Pardon My Laughter!! Heather, oh Heather!
When I found out you were going on this retreat I had a chuckle or two, but after reading your account I could not contain myself. I am quite impressed you held out for 3 days.
There are many interpretations of Buddhist philosophy just as there are Christianity. Not all monestary's are like this and in fact a few encourage song and laughter as these are special gifts of the divine. They feel that if we hide them, it is like we are not appreciative of these gifts. There is a similar analogy between strict old-order and new-age Christians.
Well it has been snowing steady since Sunday but today (Friday) we have had a reprieve. The snowbanks along are driveway are close to 2m now.
Have fun on the islands. There should be some neat wildlife to see and hear.
Ken Mc
Flavourable Experiences Hi Heather,
To me, your trip accounts are like little nibbles and bites of a large multi-course meal. Some bites are mouth watering and some bites have a unique taste or consistency. I can't wait to take a nibble of the next course in the meal. Thailand should bring many new and unique tastes to your palete. Watch out for the HOT stuff.
We are all doing great...Lauren is enjoying BunnyRabbits (she calls her group the BunnyRockets). Today is sunny, calm and -15. A big hug from the Sault.
Ken
in awe... wow heather. im completely amazed by everything you're seeing!
i can imagine how life-changing it all must be. its a good thing you had those wet wipes ;)
i can't believe youve been gone for over 3 months now! - more than 100 days!
we all miss you like crazy!
xoxoxo
WOW! Hey kiddo! I sure hope you've got lots of pictures of the Batu Caves, they look absolutely amazing! I can't wait to see all the pictures and hear about all your experiences. (I'll probably have to book a week with you... maybe fly you out to Boston!?!?)
Its finally cold over here, and getting our first taste of winter. Actually got just over an inch of snow the other day! Gotta love Global Warming.
Travel safe. Glad you are enjoying yourself and have familiar company.
Love Ashley
Wow, some statues I am so happy you 2 are together, the Wiles bunch all seem to be having somewhat of new experiences this yr, Love you both, from St Lucia
Selamat Datang (Welcome) Hello Heather, great pictures of Kuala Lumpur or KL as the locals call it and yes the city remains alive and vibrant as you describe it despite the wee hours of the morning.
The hike up to Batu Caves is certainly a great test of one's endurance + looking out for those monkeys as they do come close to you. One sometimes need Kung Ku experience to combat the monkeys + other surprises you get at the Caves. But what a adventure that is.
Strangely over time some of the famous spots or attractions have become rather foggy in my head.
See if you can make it to watch the famous turtle laying eggs ceremony and I wish I could tell you which island it is. Just slipped my mind. The locals would know. Not sure if this is the season either.
Since English is spoken throughtout West Malaysia you will not have too much of a problem communicating with the locals.
Are you in the middle of the Landas (rainy season) right now?
Enjoy your travels. Jumpah Lagi (Till we meet again) and take care.
Cheers
vila
welcome to Asia! Welcome to Asia Heather!!!!!
Isn't it freakin' crazy?? So different and exciting ... all the new wonders will completely wear you down, so make sure you're eating healthy. What language do they speak there?
As for the water ... definitely feel free to brush your teeth with tap water. We were using bottled water as well for the first few weeks, but we looked into it and it is okay to rinse and spit with the water. So save your funds! If you can figure it out, there are water stations everywhere in Asian cities and it is much cheaper to fill up your water bottles there rather than buying it from any convenience store or supermarket.
Take care!!!!
wow! hey heather- those caves are incredible. i had to look at the statue a couple of times, i almost couldn't believe it. i can't believe all the amazing things and places you are getting to experience. i'm so glad you have some familiar company for a while as well, nothing like the absence of family to make you appreciate it that much more. i'm off to aus tomorrow, but i'll try to check in ASAP! xoxo love, steph
All caught up on your amazing journey Happy New Year Heather! Wow...I just finally caught up on reading all of your entries and wow you are doing some amazing adventure travelling. I feel like my breath is taken away just seeing your pictures I can't imagine what it's like actually seeing the mountains, waterfalls, forests and wildlife. I will certainly be sending you an email real soon, life in Trinidad is pretty relaxd and work is slowly taking shape :) Miss you!
Love Kim
Have Fun!! Hey Heather! I know you're super excited about this next part of your trip. I'm glad that you'll have some company for this part, I'm sure you'll really enjoy it! And it puts me at ease knowing you won't be alone, since it'll probably be safer, hehe. I miss you lots, I know time will fly from now until you come home. I can't wait to see you in a few months! Love Hillary
Incredible pictures Hey H- The scenery is unbelievable, and your descriptions are so vivid that I feel like I'm there when I'm reading them. Definitely laughed about the JT soundtrack :) That is so cool that your parents did the same Track when they were there, what a neat way to connect with them. Good luck on your next leg of the journey (and apologies for the lack of emails at the moment, I'm packing like crazy here). You're in my thoughts and prayers :) Love, Steph
Beautiful pictures Heather and a great description of the forest. The southern beech certainly have little in common with our beech. By the way...those pictures in your mind? They will reamin a lifetime. I can still see the pass you describe at the top and the walk through the beech forest as clear as it was 30 years ago. Thanks for the memories. Love Dad
What an impressive hike! Hi Heather,
I can't believe you did that hike in 2 days with time to spare! It looks like it was tough and the scenery looks unreal! You must be getting into good shape there...
