2020 in a Nutshell 2020 is a hallmark year for global destabilization brought about by the Covid 19 pandemic - international borders were shut-down, people were quarantined, schools were closed, busy streets became empty and businesses were closed, some never to open again. Trump lost the election to Joe Biden, but he wouldn't leave office, the killing of George Floyd ignited what has now become the Black Lives Matter movement, sparking global social unrest. China geared-up its global expansion - annexing Hong Kong, fortifying the contested islands in the South China Sea, leaning against Taiwan and killing 20 Indians in a border dispute.
On a personal level, I was constrained to leave Chiang Mai during the burning season and resumed my travel, thinking that I would no longer come back. This took me to Myanmar and Laos, but thankfully, I made it back to Thailand just in time before the pandemic lockdown. I was essentially stranded in Nong Khai - no bus for Chiang Mai. After 3 months, I decided to inch my way back to Chiang Mai through the small towns. It was a great eye-opener to discover the obscure but charming destinations lined-up along the Mekong River. In Loei, I found a bus for Chiang Mai. Luckily, Mike still offered me to stay at Nawa Saraan even though the hotel was closed due to the pandemic. This boutique hotel essentially became my home.
every means of transportation was fair game
Best Year Ever
Best Year Ever I've had many episodes in previous years where life was abundant. But this year, 2020, despite the pandemic and global mayhem, I wouldn't be too far off the mark to qualify this to by my BEST YEAR EVER.
love life - I'd been alone too long traveling solo all these years, and being with someone again was a big blessing. Some were fleeting episodes that went nowhere while others were well-intentioned conscious relationships that were great while they lasted. Of course, no guarantees - you always take a chance. It doesn't always work out, but if it's a good fit, it's a homerun feeling.
The nice thing about having a love life is that small mundane things get amplified. An innocent 'no' becomes rejection. A simple 'yes' becomes a euphoric triumph. The peaks get steeper and the valleys get deeper. "Driving Miss Daisy" becomes a white-knuckle roller coaster ride. It's a thrill. But the ride ends at some point, and you get off. Price of admission? Sometimes, your sanity. Rarely, but it still happens, you find a good fit and the wild ride morphs into something magical where both of you come out enriched and evolved. Still, the ride ends and life resumes. If there is anything that can be learned, it's impermanence. It's actually a good thing. Makes you treasure the moments while they last.
money - I didn't have a lot of money, but what I had was enough for my metaphorical 'khao soi' need and beer(for Blues music) money. It already meant a lot to me not to think of money when in previous years, I could arrive at a country with only $19 and have to wing my survival. There was even a point I made a tidy sum and gave it away - but it wasn't accepted.
shelter - often, I would stay on a bunk bed in a dorm room - putting up with snorers, people to talk on the phone at 2am, or people having a loud conversation in the wee hours. Here in Chiang Mai, Mike gave me one of the rooms at his boutique hotel, Nawa Saraan. However way I tried to pay him, he wouldn't take my money. Not only shelter, I had the use of a fully functioning bakery, the garden and the yoga space. This was just unreal!
no specific task - before Covid when I was officially the 'soul of Nawa Saraan', I had responsibilities to ensure the well-being of the hotel guests. Now, with the hotel being closed due to the pandemic, I had no specific task to do. Mike could have given me tasks, but no, he didn't. Of course, I took it upon myself to ensure the well-being of the hotel - watering the plants, feeding the fish, doing minor repairs, etc. I could wake up in the morning asking myself, "What excites me today?".
yoga - with no real work, I had all the time to deepen my yoga practice without becoming a monk. Yes, it was yoga every day - either attending yoga classes at the park or teaching classes here at Nawa Saraan Healing Space, or even doing both. On top of that, I still had time to devote to reading, research, biohacking and blogging about new epiphanies. I weave everything together into a seamless singularity and push the limits of body and mind. Together with James (a competition break-dancer and yoga teacher), who attends my Abs class and Prana Vayu class, we push the boundaries until we wipe out - it's good to have someone strong you can push limits with. I sometimes reach a threshold where I no longer feel fatigued - the energy just keeps gushing through. I can even say I am at the peak of my practice - physically and mentally, I am strong. I am resilient from disease, I live harmoniously with my surrounding, and I hardly age anymore. These are my benchmarks for an evolving practice. What's next? As taboo as it may sound, I'm working on activating siddhis. For a curious explorer of life and reality, this (for now), is holy grail.
friends - with a cafe by the hotel and a full bakery at my disposal, I invited select friends to come celebrate life and friendship over bread and coffee. I usually have different friends come over almost daily after my morning yoga. Freshly brewed coffee and fresh-baked bread without the cafe price.
