A day in the life

It's great to see people are following us. We both are excited to get to the computer and see how many comments are on the page. Thank you so much for all your wonderful messages, beautiful thoughts, and consistent prayers. Keep them coming as we will soon be venturing in to new unfamiliar territory after our 3 week stint in Koh Phi Phi. I'm not sure that we've really shared with you the depth of what we're seeing, hearing and doing so let me paint the picture. Every morning we wake up at 3:45 a.m. to take a half mile walk to the masjid to enjoy breakfast before starting our days fast. The path is poorly lit, with low grade rolling hills and ample amounts of frogs, giant snails, roosters, chickens and drunk international tourists stumbling back to their bungalows. In pursuit of a hearty meal we b-line for the resort patio giving out the traditional "sawat di ka (Good Morning)" as we pass unsuspecting morning goers who curiously mistake us for thais. When we return to our bungalow (5:30 a.m.), which sits about 3o meters up a mountain we get back in the bed for a few more hours of sleep. Stepping out onto the balcony around 9:45 a.m. we are met with the beauty of the ocean, green mountains in the distance, the sound of hammers smashing nails into wooden structures and a sing songy, "Good moning Amer i ka" from Mun one of the Thai hosts at our guesthouse. What a glorious day every day, until the bladder calls. We share a common bathroom with about 15 other backpackers and people take roughing it literally. The bathroom is a short descent off the veranda and once the flip flops come off at the door an abundance of bacteria goes on. I usually try to hold it as long as possible so I only have to repeat the ritual a couple of times a day. The toilets are flushed using a bucket of water to your right and you clean yourself with a hose on your left. At some point people must forget the steps. Between the insects, stale urine, black footprints on the floor, and mothball air fresheners to mask it all the state of these solitary cells is abysmal. Pretty much, they suck! It's taken a bit to get used to since it's a coed facility and the entrance/exit is in direct eyeshot from the restaurant. It wouldn't be a bad thing except it feels weird to exit the shower in front of dining guests. I struggle to keep my sarong around me with my towel underneath, head wrap draped from head to shoulders, t-shirt over it all and my shower bag on my arm while I drag myself to the room trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Meanwhile, girls prance down the steps in bikini panties passing out "good mornings" and "cheers". So we leave The Rock (the name of our guesthouse) close to 10:00 a.m. and spend the rest of the day at the Memorial Garden. On the way there we walk past lost businesses wiped out by the tsunami and putrid smells of sewage and excrement upon which people are rebuilding bungalows daily. Arriving at the garden is a breath of fresh air. The people, the view and the purpose all make it worthwhile. Believe me there are no complaints. It's an adventure worth having. When we finish our jobs between 5 and 5:30 we make it back to The Rock to wash off the days dirt in cold salt water, put on our night clothes and head out for dinner and cards for the evening. We're in bed somewhere between 10pm and 12am to get ready to do it all over again the next day. So good morning to you but good night to us since it's 11:40 p.m. and we must get ready for our last day on the island.

Joronda