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I am James Geier, the intrepid pilgrim. Intrepid means being characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance. I’m not sure I have resolute fearlessness; I do have fortitude and endurance. Pilgrim because I journey to foreign lands in seek of wisdom and enlightenment. This blog is a record of my travels over the past decade: yoga-focused winters in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and pilgrimage walks in Spain to Santiago de Compostela.

My winters in Chiang Mai are about daily yoga, meditation, and enjoying living for a short time in a very different culture with a different history.

My pilgrimage walks in Spain are on routes of the Camino de Santiago to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain where the remains of Saint James are said to be interred. In spring of 2016 and autumn of 2017 I walked 500 miles from Saint Jean Pied de Port in southwestern France to Santiago de Compostela. In spring of 2023 I walked 440 miles from Seville in the south of Spain to Granja de Moreruela where I had to stop due to an injury. In spring 2024 I completed the walk I started in 2023, 260 miles from Zamora to Santiago de Compostela.

I am a former computer system administrator in the healthcare sector in San Diego and Los Angeles. I am a road cyclist and former racer for more 50 years, and have been an avid yoga student for the past 16 years.

My Latest Posts

  • A Day in the Life – Moving Day
    by James Geier
    Friday 30 January 2026 Out and about in Chiang Mai, moving from The 3-Sis to See You Soon A few days ago, while walking down Tha Phae Road towards the Ping River, I saw this very nice display of lanterns or lamps or something above a massage spa. Very nice and colorful, so I took… Read more: A Day in the Life – Moving Day
  • Wat Ton Kwen
    by James Geier
    Thursday 29 January 2026 Revisiting an old favorite temple in Hang Dong District During my first or possibly my second winter in Chiang Mai, I got to visit a unique temple. A Thai lady who is long-time friend-of-a-friend had retired and moved back to Mae Rim where she grew up. She and I connected during… Read more: Wat Ton Kwen
  • Wat Dok Kham
    by James Geier
    Tuesday 13 January 2026 Revisiting the closest temple to Tha Phae Gate Wat Dok Kham is a small temple very close to Tha Phae Gate, so many tourists who are in the area visit the temple. I can find almost no history on the internet about this temple. The temple grounds are small. And because… Read more: Wat Dok Kham
  • Wat Sri Mueang Pong
    by James Geier
    Saturday 10 January 2026 The “White Castle” temple in the Hang Dong District of Chiang Mai Thailand has 77 provinces. Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand is relatively large, and includes 25 districts. The Hang Dong District of Chiang Mai province is a large, rural district south and west of Chiang Mai city (although there… Read more: Wat Sri Mueang Pong
  • Another Day in the Life
    by James Geier
    Thursday 15 January 2026 Another Day in the Life A few photos I took while walking in Chiang Mai over a couple of fairly routine days. First, while walking back to The 3-Sis from the French boulangerie Chouquette I passed by Sri Phum Corner, the northeast corner of the old city wall. The first photo… Read more: Another Day in the Life
  • Wat Phra Chao Mengrai
    by James Geier
    Wednesday 14 January 2026 Visiting an important but very quiet temple Walking back to The 3-Sis through the sois (a soi is a small road, smaller than a road, larger than an alley, perhaps a “lane”) after getting a haircut at Samlaan Barber (my favorite barber), I found myself on Ratchamanka Soi 6. And I… Read more: Wat Phra Chao Mengrai
  • Railway Station Walk 4 – Back to Chiang Mai
    by James Geier
    Sunday 4 January 2026 Back to the main part of Chiang Mai after seeing the Railway Station After walking from central Chiang Mai to the Railway Station, then along the railway yards, and finally crossing the railway, I am now headed back towards central Chiang Mai. I am walking west along a local road, Rat… Read more: Railway Station Walk 4 – Back to Chiang Mai
  • Railway Station Walk 3 – Approach Yards
    by James Geier
    Sunday 4 January 2026 Walking by the Chiang Mai Railway Station approach yards I left the Chiang Mai Railway Station and east a short distance on Charoen Muang Road to the next intersection. This road is called “Road Along the Railway” on Google Maps, and is indeed a road along the railway. I highly suspect… Read more: Railway Station Walk 3 – Approach Yards
  • Railway Station Walk 2 – The Railway Station
    by James Geier
    Sunday 4 January 2026 Revisiting the Chiang Mai Railway Station I continued walking along Charoen Muang Road focusing on the uneven and sometimes non-existant sidewalk and suddenly – not really suddenly, but sooner than I expected, I was at the Chiang Mai Railway Station. The original station opened in 1922. In 1943, while the Japanese… Read more: Railway Station Walk 2 – The Railway Station
  • Railkway Station Walk 1 – Before the Station
    by James Geier
    Sunday 4 January 2026 Returning to the Railway Station Walk It is Sunday and I have no yoga, no strength training, and no hikes on my schedule. I decided to take a long walk to the railway station, revisiting the same walk I made the last two winters. I’ll break this into three or four… Read more: Railkway Station Walk 1 – Before the Station
  • Food in Chiang Mai 2
    by James Geier
    Thursday 01 January 2026 Happy New Year! Let’s eat dinner! [This is the second of two food-related blog posts.] As I said, I eat food every day…every day. And while I am here in Thailand, I eat Thai food most days. A question I was often asked after my first few winters in Chiang Mai… Read more: Food in Chiang Mai 2
  • Food in Chiang Mai 1
    by James Geier
    Thursday 01 January 2026 Happy New Year! Let’s eat! [I’m spitting this blog post into two, because there is so much food to show.] I eat food every day…every day. And while I am here in Thailand, I eat Thai food most days. A question I was often asked after my first few winters in… Read more: Food in Chiang Mai 1