Challenges
Challenges At this point, I don't think I still have any survival challenges. I'm thriving. What I would consider challenges would be 'next level' - hacking my biology. Developing siddhis and transcending the visible limits of reality. I know, it's lofty. But I have no doubt that these realms exist. Let's just say I'm skimming the surface. Maybe one day, I get to dive deep into it - and come back to tell the tale.
Highlights
Highlights Hmmm...seriously, the entire 2020 was a highlight. Having a love life was a highlight. Coasting through 2020 with no struggle, no stress, no need for money, no need for lodging, and simply basking in abundance is a definite highlight.
Wim Hof method - reading up on the Wim Hof breathing changed my pranayama practice. I feel stronger and indefatigable. My students also intimated that they were not feeling tired anymore, despite the tough sequences we were doing.
ice bath - this is part and parcel of the Wim Hof method but it was hard to find an ice bath in a tropical country. But I stumbled upon a group who do this. Given my yoga practice, I lasted 12 minutes in the ice bath when newbies are only expected to last 30 seconds.
online yoga class - a fellow member of the UP Mountaineers messaged me from the Philippines asking if I can do an online yoga class for his staff who were still Covid-quarantined. More importantly, the yoga has to address physical and mental fitness. A one-session trial extended to a 13-week program. My program addressed mental fortification as much as physical fitness.
Mothership tribe - it was Gabriella's birthday bash. She invited select friends to spend overnight on a mountain resort (Mothership). We barely knew anyone, but when we left Mothership to resume our lives back in Chiang Mai, we were already a tribe.
Lowlights
Lows As a general rule, whatever lows there were, were deterministically meant to take place - a part of the karmic process that needed to happen. I may not even know the purpose - I don't really have to. Having made that clear, I can only think of one low - my altruistic effort to help was misconstrued as a vain attempt to glorify my ego. Hurtful words were hurled. I didn't deserve that. At the very least, a polite 'thank you' would have sufficed. Well, I can only be glad I'm not in that person's shoes - not exactly a place I'd call ideal. At the end of the day, I'm walking away with my health, my well-being and my peace of mind.
Lesson learned:
good intentions can backfire even with no wrong action. Continue doing the right deed, just expect the unexpected.
desperate people are like drowning people - they'll grab-on to whoever they can, risking drowning to both. Love these people from a distance, but keep them at arm's length.
Peoplescape Chiang Mai is just a stop-over for travelers - some longer than others. Some leave a mark, others, just a passing blur.
2020 Peoplescape
(click on their faces for the story)
Mike What else can I say about Mike that I haven't said before? Chiang Mai would have been a passing destination from years ago if not for him - no Nawa Saraan home, no coffee gatherings with friends, no free time to 'follow my excitement'. I would be back to my usual routine of surviving on my wits on a day-to-day basis like I've always done in the many years I'd been traveling.
Financially, he's hurting - of his hotels, only 1 is open for business, but he pays rent on all three. Right now, I represent a 'liability' on his balance sheet - occupying one of the luxury rooms, using up electricity and water, but he wouldn't charge me rent. Not only that, when I offered to pay him a little of what I make, he said, "Fuck you" - his term of endearment. When I made a tidy sum teaching online yoga, I offered to give him the entire amount, and again, his affectionate reply was, "Fuck you". I love this guy!
I don't see him as often as before, but not a day passes without me thanking him for all this abundance. Thank you Mike 🙏.
The NewYorker We spent time again in early 2020 but like always, someone has to say goodbye. Although we're no longer together, we continued to be a part of each other's lives - through Messenger, through Covid times and despite my clumsy snags.
Alan & Nicola Alan:+❤ HeartMath SA|Ecstatic Dance Nicola:Nicola Symons Yoga
With the ever-shifting peoplescape of Chiang Mai, Alan and Nicola have become an endearing constant to me - the dynamic duo as I call them. Like me, they push their practice and explore looming possibilities. Alan is solid with his Heart Math coaching while Nicola is deep in her Kundalini yoga practice. Together, we dive deep into conscious talk. They are the ones I'm most comfortable with. Coffee and bread gatherings have become our comfortable go-to default. We now have a weekly Monday Bread gathering, and a Tuesday Secret Cafe meet-up. I would always be invited to Alan's gigs whether it be an ecstatic dance or a DJ gig at Goodsouls. I defer to them for counseling whenever I question my judgment or wary of my blind spots. With the 3 of us, money doesn't change hands.
