Thursday, January 31, 2019
Day 66
Woke up to rain and decided not to exercise due to not only the weather but also the severe rash on my arms and legs. From internet research I discovered that the tanning lotion I used is infamous for giving people severe rashes and burns, and it looks like it will last a week before the burning rash subsides. Quite a blunder on my part to use tanning lotion, and the reason I did was because my skin is already afflicted with some sort of ailment which makes it severely dry and wrinkled so I guessed that the oil would not only shield the sun but also moisturize the skin. What I forgot to do was check the ingredients and if I had I may have used caution because it is a mish mash of chemicals which must surely be more dangerous than over exposure to sunlight. So for the next few days I will try to limit my time outdoors, although I still plan to run if I can get up early enough, but the rash has been waking me up at night and this makes me rise later than I want to.
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Day 65
The rash on my arms woke me from my sleep and I decided to take a shower to scrub any remaining lotion off. It gave some relief to the itching and I was able to get some sleep, but the middle of the night interruption caused me to get up later than expected and so my run started a couple of hours after sunrise and the heat was hot and heavy and I decided to stop after 3 miles. A short run is fine, I need to cut back a bit after consecutive longer runs earlier this week.
Everyday I pass a tour guide named Vincent who gave me his card the first time I passed him and he is trying hard to earn my business, remembering my name and asking if this will be the day he can show me around the island. When I passed him this morning I asked if he knew of any forest running trails and he mentioned Mt Batur, but after doing some research it seems like it would be crowded with hiking tours which would make running a pain, plus the terrain would be too rocky for the type of running shoe I am using.
Yesterday on my walk back from Mertasari Beach a woman asked me if I would like a massage and when she told me her name was Rocca I recalled that in 2012 she approached me in the same place and I agreed to the massage. Seven years later she looks no worse for the wear and although I refused the massage, it is interesting that I am crossing paths with people whom I met in 2012.
Everyday I pass a tour guide named Vincent who gave me his card the first time I passed him and he is trying hard to earn my business, remembering my name and asking if this will be the day he can show me around the island. When I passed him this morning I asked if he knew of any forest running trails and he mentioned Mt Batur, but after doing some research it seems like it would be crowded with hiking tours which would make running a pain, plus the terrain would be too rocky for the type of running shoe I am using.
Yesterday on my walk back from Mertasari Beach a woman asked me if I would like a massage and when she told me her name was Rocca I recalled that in 2012 she approached me in the same place and I agreed to the massage. Seven years later she looks no worse for the wear and although I refused the massage, it is interesting that I am crossing paths with people whom I met in 2012.
Day 64
I am having a bit of trouble getting into a day to day routine due to my apartment needing multiple repairs, and also the owner likes to have the cleaning lady come once every couple of days which makes it difficult to set a morning running schedule.
During the cleaning/repair time I walked to Mertasari Beach and did a few exercises under the hot, covered sun. The skies here in Bali are like everywhere else on earth in 2019 - devoid of blue and covered in a white murky haze. One of my greatest sources of satisfaction has been taken away and I find that I am looking inside my own consciousness for any sort of light, beauty, and peace. The earth is dead and all of the hell beings upon it will soon be opening that dark door of mystery.
My arms have become red and blotchy, a rash which is somewhat itchy. I am concluding that it is caused by the tanning lotion which I have been using for the past few days. The lotion was provided by the owner of the studio, and since I rarely use lotion it can be considered the top choice of cause for the rash. I will stop using the lotion and hopefully within a few days the rash subsides.
Unlike in 2012 when I had a rush of photographic inspiration, I have made very few pictures, it is difficult to want to document such a state of things, it is like being locked in a room bright with fluorescent light - harsh, ugly, ridiculous - that is what this place is now, a hospital for the insane and karmically challenged.
During the cleaning/repair time I walked to Mertasari Beach and did a few exercises under the hot, covered sun. The skies here in Bali are like everywhere else on earth in 2019 - devoid of blue and covered in a white murky haze. One of my greatest sources of satisfaction has been taken away and I find that I am looking inside my own consciousness for any sort of light, beauty, and peace. The earth is dead and all of the hell beings upon it will soon be opening that dark door of mystery.
My arms have become red and blotchy, a rash which is somewhat itchy. I am concluding that it is caused by the tanning lotion which I have been using for the past few days. The lotion was provided by the owner of the studio, and since I rarely use lotion it can be considered the top choice of cause for the rash. I will stop using the lotion and hopefully within a few days the rash subsides.
Unlike in 2012 when I had a rush of photographic inspiration, I have made very few pictures, it is difficult to want to document such a state of things, it is like being locked in a room bright with fluorescent light - harsh, ugly, ridiculous - that is what this place is now, a hospital for the insane and karmically challenged.
