Left the CM a couple days ago, and spent a night yesterday at The Dome. I liked it enough to consider staying a while, and decided on a 3 month stay for $280 per month, which takes the prize for lowest rent I have paid in my lifetime. So here I am finally settled somewhere. I discovered that there was a guest already staying in my room - a gecko I have named Leroy. I had never seen one before and had to look it up on the interwebs to make sure it was harmless, as I remembered reading a travel blogger's night in Honduras spent with a black scorpion prancing in the room. The gecko being harmless, and cute, I can see myself having hours of entertainment watching it walk and skip on the walls and ceiling.
This morning, 30 minutes before sunrise, I went for a run along the gates of Chiang Mai. A couple of years ago this would not be news, but seeing as I have not run in 3 or 4 months, it was a big deal for me to actually feel the need to get out and move with the wind. I was having trouble believing how I felt - strong, both in lungs and legs, it was a fucking kick ass run! After 3 miles I could feel my legs getting fatigued, but hey, no problem, it was a rocking 3 miles, passing the morning markets and robed, barefoot monks chanting and asking for food, feeling in tune with my surroundings. I felt great after and on a whim bought a new pair of running shoes to last me the 3 months I am here. I plan to run every other day at dawn, working my way up to passing all of the gates, I am guessing it is 6 miles, so I should be able to get there after a month of trying.
Now that I no longer have to dedicate time and energy to thinking about where to lay my head at night, I am beginning to plan how to spend my days. The image is similar to how it has always been - focus and work on activities which interest me, and see what happens. Running, photographing, wandering, meditating, visiting temples for dharma talks, thinking, reading, and if I can find a guitar, jammin' the blues, which I sorely miss. Tonight I was craving my strat, wanting to turn up the volume on the amp and play for 2 or 3 hours. I need to buy a guitar!
To show how much of a child I am in this new environment, today I paid the first months rent and deposit, for a total of 20,400 baht. I gave the clerk 21,000 and forgot to ask for my change, and she also forgot to give it to me. I did not realize the gaffe until tonight when I was calculating the daily expenses and found I was 600 baht short. After 10 minutes of reflection I realized what had happened. I am certain there will be more money mistakes in the near future because of the language barrier and my ignorance of cultural details.