Christine Christine and I have a long and funny story in Chiang Mai, and 2020 added an interesting twist to it. With her movie-star looks, it was crush at first sight for me (early 2019). She knew that, showed no interest romantically, but showed keen interest in the friendship. I wanted more, but had to settle for the crumbs (namely the friendship). So even though we'd hang-out as friends, there was sexual tension on my part. Everything changed when I finally had a girlfriend. Being devoted to my new love, I stopped feeling attracted to all the beautiful women around me - Christine included. And I told her so. She was relieved! LOL. When I broke up with my girlfriend, I met Christine again, and realized that I remained unattracted to her. I told her so again. And again, she was relieved. This started a new phase in our friendship that somehow included her boyfriend (whom I didn't like before for 'getting the girl'). Now, Christine and I hang-out together as good friends, both finding newfound comfort and dimension with it. And yes, I'm now Facebook friends with her boyfriend and we even hug when the occasion calls for it 🙂.
James JammyJamesss James showed up at Yoga in the Park with all his body-ink. He later became a teacher and we attended each other's classes. Two unique things he puts on the table are freedom of movement and a childlike wonder. They both resonate with me and we somehow formed a friendship based on those. As a competition-level breakdancer, he puts many innovative moves into his gentle-stretch yoga class. He is strong and he loves to push it - my kind of fitness paradigm. When he attends my abs class or prava vayu class, we push our limits until we both collapse (I don't do this if there is another student). We'd hang-out for coffee after my class, go on hikes with other yoga friends, and we become 2 kids at play - no grown-up shit.
With the onslaught of the burning season in Chiang Mai, I packed up and headed south in late January, not really knowing where to go. I left with the assumption that I wouldn't come back any more - that life would take me somewhere else. I had a little cash left from work at Nawa Saraan, which took the edge off traveling.
Myanmar: I thought about doing the Goenka-Vipassana meditation course in Yangon, but visa snags made it impossible. I just drifted to places I haven't been to before. Myanmar was a bit of a struggle - only designated hotels for foreigners are available. They are usually too pricey. It's also a dusty place - very third world, much like the rural countryside of my country, the Philippines. Everything there is just a blur now except my Pa-Auk-Vipassana stay at Mawlamyine.
Thailand: From Myanmar, I headed back to Thailand and stayed a bit in Maesot. It was eventful. I taught marketing English to hotel staff, made friends with the owner of Sleep Nest Hostel where I taught yoga to its guests, and almost had a teaching stint at a prestigious all-Chinese school. I headed east and stayed a few nights in Sukhothai, Phitsanulok and did a longer stay in Udon Thani where abundance rained again.
Laos: With my Thai visa expiration, I crossed into Laos and stayed a few days in Vientiane. I'd been there before and it never resonated. I used my time to dabble in an online job, writing software review for a Poland-based company. With no training provided and a tight deadline to meet, it was a pressure cooker - I bailed.
Thailand: Timing was perfect that when I crossed back into Thailand, the Covid lockdown happened - thank God! It would have been a nightmare to get stuck in Vientiane. I defaulted into Nong Khai where I became friends with the owners (Julian, Pao and Benny) of Mut Mee Guest House. I stayed there the entire 3 months I was stranded in Nong Khai. Desperately wanting to get back to Chiang Mai (no bus service), I inched my way, town by town, towards Chiang Mai, discovering the wonders of these quaint sleepy charming towns. I finally reached Chiang Mai and Mike was there to offer me continued stay at his lovely Nawa Saraan Hotel, which by that time was already closed due to the pandemic. In short, I had the whole hotel complex as my home. Again, thank you Mike! My stay during this time marked the best time ever in my life!
Covid Pandemic
Covid Pandemic The pandemic has caused so much havoc - the first time ever that a pandemic has put everything to a screeching halt on the planet. Schools were shut-down, people were quarantined, businesses were closed, international borders were sealed-off and flights were canceled. Home became a prison cell.
