Christmas in Malaysia 2011

I had the grand opportunity this year of spending Christmas in Malaysia. Why Malaysia? Because my aunt and uncle live there while they are engaged in humanitarian service for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka the Mormon church). They have been living there for the last year and will finish their time in March and return to the US. Over the last year I've visited them on several occasions and have made friends with their friends and worked with the people they get to serve. I've taught an English class, a Spanish class and Sunday School. Butterworth, Malaysia has become a place I look forward to spending time, not that there are magical sights to see but simply because of the people who live there. A real mix of people. Among our friends there are those with backgrounds from India, China and Malaysia. There are so many different languages spoken by the church members that the meetings are held in English as a common language.

Since I had taken my home leave in November (another blog for another day) I opted to spend Christmas with my closest relatives. I was unable to take any time off so I flew out on Saturday afternoon, Christmas Eve, and arrived to their home around 7:00PM. Upon arrival I found a Christmas party in full swing with good food and good company. It was fun to visit with friends and hear what had happened since my last visit. I turned my camera over to a young man after teaching him how to use it and then enjoyed watching him snapping photos all night and using up all my battery. It finally felt like Christmas.

During the evening the leader of the congregation asked me if I'd be willing to share a Christmas message in church the next day. I gladly accepted the opportunity to share my feelings about Christ, feeling it would add to my personal celebration of the holiday. I didn't have much time to prepare since church began at 9AM the next morning but the ideas of what to say came easily after reading a few thoughts of others.

Sunday morning came and we headed off for the short drive to church which is held on floor 12A of a highrise building. Floor 12A and not 13 since 13 is an unlucky number and hence not used in Malaysia. In place of having a 13th floor it's called 12A. Up the elevator and into the church. Inside the church door we remove our shoes and place them on the shoe racks provided which is already full of tattered shoes of various shapes and sizes. You can tell which shoes belong to the 19 year old missionaries since they are the shined black ones. The others are well worn with soles and heals thinned from years of use.

Immediately we began greeting the church members with handshakes and hugs. The children were most eager to greet Sister and Elder Johnson and I. The love the church members have for my aunt and uncle is very apparent. The children swarm around them as if they were their own grandparents, negotiating who will sit next to them during church. As we make our way down the narrow hallway, through the kitchen, which also holds the above-ground baptismal font, down another hall and into the chapel we continue to greet church members young and old. Finally we make our way to our seats as we continue to greet and visit. We are accompanied today by a Hindu woman who has been living in Butterworth studying dentistry and who also lives in the same building as my uncle and aunt. It's her first time in our church and her second time in a Christian church. She was invited by my relatives to show her how we celebrate this special day.

The meeting begins with a Christmas hymn. The chorister stands at the front of the room, barefooted. The pianist, Chinese-Malaysian woman, newly returned from serving a mission in the Salt Lake City at Temple Square, begins playing at a fast tempo the chorister is having a hard time keeping up with with. Her hand beating and her voice following a much slower tempo she hears in her head. Everything is mismatched but somehow we all make it through the song ending at the same time...for the most part.

After the sacrament is passed to the members by young men between the ages of 12 and 16 the remainder of the meeting is announced. I will speak first, followed by a missionary from Utah who will be returning home in less than 2 weeks after his 2 years of service. The meeting will conclude with remarks by the recently returned missionary who had just been our pianist. I made my way to the podium with a few notes in my hand to remind me of the points I wanted to make.

"Joy to the world," I started by repeating the first 2 verses of this traditional Christmas carol. I talked about my experiences visiting Bethlehem and other historic sites where Christ lived and performed miracles throughout his life. I talked about being in the shepherds fields and reflected on the sign that was given of Christ's birth, reading scripture from both the Bible as well as the Book of Mormon describing the signs and events surrounding the shepherds. I then talked of recent conversation I'd had with a friend who asked me if I really believed in God. I shared my convictions rooted deeply in my heart of Christ and the role he plays in my life. I ended by asking the congregation what gift they would be offering Christ this year on his birthday, suggesting that some options might include giving up a favorite sin or developing a new talent. I then returned to my seat and enjoyed the remarks of the other 2 speakers feeling a deepening of my own feelings and gratitude for the blessings in my life. It was an enriching meeting for me.

Normally we would continue on at church to 2 more hours of classes and lessons but since it was Christmas the meetings were cut to allow more family time. The congregational family continued to visit and it was another 45 minutes before we left and headed home.

We weren't home long before it was time to head down the hall of the complex where we had been invited to our first of three Christmas meals. Friends and neighbors of my relatives invited us for the most delicious Indian turkey curry and other delicious dishes. I knew I'd need to pace myself if I was going to enjoy 3 meals in the next 5 hours but the first meal was so delicious I contemplated just filling up there but decided against it. That ended up being a good decision as meal #2 was in the home of friends from Nepal. The curry they served us in their small, sparsely furnished apartment was equally, it not slightly more, delicious. I helped myself to seconds. How could I resist!?

Luckily we had time to return home and take a nap allowing our food to digest before heading out for our last meal. At 7:30 we walked up the street a bit to our final appointment in the home of a Chinese Malaysian family (the home of the return missionary who played piano and spoke in church earlier). I could hardly think of eating more food but found just a little room to fit in a few bites of calamari, noodles and pineapple upside down cake (compliments of my aunt). Delicious!

After dinner and watching 17 Miracles, a movie about the miracles the Mormon pioneers experienced while making the trek to Utah from various parts of the world, we said our parting goodbyes and rolled ourselves home to crash on full stomaches into our comfortable beds.

Somewhere among all the eating we took time to open Christmas gifts. I had given my uncle a large box of his favorite cereal-Cherios, which I had hand carried from the US. To my aunt I gave detergent she wanted. I also brought a box of See's chocolates to share with them which I had received while in the US and a bag of carmel corn I found in a mall in Bangkok. I was surprised to find that Santa had found me in Malaysia and left me a gift as well. A beautiful purse from an Indian neighborhood in Malaysia. I was tickled.

It was a terrific Christmas full of Christmas spirit, good food and great company. Pictures to come!

I believe.

My Thai Massage

Yesterday, I decided, would be the day I would use the gift certificate a friend had given me for a 2 hour Thai massage in a private room at what I've heard is one of the best places to get a massage. I've been exercising a lot this week and my hamstrings were sore along with a few other muscles and I thought a massage would help. So, Saturday morning after an hour of bootcamp and then an hour of pilates I headed to the spa. I checked in and was asked to wait in the lovely reception area until it was time. I took a nice cold glass of water to enjoy while I waited and sat back comfortably until my name was called.