Monday, January 28, 2019
Day 63
Yesterday afternoon
my AirBnb host, Eka, stopped by the studio and asked me to lunch with
her at Kanda, one of the most beautiful restaurants I have seen. Upon
walking into the place one is greeted not only by the hostess, but
also a variety of exotic birds, fish, and animals. We took our seats
and ordered a meal and Eka talked about her life and her short 3 day
trip to the USA to visit her sister. After eating Eka showed me the
part of the restaurant which is a small zoo – snakes, more birds,
turtles, and things which I cannot name. There is also a swimming
pool and live musicians, so imagine people swimming, eating, taking
pictures with the black swan and the peacocks, with an acoustic set
of music being performed. I tried to pay for the meal but Eka
insisted on paying and said she is planning a trip with the long term
guests to the Balinese forest which tourists do not visit, and she
said I was welcome to come along if I was interested.
This morning I ran
the Sanur beach route, this time getting to the 7 mile marker. I am
quickly losing weight now that I have cut most sweets out of my diet
and eating 1 meal per day. I walked to Pepito Grocery this afternoon
and bought pasta, tomato sauce, garlic powder, an onion, and a slice
of pizza, and cooked my first meal in more than 2 months.
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Day 62
Yesterday I went out at 5:00pm to watch the sunset at Mertasari Beach, the sky 80% filled with toxic filler which takes away the brilliant luminosity which was once standard in the days prior to geo-engineering. As I sat on the stone embankment next to the sea along with many others, all of us gazing into the vast dusky space, I wondered how many were aware of what is happening, and these people, more in tune with nature than westerners, most likely know something has gone terribly wrong, yet what can be done, other to sit and gaze and be grateful for the remaining time which is left.
When I returned to the apartment I was stunned to find that all of my complaints made to Eka about the studio had been fixed - new bathroom sink faucet, clogged drain cleared, brighter bathroom light, gas canister changed, and the room cleaned. I recalled that I left my travel belt with money/passport/credit cards inside the pillow case, and when I checked inside the pillow the belt was missing. I looked around the room and saw that the cleaning person placed it inside a desk shelf. I had to laugh at how lame my idea is to hide the belt inside the pillow casing.
Eka replied quite late to me emails, the reason being that my AirBnB messages were not being sent to her phone, which my previous AirBnB contact also experienced. When I received her reply in the evening she said she finally saw the messages, and although she did not explicitly say she was not going to rent the studio to someone else (due to my initial decision to want to leave after 1 week), I have the impression she understands that I plan to stay here for the full month. She also invited me out to a cafe with her to have coffee, supposedly today, but it is already noon and I have heard nothing from her. When I do see her I will confirm with her that I plan to stay here for the full 28 days.
This morning at 6:00am I walked to Mertasari Beach and did a few exercises. I have not located a pull up bar so I am going to use my special talent of materialization and see if one will appear before I leave on February 22.
When I returned to the apartment I was stunned to find that all of my complaints made to Eka about the studio had been fixed - new bathroom sink faucet, clogged drain cleared, brighter bathroom light, gas canister changed, and the room cleaned. I recalled that I left my travel belt with money/passport/credit cards inside the pillow case, and when I checked inside the pillow the belt was missing. I looked around the room and saw that the cleaning person placed it inside a desk shelf. I had to laugh at how lame my idea is to hide the belt inside the pillow casing.
Eka replied quite late to me emails, the reason being that my AirBnB messages were not being sent to her phone, which my previous AirBnB contact also experienced. When I received her reply in the evening she said she finally saw the messages, and although she did not explicitly say she was not going to rent the studio to someone else (due to my initial decision to want to leave after 1 week), I have the impression she understands that I plan to stay here for the full month. She also invited me out to a cafe with her to have coffee, supposedly today, but it is already noon and I have heard nothing from her. When I do see her I will confirm with her that I plan to stay here for the full 28 days.
This morning at 6:00am I walked to Mertasari Beach and did a few exercises. I have not located a pull up bar so I am going to use my special talent of materialization and see if one will appear before I leave on February 22.
Friday, January 25, 2019
Day 61
Awoke at 5:30am and left the studio at 6:00am, the sun just beginning to rise, and I walked in the direction of the sea and when I reached the beach began my run on the pedestrian walkway. The air was hot and heavy with humidity, just the way I like it, and I ran along pretty well watching the sun rise over the sea, and the sky was a murky gray blue, filled with toxic material, the tide was out and the boats were resting in the moist sand and I worked my way to the end point of the pathway, the Hindu Temple. When I reached it I was surprised I still had energy to return on the run, so I told myself to go as far as i could, and I ended up stopping at the 6.50 mile mark, so a strong start for my stay in Bali.
I have yet to hear back from Eka about my proposal to stay as long as I can with no refund. Hopefully she did not get offended from my lack of enthusiasm for her place.
I have yet to hear back from Eka about my proposal to stay as long as I can with no refund. Hopefully she did not get offended from my lack of enthusiasm for her place.