My view is controversial(because I talk about conspiracy) and even insensitive(because others lost loved ones), but I doubt if there is really a pandemic. Why? Because mainstream media (Fox, CNN, Washington Post, NY Times, etc.), social media (Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, etc.) and mainstream institutions (WHO, CDC, etc.) launched a concerted effort to sell a narrative - that there is a pandemic and that everyone should be vaccinated. Deaths are wrongly (and deliberately) labeled a Covid-death. It's too aggressively done to a point where social media posts by individuals were pulled-down if it contradicted the proposed agenda - even something as widely accepted as getting Vitamin D from the sun to boost the immune system. There is massive censorship happening. People still think there is free speech, but it's only free speech if you echo the popular narrative.
I've seen this before. There is a massive public brainwash if the powers-that-be want to sell something to the public. They've done this in invading Panama, Iraq, Sudan, Vietnam, etc. They are extremely clever at doing this - the compliant public stood no chance to exercise critical thinking.
Moreover, reputable molecular biologist and immunologist, (Dolores Cahill, Phd, etc.) and many other well-respected health specialists have risked lives and careers exposing the cover-up and statistics purporting that there is a pandemic. The resulting deaths are roughly the same as the annual predictable deaths from the common flu. Global death statistics say fatality is 1% (same as the common flu) - this is not a pandemic.
I don't know how all this pans out, but as of this writing, there is a race on which vaccine is out - China, India, the US and other countries are all cashing-in on this. With the hyped propaganda, you don't even have to twist the public's arm - they'll beg for the vaccine. Not sure about you, but I will NOT take that vaccine. I don't know what they put in it, and I certainly don't trust them.
Tourist Visa Since the Covid lockdown, staying in Thailand has become unpredictable and precarious. There wasn't any set immigration policy in place to allow travelers to plan ahead. It was always at the last minute when something official comes out of Immigration. It was nerve-wracking to be in the dark, not knowing if you have to leave the country or not. What if there was no extension and all international borders remain closed? Would I now have to return back to my country and face quarantine? Luckily, the Thai Immigration remained benevolent by giving 2-month extensions for a reasonable B1900 and even free for the first extensions. In these Covid times, the best place for me is Chiang Mai. I am lucky to be 'stranded' here. I don't mind growing roots here and calling this beautiful place, a permanent home.
Teaching Job
Teaching Job This came out-of-the-blue when I was in Mae Sot. I met a former principal who took exception to my English and the way I regard teaching. She set me up to be an English teacher in a prestigious Chinese school. Snags made it not viable. But the teaching specter followed me in Udon Thani and other places. It got me excited but despite pursuing it, nothing came of it. C'est la vie.
Long Hair
Long Hair I had a clean-shaven head for the last 20 years because I couldn't come to terms with my grays. But the paradigm changed. My last shave was Dec 31, 2019. Now, my hair is a full one-year-old. I like it. I like my shaggy gray. I'll grow it some more. Maybe take on a hippie look 🙂.
Happiness
Happiness Everybody wants to be happy, but very few are. Am I? Despite 2020 being the best year ever for me, I don't really know if I am happy - it still remains abstract. Is happiness simply the absence of suffering? Or the presence of joy? Alain Boton, philosopher and provocateur, dissects the thinking of the greatest philosophers on how happiness can be attained. At the end of it, I still don't know what it takes to be happy.
Renegade Thinkers Stranded in Nong Khai over the pandemic, instead of being consumed by the madness around me (madness on the news, madness on social media, madness with people around me), I decided to focus on something productive - listen to podcasts about magnificent lives and see what I could learn from them. It became a fascinating journey and discovery with many lessons I could glean from. Some lessons I've already woven-into my daily yoga practice, most notably, the Wim Hof breathing method.
On the Horizon Usually, at the end of the year, there are looming prospects for the new year. But with all the uncertainties out there, any plan is merely wishful thinking. International borders are still locked for the casual tourist (me), no telling how long Thai Immigration will keep extending the visa exemption (mine ends Dec 30), with the burning season already starting in Chiang Mai, I will have to leave soon, but where?, with my passport expiring in 2021, will I have to leave for the Philippines? The immediate future is too unpredictable it pays to just wing the moment by making sound decisions.
Ending Thoughts Despite the turmoil and chaos this year, I maintain that this is a very exciting year to be alive and take ringside seat with all this madness. 2020 is bound to be a pivotal year that will define the way things are done in the coming years and the coming generations. At the very least, I can tell my grandkids, "I was there when shit hit the fan!"