When it was my time, a nice woman in her 50s led me through the hallways, darkened for ambiance and showed me to the room. Normally when I get massages I'm laying on a mattress along side others with only a curtain hanging between us. This time, I would be in my own, private room. The room was simple and I was a bit perplexed that it came equipped with a television. I changed into the clothes I was given and the lovely woman returned. She began by asking if I wanted the TV on. No thanks, I responded. She then asked me where I hurt. I explained that the backs of my legs were sore from exercise, thinking she would go easy on them...not the case! She then began what started out feeling so good, spending about 40 minutes massaging each leg as I lay on my back and side and we chatted in Thai and she laughed when she bent my legs releasing a loud popping sound (I get the popping legs from my mother). She wanted to know about my family in America and if I was married and had children. She was amazed when I told her my age insisting I had to be 10 years younger and she giggled hearing that I have no husband and no children...not even a boyfriend! She asked if I like Thailand and Thai people and Thai food. She wanted to know about life in America and how much money I earn. I find this question difficult as I know there is a huge discrepancy between what I make and what Thai's make. I choose to tell her how much money I have the company give me in cash monthly rather than the full amount I get paid that is placed into my account. She then tells me that she makes about 10,000THB (approximately $330) monthly which she says is about 50THB ($1.50) per hour. The conversation was fun and challenging as I don't spend much time speaking Thai. I was grateful she was so patient with me and that she spoke so slowly.

She then asked me to turned on my stomach and what had begun as relaxing and slowly moved to minorly painful became torture! She started working on the backs of my legs where I was most sore. I was under the false assumption that she would be careful in the areas I had pointed out but she was determined to loosen up the muscles and scare the pain out of them. She began with the use of her fingers, then her arms and then her knees to kneed the fat lined muscle. It all culminated into the moment where she stood on my thighs and used her toes and heals to dig into the sore meat of my thighs. I winced in pain and she laughed. "You hurt," she said. "Yes", I responded. "I hurt a lot-mak mak!". But she didn't let up. I found it difficult to relax the hamstrings because every time I did the pain only worsened as the weight of her small frame (which no longer felt small) sank deep into the core of where I hurt most. Finally, just when I could bear it no more she stepped off and moved to another part of my aching body. Ending the experience sweetly with a head massage and some chiropractic upper body twists. At the end of my 2 hours she left me to get dressed. As I stood up my hamstrings and calf muscles ached so I took a few minutes to stretch them. And then, as if everything had been wonderful, she then lead me out and I thanked her with a tip.

So, if you learn anything from this experience let it be not to get a Thai massage on sore muscles! They may be luringly inexpensive (450THB/$14...or free for me in this case) but if you get the right woman, who knows how to give a great massage, what would normally feel amazing, could end up feeling a lot like torture!

Family Reunion-Nauvoo, Illinois

At the end of July I headed "home" to the US for the McConkie family reunion which was to be held in Nauvoo, Illinois, a small town of historical significance to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I bet you didn't know that Nauvoo was once the second largest city in Illinois following Chicago! That is, until the the "Mormons" as we are often called, were driven from the city after Joseph Smith, the Prophet, was killed. It was from Nauvoo that Brigham Young led the pioneers to the Salt Lake Valley. Having grown up in Illinois I've been to this historic town many times but it has been years since my last visit so I was looking forward to gathering with my family in a town where I have a rich heritage (many of my own ancestor made the trek by handcart to Salt Lake from Nauvoo).

I left Thailand on July 23 and arrived to D.C. the same day despite the fact that it was a 25 hour journey. I have to admit that I wasn't the most obedient of passengers as I was asked to lower my shade but the fascination of seeing a 12 hour sunrise (or was it sunset?) as I flew from Japan to the US was too enticing and led to my disobedience. The rays of the sun peaked over the horizon the whole way creating an elegant pink hue beautifully lining the atmosphere where earth met eternity.

I decided to fly into D.C. and spend a few days there to spend some time with a dear friend who had just bought a townhouse. The 24th was my birthday and she treated me like a princess with many of my favorite foods and the sheer delight of being reunited. We spent Monday and Tuesday shopping our pocketbooks empty. I had a list of things I had hoped to take back to Thailand with me and I knew this would be my only opportunity to shop. What fun it was and what terrific treasures we found, not to mention fantastic prices! Almost everything was crossed of my "to purchase" list.

Tuesday evening I met up with my "baby" sister Cynthia (sorry Cy, I know you hate being called that) and her family who were finishing packing and preparing to move to Utah. The plan was for me to make the 12 hour drive with them to Mom and Dad's house in Illinois. After a long night of packing and cleaning we loaded, or rather stuffed, the car as full as we could making every effort to save room for us who would be the passengers. I squeezed (in every sense of the word) into the back of the car along side 2 car seats which held my dear nieces ages 3year and 6 months and off we went. Making several stops along the way to readjust, rearrange and refuel (both the car and our stomachs) we finally drove up to my childhood home where we found the family already beginning to gather. Esther and Anna had arrived with their families and Ruth and company would be arriving by plane within the hour. And the fun began!

The next 2 days were packed with preparation and play. We made menus, shopped for groceries, went to the petting zoo, had facials, caught fireflies, swung on the rope swing, chatted, played and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Cynthia even dragged me out on a run around the corn and soybean fields. Each road along side the corn field is a mile long making our run a 4 mile square up and down the rolling hills. It felt good to be out in the fields listening to the music of the insects. They say if you're real quiet you can actually hear the corn grow.

Saturday morning we loaded up the motor home with all the groceries purchased and other reunion related items and began the 4 hour drive to Nauvoo where we would meet up with the remaining family members. All of my siblings would be there with the sad exception of Bryce as he was in the middle of a school semester and couldn't make it. In all we had 80 people in attendance. Yes, that is just my immediate family. Incredible.

I made the drive with Mom and Dad in the motor home and then unloaded the groceries with the help of Camille's family and whoever we could get our hands on. For the reunion we rented out a camp site with air-conditioned cabins for all our family and a nice big lodge where the kids could play, the adults could meet and we could feed the masses. The kitchen was a dream! It really was perfect for our family.

As families began to trickle in you could hear the squeals of cousins reuniting. Laughter filled the air and at times it sounded like everyone was talking at the same time...which they probably were. Joy was definitely our companion. Everyone got settled and at dinner time we called the multitude together for our opening ceremonies and meal.

The first question people ask me when I tell them about our reunion is, "how did you feed all those people!" The answer is that each family was assigned a meal. Anna and I had organized all the food by meal and posted the menus so whoever was in charge of the meal could easily find the ingredients and put together the simple meals that had been planned. At first we were concerned we hadn't purchased enough food for the crowd...there were a lot of big appetites among the growing children...but it turned out that we had PLENTY and enough to spare.

Saturday night we enjoyed a country fair in the historic town where we played games, walked on stilts and danced dances from the olden days and then watch the pageant which is put on every night during the summer months. We were there for the last performance. The pageant taught a bit of history of the town and it's occupants and lifted our hearts higher than they already were, if that is possible.

Sunday we went to church and then returned to the lodge for a family meeting where we were able to share our feelings and gratitude for the Savior Jesus Christ and the blessings God had given us. It was a sweet meeting as the children, teenagers and adults all shared their tender feelings. I was in awe of the sweetness of the souls my siblings have raised. We then witnessed the blessing of Cynthia's youngest baby. You see, in my church we don't baptize children until they reach the age of accountability which is 8 years old. But at a young age the children are given a blessing. It turned out that the local Bishop who came to preside over this blessing was a not too distant relative of one of my sisters in law. The world is such a small place.

