In the Groove

It's taken a while, but I think i'm getting into the groove of Chiang Mai.

Foodwise, i'm in heaven now - I've found one restaurant that has about 10 different types of fake-meat, and their khao soi (yellow noodles, oyster mushrooms, tofu/soy, red curry and coconut milk soup and lots and lots of spice) is out of this world. I've started making friends with the street-side fruit and iced-tea vendors, and the ice-cream carts that walk by my hotel now know that I like lots and lots of peanuts on my coconut-ice cream.

My time is spent mostly strolling, slowly (due to the foot). The only thing I can really do here is sit on the internet and take care of stuff (so much to do, so little time), eat, and go to the hospital... and so, i've spread things out.

My hotel is in one part of town, my restaurant is 15 minutes away, just next door to the statue of the 3 kings (a big square where you can chill out) and also next to a giant Buddha statue which the songtao (pickup-truck-taxi) drivers Wai (semi-bow) to as they drive me by...

I've found an amazing massage place, with a male massuse (an extreme rareity here), who is perfect at applying extreme force to my muscles (far too many of the massuses here are pretty young girls, who, while they provide for significant eye-candy, leave much to be desired in the actual massage) all for the cheap sum of 120 baht per hour.

The blues bar has been closed for the last two days, due to local elections, but I'll be heading there tonight, I hope....

I'm planning my departure from the city, which will be in about a week. I'll be visiting the Sunday market in a few days to stock up on clothes for myself (and a few select others), and then that'll be it.. goodbye Chiang Mai.

I've been meaning to visit a foreigner in a Prison... I may do it in Chiang Mai, or if that doesn't pan out, I'll visit the much fabled Bangkok Hilton right before I leave......