Day 60 - Bali
Left my Bangkok apartment at 10:00pm, safely made it to the Lumpini MRT and departed at Chatachik Park, I was fuzzy on which side of the street I had to catch the A1 bus, first I waited on the crowded side, and watched 2 A2 buses drive by, wondering if I should get on because the sign on the bus said Don Muang. I then decided to switch street sides, which entailed crossing on the SkyTrain overpass, not an easy thing to do when I am carrying 30 pounds on my back. I saw the A1 coming but it was in the far lane and did not stop, so I decided to go back to the other side of the street, and when I was coming down the steps I saw the A1 had stopped, I did not think I would have time to catch it but it waited for at least 60 seconds and I was now on my way to Don Muang, and I arrived at 11:30pm, with my flight to leave at 6:00am. The first thing I saw at Don Muang was a very long line, and I thought perhaps this was a security check, I asked the information desk where international departures was and she said I was in the right place, so I sighed to myself and was not looking forward to standing in such a long line. I am not sure why I decided to walk in the opposite direction but when I reached the far end of the terminal I saw the Air Asia counter and check in kiosks, so I decided why stand in line when I could check myself in, I would worry about security later. I was able to print my boarding pass and when I returned to the long line I saw that it was not for security, but it was an airline which had no kiosks and people were waiting to check in, and many of them had large parcels and trunks to check in, reminding me of Day 1 of my journey where I stood in line for 90 minutes watching 90% of the passengers ahead of me checking baggage. I turned in the opposite direction and saw the security check point and it was empty and without incident my passport was stamped out of Thailand and I walked to Terminal 1 and slept and read and paced for the next 5 hours.
Flight to Bali was harmless, and I once again had a chance to watch from a front row seat the toxic filler in the skies, which is higher than water vapor clouds. Landing at Ngurah Rai I walked a long ways to immigration and without hassle or too long of a wait was stamped in with the free visa. I stopped at an ATM and I could not withdraw money, the first 2 ATM's gave a message of "timing out", and the third spit my card out. I could not see any other machines to try but there was a couple of currency exchanges and I was happy that I had brought $200 in USA dollars, and I decided to exchange $140 at an unfavorable rate (13600 instead of 14100). As I walked through the exit I saw a mass of taxi drivers, many holding signs with names, I was not expecting to see my name so I walked along the taxi gauntlet and toward the end of one of the lines I caught the eye of an intelligent looking young man, he asked if I needed a taxi, and knowing I did not want to pay more than 200,000ir, I asked how much to Sanur and he quoted a high price of 400,000 and I countered with 150,000 and he said final price 200,000, I thought why not, so we walked to his car which was not an official taxi, and I began to wonder at my choice to accept an offer from a random stranger. I imagined that once in his car he could drive me to a secluded spot and rob me, but now it was too late to fret about it, I made my choice and I got into his car and he drove me to Sanur and we had a nice conversation, and when we arrived at my destination I decided to give him 250,000ir ($18.30) because it appeared from the stories he told me that I could very well be the only ride he would make money from on this day (he told me he had been waiting 3 hours at the airport trying to find a passenger).
I found the Airbnb studio without much trouble, but the electrical box where the key was supposed to be was empty. I sat on the steps of the apartment and took out my laptop and was able to get a wifi connection and I messaged the owner and 15 minutes later she let me in, and I was quite disappointed in the place due to it lack of attention to details, which means poor quality - old furniture and appliances, a strong odor of gas in the kitchen, a clogged bathroom sink, and an air conditioner which appeared to be working with much effort and little result.
I settled in and decided I should try to get out of the contract and get a refund, but Eka, the owner, said at best she could only give me 50%, and I countered that I would stay 1 week and take the 50% refund and find another place to stay. A few hours later I decided that it would be best to try and stay 2 weeks without a refund, and perhaps by then I would be used to the place and end up staying the full 4 weeks, thus saving a considerable amount of money.
Flight to Bali was harmless, and I once again had a chance to watch from a front row seat the toxic filler in the skies, which is higher than water vapor clouds. Landing at Ngurah Rai I walked a long ways to immigration and without hassle or too long of a wait was stamped in with the free visa. I stopped at an ATM and I could not withdraw money, the first 2 ATM's gave a message of "timing out", and the third spit my card out. I could not see any other machines to try but there was a couple of currency exchanges and I was happy that I had brought $200 in USA dollars, and I decided to exchange $140 at an unfavorable rate (13600 instead of 14100). As I walked through the exit I saw a mass of taxi drivers, many holding signs with names, I was not expecting to see my name so I walked along the taxi gauntlet and toward the end of one of the lines I caught the eye of an intelligent looking young man, he asked if I needed a taxi, and knowing I did not want to pay more than 200,000ir, I asked how much to Sanur and he quoted a high price of 400,000 and I countered with 150,000 and he said final price 200,000, I thought why not, so we walked to his car which was not an official taxi, and I began to wonder at my choice to accept an offer from a random stranger. I imagined that once in his car he could drive me to a secluded spot and rob me, but now it was too late to fret about it, I made my choice and I got into his car and he drove me to Sanur and we had a nice conversation, and when we arrived at my destination I decided to give him 250,000ir ($18.30) because it appeared from the stories he told me that I could very well be the only ride he would make money from on this day (he told me he had been waiting 3 hours at the airport trying to find a passenger).