Monday morning half of the adult family members went off to the temple and in the afternoon the other half of the adults went as well as the youth aged 12 and above. There is such a sweetness in the opportunity of worshipping in such a sacred place together as a family. Unity in faith is a powerful thing. As I went to the temple in the morning I volunteered for babysitting duty in the afternoon to allow my siblings the opportunity to attend the temple in the afternoon. I love it when babysitting means taking a nap with the children and then feeding them ice cream and playing games. That night we had an adult meeting where we talked together of concerns on our minds and listened to the words of our wise father who instructed us in ways to teach our children and strengthen our families. While I've not yet had the blessing of being a mother I have the privilege of being an aunt more than 60 times with a responsibility to help my siblings watch over their children and guide them through the challenges of life. I'm grateful for a dear, wise father who cares so deeply for his family.

Tuesday we started the morning early with a handcart trek. We pulled our carts over rugged terrain, through narrow passageways and open pastures while reflecting on the experiences our family members and fellow church members had as they were expelled from yet another city and forced to find freedom of religion elsewhere. We shared stories of our ancestors and read the placards placed along the path of others who also made the journey. Afterwards, went into the historic town of Nauvoo to see shows, homes, shops and relive the old days. I was surprised when, while watching one of the skits, several references were made to my ancestors, the Ashbys, who had lived in Nauvoo. Surprisingly the skit mentioned their big family and busy children. It made me laugh! I guess big families are just in our genes. In the evening, after roasting hot dogs in 100 degree heat we came together for a talent show. Some sang songs, others played instruments (banjos, violins, pianos, ukulele), some recited poetry, several did skits, dad played his harmonica and mom told a funny story putting us all in stitches as she usually does with her skits. It's impressive to see the talent in my family!

Wednesday was a sad day as we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. It was a terrific several days of renewing family relations, meeting newborns and other recent additions and having a good time. I was so impressed with my nieces and nephews. To watch them play together without excluding a single person was inspiring. It is amazing to me to see how well my siblings have done in raising good children who are kind, smart and fun. There were no injuries, only a few sharing issues among the youngest children and Ruth and Anna did just a fabulous job of planning a terrific time! We are all looking forward to doing this again in 2 more years.

I've posted about a gazillion photos in my flicker account which you can browse through if you're interested but they are mostly meant for my family as you may find them boring. :-)

Left Behind

Several weeks ago I was sent to Malaysia for a site visit for two weeks. During those 2 weeks was a 3 day weekend...and you know how I LOVE those 3 day weekends! I debated my options for the weekend. I could visit my uncle and aunt who are humanitarian missionaries in the northern city of Butterworth. This, of course, is my top option. But, when I find out that they will be in meetings most of the weekend I decide to consider the other options. Borneo? Panang? Singapore? Borneo would be beautiful but I decided I would really prefer more time there. Panang was a nice option as it would include beach, good food and lots to see with the benefit of possibly seeing my aunt and uncle. But when my coworker said I should go with her to Singapore where her husband lives and works I decided the company would be nice.

Friday afterwork we made our way to the bus stop and waited for the bus. The ticket cost about $30 US. We loaded the bus with snacks packed for the 5 hour bus ride which went smoothly and quickly.

We spent the next few days wandering through the city's various neighborhoods...Chinatown, Little India, downtown and more. We watched my coworker's husband play a tennis match, ate ice cream and lots of delicious food, enjoyed a ride on the giant swing as well as the bungee chair, went to an open air zoo and I was introduced to kayah butter. It was a great weekend.

Monday came too soon and it was time to head back to Malaysia. My coworker decided to stay a few hours longer, finding it hard to say goodbye to the husband she sees not near enough of so I made my way alone to the bus station and found my seat inside the 24 seat bus. I turned on my music, pulled out my book, placed my dinner at my feet and enjoyed the 90 minutes of the journey. We arrived to the Malaysian boarder where we were to unload the bus, grab our bags and make our way through immigration. I took my stuff, got in line and made my way to the front of the line. The immigration officer had some trouble with my passport as it wouldn't scan properly, a problem I had entering Singapore as well. It took a few extra minutes for her to key in all the information and soon I was allowed to continue on. Everyone else had made their way through so I grabbed my suitcase as quickly as I could and walked out the door only to see that my bus had already left. I looked out and watched as it drove away, too far for me to run down. In disbelief I looked up and down to confirm that it really was my bus that I had just seen. Certainly the bus driver would have taken a minute to look and see that all 24 passengers were back on the bus. And certainly he would have noticed if the only white girl hadn't yet made her way back onto the bus...certainly...right? WRONG! Indeed it had been my bus.

So, what do I do now? Luckily I had my ticket on me so I went back inside and asked the ladies at the bag scanning station where I could find a phone to call the bus company and send the bus back for me. They told me there was a phone outside (my cell phone had no charge). I went back outside to the side of the building, found the pay phone and it looked like it hadn't been used in about a decade. It didn't work. I went back inside and explained my situation to the women at the scanning station and asked if they could help me call the bus company. "Just wait until the next bus comes," one suggested. I did know that the company had several other buses scheduled to come by about every hour or 2 but I also knew that my bus had been completely booked so who was to say that the next few buses wouldn't also be booked and I'd just be sitting there waiting for who knows how many hours. Besides, I wanted to get home at a reasonable hour. I explained this to the women and she was not being very helpful. "Listen," I told her, "I don't need you to do anything for me except to help me find a phone where I can call this bus company. I'll do it all myself, I just need a phone." Apparently those were the magic words. She agreed to take the phone number and try calling the bus company. She disappeared for about 5 minutes and then returned. Unfortunately it was after 6:00 and the offices were closed and not answering the phones. Good grief. Now what?

The next option was to sit and wait for another bus by the same company. But, again, knowing that it too could be full and who knows how long I would have to wait, I decided to try and get ask a driver from another bus company to take me back to Kuala Lumpur. By this time I was frustrated and slightly angry. I went from bus to bus and asked if they were headed to KL. No, no, no, no, no. They were each going to different locations. Finally I found a driver that was going to KL and his bus was nearly empty! Only about 7 seats looked occupied. I explained my situation and asked him if he would take me back to KL. He didn't speak English so he called over the attendant on his bus, a young woman and I told her what I needed and she translated to the driver. He looked at me and took a few deep breaths. He told me I'd have to pay. Knowing that the money I'd give him would go straight into his pocket, but not caring as I just wanted to get home I asked him how much. $30 the full price of a ticket. I looked and found that I only had 52 Malaysian Ringit, about $16. I offered it to him and he just looked at me. At that point I decided he didn't have a choice. He was going to take me home. :-) I put my bag in the luggage compartment boarded the bus and took a seat behind the other few passengers. I'd just see what would happen.

Not only did they take me back but they also served me dinner, as mine had been left on the first bus, and I was given a blanket and a pillow. I spent the next hours of the journey enjoying my book, my music and my thoughts. We stopped for a potty break and you can imagine my hesitancy to even leave the bus! But, I gathered my courage, RAN to the toilet and RAN back with plenty of time time to spare.