(Jan 6, 2021) With clean animation worthy of a Pixar film, this movie is a feel-good narrative of a musician torn between security and passion. It's a journey into the meaning of life - what makes life worth living?....more »»
(Jan 8, 2021) In this day and age of the woke-Zeitgeist, every Tom, Dick and Harry who learned how to do a Downward Dog has become a self-styled guru who'll dissertate their thoughts on consciousness, enlightenment and awareness at the drop of a hat.....more »»
(Jan 3-5, 2021) I love Chiang Mai. But when Ashtanga yoga teacher, Aida and her daughter Sofie, invited me to Pai for a New Year break, it felt like a refreshing break from my routine. It would be great to see 'Madonna and Child' one more time and see how they're doing.....more »»
(Jan 24, 2021) Talking about love life, I was telling NOK that as you age, you get more selective about having a partner and falling in love becomes fleeting and happens far in between. I didn't expect the retort she gave me.....more »»
Chiang Mai INFORMATION
Chiang Mai Map
Chiang Mai, Thailand
IMPORTANT PLACES
Bus Station Train Station Chiang Mai International Airport Nong Buak Hard Park - free yoga classes daily
HOTEL
Arun Dara Villa - 7 exclusive rooms, 1 swimming pool for every room, grand opening
Nawa Sheeva Hotel - big rooms, high ceiling, salt-water pool, restaurant, cafe
Nawa Saraan Hotel - low density (4 spacious rooms), stone garden setting, Koi fish pond, Old City location
Arun Suite - 3 bedrooms in a 3-storie guesthouse within Old City, ideal for families
MOTORBIKE RENTAL
Tawan Bike - motorcycle rental | +66 91 635 2863 | Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200
Chiang Mai FYI / Tips
crop-burning season in Chiang Mai is between late Feb to early April. But laws change everytime. This year, 2019, there is a 61-day ban on burning so the farmers started burning early. When my plane was approaching Chiang Mai on Jan 24, 2019, there was already a thick blanket of smog covering the entire city (and beyond). But within the city itself, you won't feel it (but that doesn't mean the air is healthy). To monitor air conditions in real time, refer to site: Chiang Mai Air Pollution: Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI)
hot season begins March and lasts until June
wet season begins July and lasts until September
best time to visit Chiang Mai is mid-September to mid-February - after the monsoon and before the burning
you have to try Khao Soi, this is north Thailand's culinary staple
the tourist area where most of the hotels, restaurants, ticket offices, tour operators are, is located in the Old City
to exchange your dollars to Thai Baht, the Super Rich Money Exchange give the best rates. There are many branches scattered around Chiang Mai
get a red cab (songthao) outside the train station for Baht 50 (instead of paying B100 if inside the train station) to Old City - if you haggle nicely enough...I did!
shared red taxi (songthao) - B30 standard fare plying all over Old City
for only B50/day, best to rent a bike to go around the Old City - it's a 2.5km2 with lots to discover
FREE daily yoga classes from 9:00am to 10:15am at Nong Buak Hard Park (southwest corner of Old City). Resident and passing-through teachers take turns conducting yoga classes.
Blues/Jazz Bars in Chiang Mai
North Gate Jazz Coop - at Chang Phueg Gate, great Tuesday jam session, Blues on Sundays at 11pm by the Chiang Mai Blues band
Boy Blues Bar - at the Night Bazaar. Mondays at 9:30pm is open mic
My Secret Cafe - near Wat Phra Singh. Tuesdays at 7:30pm for the changing front-act and 9:00pm for the Panic Band
Taphae East - 88 Thapae Rd. (just north of Night Bazaar). Fridays at 9:30pm by Chiang Mai Blues Band
Chiang Mai Cost Index
B60 Chiang beer
B250 1 hour drop-in yoga session
B200 one hour Thai body massage at WAYA Massage(highly recommended)
B50 noodle soup with meat
B50 coffee
B40 pad thai
B30/kilo wash-only laundry
B50/kilo wash+iron laundry
B100-150 dorm bed/night
B250 fan room/night
B30 internet cafe/hour
B170-190 Movies Sat-Sun and public holidays
B130-150 Movies weekdays
B100 Movies Wednesdays (movie discount day)
B750 1/2 day Thai cooking lessons
B900-1000 1 full day Thai cooking lessons
B400 Muay Thai boxing ticket
B2500 starting room rate at the luxury hotel, Nawa Sheeva(highly recommended)
Transportation
B450 bus, Chiang Mai to Bangkok
B160-180 bus, Chiang Mai to Pai
B1250 bus, Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang
B1650 slow boat, Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang
B210 bus, Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, 3-4 hours
B360 Green VIP bus, Chiang Mai to Mae Sai (Thai border town for visa run to Tachileik, Myanmar)
B50 bicycle rental, 24 hours
B200 motorbike rental, 24 hours
B273 #51 sleeping train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Book Online - direct booking with State Railway of Thailand. Best to register first. If going to BKK from CNX, click "Northern Line".