I found the Airbnb studio without much trouble, but the electrical box where the key was supposed to be was empty. I sat on the steps of the apartment and took out my laptop and was able to get a wifi connection and I messaged the owner and 15 minutes later she let me in, and I was quite disappointed in the place due to it lack of attention to details, which means poor quality - old furniture and appliances, a strong odor of gas in the kitchen, a clogged bathroom sink, and an air conditioner which appeared to be working with much effort and little result.
I settled in and decided I should try to get out of the contract and get a refund, but Eka, the owner, said at best she could only give me 50%, and I countered that I would stay 1 week and take the 50% refund and find another place to stay. A few hours later I decided that it would be best to try and stay 2 weeks without a refund, and perhaps by then I would be used to the place and end up staying the full 4 weeks, thus saving a considerable amount of money.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Day 59
It is 8:00pm and I am waiting in my Bangkok apartment to leave for the airport, probably leave at 10:45pm because public transport ends at midnight.
Due to eating only 1 meal per day I was well under budget for the week, which is surprising because Bangkok is a bit more expensive than Chiang Mai.
Tomorrow I will be in Sanur, Bali, a return to the 4 mile beach run and the sea and the sunsets. I am afraid that the sunsets these days won't be so grand due to the geo-engineered toxic filler being injected into the atmosphere, which turns everything a hazy white/gray.
Read today that 32,000 students in Belgium skipped class and marched for protection of the environment. Looks like more and more people are becoming conscious of the near death of the earth, unfortunately it is much too late. If something was to be done, the latest time period would have been the 1980's when the oil companies knew that their industry was destroying the planet. For whatever reason they decided to hell with the earth and everything on it. The time of reckoning will soon be upon us.
Thus one of my reasons for quitting my job at the Art Institute is knowing that time is limited, not only for myself but for everything here. May as well do something where I am free to make choices and not have to answer to anyone. I also quit due to the low pay, so not really a difficult choice.
Due to eating only 1 meal per day I was well under budget for the week, which is surprising because Bangkok is a bit more expensive than Chiang Mai.
Tomorrow I will be in Sanur, Bali, a return to the 4 mile beach run and the sea and the sunsets. I am afraid that the sunsets these days won't be so grand due to the geo-engineered toxic filler being injected into the atmosphere, which turns everything a hazy white/gray.
Read today that 32,000 students in Belgium skipped class and marched for protection of the environment. Looks like more and more people are becoming conscious of the near death of the earth, unfortunately it is much too late. If something was to be done, the latest time period would have been the 1980's when the oil companies knew that their industry was destroying the planet. For whatever reason they decided to hell with the earth and everything on it. The time of reckoning will soon be upon us.
Thus one of my reasons for quitting my job at the Art Institute is knowing that time is limited, not only for myself but for everything here. May as well do something where I am free to make choices and not have to answer to anyone. I also quit due to the low pay, so not really a difficult choice.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Day 58
Wandered around the Lumpini Festival this afternoon, it was quite spectacular with many food stalls and music and dance performances. My choice of meal was average, shrimp pad thai and another dish of noodles and shrimp, and an odd tasting pomegranate juice. The heat must be knocking my appetite down because that is all I ate today, now 5 consecutive days of a drop in caloric intake. It sure is difficult to break an overeating habit, but once it happens good things start to happen.
Leaving Bangkok tomorrow evening, planning to take the MRT and the A1 bus to Don Muang airport, hoping to arrive at 11:30pm and will have 6 hours to wait around until boarding the flight to Bali. Four months of traveling can seem at times to be quite a long stretch of time, so much has happened so far and I still have another 2 months to traverse.
Leaving Bangkok tomorrow evening, planning to take the MRT and the A1 bus to Don Muang airport, hoping to arrive at 11:30pm and will have 6 hours to wait around until boarding the flight to Bali. Four months of traveling can seem at times to be quite a long stretch of time, so much has happened so far and I still have another 2 months to traverse.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Day 57
Ran the 4.25 mile Lumpini/Benchakiti loop this morning, felt as good as I probably can at my age, so nothing to complain about. I continued my trend of eating only 1 meal per day, eggs, rice, milk, fruit, wait 24 hours and repeat.
Tomorrow I plan to leave the apartment in the late afternoon and walk over to Lumpini and experience the festival, since there will be plenty of food stalls I anticipate eating twice in a day.