The last leg of the trip was super slow as it had begun to rain and then pour...harder and harder. It was hard to see further than a few feet in front of the bus, not that it mattered, there were so many other cars on the road we were moving at a snails pace. We finally made our way into the city and unloaded the bus. The driver, through his attendant, asked me for the money. I again told them I didn't have the full amount and they asked for what I did have. I told them I was happy to give them the money but asked where I could find an ATM so I could pull more money out and pay for a taxi ride home. The attendant told me there wasn't an ATM nearby so I told her I'd have to bring her the money the following day as I would have no money for a taxi if I gave it all to her now. She then confessed that there was an ATM nearby and showed me where I could find it. Why she didn't just give me that information the first time is beyond me. I gave her my money, pulled more out of the ATM flagged a taxi in the rain and finally made my way home.

Adventures are found in the most unusual places!

I'm off to Malaysia again for 10 days to work. This time, over the weekend, I'll be meeting up with my aunt and uncle to participate in a service project in the Cameroon highlands. I wonder what adventure will find me there.

Cambodia Day 4- The Large Circuit

Our last morning in Siem Reap our driver picked us up at 5 a.m. and took us to a lake where we could see the sunrise. More interested in photographing the ruins at sunrise than just seeing the sun come up over the water we asked him to take us back to the Laura Croft Wat (This is where part of the Tomb Raider movie was filmed) where we had been the day before but the lighting hadn’t been ideal for photos. We hoped that in the early sun photos would turn out better...and they did! For the first hour we had the Wat all to ourselves. It was so peaceful and serene as we moved about photographing various angles and details. Slowly other tourists began to show up as well as a few young boys that set up their “shop” of trinkets to sell. I watched as one boy swept the leaves from the dirt and surrounding area giving it a tidy feel, while the other boy laid out a cloth and then began to set up very systematically the mini metal statues of various gods and wat replicas.

The plan for today was to hit several wats that were further out (which is why we paid $3 more than the previous day) and which is referred to as the Large Circuit. We started with the Bantea Siray (Fortress of Women) which was a special treat! To begin with, the road to get there was lined with Cambodian life. Children riding bikes to school in their uniforms, children playing in the dirt, cows and chickens in the front yards, basket weaving, cane sugar being boiled down to make crystalized sugar and many more activities. We saw a man on a motor bike with a basket on the back filled with young pigs. There were flat carts on the back of motorbikes overflowing with charcoal. So much life taking place. Then we reached the women’s fortress which is the smallest of the temples but also the best preserved. The stone has a pink hue to it. The carvings in the stone are so intricate. Unfortunately, it was hot and very crowded so I didn't get a chance to admire it as much as I would have liked.

We moved on to other temples which were much less crowded since they were further out than the temples in the small circuit that we had enjoyed the day before. As the day progressed and it got hotter and hotter we lost our energy and enthusiasm for climbing the steep stone stairways to the tops of the eroded edifices. When we learned that we had just a few temples left to see we decided to stick with it and keep the end in mind. Some of the sites were more interesting than others I have to admit and at some point they all start looking the same...tall stone structures with really steep, tall stairs to climb, with much of the engravings and carvings worn off. That's about all we saw in the end as it all became a blur. But, we knew we only had 2 full days to see it all. Probably not the best plan but it’s what we had. While it was an intense 2 days I think we would have enjoyed it all a bit more if we had planned one additional day in order to avoid being out during the hottest parts of the day.

At several of the temples there were groups of landmine victims playing music and selling recorded CDs. We decided to purchase one as it claimed to have traditional music. The CD is described as “A group of the cripple musians at the east Prasat Preah Khan Buy one CD of the cripple is that you have supported the cripple musians projested in Cambodia.” No, those are not my typos. I've typed it exactly the way it is written. :-) It made us chuckle. The music, I have to say, is pretty good.

So, that brings to an end our time in Siem Reap. I mentioned in a previous blog that we had the companionship of a monk for a little while. He asked us what we thought of the temples. I told him I was amazed by all the work that went into the construction and how well preserved it all was. He admitted that the buildings left him empty inside but that he did have a sense of pride for his country. The artistry is tremendous! Imagining what these buildings must have been like when they were first built (some dating as early as 800! The most recent dates to about 1300). It really is spectacular.

Cambodia Day 3- The Small Circuit

Sorry for the intermission...I ran out of juice. Here we go again.

Ok, to remind you were we left off...I'm on a trip with Nate and Cheri. We took a bus ride from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. We entered the Angkor Wat park for sunset and now...the story continues.

We arose at 4:30 wiped the sleep from our tired eyes and met the driver who would transport us from the temporary hotel (you'll remember that the hotel we booked had put us up in a temporary location since they overbooked) with breakfast in hand. Breakfast consisted of an egg, cucumber sandwich with green tomatoes. It was not delicious. The driver took us to drop our luggage off at the hotel we would stay at for the remaining 2 days and then were were off to Angkor Wat for the sunrise, again finding ourselves among throngs of others also hoping to catch a glimps of and photograph the rising sun behind Angkor Wat. After a frustrating experience of trying to avoid getting heads in our photos the sun purched high in the sky giving off way too much heat and we made our way into the Wat to explore the ruined temple. What a joy it was when we found several monks in gold colored robes inside the temple making the experience picture perfect. We then wittnessed what I can only imagine was a monk initiation ceremony where a young boy (around age 12) also dressed in a yellow gold colored gown with head shaved except for a pig tail on the crown of his head. There was chanting, gift giving, water flicking and then the ceremony was crowned by the shaving of the remaining pig tail on top of the young boys head. It was a beautiful ceremony.

Afterward the ceremony and exploring Angkor Wat we continued to several other sights including the Bayon where Cheri and I rode and elephant eager to go on break and get some rest. I’m pretty sure he was running to the finish line as we caught up and even passed the elephant in front of us leaving him in our dust. We then happened upon a group of monkeys and several young girls selling bananas to feed the monkeys. I declined purchasing the bananas despite the continued assurance that “monkeys don’t bite.” I glanced over my shoulder and found that one monkey had begun to climb up Nate’s leg. Knowing that monkeys are never to be trusted I got a bit nervous for Nate and was glad to see the monkey jump off him without injury. I took my camera over to get some photos and soon enough I found a monkey climbing up my own leg. Not having any food to offer him he began chewing on my leg. Luckily it didn’t hurt but it was starteling. I went back to the tuk-tuk to join Cheri and was again approached by a young woman selling bananas insisting that "monkeys don’t bite." “But he just bit me!” I told her. “That’s because you have no banana’s she replied.” We both laughed at the irony.

The day was unbearably hot and we must have spent $20 on water alone! Finding shade was difficult and even then...we had to keep moving finding relief only when seated in the breeze of the moving tuk-tuk. We stopped for lunch at a foodstall inside the park and negotiated cheaper prices than what they had advertised for the simple meals we ate. Cheri and I ate yellow noodles with veggies and chicken and Nate ate the Anok curry. The young woman serving us said she was 12 years old and off school that day. She was a good negotiator as she offered us discounts on the rates advertised.