note -- big difference between booking direct with the State Railway and booking with an online 3rd party agent. 12GO was charging B1330 for the same trip that only cost me B941 with the State Railway.
note -- Oct 2022, I took the #10 Train from CNX to BKK, upper berth, 2nd class, a/c, sleeper, B941. The train was clean, fast, comfortable and modern. If you have heavy luggage that will cost more money in flight checkin, I would suggest this train. Otherwise, the flight now is so much cheaper it doesn't even make sense to take the bus or train.
Bangkok to Chiang Mai by Train from Bang Sue Train Station
10:22pm - #51 Train, arrive Chiang Mai 12:10pm, sleeper, 3rd class B270 (non sleeper), 2nd class B438, B728 upper deck, B798 lower deck
Loei to Chiang Mai by Bus
From Loei town center, take a tuk-tuk ride to the bus station, B30. There is only one bus station.
As of June 28, 2020 (still on Covid schedule), there are only 3 night trips: 8:30pm, 9:30pm and 12 midnight. 9 hours, B470.
The bus makes the following stops at the following times from a 9pm Loei departure: Phu Ruea (9:50pm), Phitsanulok (12:40am), Uttradit (2:20am), Lampang (4:35am)
Final bus stop is at the Red Bus Arcade, Chiang Mai, 9 hour-trip, arriving 6am (from 9pm Loei departure).
Take a red songthaew to Old City, B50. They'll try to charge you B100, but they'll take B50 (just assure the driver you won't tell the other passengers).
How to Get a 60-Day Thai Tourist Visa and then Extend by another 30 Days
This process is BEFORE Covid 19. Not sure what it is now.
60-Day Thai Tourist Visa
NOTE: There is no need to go back to your country to get the Thai tourist visa. Any major city with a Thai Embassy will do. Apparently there is also no need to have an invitation from a Thai establishment to justify the visa.
Bring the following to the Thai embassy:
a) proof of money (bank statement will suffice)
b) flight booking to Thailand
c) onward flight back to your country from Thailand
d) filled-in tourist visa form
e) 2 passport pictures
f) hotel booking in Thailand (they didn't ask me for this but better be safe)
g) passport with at least 6 months validity
After handing over all the documents, they will ask you to come pick your passport with the visa the following day from 4 to 5pm. That's it!
NOTE: after 2 successful attempts, I was already questioned the 3rd time.
30-Day Extension
NOTE: When your 60-day visa is close to expiry and you want to extend your stay. No need to leave Thailand.
bring the following to the Immigration Office:
a) passport (make sure your Tourist Visa hasn't expired yet)
b) Baht 1900
c) photocopy of your passport + visa duration date stamp + TM6 card (white immigration card) and sign all the copies
d) completed TM7 visa extension form (available at the Immigration Office)
e) one 4cmx6cm passport picture
submit the above to the Front Desk. They will give you a stub with your number on it. Take a seat and wait for your number to be called
when your number is called, your picture will be taken. Then go back to your seat. They will call you again.
when they call you again, they'll give you your passport with your extended visa. That's it!
when there are no lines, the whole process can take only 10 minutes
arrive early - in case there is a snag (visa snag, documentation snag, transport ticket snag, etc.), you will have ample time to troubleshoot the problem if you arrive early (to the airport, to the bus terminal, etc.)
put detailed itinerary on the Calendar apps of your smart-phone according to timelines - this is where you do all your thinking and planning. Once written down, you don't have to think anymore while you are on the journey...you just follow the steps. This frees your mind for something else that might happen while you are already en route
avoiding scams - as a general rule, I ignore the touts or anyone I don't know who call out to me. The calling comes in many forms - "Hi! Where are you from?", "Excuse me! Excuse me!", "Where are you going?". I don't look them in the eye and I remain non-verbal with them. If you reply to them, you just gave them an 'in' to hound you. In order not to look rude, I smile and wave the 'not interested' hand to them, without looking at them.
power bank - hand-carry your power bank. Do not check it in. You can be called in when you are already inside the plane to go all the way to the loading dock so you can personally remove the power bank...and chances are, you'll have to surrender it to them. And you might delay the plane departure!