie, which were all
excellently prepared and presented. While eating I worked on my
laptop, sending emails to friends and working on my journal. I have
not done much writing since 2015 and getting back into the habit is
making me feel creative and satisfied. With each passing entry I
become more engrossed in the process and am always curious how things
will turn out. I also have not taken many photos lately, so carrying
a camera around also feels good. I made photos of the
food but being out of the camera habit, I accidentally left the
memory card in the condo, so the pictures were not saved.
After the meal I
took a nap, and in the late afternoon I agreed to extend my stay in
the condo building until January 16, although I will be moving a few
rooms down the hall on December 26. As for the price of the unit, I
am embarrassed to admit that I am paying a high premium for the
location and comfort of the room. Although I live like a monk most
days, I could have easily settled for another place to live and saved
40-60% on rent, but because I have been planning and budgeting for
this journey the past 2 years, and gave myself a high threshold for
rent cost, I see no problem paying the high premium since it is still
within budget. So I will be living in Chiang Mai until January 16th,
and after that I have to decide where to go. I am thinking of going
to Bangkok for 9 or 10 days, to live near Lumpini Park. When my visa
expires on January 26 I am not planning to extend it so I will need
to leave Thailand and go to another country – India, Indonesia, Vietnam are
possibilities.
When the sun set I
decided to head over to Central Mall and use an ATM to get the money
I will need to pay off the rest of my condo stay. When I arrived I
saw the night market going and was surprised to find that it had
changed from a clothing and goods market and was now a tasty food
market – amazing looking food, even Thai-style lasagna, and it was
too bad that I had already eaten for the day, but made a note to
visit soon and have a cheap and satisfying evening meal on the steps
of the mall.
Condo View