After lunch we continued on our way and came across the most darling 4 or 5 year old girl repeating the phrase “10 for one dollah”. Looking in her hand to see what she was selling I found 2 magnets one of which was broken. We wondered how she could sell 10 for one dollah when she only had 2. Trying to talk to her we discovered she spoke no english except to say "ten for one dollah." Sweet little girl learning the trade of her family I’m sure as she was not the only child vendor we came across. In fact, anywhere we went, as soon as the tuk-tuk came to a stop we found ourselves surrounded by children of various ages begging us to purchase (normally 10 for one dollah) whatever they were selling. Their wares included bracelets, post cards, whistles, books, water and much more. Most of the children, while they were very pushy, were polite. Unfortunately, we ran into 2 young men who were not. One approached Cheri and she wasn't interested in what he was selling but she did make a purchase from another vendor. The young man who had approached her first told her she was "a bulls$%# lady." He was quite bitter and let us know of his disgust. Another young man approached me and told me that if I didn't purchase from him I'd make him cry. Well, I didn't purchase from him and as I was leaving he cocked his arm as if he intended to punch me.

We made our way to a number of ruined sites taking countless photos and trying to bear the heat. The ruins were decorated with Buddhist and Hindu gods and their stories. Some were well preserved while others almost completely destroyed. To think about what the sites would have been like in their heyday was not difficult and left me with a sense of awe for all the hard work that went into the construction yet sadness to think of the forced labor that was used to construct the edifices. At the end of the day we found ourselves atop another Wat enjoying the sunset which was over as quickly as it began. We then made our way down the ridiculously steep stairs (which were intentionally made difficult as it was explained that reaching heaven is no easy task). The driver returned us to our hotel just in time for the rains to begin falling and not just falling but POURING! It lasted less than an hour but the lightning and thunder that accompanied the rain was most enjoyable.

For dinner we decided on a Khmer restaurant that had a traditional dance show. Cambodian dance is very similar to Thai, slow moving with similar leg, arm and hand movement. After dinner we stoped for what was advertised as foot massages but which we would refer more descriptively as leg rubs. Nate said it’s like they read a copy of a copy of a copy of how to do a Thai massage...a perfect description that made us laugh. But ya know...for $5...it was alright. We walked back to the hotel, crashed in bed, trying to prepare for another early, early morning.

Easter Thoughts-The Last Supper and the Sacrament

I was asked to speak in church today on the Last Supper and the Sacrament. Many of you have asked for a copy of my talk and so I post it here.

Let’s start by setting the scene. We are in Jerusalem during the great season of Passover which celebrates the miracle of the children of Israel being passed over by the angel of darkness simply by placing the blood of an unblemished lamb on their lintels and door posts and, thus, finally being freed from bondage. It is a celebration that the Lord commanded should be celebrated as a reminder of their deliverance from Egypt.

A traditional passover meal is prepared and served in an upper room which has been specially prepared for this meal. It has been cleaned thoroughly to ensure not a crumb of leavened bread could be found. The menu of the meal included an unblemished roasted lamb, which had been sacrificed in the temple by a Priest having the necessary authority; unleavened cakes, to represent the hurry the Israelites were in that they could not wait for the bread to rise; bitter herbs such as horseradish or green onion to symbolize the bitterness of bondage; and a salt water which the participants would dip greens into representing the tears shed during the harsh slavery. Christ, the lamb of God, presided at this meal. Elder Haight stated that this “was significant because as the One who took the place of the family patriarch, He made a last symbolic sacrifice in preparation for the real sacrifice that He later offered. He understood this; the Apostles did not. By celebrating the Passover feast, He gave His endorsement to all those similitudes, signs and tokens of the past millennia that had prefigured his great sacrifice.”

The symbolism continued. Feet were washed as a symbol of cleansing and Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it offering it to his apostles saying, as we read in Matthew and Luke, “Take, Eat. This is my body which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me.” He then took a cup of wine, blessed it and again offered it to his apostles saying, as we piece together various scriptural accounts, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for the remission of sins. This do in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come again” meaning it would testify of his death.

The spilling of lambs blood for sacrifices and the commandment to offer sacrifices is a beautiful symbol that began with Adam when he and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden. The Bible Dictionary says that this included “offering the firstlings of their flocks in a similitude of the sacrifice that would be made of the Only Begotten Son of God.” The offering of sacrifices was carried throughout the years until this miraculous night. From this moment in time things changed. No longer was there a need for the sacrifice of animals, for sin offerings, burnt offerings and peace offerings. That night Christ would be found praying for us in Gethsemane and suffering for our sins. He would become our ultimate sacrifice, the perfect, spotless Lamb. He would endure a sadness so intense and so excruciating that he would declare “it caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit and I would that I might not drink the bitter cup and shrink.” And as he suffered, his friends lay nearby sleeping. Not knowing what Christ was enduring, they slept.

Later, Jesus would be betrayed by Judas, his own apostle, and he would be beaten, spit upon, scourged and then hung on a cross to die to later raise again and live, a sacrifice that guarantees resurrection and triumph over death for every member of humanity.

It is these events that are symbolized in the sacrament we partake of each week. And it is the sacrament that is the main purpose of our weekly gathering. A loving Heavenly Father knew we would need a weekly reminder of the most important events in the history of time as well as an opportunity to recommit ourselves to the covenants we made at baptism. And so he blessed us with the opportunity to partake of the sacrament and turn our thoughts, once again to Christ. Christ said to the Nephites, “Ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood, yeah, your sacrifices and your burn offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings, And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit.”

As we eat the bread each Sunday we remember the body of Christ. We remember Calvary and that through Him we may be resurrected. After breaking and blessing bread when among the Nephites, Jesus said, “this ye shall do in remembrance of my body, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you."

As we drink of the water we remember the blood of Christ. We remember the excruciating anguish of His suffering in Gethsemane. And we rejoice that Christ, despite wanting to be relieved of this great burden, said “Glory be to the Father” and he partook. Through His blood both shed at Gethsemane and on Calvary our sins were paid for, upon the condition of repentance and obedience, as was the debt for Adam’s transgression. We were indeed bought with a price as the Apostle Paul said. An expensive price. After Christ invited the Nephites to drink the wine he said, “Blessed are ye for this thing which ye have done, for this is fulfilling my commandments and this doth witness unto the Father that ye are willing to do that which I have commanded you. And ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you , that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my spirit to be with you.”

And so you see that by partaking of the sacrament we renew the covenants we made at baptism which are that we will love and serve Christ all our days and keep his commandments. And, in turn, he promises to pour out his spirit to us. Each Sunday we are reminded that we have taken Christ’s name upon us and that we have covenanted to obey his commandments. Elder Featherstone states, “If we take of the sacrament with a sincere heart, with real intent forsaking our sins and renewing our commitment to God, the Lord provides a way whereby sins can be forgiven from week to week.” No wonder this meeting where we partake of the sacred emblems has been referred to as the “most sacred, the most holy of all the meetings of the Church.” No wonder we have been urged to prepare ourselves before coming to church that we might have a broken heart and contrite spirit to offer our Heavenly Father.