It's nice to hear that you had a fun time on New Years and that you're still seeing so many interesting things.
I look forward to hearing about your next adventure! I'm sure I'll be emailing you soon....I had some adventures of my own in Cancun this past week with Skye!
Take care,
Kristen
Hi Heather
I'm sure enjoying your travel blog and your pictures make me feel as if I'm there. Keep them coming. We are printing them off and reading them to Grandmum at the hospital who takes delight in hearing of your travels.
With love,
Uncle Lorne
ahhhhhh heather!!! everything you do looks soo cool!!! i can't wait till im done school and can go travel like you!!! and now you get to meet up with april like u guys planned!! so lucky! i love reading your adventures, so keep on posting! and ur pictures are awsome too! missed you at christmas.
love julie
AWESOME! Hey Heather!
Good for you for bungee jumping! I've been twice now, and the second time was scarier than the first. I would love to jump in New Zealand though. However, I have heard that in South Africa they have the highest bungee jump in the world. 216 m!!! And there are rumours of an even bigger one in Nepal, but I wouldn't recommend jumping there!
Happy new year to you too!
Missing you Great talking to you at Hill's last week. Wish I could've talked longer, but it was nice to catch up for a few minutes! Jealous of your New Years still....especially b/c I was missing my favourite girl to kiss at midnight jk! Enjoy your last little bit in New Zealand and be careful once you move on!!!!!
Happy New Year You definitely have more guts than me. I could feel my stomach doing flip flops just thinking about it. I will DEFINITELY NOT tell Gillian and Peter about it. Queenstown sounds like a great place to be on New Years. Take good care and keep having fun.
Lecture Time!! OK, time for the lecture. Wait a minute...you've already had this lecture. So much for lectures!! Just no more like it, including your attraction to parachuting. Really great camera shot though.
Bad Girl! BAD BAD GIRL!! Heather didn't you listen to us -NO BUNGEE JUMPING!!!! WHAT'S NEXT doing the Shotover River, running barefoot up the Cook glacier!
Brave kid you are.
Love Mum.
happy new year! heather!!! first of all, i cant believe you did that! im so jealous - and impressed!
also, i was so excited when i saw that there were THREE blogs that i hadnt read yet!!!
christmas with the fam in the caribbean was amazing, as was new years last night... i hope you had fun ringing in the new year as well - Queenstown sounds like a fantastic place.
alright, still missing you!!!
talk to you soon
xoxoxo
Happy New Year! Heather... you've definitely got more guts than I do! I'm amazed you did the bungy jumping... but good for you. The video was awsome. I'm glad to hear you are having a good holiday over there. BBQ at christmas? I guess a few people could have been doing that over here too. Have a great New Year, and many more adventures. All the best.
Kevin
Garlic What? Great descriptions Heather. I feel like I'm right there with you. You had me worried at one point though. For a moment I thought you might have inherited Granddad Hibbard's tastes in food!
Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas & Great New Year Heather: I read your account of this hike with interest and a little bit of envy. Michael and I spent some time in New Zealand a thousand years ago, well actually it just feels like that. It was actually about 20. I remember the beautiful beaches, Kauri trees, giant trees ferns, the Rotorua hot springs, hiking up active volcanoes, etc. I also remember that there were 25 million sheep and 5 million people. I remember eating lamb sausage with about 25 sheep watching me, or so it seemed.
A forester classmate of mine - Janice Bianco married a New Zealander and lives on the South Island. She is into hiking, as well.
You might be surprised to know that Gillian is now learning to drive, and they wonder why monthers get grey hair. Actually she is doing fine.
As I am sure your parents have told you, we had a GREEN Christmas in SSM this year. We are hoping that the snow arrives soon.
We are glad to hear that you are doing well, stay safe and take care.
Betty
Greetings from the SOO! MERRY CHRISTMAS DUDE!!!! Great to here you are having a blast. I love reading your blog as it brings back all of my great travelling memories (although with different scenery). Anyhoo, just wanted to say hi, and let you know I was thinking of you this christmas. We miss you in the soo and wish you were here to celebrate with us in TRUE soo styles across for new years, we will definitely toast to your adventures.
I am off to London January 9th. So let me know when you have a better idea of when you will be reaching jolly old england and we will have to meet up for a pint or two!
Miss ya,
Jo
Ken McIlwrick
non-member comment
Pardon My Laughter!!
Heather, oh Heather! When I found out you were going on this retreat I had a chuckle or two, but after reading your account I could not contain myself. I am quite impressed you held out for 3 days. There are many interpretations of Buddhist philosophy just as there are Christianity. Not all monestary's are like this and in fact a few encourage song and laughter as these are special gifts of the divine. They feel that if we hide them, it is like we are not appreciative of these gifts. There is a similar analogy between strict old-order and new-age Christians. Well it has been snowing steady since Sunday but today (Friday) we have had a reprieve. The snowbanks along are driveway are close to 2m now. Have fun on the islands. There should be some neat wildlife to see and hear. Ken Mc