I spent most of today planning the final segment of my journey, on February 22 I will fly from Bali to Saigon, and from Saigon to Nah Trang, a coastal city in Vietnam. I will stay in a hotel for 3 nights, and then stay in an AirBnb until March 4th, when I fly back to Saigon and stay in an AirBnb until March 15th. I will be participating in the HD Bank International Chess Tournament from March 7-13, 9 rounds. On the 15th I will fly back to Chiang Mai and spend the final 5 days of my journey wandering around the city. On the 19th I will fly back to Chicago.
Tomorrow I plan to leave the apartment in the late afternoon and walk over to Lumpini and experience the festival, since there will be plenty of food stalls I anticipate eating twice in a day.
I spent most of today planning the final segment of my journey, on February 22 I will fly from Bali to Saigon, and from Saigon to Nah Trang, a coastal city in Vietnam. I will stay in a hotel for 3 nights, and then stay in an AirBnb until March 4th, when I fly back to Saigon and stay in an AirBnb until March 15th. I will be participating in the HD Bank International Chess Tournament from March 7-13, 9 rounds. On the 15th I will fly back to Chiang Mai and spend the final 5 days of my journey wandering around the city. On the 19th I will fly back to Chicago.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Day 56
Was awakened from my afternoon nap by the cleaning lady, so I had to gather my things and decided to walk to Lumpini Park and study a few chess games from the 1953 Zurich book. Found a shady space and enjoyed the games, and discovered an analysis error by Bronstein in a Kotov/Taiminov game. All week the park has been preparing for a large tourism festival which will be held in the center of the park, and it starts on the 23rd, so I will be able to experience the event.
The combination of Bangkok heat and the unpleasantness of walking the streets searching for food is greater than the pleasure of eating, which is exactly the kick-start I needed to further my weight loss. For the past 3 days I have eaten only after exercising, and I am guessing the total caloric intake is less than 1500, which should translate into a 2 pound loss during my 10 day stay. I have noticed that it is becoming easier to run and I can now do 6-7 pull up reps, which means I am getting down to an acceptable running weight.
The combination of Bangkok heat and the unpleasantness of walking the streets searching for food is greater than the pleasure of eating, which is exactly the kick-start I needed to further my weight loss. For the past 3 days I have eaten only after exercising, and I am guessing the total caloric intake is less than 1500, which should translate into a 2 pound loss during my 10 day stay. I have noticed that it is becoming easier to run and I can now do 6-7 pull up reps, which means I am getting down to an acceptable running weight.
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Day 55
Ran 4.25 miles today, running part of Lumpini Park, then finding the "secret" pedestrian bridge which connects to Benjakitti Park. I liked Benjakittie, there is a pathway which goes around a rectangular body of water.
After I got back I showered and hung out in the apartment. I was thinking about going to Chatuchak Park for the weekend market but I I feel my consciousness is quite weary of having to constantly be confronted with large masses of people. I did force myself out at dusk and walked to Suan Phlu Park and circled around three times. The moon was rising, almost full, it was quite a nice sight.
After I got back I showered and hung out in the apartment. I was thinking about going to Chatuchak Park for the weekend market but I I feel my consciousness is quite weary of having to constantly be confronted with large masses of people. I did force myself out at dusk and walked to Suan Phlu Park and circled around three times. The moon was rising, almost full, it was quite a nice sight.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Day 54
Planned to go to Chatuchak Park weekend market today but I decided that I needed a break from the crowds of people which I pass daily on the sidewalks and streets, and stayed in my apt all day reading. I did get up at 5:00am and head to Lumpini for exercise.
Friday, January 18, 2019
Day 53
Studied a Bangkok map this afternoon and saw that Suan Phlu Park is only a 1/2 mile from where I am staying, so I walked there near sunset and walked around and read a Maugham short story (The Pool). I was the only westerner there, so it looks like this little gem goes unnoticed by the tourist crowd.
Read in the AP News that Bangkok is suffering from dangerous levels of smog and toxic air, which explains why I see many people wearing surgical masks. Good thing I won't be here long, although 10 days may be enough to do some lung damage.
Ran 3 miles today at Lumpini at 5:30 am, and there were many people there at that hour. Felt good, no breathing problems due to air toxicity.
What a strange time to be living on earth, when everything which makes life possible is under assault and will soon be gone - trees, fresh water, clean air, insects and animals. I need to keep working on my grieving for the death of the earth, my mind still has trouble accepting that it will soon be dead, along with all the living things upon it. So many years of admiring the beauty of the earth has corrupted the clarity of my mind, because now a reversal is necessary - instead of believing in the healthy beauty of the world, I must continually remind myself that it is an illusion, and that the "earth" is just a code word for hell, or a very bad and evil place, if one considers morality, and if things are amoral here, then hell simply means chaos and an abundance of negative energy. That fact does not change my optimism in consciousness, however, I believe even hell is an illusion, and one simply has to endure it until one dies, and if one has done a decent job of eradicating the negative energy within oneself, then one has a chance of escaping hell in the next go around.