What an honor it is for young men to have the opportunity to bless and pass this most sacred symbol. What an honor it is for us to partake of it weekly. As I listen to the prayers offered in the blessings over both the bread and water the word “remember” sticks out. In the quiet moments as the sacrament is being passed do we take the time to remember and reflect? What a wonderful time for us to be able to ponder the life and ministry of our Savior and the importance of Christ’s roll. Do we make the partaking of the sacrament the crowning moment in our meeting?

The Lord said “He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." I look forward to the day when Christ will preside in person over the blessing and distribution of the sacrament emblems. I pray that we will come prepared each week ready to offer up God our broken hearts and contrite spirits as we renew our covenants and our commitment to follow His commandments that we might more fully receive the blessing of his Spirit to guide us back to his presence.

Brothers and Sisters, I have been to visit the empty tomb. I have seen for myself that the tomb does indeed lay empty. I testify that Christ lives. That he suffered for us, that he was slain for us but that he lives.

Cambodia Day 2-The drive to Siem Reap

The bus would depart at 8:30 so we would be picked up at 7:30. For $10 a ticket we would take a 6 hour ride in this cramped bus. They had placed us in seats located over the back wheel which meant that there was a hump at our feet making even less room for our legs. Now, for Cheri and I this was an inconvenience, for Nate, however, this was not going to work. I would put Nate at about 6' 3". With legs that long you need all the room you can get. Nate was able to negotiate seats one row behind. While it was still quite cramped it was an improvement. As for my seat, I was still in the row with the hump but I was in an isle seat next to a local cambodian man. I'm sure he was very nice but the thought of sitting next to a stranger for the next 6 hours and not in a window seat didn't thrill me. As the bus started Cheri and Nate's abandon seats lay vacant so I took the liberty of sliding across the isle and occupying both seats.

For the next 6 hours we bumped along on a partially paved road under construction. At times there was so much dust in the air that I resorted to pulling my scarf over my mouth to filter the air. The ride made Nate, a normally strong stomached traveler, slightly nauseous. Despite the discomfort of the ride the scenery made it all worthwhile. The glimpses into Cambodian life were eye opening. The whole way of the drive the road was lined with simples wood homes on stilts with a ladder or stairs leading to the entrance. There were children and/or livestock in the front, dirt lawns and under the house where hammocks were hung. There was often freshly harvested rice laid out on tarps. I wondered what the purpose of walking through the rice with bare feet was. was it part of the process of separating the husk from the grain? Many of the homes had deep, wide pits in front that looked like perhaps they collected water during rainy season but for what purpose I'm unsure. There were also scarecrows at the entrances to several of the properties along the way. But they were different than the scarecrows I'm used to seeing. These had scary looking faces and some had pretend swords or guns in their hands. I learned later on what there were for. You'll have to wait to find out!

It was about 2:30 PM when we finally rolled into Siem Reap. We transferred from the bus to another bus to a tuk-tuk that finally took us to our hotel. Along the way he asked if we were interested in his services to drive us around Angkor Wat. He then gave us a price we could not turn down- $5 for the rest of the day, $12 for the next day and $15 for the following day. We told him to pick us up at 4:30 which would give us time to drop off our bags and prepare to head out and take in the sunset at a hill above Angkor Wat.

We walked into our hotel and the staff broke the news to us that they had overbooked and didn't have a room for us. They made a few phone calls and had us taken down the street to another hotel where we would spend one night and then transfer to the hotel we had originally booked. What could we do? We agreed.

We then met up with our driver and headed off to Angkor to see the sunset. On the way we had to stop at the entrance to pay the $40 fee. We started at THE Angkor Wat taking just a few minutes to enjoy the majesty of the ruins. While we were there admiring the beauty and intricacy of the stone carvings and architecture a monk struck up conversation with Nate. They talked for a while while Cheri and I continued our tour. I think the conversation ended when the monk (23 years old) asked Nate if he could all him father. That made us all laugh. We said goodbye to our new friend and then joined the masses of other tourists on a walk up a hill to enjoy the sunset from atop another temple. While the fact that we were with about a thousand other tourists did detract from the romance of the ruins in the light of the sunset it was still a beautiful sight. The silhouettes brought out in the setting sun, the color of the sky...I had to take a breath as I brought myself to the reality of where I was.

The sun set quickly and we all made our way back down the hill just as it was becoming dark enough to need a flash light. We had again met up with our monk friend at the top of the hill and so again, we said goodbye and headed back to town in our tuk-tuk.

The driver took us to Pub Street where we were able to choose from a number restaurants. We decided on one serving Khmer food and I selected the traditional Anok dish, a delicious fish curry and which I shall miss. Then it was off to the "Noon Night Market" which confused us a bit but we went anyway. The market was just like the ones in Bangkok. Even the products were the same. I came away with 2 Angkor Wat t-shirts and a hand embroidered pillow cases showing a scene of country life. Knowing we would meet the driver the next morning at 5 a.m. we headed home and crashed in bed.

Cambodia Day 1

With our adventure at Railay Beach complete we had a day to do laundry and repack and then we got back on a plane and headed to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. My first encounter with the idea of Cambodia came about 10 years ago. I dated a man who had been a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He had served his mission in the US but was Cambodian speaking. He introduced me to a book I read and my eyes were reopen to the atrocities that had taken place during my lifetime. My next interaction with Cambodia was when I went to the airport to pick up a Cambodian refugee. His spirit was strong and his smile contagious.

I was excited to finally meet Cambodia in person. I found that I wasn't prepared for the experience I was about to have. I am so grateful to have had my trusted friends at my side to experience it all with me.

After a short plane ride we arrived in Phnom Penh and headed outside the airport to catch a taxi into town. Once outside we were immediately surrounded by a host of men offering their transportation options to us. There were several options for riding into town including motorbike, tuk-tuk and taxi. Surprised by the mob that greeted us I asked them to leave us alone for a minute so we could discuss our options. We decided on the taxi and made our way to our hotel which was so lovely. We were greeted with cold fruit drinks and a cold wet towel to cool us down from the intense heat. The host showed us to our room where we left our luggage ready to meet the city. We only had an hour or two left before the sun would set. We stopped by the front desk and booked bus tickets to Siem Reap the next day and then began walking towards the riverfront where we found all sorts shops, restaurants and hotels. We selected among the many a french restaurant to enjoy dinner. During dinner we were approached several times by children wanting to sell us bracelets, postcards and other items. We turned each of them away slightly heartbroken. That's when we began to fall in love with the darling children of Cambodia.

After dinner we returned to the riverfront and walked back to the hotel. Along the way we met the personality of the city. The feeling was light and festive. There were several dance and exercise groups moving to various types of music...some more enjoyable to watch than others. One woman in particular looked like she was having convulsions. Poor thing. :-) There were food vendors and families strolling along the walkways. It wasn't a rich city, it wasn't a clean city, but it was a city full of seemingly happy people making the most of their situation. I had a good feeling about what lay ahead.

