Sunday, December 1, 2019
A Walk on the Beach at Del Mar

I am planning my upcoming eighth month-long (or longer) yoga-inspired visit to Chiang Mai, Thailand. Given that this is the eighth successive January in Chiang Mai, I could say my annual winter in Chiang Mai. I’ll be leaving Christmas night, traveling from Los Angeles International to Hong Kong, a three-hour layover, then on to Bangkok, Thailand. I’ll be in Bangkok for two days to see some of my favorite sights (Wat Arun, Wat Pho, Wat Phra Kaew) and experience the very busy holiday time in a very large and busy city. Bangkok is a metropolitan area about the size of Los Angeles with twice as many people. After a couple of days in Bangkok, onto an hour-long flight to Chiang Mai. Once there, I’ll practice yoga daily at Wild Rose Yoga, eat good food, see friends, visit temples, update my blog when I have time, and work part-time.

Chiang Mai is in northern Thailand, in what might be considered foothills to a mountainous area farther north. I’ll be away from the ocean, and will miss my frequent early-morning walks at the beach, listening to the meditative sound of the waves as day breaks. So today on one of those walks, I brought my camera to share the views. The Pacific Ocean was very peaceful today – no waves to speak of (not so good for the surfers who frequent the area).

Del Mar Beach looking north west – very small waves, shadow of me.

Another shot of the ocean:

Del Mar Beach looking west, slightly south, still very small waves.

Then a little farther south, down by the cliffs and the rocks, the waves are still small, and peaceful.

Del Mar Beach – south of Powerhouse Park, peaceful waves.

I’ll miss the ocean – walking on the beach in the early morning is a very meditative and calming start to the day. While I will not see a beach or the ocean for more than a month, there will be other inspiration in Chiang Mai, like a morning meditation at Wat Chedi Luang, or a hike up into the jungle to Wat Phalad for a meditation at a remote temple where the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh once lived.

The length of time once can spend in another country is negotiated between countries. The agreement for most countries, including the United States, with Thailand is that if you fly in, you can stay for 30 days. A few countries get a longer visit, and for more than a few, the limit is 15 days. Since I will be in Thailand for about 34 days, I went to the Royal Thai Consulate in Los Angeles, located in an area known as Larchmont Village, just east of the Wilshire Country Club, and obtained a visa that allows me to stay in Thailand for 60 days. Here is a photo of the visa in my U.S. Passport (passport number erased in the photo):

Tourist visa allowing 60-day stay in Thailand.

It says “Employment Prohibited” and they are serious about that. If I were to seek a job in Thailand, I would need a work permit, and a different visa allowing a longer stay. That is a complicated process, as the goal is to protect jobs for Thai citizens.

Next: Preparations continue.