CAMBODIA: December 2005

The Temples of Angkor Wat:

Angkor Wat is visually, architecturally, and artistically breathtaking.  It is a massive three tiered pyramid surrounded by five beehive like towers rising 65 meters from the ground.  Angkor Wat was the centerpiece of our visit to the temples of Angkor.

Bayon Temple: The giant stone faces of Bayon have become one of the most recognized images connected to classic Khmer art and architecture.  As we continued our visit to this temple, Paul had found a postcard of one of the faces and we began the search to find this particular face among the 215 other faces. After a lot of searching we found the postcard image.  It had been reversed, which made it even more difficult.  I also found a face image that I enjoyed sketching.   

Neat Pean: When constructed, this small island temple was located in the middle of the last reservoir to be constructed.  Neak Pean may have served as an absolution fountain, and the waters were thought to have healing properties. 

The small central temple sits in the center of a cross pattern made up of light pools. Neat Pean means “coiled serpents”.  This was a peaceful spot to meditate and do some sketching.

Angkor Thom: Angkor Thom is a walled and a city surrounded by a moat that was the last capital of the Angkor Empire.  There are five entrances to the city, one for each cardine point, and the victory gate leading to the Royal Palace area.  Each gate is crowned with four giant faces.

This area has inspired me to do a lot of journaling and even more sketching. There are many places to just sit and do what you want as the rest of the family look through the temples.  It was a place of quiet and solitude.

THAILAND: December - November 2005

Khao Lak:

Cape Pakarang Boat Shed:  About half of Nam Khem Village’s 5000 residents were killed in the tsunami, as were about one-third of the residents of the smaller settlement of Cape Pakarang.  Most of the survivors had been working in the fishing industry before the tsunami struck, so the revival of that industry was necessary to boost the area’s economic recovery. The Cape Pakarang Boat Yard opened in March 2005 to build 47 long-tail boats over an 18 month period for local fishermen whose boats were destroyed.

As I approach the Boat shed, I see the boat building crews are busy putting the final touches on two boats that are in the boat shed.  Another crew is beginning a third boat. Today they will put up the aft and stern. 

In the yard they are ready to rig one of the larger boats for delivery. Another crew is working on the caulking and primer before the volunteers will start the painting, primary staining and complete the boat logo.  A team of volunteers is unloading a truckload of wood with a hack hoe as the pieces are large and heavy.  This wood came down from Laos.  Stairs are being built on the side of the boathouse to enable them to add another floor over the boathouse. A shed for lumber that will be 15’ X 15’ is beginning.  The surplus wood pile is being sorted.  Jack Fruit discs have been carved with the boatyard logo.  These will be sold at the anniversary event in December and the Tsunami Craft store.  Electric cords have been repaired.  Website development and updating is on going.  There seems to never be a quiet moment, which is good for all the volunteers and the boatyard.

I have collected shavings from the jack Fruit Wood tree to be used for tie dying when I return home.  I also carved a disc of the same wood of the stencil design of a long tail-boat to be sent home.

My heartfelt thanks to Scott for giving me the opportunity to share this week with the other volunteers and especially the long tail boat builders.  You have been instrumental in my being able to create memories that will last a lifetime.  Your inclusive leadership allowed for the learning of new skills as well as making me stretch beyond my comfort zone.  Scott, your vision, determination, and ability to stay focused on the results needed for the fisherman to support their families and community gives all of us the inspiration to contribute anyway that we are able.  Scott Carver, has donated his time, talent, and treasure for two years to guarantee the success and continuity of the boatyard project.    God’s Blessings to all who are a part of this project.

INDONESIA: November 2005

Lake Toba:

North Sumatra’s Crater Lake: Lake Toba is Southeast Asia’s largest fresh water lake.  It was formed by a colossal volcanic eruption 80,000 years ago, leaving a spectacular caldron with wonderful landscapes.  The island of Samosir is the cultural and spiritual heartland of the friendly Toba Batak people.

We walked the entire TukTuk peninsula to see all the different locations and activities that are available for visitors and also to enjoy the environment that surrounds this village.

The Batak prints that are made by the village people in this area were unique in design and gave me an idea of the life of former years in the hills surrounding the villages. I was able to get one of the prints for the quilt that I will be developing when I return from this trip.

I have been collecting fabric from each country and will design a hanging quilt that will incorporate each fabric into a unique design.  This along with my daily journaling and photographs will be a memorable reminder of all the aspects of this wonderful journey.

Bukit Lawang:

We were welcomed to the village at 11:00 pm at night after a four hour ferry ride to Medan and then a 31/2 hour drive in a truck ride to the village.  As we got out of the truck we could hear the sound of the rushing river and were told that we needed to cross the bridge of wooden planks and steel cables to get to the lodgings.  It probably was good that it was a little dark; however the swaying of the bridge during the crossing was a little frightening.  After a discussion we were led along a path and were shown our rooms.  We hadn’t had much for dinner so we had something to eat at the restaurant attached to the lodgings.