Railay Beach Day 5-Rock Climbing

Our last day on the beach. It had been so enjoyable. I love exploring a new area of this beautiful country. Doing so with friends was even more fun. We had done so many fun things up to this point. Our flight would take off this evening and return us to Bangkok but we had all day to enjoy ourselves. This meant relaxing on the beach for Cheri and Nate and for me it meant getting up early to meet my climbing team.

I was the first to arrive at the meeting point. I got my harness, shoes and chalk bag and then waited for the others. Two other girls showed up and one man. None had done any climbing which meant our guide would have to go through all the basics of climbing. I hoped they would catch on quickly so we could move on to the fun stuff...climbing. Once everyone had been issued equipment our guide gathered the necessary ropes and gear and we headed to the climbing site which ended up being just a short walk from my resort. There were several other groups already set up and ascending the limestone cliff. There were about 5 different routes. We dropped our gear at the foot of one climb and the guide began to take us through the important safety instructions and then he began to teach the role of each piece of gear and the basics of knot tying. I was glad that we were able to move through this quickly and then our guide started the climbing with the initial ascent to secure the rope and prepare the way for the rest of us.

It felt so good have my hands on the rocks, to use my muscles differently than I usually do and reach the top of a climb and then have the enjoyment of looking back to see the view, the sea, the sand, the cliffs, all from a different angle. Then then comes the fun part, the belay back down to the start only to start all over again on a new route.

After 4 climbs my muscles were exhausted! The last was the most difficult as my muscles had given all they had and the technique involved challenged my strength and nascent skills. About a third of the way from the top my body failed me and I was grateful when I fell, to be in the able hands of the guide. He held me steady and I clung again to the cliff and gave it another try. Again I failed and again I fell and again he caught me and held me until I have it one final effort. Determined to not to give up despite my fatigue and raw hands I drew all the energy I could find in my body and directed it to my arms and legs in an effort to hoist my body upwards. The efforts paid off and I finally reached the top. Once there I turned to enjoy the view one last time. The sense of accomplishment filled me as did the thrill of doing something I thoroughly enjoyed.

I left my climbing friends, the quiet girl who methodically took 3 times longer than anyone else to climb to the top, the valley girl who about drove me batty with her "Oh, that's totally cool" and other annoying mannerisms and the guy who tried too hard to impress everyone around him. Gee, I wonder how they are describing me in their blogs. :-) I went to find Cheri and Nate at the beach where they informed me they would be when they passed by between my second and third climb. I found Cheri basking in the sun and Nate swimming in the cool water. Starving, I went for a walk down the beach to where several vending boats were set up selling a varitey of food including sandwiches, noodles, omelets, smoothies, roti and more. I ordered a roti with egg and banana for Cheri and pad thai and a mango smoothie for me.

We spent the next few hours on the beach, in the water, soaking up the last drops of the salty water and the last rays of the Railay sun. Nate decided to go for a hike to the summit of one of the cliffs as Cheri and I were enjoying our final moments on the beach. When it was time to pack up we waited for Nate at the bottom of the path and when he descended we headed off to the pier. We had to wait for 8 people before the boat would take us back to Krabi or pay the equivalent of 8 people. After waiting and waiting I negotiated back and forth with the captain and finally decided that for 300B each he would take us to the pier as well as drive us to the airport.

Well, the rest of this adventure is very uninteresting. We caught the plane back to Bangkok and instead of being greeted by the warm evening air there was a surprisingly cool breeze, unseasonal for March, the month before the hottest month of the year. We breathed it in and made our way to the taxi line and headed home.

Railay Beach Day 4-Seaglass and Seashells

Cheri and I have a lot of things in common...and a lot of differences. Our similarities make our friendship so much fun and our differences balance and enrich us. We often end up purchasing the same clothes, the same bed spread and we have similar hobbies. One of the hobbies we share is the collection of sea glass. Since a mutual friend introduced me to the collection of seaglass and I saw how beautiful her collection was I started my own collection. I've collected glass in the Dominican Republic, throughout Thailand beaches and wherever I can find a beach. Seaglass or beach glass as some call it, is glass that has been roughened by the waves and sand. It's washed ashore and that's where I find it.

After having seen several pieces of glass on the beach we were on the day before we decided to start day 4 combing the sands of the beach collecting the glass. Sure enough, there was plenty to collect. There were also countless seashells in such great condition and such a variety of shapes and colors that we just couldn't help not picking a few as well. After several hours walking the beach with heads down and eyes focused on picking the glass out from all the shells we neared the end of the beach. I lagged slightly behind picking up the pieces that Cheri and Nate had passed up. I found them on a sandbar jetted out into the water. They were so excited to have found several large shells in great condition.

Hot and sweaty we decided to take a break at a little restaurant on the beach. It wasn't much to look at but all we were interested in was whether or not they had cold water. What a delight to enjoy the coldest water we had found thus far. It was refreshing on such a hot day. Inside the restaurant with us was a man and woman who had obviously been traveling a long time. They were dressed in typical "backpacker" style with dreadlocks. The man was helping the owners with something computer related behind the bar and the woman was busy redesigning a crotchless pair of pants into a skirt. I wasn't particularly fond of the style she had chosen for her redesigning but I didn't have to wear it!

With 2 large water bottles emptied it was time to head back to our beach. This meant once again climbing over the boulders and walking through the water. We all made sure to check our pockets to ensure there wasn't anything electronic we didn't want to drown (having learned from yesterday's experience) and began wading back. At one point of climbing over the rocks, Cheri was in the lead and she turned back with a look of fear in her eyes and declared that she had just seen a snake. Luckily we had brave Nate with us and he went ahead looking for the snake and navigating us safely over the rocks. Once we were over we had a better view of our snake which we then found out was a lizard. Not knowing which of the snakes and lizards are venomous we were sure to take all precautions possible.

We took our loot back to the hotel, enjoyed a late lunch and then were excited to rent a kayak and go out on the water. We initially tried to fit all 3 of us into one kayak but the kayak rode so low and was so unstable that I opted out and let Cheri and Nate have a go while I enjoyed sitting on the beach soaking up the rays of the end-of-the-day sun. After about an hour I saw Cheri paddling the kayak back to shore alone. Nate's recovering shoulder just couldn't endure the activity any longer so he opted to jump ship and swim back to shore. It was then my turn to head out to the open water. With me in the back and Cheri in the front we set out. We headed around the bend and out to twin islands side by side. We paddled around them and then over to the beach we had spent the morning. It felt so good to be out in our small kayak in the big sea. The feeling of insignificance was strong as I contemplated the vast creations both above and beneath the water. I took a moment to soak in the reality of my experience. I was in a kayak, on the Adaman Sea, just off the coast of Thailand, where I live and have an amazing job, hanging out with one of my dearest friends. I seem to have a lot of these moments these days. It fills me with gratitude to God for the opportunities he has guided me to.

We paddled back to shore and as we saw that there was a wedding reception taking place. Cheri and I deviously decided that they needed the added flavor of a kayak in the back ground of their photos, so we paddled back and forth trying to get in the photos laughing hysterically! All in good fun.

