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Post 2009
- 7 years and 12 days since I started this blog -
- 7 years and 12 days since I started this blog -
Today I went back to Tikky Cafe for brunch. It was crowded, and I took the only table - outside. The person who came after me was a thirty-year-old German man named Bastion, who asked if, being as there were no other seats to be had, he could join me.
We enjoyed our food and conversed throughout - ultimately, more than two hours. We had shared some personal information, philosophy, ideas, Chiang Mai tips and a good meal. We'd Facebook-friended. Good start to the day.
There is a virtuous circle in traveling alone. It presents you with opportunities that would not otherwise come your way, while at the same time, your inclination and availability to enjoy what comes your way creates more opportunities, and so on.
Another excellent and, this time, huge meal (I was hungry, and enjoying the conversation, I kept ordering).
After, an Uber back to the apartment... let me talk about Uber for a moment.
For the most part, Uber is my greatest ally in exploring Chiang Mai. I have had some difficulty getting around in Chiang Mai due to a number of factors: Unfamiliarity, wrong-side driving, not being able to read or, in many cases, find road signs and addresses, and the big one: unaccustomed low-quality GPS.
It is uncertain I can explain where I want to go to a tuk-tuk or red truck driver. But I can just search for the name of my destination (or a nearby landmark) and go straight from there to uber, and in minutes, I'm picked up, on the way, ride paid for.
At least, that's how it should work. I'm taking about 4 Uber rides a day here, and it seems that for three of them, either the pickup or the drop-off - or both - get messed up. GPS sucks here in Chiang Mai. On my phone, I see where the GPS says I'm standing. I usually have to correct it, but once it's there, I can see it, and I can see my ride's route to get to me. And too often for coincidence, I see the ride go past me, make a wrong turn away from me, or stop coming somewhere I can't see before getting to me. I've watched them circle everywhere I'm not, and I've been canceled when they get tired of looking for me or waiting for me where I'm not. (Somehow, so far, the second car has had little difficulties finding me, though. So far).
On the other end of things, last night I was dropped off three blocks from my destination, and I would never have found it if I hadn't met up with an acquaintance going to the same place (which had I been dropped off in the right place wouldn't have been easy to find.
Mostly, Uber is the cheapest, most convenient means to get me from my slightly out-of-the-way condo to my destination. Rarely is it the quickest. Sometimes it isn't even that convenient.
It is still the best option for getting around as far as I'm concerned, so I just lower my expectations and move on.
OK, enough about Uber, right?
I picked up my laundry, and then went around to a few stores until I found one that had cigarette papers. You'd think they'd be more commonly available, as useful as they are.
My destination for the night was a club where I could hear some friends play. We'd missed each other over a few nights' attempted get-togethers, and I'd heard that they were very good musicians, and, you know, what else did I have going on?
The club was tiny, the five-piece band took up about a quarter of the space. Tiny drum kit, tiny amps and PA. Most of the clubs here supply the back line, there's no setup and tear down, and so far, the sound has been more than adequate. And with the brick and plaster walls of the place, I was reminded of some basement parties I went to in New York, back in the day. Another thing that reminded me of those days is that everybody in the band was seated.
I saw my friend Dave, but before I sat down, I wanted to get some food, and, as the club didn't serve any, I went to the Mexican restaurant next door. My smothered carnitas burrito was excellent.
Standing in the back, I had another coffee then switched to Singha. The individual players were all very good. The song selection was good - a deep track for every warhorse. My friend Scott on drums was excellent. Harry on guitar was impressive. There were occasional ensemble issues, but the arrangements of the cover songs were solid, the soloists tasty, and mostly everything came together. The audience loved it.
When they got to 'Dixie Chicken' my friend Dave took over on bass, and the rhythm section came together and kicked it up a notch.
Then I got a call, and stayed up for the last three numbers. I hadn't expected it. But I don't say 'no' to a playing opportunity. And fun was had.
And, another opportunity to see more of Chiang Mai, meet people, and have fun - taken.
We enjoyed our food and conversed throughout - ultimately, more than two hours. We had shared some personal information, philosophy, ideas, Chiang Mai tips and a good meal. We'd Facebook-friended. Good start to the day.
There is a virtuous circle in traveling alone. It presents you with opportunities that would not otherwise come your way, while at the same time, your inclination and availability to enjoy what comes your way creates more opportunities, and so on.
Another excellent and, this time, huge meal (I was hungry, and enjoying the conversation, I kept ordering).
After, an Uber back to the apartment... let me talk about Uber for a moment.
For the most part, Uber is my greatest ally in exploring Chiang Mai. I have had some difficulty getting around in Chiang Mai due to a number of factors: Unfamiliarity, wrong-side driving, not being able to read or, in many cases, find road signs and addresses, and the big one: unaccustomed low-quality GPS.
It is uncertain I can explain where I want to go to a tuk-tuk or red truck driver. But I can just search for the name of my destination (or a nearby landmark) and go straight from there to uber, and in minutes, I'm picked up, on the way, ride paid for.
At least, that's how it should work. I'm taking about 4 Uber rides a day here, and it seems that for three of them, either the pickup or the drop-off - or both - get messed up. GPS sucks here in Chiang Mai. On my phone, I see where the GPS says I'm standing. I usually have to correct it, but once it's there, I can see it, and I can see my ride's route to get to me. And too often for coincidence, I see the ride go past me, make a wrong turn away from me, or stop coming somewhere I can't see before getting to me. I've watched them circle everywhere I'm not, and I've been canceled when they get tired of looking for me or waiting for me where I'm not. (Somehow, so far, the second car has had little difficulties finding me, though. So far).
On the other end of things, last night I was dropped off three blocks from my destination, and I would never have found it if I hadn't met up with an acquaintance going to the same place (which had I been dropped off in the right place wouldn't have been easy to find.
Mostly, Uber is the cheapest, most convenient means to get me from my slightly out-of-the-way condo to my destination. Rarely is it the quickest. Sometimes it isn't even that convenient.
It is still the best option for getting around as far as I'm concerned, so I just lower my expectations and move on.
OK, enough about Uber, right?
I picked up my laundry, and then went around to a few stores until I found one that had cigarette papers. You'd think they'd be more commonly available, as useful as they are.
My destination for the night was a club where I could hear some friends play. We'd missed each other over a few nights' attempted get-togethers, and I'd heard that they were very good musicians, and, you know, what else did I have going on?
The club was tiny, the five-piece band took up about a quarter of the space. Tiny drum kit, tiny amps and PA. Most of the clubs here supply the back line, there's no setup and tear down, and so far, the sound has been more than adequate. And with the brick and plaster walls of the place, I was reminded of some basement parties I went to in New York, back in the day. Another thing that reminded me of those days is that everybody in the band was seated.
I saw my friend Dave, but before I sat down, I wanted to get some food, and, as the club didn't serve any, I went to the Mexican restaurant next door. My smothered carnitas burrito was excellent.
Standing in the back, I had another coffee then switched to Singha. The individual players were all very good. The song selection was good - a deep track for every warhorse. My friend Scott on drums was excellent. Harry on guitar was impressive. There were occasional ensemble issues, but the arrangements of the cover songs were solid, the soloists tasty, and mostly everything came together. The audience loved it.
When they got to 'Dixie Chicken' my friend Dave took over on bass, and the rhythm section came together and kicked it up a notch.
Then I got a call, and stayed up for the last three numbers. I hadn't expected it. But I don't say 'no' to a playing opportunity. And fun was had.
And, another opportunity to see more of Chiang Mai, meet people, and have fun - taken.
aPlease leave a comment when you visit my blog. Thank you!
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