Chiang Mai is a busy place; there’s no denying it. People charge the air here with a very visceral energy. I have trouble wading thought the crowd at The Riverside, a casual dinning spot that has grown to become one of the most popular in the region. It wouldn’t feel the same to sit down to a meal without the denizens of the north crowding into one space to listen to Friday night cover band – the proximity of so many people adding another dimension to the experience.