The guides wanted to make arrangements for our trek the following day.  We needed to do some resting after the long day of traveling from Penang.  The family is doing a three day trek and I am doing a half day trek with them and then will return to the lodge.

In the afternoon we are going to visit the platform to feed the Orangutans. 

The Bohorok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is on the banks of the Bohorok river.  Bohorok is only a small part of the 9000 square kilometers or 90, hectares of the Mount Leuser National Park.  This magnificent rainforest has become famous through out the world as they harbour some of the most endangered and rare species on the earth for example Sumatra Rhinoceros, elephant, tiger, and as many as seven primates.  In total the park lists 285 species and each hectares of the lowland forest you can find amazing 60-130 tree species. 

Well, we are on our way—we crossed another and lower bridge over the water.  It isn’t exactly a bridge it actually has 2X12” planks and steel cables across the water.  The secret is not to look down at the rushing water and “keep moving”.  We are almost to the feeding area which is quite a hike after you go through a river crossing in a canoe on a pulley operated by two rangers.  We have stopped on the trail as there is an orangutan with a baby on the trail with us.  I reached out and touched her as we passed.  I didn’t realize they were so large with such long arms and yet so graceful and serine. We continued on the trail and finally came to the platform where the rangers gave each adult orangutan a glass of milk and some bananas.  We took lots of pictures, there were six large orangutans and three babies—one of the babies had died approximately a week ago and was still being carried around by the mother. There was not much left of the remains of this infant.  Evidently this is how they mourn the loss of their babies. We also saw the orangutan Abdullah and his girl friend that is three months pregnant on our way down the hill.  This was a spectacular moment as we sat and watched these large primates.  They walked among us and did not seem to mind that we were there.

We left the next day on the trek.  My guide was Alig and he was most helpful in identifying different trees, plants, and insects as well as flying squirrels, and a giant termite nests that the orangutans destroy to use the inside to settle an upset stomach.

I now realize that jungle trails always go up and down and are steep and if there is moisture on the ground the path is slippery. The worst part is that the footholds for walking are set wide apart and difficult to maneuver.  The boys told me that some of the inclines were at 90 degrees and at one point Peter went sliding down past one of the hikers when he lost his footing.

As we were moving through the jungle we came upon large teak tree.  It was huge.  At this point I looked up at the trail and realized that it was time for me to go back to town. We had already traversed some difficult terrain and should be back within an hour.

MALAYSIA: October-November 2005

Cameron Highlands:

After a long search we got a place to stay at Father’s Guest House.  Here the weather had changed, it is cooler and rainy.  We found a restaurant in town and got the Roti Cani that we have all grown to love.

We got a taxi and went to the BOH Tea Plantation.  We arrived at the plantation and the cab driver let us out to take pictures of the luscious green valley and watched the workers cutting the tops of the bushes for the tea leaves.  Then we saw a woman who was cutting the sides of the bushes in the old tradition using a basket and clippers. These tea bushes are a lot like the vines in a vineyard.  They are 70 years old and have large trunks.  The tea leaves are cut every three weeks and every four years the bush is cut back to prevent rot and disease.  The leaves have so many different colors of green and with the light hitting the bushes it adds still another dimension.  We took lots of pictures and enjoyed our tea on the veranda that was high on a hill that overlooked the valley.  We stayed long enough to see the mist and then the clouds come and go in the valley.

Tomorrow we leave for Indonesia.

Taman Negara:

Taman Negara National Rainforest is the heart of Pahang’s Tropical Forest, which has lain mostly undisturbed for almost 130 million years. Be ready to experience the adventure of a mysterious world older than the Congo or the Amazon.  This area is mostly known for its species of birds, butterflies, fish, insects and plants.

We arrived by minivan after a long train ride.  We stayed the first two nights at Tehan Guest House. There were water taxi’s that took us back and forth across the river to the Ranger Station and the resort.  Our first morning we went to the resort for breakfast to complete our research and plan our activities during our stay in the park. Afterward we hiked to the Canopy Walkway and saw the monkeys after we returned.  They were near the rooms close to the entrance of the trailhead.  We crossed the river and went to eat at the Family Restaurant for dinner.  This turned out to be the place we ate most of our meals. The staff and food were great and they were reasonable. 

Later that evening we went to the market and bought Roti Cani, which is grilled dough and served with a curry lentil bean sauce. We ate them plain and they were delicious.  Later we found we could get them filled with bananas, peanuts, honey, cheese, raisins, and many other ingredients. We really loved them all… The Roti Bon was like a cinnamon roll only with sugar, honey, and butter and they also fried them on a special grill. These became a staple for breakfast and lunch.