Once again well under budget, but this coming week will be more expensive because Bangkok has more temptations, and also higher food prices.
Read in the AP News that Bangkok is suffering from dangerous levels of smog and toxic air, which explains why I see many people wearing surgical masks. Good thing I won't be here long, although 10 days may be enough to do some lung damage.
Ran 3 miles today at Lumpini at 5:30 am, and there were many people there at that hour. Felt good, no breathing problems due to air toxicity.
What a strange time to be living on earth, when everything which makes life possible is under assault and will soon be gone - trees, fresh water, clean air, insects and animals. I need to keep working on my grieving for the death of the earth, my mind still has trouble accepting that it will soon be dead, along with all the living things upon it. So many years of admiring the beauty of the earth has corrupted the clarity of my mind, because now a reversal is necessary - instead of believing in the healthy beauty of the world, I must continually remind myself that it is an illusion, and that the "earth" is just a code word for hell, or a very bad and evil place, if one considers morality, and if things are amoral here, then hell simply means chaos and an abundance of negative energy. That fact does not change my optimism in consciousness, however, I believe even hell is an illusion, and one simply has to endure it until one dies, and if one has done a decent job of eradicating the negative energy within oneself, then one has a chance of escaping hell in the next go around.
Once again well under budget, but this coming week will be more expensive because Bangkok has more temptations, and also higher food prices.
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Day 52
Walked to Lumpini park at 6:00am and did the exercise circuit. Bangkok is hotter and more humid than Chiang Mai, so I need to acclimate to such stifling conditions. After an early afternoon nap I decided to check out the library located in the center of the park, but it appeared to be closed due to renovations.
I am eating simple meals picked up from food stalls, it is difficult eating in the little room I am staying in due to no kitchen area and no plates and utensils, so my main consideration is to buy food that is easy to eat with little mess.
I am eating simple meals picked up from food stalls, it is difficult eating in the little room I am staying in due to no kitchen area and no plates and utensils, so my main consideration is to buy food that is easy to eat with little mess.
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Day 51 - Bangkok Time
I literally went from a penthouse (top floor very fancy condo) to
the outhouse, a single small room with a connecting bathroom -
basically one step up from when I lived in a tent at Lake Mead. But
no problem, I knew what I was getting into, I told myself I am going to
live in a tent in Bangkok, but other than the smallness (and no
closets, nor a table big enough for a chessboard), it is clean,
functional, great location, and cheaper than the Pinnacle Lumpini Hotel,
which is where I stayed in 2012.
I
was a boss on the scavenger hunt for the red chair, I found the A1 bus,
although I almost jumped on the free shuttle to the other airport
across town, fortunately they require proof of ticket and I figured
out I did not want the shuttle. I got off at the correct stop, found
the MRT subway station, bought the ticket and jumped on the train going
in the correct direction, got off at the Lumpini stop, remembered the
main street from 2012, but just like the first time I walked past the
side street I was supposed to turn down, but only by 2 blocks, so I
turned around and soon passed the Pinnacle Hotel and kept on walking for
a 1/2 mile, turned down a side street and got confused when it came to a
cul de sac. I sat down on shop steps and read the map and realized I
was on the correct street, I needed to go to the last building, and then
I saw 2 red chairs, the first one I picked had 3 envelopes, none with
my name, the second chair had 4 envelopes, and one was for me, so I
opened it and it told me to walk back up the street to another building
and soon I was in my little tent in Bangkok.
After
settling in I walked over to Lumpini Park and ran 1 mile, then did some
exercises. The reason I cut the run short was I was on an empty stomach
and it was hotter than Chiang Mai by about 10 degrees - I still need to
get acclimated because it is in the 90's and humid.
Bangkok Tent View
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Day 50
Final day in Chiang Mai. Had a light exercise session this morning, and relaxing and packing for most of the day and refreshing details of what needs to be done tomorrow. 7 weeks in Chaing Mai has been wonderful, no difficulties which could not be surmounted.
Highlights of my stay - running in the Chiang Mai Marathon, hiking the Monk's Trail, exercising daily and losing 6-8 pounds, getting my shoe fixed by the street cobbler I had known from 7 years ago, and of course staying at the beautiful 17th floor condo with the amazing view.
On to Bangkok tomorrow, flight leaves at 8:25am, will need to hang out at airport for a few hours because check in time for my airbnb is at 2:00pm.
Highlights of my stay - running in the Chiang Mai Marathon, hiking the Monk's Trail, exercising daily and losing 6-8 pounds, getting my shoe fixed by the street cobbler I had known from 7 years ago, and of course staying at the beautiful 17th floor condo with the amazing view.
On to Bangkok tomorrow, flight leaves at 8:25am, will need to hang out at airport for a few hours because check in time for my airbnb is at 2:00pm.
