What a Difference a Year Makes

Our first year of traveling has been so many things: In order of when they occurred:

painful

scary

lonely

exciting

fun

chaotic

free

exceedingly happy

and now peaceful;

my dream come true.

Now that we've lived it and I can look back on the year, I realize that it was all about growing as people, that relationships are more important than possessions and the active act appreciating what and who we have in our lives.

 

 We have learned that we can live with less than we ever dreamed and be happier than when we had more than we needed.

 



We sold most of our possessions, left Texas for places unknown. and it was exciting.

After trains, planes, automobiles and ferries we landed in Langkawi.



 ...and it was good

 

 

After a while we went to Penang and found a place to stay..

 

 Penang is Amazing

  

and beautiful...

 



We helped where we could...

 

 

 

  
Grocery shopping was a wondrous occasion, chicken feet anyone?

 

Along with some humorous sights, many humorous sights...

 

 

 a hard hat AND a cowboy hat, why haven't I thought of that?

 

we travelled

 double-decker bus to Kuala Lumpur



the luxury bus to Thailand



 



Rio and her Dad- Koh Lanta, Thailand

River and his Dad, our room Koh Lanta, Thailand

Longboat ride to Koh Mook

Love that face...

 

Exploring Southern Thailand

Thaipusam: Pain and Devotion



Thaipusam

 

Wow! frightening* disturbing* eye opening* mind broadening* thought provoking*

 

I wanted to see and experience this festival mainly because I am a student of the human experience, the human human. I am fascinated by people and what they are all about, what they eat, what they believe.

This did not disappoint! In one day we observed pain in the name of devotion to a god, sacrificial hair cuts in gratitude of illnesses cured, and almost a million people who wanted to see and be a part of it. And eat lots of free curry.

 





 We were shocked to see men and a few women walking around with their bodies covered with everything from limes to small milk vessels to coconuts. They wore huge Kaviti, these big decorative shrine-like things on their bodies and walked for miles in the heat. They pierced their faces with swords, and some had giant hooks stuck through the skin on their back and were pulling other devotees. Each one stopped at every intersection along the procession route and cut a lime in quarters to throw to each of the four points of the intersection to prevent evil from entering the pierced devotee.

If I were better with words, I would paint a more detailed picture, one that would make you fee like you were right there-  I'm working on that... for now my photos will give you an idea of our experience.

The devotees carried milk to the temple

Each one of these little milk vessels is stuck through his skin with a hook

Some were almost fashionable...

others were of the thinking that more pain would show more devotion, so they leaned into it

Wow...Just Wow...

 

Kaviti

 

We watched this devotee from beginning to end, he was "our guy"

the spear pulls this fellow's mouth up into a snarly grin

 

And my favorite~ the people , the average Joes or Meeshanths just out and about for Thaipusam

No shoes in the temple

Resting and cooling off

the long walk up to the temple

even the young boys were proving their devotion

taking out the hooks

/walking back to our room I saw this...I'd like to join...