Once again we ended the day with mangos and sticky rice. That night there was a fund raising fire dance for victims of the recent events in Japan. We watched for awhile and then wandered up the walking street. Nate pointed out a shop that was offering 1/2 day climbing and I signed up for the next day. How could I leave this place without enjoying the climbing? Having not climbed for about 2 years I knew it would be a tough morning and that I would feel the effects for days afterwards but I also knew that because of my Bootcamp style training which I've participated in for 9 months I was up for the challenge. Guess I'll find out tomorrow!

Railay Beach Day 3-Elephants and Snakes

Day 3 began with what we thought was a 15 minute walk to a nearby beach. It ended up being an hour long trek through the jungle. The sweat poured from our bodies as we walked the path that lead us into the jungle, up a steep hill, directly into the mosquitos lair, past a monitor lizard, through the back packers bungalows (meaning wooden boxes on stilts furnished with barely a mat on the floor) and finally to the beach. Before reaching the beach we began to get nervous as it was drawing near the time we had been told a boat would pick us up to take us to Krabi for our elephant trekking adventure. Upon reaching the beach I found a group of boat taxi guys and asked them how much they would charge to taek us back to our beach. They laughed and told me just to walk around the bend and we would be at our beach. Getting there would require us to walk through the water and boulders. So, we followed the boulders partially buried by the water that reached mid thigh, climbed up and over some of the large rocks, tried to keep balance with the waves doing their best to throw us off balance and finally we reached the beach close to our resort. Unfortunately, in the process, we lost Cheri's IPhone as it was in a pocket of her board shorts and drown.

Luckily, we got back to the hotel just in time to catch the boat to Krabi. We arrived to the location of our elephant trek and the elephants were eager and waiting for us. We immediately hopped on and headed out for our hour long trek. We started off with me in the lead seated comfortably on the bench strapped to the back of my elephant and Cheri and Nate sharing an elephant behind me. Almost immediately my elephant began searching for food. She ate vines growing along the jungle floor, tore branches off of young trees, whatever she could find went in her mouth. I looked over my shoulder and found that Cheri and Nate were having a similar experience. For an hour we trekked around the jungle perched atop our elephants as they wandered about happy not to be hauling logs. At one point my mahout (elephant driver) asked if I'd like to sit on the elephant's neck. This is my favorite part of elephant rides. I climbed on the neck and the mahout dismounted. What he did next started off as cute but soon became creepy. He began talking to the elephant and whispering sweet nothings to her. he pet her affectionately and gave her lots of kisses and hugs. It turned creepy when this went on, and on, and on and then started chewing on her ear! NO, I'm NOT kidding! I'm totally serious. He really went on and on and on. Finally, he pealed himself off her and we continued on our way. We turned around and began to make our way back when in front of my eye s slithered a big 'ole snake! I was so grateful to be so high off the ground. He slithered into the growth and disappeared.

We made our way back to the beginning without falling off (despite some close calls for both Cheri and I) got off of the elephants and then went to get bananas to thank the elephants for toting us around. We watched as one of the elephants walked into pool of water in the nearby stream and bathed. The experience was a fun one and, as fun things often do, it came to an end. It was time to head back to the pier and back to the resort.

At the pier we found there was just one other couple waiting for the boat and we needed 8

people for the boat to leave the pier. We waited over 30 minutes and then talked to the other couple to see if they were interested in pitching in some extra money so we could pay the captain to take us back. They agreed and off we went.

Mangoes and sticky rice was the perfect way to finish off the adventure.

Railay Beach Day 2-Lion fish and Sharks

After our first night at the resort on Railay East Beach we woke to an alarm, dressed in our swim suits, ate breakfast at the resort and headed to the meeting point for our day on the water. The day would begin with a 2 hour boat ride to the dive/snorkel site. The water was somewhat rough the whole way. About 30 minutes into our ride the captain yells "SHARK" from above and we all ran to the side of the boat to get a better view of the dark shadow swimming around and the black fins that came in and out of the water. When it was determined to be a bull shark several people went for their fins and snorkels and got ready to jump in the water. "Are you crazy?" I asked one eager boat mate. "Sure," he responded, "it's just like a big cow in the water." A cow in the water huh? He didn't convince me to wanna jump in. I decided to see if the others got eaten first before I was going to volunteer to be shark bait. About 5 people jumped in as the captain tried to circle around and keep up with the sharks. Unfortunately, by the time they jumped in the sharks had moved on their way. They climbed back into the boat and we continued on.

The sun was already high in the sky at this point. The feeling of the breeze on my skin beaded with perspiration from the hot sun felt nice. I sat on a bench watching as we sailed past inhabited and uninhabited islands. I could see the change in depth of the water close to the shore as the water color changed from dark to light as the sea turned into beach. The landscapes along the way were lined with palm trees, white sand beaches and inviting blue green water.

At long last we reached the dive site, Bida Nok. I dressed in my wet suit, placed the weight belt around my waist, donned my Buoyancy Control Device attached to the air tank, placed my feet in the fins and giant strided into the water. The waters were rough and visibility wasn't terrific. It didn't help that I had forgotten to spit in my goggles to keep them from fogging up. Once at the bottom of the sea there was a variety of fish and sea creatures including box fish, moray eel, crab, scorpion fish, mantis shrimp, sea stars galore, crown of thorns starfish, sea wards, and trigger fish to name a few. I even found Nimo! But the highlight was taking a look at the lion fish, a strange looking fish with these spiky fins. A glorious, wonderful sight. I felt so privileged to enjoy its crazy company. If that had been the only dive of the day I would be happy just to have seen the lion fish. But NO, I still had another dive to look forward to.

We took a break to eat lunch and rest. I was sad to learn that the snorkeling experience for Cheri and Nate hadn't been good. The equipment inadequacies mixed with the roughness of the waters made for a much less enjoyable experience. They decided to give it another try when it was time for dive number 2-Maya Wau. Dive two displayed many of the same fish and creatures as dive one sans the lion fish, unfortunately, but in it's place some puffer fish, porcupine fish and you can imagine my surprise when several feet in front of me swam a black tip shark and then a leopard shark! And you can imagine my nervousness knowing that they were out there somewhere but I couldn't see them! It was exhilarating to see such marvelous sea kings on their turf, in the wild, and not in a glass box at the aquarium. This diving stuff is pretty terrific. The dive soon came to an and it was time to surface and swap stories with the other divers.

I was happy to hear, as the boat began to make it's way back to shore, that Cheri and Nate had enjoyed a better experience this time around and that they too enjoyed a swim with a shark. I happily pealed back the layers of my dive gear and welcomed the warmth of the sun to dry me off. I made sure to keep fairly covered both in sunscreen and in my blue sarong to avoid the unwelcome effects of too much sun exposure. I had lent Nate and Cheri my jelly fish repelling sun screen which they lathered on multiple times. However, to our surprise both had the craziest, diseased looking sunburns. We learned the hard way that while the cream may be good at repelling jelly fish, it was terrible at sun protection. Oops.

Back on shore we enjoyed mangoes and sticky rice...mmmmm. And when that was all gone we planned our next adventure. Tomorrow, elephant trekking!