Monday, January 14, 2019
Day 49
Ran to the Municipal Stadium and tested my left quad by running 150m sprints, it felt good but to be safe I ran at 75% exertion, which is still a decent workout for someone my age.
After an afternoon nap I decided to hike to Wat Umong, along with a stop at Wat Sanduak. I found the latter but missed the street turnoff for the former, so I ended up walking through the CMU campus at a time when high school and college students were getting off from class. Many food stalls lined the street and students wandered about, eating, talking, relaxing.
Twice this week I had my sleep disturbed due to stomach problems, I am guessing it is from the curry I have been buying at the food court mall next to Tops. Fortunately after emptying my bowels I get back to normal within a couple of hours, minus a bit of energy. Ate sushi and pad thai tonight, so hoping to get a full nights rest without disturbance.
After an afternoon nap I decided to hike to Wat Umong, along with a stop at Wat Sanduak. I found the latter but missed the street turnoff for the former, so I ended up walking through the CMU campus at a time when high school and college students were getting off from class. Many food stalls lined the street and students wandered about, eating, talking, relaxing.
Twice this week I had my sleep disturbed due to stomach problems, I am guessing it is from the curry I have been buying at the food court mall next to Tops. Fortunately after emptying my bowels I get back to normal within a couple of hours, minus a bit of energy. Ate sushi and pad thai tonight, so hoping to get a full nights rest without disturbance.
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Day 48
Reading Somerset Maugham short stories, and the first three which I have read are surprisingly about the adventures and oddities of travel. His writing style and story telling skill is magnificent, one of the best writer's for my life.
In 2012 the geo-engineering program was in its infancy, and the skies that year in Chiang Mai were sunny and blue, with 1 rain storm in 3 months (Feb-April). In 2019, being the first year of the full geo-engineering program, the skies have been filled with toxic muck most of the 48 days I have been here. It is the just the way it is now, the sky is dead, the earth is dead, and human hell-beings will soon be following. For someone such as myself whose basis of happiness was the beauty of the earth, the willful destruction of that beauty is a hard pill to swallow. Happiness is an afterthought now, my whole focus is on the upcoming death of my body and the earth and everything upon it.
Someone reading the above who is ignorant of their surroundings (the majority of people) will think the writer is a full raving lunatic, and I would have agreed had I read the same 20 years ago. But this is 2019, and all one has to do is not only observe, but the world's best climate scientists have confirmed that the earth is dead and extinction of most everything will be happening within 1 decade. If you have kids under the age of 10, how does that make you feel? If you don't have kids, how do you feel? One either has to completely turn it off and die in terror and darkness, or one can work it out with the remaining time and come to an acceptance and prepare for the fascinating death journey.
And this whole earth-death scenario is so nightmarish that I sometimes think that my life may have been something which only happened inside my own consciousness, because how can it be that as my own personal death approaches, the earth's death will be happening at the same time? It seems utterly impossible and so the illusion of my life may be a sick fantastic joke upon my mind and ego.
In 2012 the geo-engineering program was in its infancy, and the skies that year in Chiang Mai were sunny and blue, with 1 rain storm in 3 months (Feb-April). In 2019, being the first year of the full geo-engineering program, the skies have been filled with toxic muck most of the 48 days I have been here. It is the just the way it is now, the sky is dead, the earth is dead, and human hell-beings will soon be following. For someone such as myself whose basis of happiness was the beauty of the earth, the willful destruction of that beauty is a hard pill to swallow. Happiness is an afterthought now, my whole focus is on the upcoming death of my body and the earth and everything upon it.
Someone reading the above who is ignorant of their surroundings (the majority of people) will think the writer is a full raving lunatic, and I would have agreed had I read the same 20 years ago. But this is 2019, and all one has to do is not only observe, but the world's best climate scientists have confirmed that the earth is dead and extinction of most everything will be happening within 1 decade. If you have kids under the age of 10, how does that make you feel? If you don't have kids, how do you feel? One either has to completely turn it off and die in terror and darkness, or one can work it out with the remaining time and come to an acceptance and prepare for the fascinating death journey.
And this whole earth-death scenario is so nightmarish that I sometimes think that my life may have been something which only happened inside my own consciousness, because how can it be that as my own personal death approaches, the earth's death will be happening at the same time? It seems utterly impossible and so the illusion of my life may be a sick fantastic joke upon my mind and ego.
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Day 47
Tried to do a speed workout today at the Gardens, but on the 2nd 100m sprint my left quad went bad and I had to stop after 5 sprints, probably going to take 1 week to heal, so back to slow running for the rest of my stay in Chiang Mai.