The next day we decided to move into the Resort Hostel and all be in the same room. Then we made arrangements to take a boat up river to Lata Berkatoh, which is a cascade of water. The boat ride was beautiful, just like all the jungle pictures you see with all foliage and strings of vines you see hanging from the trees. This is the oldest Rainforest in the in the world.  The old trees are unique and shaped in such odd ways.  They are a wonder to behold. I rode the boat back while the rest of the family took a strenuous hike back. The ride was beautiful with all the old trees, foliage, and jungle growth. I was dropped off at the resort and stopped for lunch worked and began working on the outline for the Japan section in my sketchpad from special bamboo.  Then they must clean and cure the bamboo several times until it is ready to use. We all tried blowing the darts.

Steve and I get up early and go for coffee to the local coffee house or wherever we are able.  This is a special time for me. To be able to just sit and talk about anything and everything.  A quiet time for each of us.

After we finished breakfast the boys and I went to make our reservations to go on the Night Safari Ride.  Then we went to the Orang Asli village and saw how a group of natives have lived and survive in the forest for so many years.  We learned how they make a blow dart and gun used for hunting. It takes up to four months to make this weapon. The boys had a great time shooting the darts at a board.  I took a couple of shots and they both went to high—to much hot air—I suppose. Paul and I returned to the dock and worked on our sketch pads.  I finished the outline for the Golden Pavilion.  We returned and hurried over to get our dinner and then get ready for the Night Safari, which was in the back of a 4X4 truck. We were only out a short time and it began o pour down rain.  We returned to the riverfront and tried to get a river taxi back.  We were drenched and out of luck. I went to the Won’s Restaurant and she helped us to locate someone who would get us some help.  I returned to LBK and was fortunate to get a staff member who would help us when the rain subsided. Forty-five minutes later we were back in our room.  It sure felt good to be home again, no matter that we were soaked. We changed into our pajamas and finally went to sleep.

The family has left on a two day trek into the backcountry to a “hide” to spot animals.  With my ankle and knee the ranger thought it would be too difficult for me. So I took advantage of the time and worked on the computer, finances and finished the Japan segment of the sketchbook.

Perhentian Islands:

Our entry into Malaysia was not complicated.  From the border we took a taxi ride to the Rapid Boat that will take us to the Perhentian Islands.  Once there we were transferred to smaller boats and brought to shore.  What an experience.  Of course the water was rough and we got wet from the knees on down.  Paul and I went exploring for shells and found some beautifully colored shells of different sizes. Dinner was an outdoor bar-b-que that featured fresh grilled kingfish.  It was really delicious.  We took a short walk on the beach and headed back to the cottage.

We left for Coral Bay around 10:00 am to explore that area.  We had heard that all of the shops and lodgings had been already closed.  The family went snorkeling and saw some fish, sea urchins, and coral.  We had the beach all to ourselves.  We met Pierre during this visit to the beach. On our way over I saw two large monitor lizards.

The following day I took some quiet time on the large rocks above the water and just looked out to sea at the glorious colors of the water.  It was a time to relax and think about the many wonders that had already happened on this journey.  And to be thankful for all of our friends that were offering prayers for us. Later in the day Peter and I prepared a Prayer Service to be held on the rocks in the late afternoon. During the service we reflected on our trip and the people we had met along the way that made a difference in our journey.  We also agreed to continue to reflect each evening on how God had impacted our day.  

 Well, I have decided to go on the snorkeling trip to five different islands and protect myself from the sun the best I can.  Yesterday I was sunburned as I spent my time alone on the rocks high above the ocean.  The trip was great and lots of fun.  I saw the large turtles and lots of rainbow, bright blue and a rust color fish.  The coral was so different from what you find on the shore; there were several different colors and shapes.  The driver gave me some food to feed the fish.  It felt tickly as they nipped my fingers.  I just laughed at the joy of being able to do this.  They came in swarms, and even after the food was gone they continued to tickle my fingers. What a wonderful day this was.

I woke to the rain coming down.  I guess it really is time to leave; the weather seems to be getting worse.  The rapid boat was awful.  The sea was choppy and we waited for two other boats so we could all cross together.  Ire was one of the longest rides (well almost) of the trip.  Paul and I were worried as the boat would hit a low spot in the sea and would crash to the ocean spraying water everywhere. We were soaked. I couldn't get out of this boat fast enough.

We made arrangements for a three day trek into the Ban Piang Ngam village. The trail began in the rice fields. I immediately fell into the field and got my foot stuck and Therese had to dig out my shoe. With my shoes now wet and slippery I had a difficult time walking on the dike that was about a foot wide. So I fell in a couple more times. Finally the dike became larger as we went through the field and moved into the jungle. This went fine for a short time until we started the ups and downs of the hills. The ground was of red clay that would stick to your shoes and cause more slipping. We stopped for a great lunch on the trail; however I was not so hungry at this time.