I was looking at a map of Chiang Mai yesterday and I saw there is a Saturday Night Walking Market on Wua Lai Rd, with the highlight being the Silver Temple. On my walk to the market I was able to accept the current health state of the earth, which is catastrophic melt down within a short time, most likely within a decade. It is like going to a doctor and getting a cancer diagnosis, with a time frame of a few months to live. How does one handle it, what happens to the mind and ego? In the case of the earth, there is no point in being angry, it's like being mad at cancer cells - won't do any good, and with the earth the cancer is human beings - can't get rid of them, they are multiplying and the more people the faster its death will arrive. Memories of what the sky and sun used to be filtered into my mind as I walked the market streets, casually gazing at the sky which was a dirty white due to geo-engineering - again, no point in getting angry at geo-engineering, people can rightly be described as hell-beings, so I cannot expect any good to come from hell and its inhabitants . Any good I happen to see is a rarity and a miracle, and it surely won't last long. The normal mode in hell is ignorance, greed, anger, and hatred, I can accept that, my body is also a hell-being, and once I realize where and what I am, things come into focus and all the negative energy can be deflected - call it geo-engineering of the soul - accept that things are going to be horrible, and then softly glide into a better realm.
I was looking at a map of Chiang Mai yesterday and I saw there is a Saturday Night Walking Market on Wua Lai Rd, with the highlight being the Silver Temple. On my walk to the market I was able to accept the current health state of the earth, which is catastrophic melt down within a short time, most likely within a decade. It is like going to a doctor and getting a cancer diagnosis, with a time frame of a few months to live. How does one handle it, what happens to the mind and ego? In the case of the earth, there is no point in being angry, it's like being mad at cancer cells - won't do any good, and with the earth the cancer is human beings - can't get rid of them, they are multiplying and the more people the faster its death will arrive. Memories of what the sky and sun used to be filtered into my mind as I walked the market streets, casually gazing at the sky which was a dirty white due to geo-engineering - again, no point in getting angry at geo-engineering, people can rightly be described as hell-beings, so I cannot expect any good to come from hell and its inhabitants . Any good I happen to see is a rarity and a miracle, and it surely won't last long. The normal mode in hell is ignorance, greed, anger, and hatred, I can accept that, my body is also a hell-being, and once I realize where and what I am, things come into focus and all the negative energy can be deflected - call it geo-engineering of the soul - accept that things are going to be horrible, and then softly glide into a better realm.
Friday, January 11, 2019
Day 46
Decided to take a nap before going on my hike to the Ping River. During
the first mile of my hike I recognized the street cobbler who sets
up shop in the back of his truck on a side street near my condo, not
only now, but back in 2012 I would see him on the same street, and we
would wave to each other because I would see him many days because I
used the street to get into the old part of the city. So when I saw him
today I recalled him from 7 years ago, and even though I could not read
the sign he had set up in front of his truck due to it being written in
Thai, I was guessing it said "cobbler for the people!" So I
decided to stop and show him the bottom of my left shoe, which was a few
weeks away from developing a major hole in the heel. He said "I fix!" I
asked him how much and how long and he replied "40b and 15 minutes". Surprised by my good fortune, I took a seat on the stone bench next to his
truck, took off both shoes and relaxed for 15 minutes, sipping water
and watching him work his shoe magic. I was imagining what he would
possibly do to the shoe - plug the hole with glue? Strip the bottom
layer off and replace it with a new layer? I did not know and I figured
if he botched the job it was ok, the shoes were not going to last more
than a month or two at most, so it was worth a chance. Not only that,
but the shoes are my beloved Brooks Mach XI, from 2010. I wore the same
style shoe during my 2012 trip, so when I saw them selling on ebay last
year for $50, I gladly bought them because they obviously are no longer
made. I wore them a few times on my Chicago hikes to the zoo, but when I
saw that a hole was beginning to develop in the left heel I stopped
wearing them and saved them for my 2018/19 trip. When he finished I
curiously looked at the shoe and saw he had glued a sheet of black
rubber on the heel only, and also one on the right shoe so as keep both
shoes equal in heal height. They looked great and as long as the glue
holds the shoes should last at least 6 months - happy, I decided to pay
him 100b instead of 40b because he gave me a lot of pleasure
knowing I could wear my favorite shoes for a few months longer than
expected.
Another week well under budget -
Another week well under budget -
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Day 45
Had a decent 4 mile run this morning at the Pharmacy Gardens, then in the afternoon I walked to a local computer shop and printed various travel documents (flight tickets, Bangkok maps, airbnb home instructions), 9 sheets for 9b, a budget friendly price. On my walk to the print shop I was approached by a young man, 18-22 I am guessing, and he asked for money. During my last trip to Chiang Mai I was approached twice, once by a down and out old man, and the second time while sitting on a temple grounds bench, and two teens who were looking frisky asked for cash. Today I gave the guy 20b, although I was foolish enough to take out my money pouch to retrieve the 20b, he could have easily grabbed it and ran and I would have lost 300b along with the condo key, but I was lucky and the man gave a thankful wai and seemed happy enough.
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