Galle, Sri Lanka

I'm finally in Sri Lanka! It is 5:19 pm Saturday the 2nd and I am in
an internet cafe in Galle. Very slow connections so pictures may be
difficult to upload. These updates from here out may be more of a
factual nature than anything else. I don't have time to be creative
at the moment! There is so much for me to catch up on this blog but
so little time available to me right now.

The flight from Bangkok was uneventful but much different than my
previous flights. First off, I was exhausted. I slept nearly the
entire flight. I didn't drink anything or eat the dinner. My body
was rejecting the thought of everthing but sleep. It was basically a
system crash. I sat next to a lovely girl from England who has been
in Thailand for 7 weeks and just loves it. She was in SL to attend
her boyfriend's uncle's wedding.

We landed at 12:30 am and walked down the stairs of the portable
jetway. Entered a bus which drove us across the airport to the
terminal. I stood in line at customs for about 45 minutes. Out of
the 12 lines I picked the one with the guy who could care the least
about efficiency or us. He didn't ask a single question and looked at
me once. After about 5 minutes of pecking at the keyboard he handed me my stamped passport and I was officially in Sri Lanka!

Inside I found the baggage carousel and both bags made it checked thru all the way from S.F! I loaded them on a cart and made my way to the exit which was crawling with taxi drivers and signs. None had my name on it so as soon as I passed them i was approached and asked if I needed a ride. You are so exhausted by that time all you can do is say, "sure." Into a car we go and 5 minutes later I'm at Full Moon Garden Hotel. A lovely place with equally lovely people. I'm checking in at the desk outside when another van pulls up. This is all about 2:00 am. Out comes a guy a recognize from Bangkok. His name is Zach.

He's 20 from New Mexico but has just come from Austrailia and New
Zealand where he has been hiking and camping for a month. We are
quickly becoming good friends. He and I comprise just about the only
Americans in our group. Most are from England, a mom and daughter
from Kentucky, a couple from Virgin Gorda BVI, and two guys from BC Canada. Fantastic people all.

The Sri Lankans are the friendliest, kindest and warm hearted I have
ever met. Dispite all they have been through and the living
conditions which we would call appalling they are quick and eager with a shout of HELLO! from a window while waving and flashing their big beautiful white toothy grins. You cannot help but fall in love with them. When asked where I'm from I say Tennessee but they ask, "America right?" I say yes and the joy spreads over their face. It's almost as if meeting an American is a life goal. I've never felt sooo
humbled. I have addresses thrust upon me asking for pictures to send back that I take of us together. They want nothing more than to say hello and meet you. I guess I am as exciting to them as this place is to me.

The Galle Road from Colombo to Galle makes NASCAR look like amateur hour. Horns, brakes, and swerving all done without arguments or even concern. It's right hand drive here and it's just the way it is. Nobody gets upset or raises a voice. All horn honking is actually a system of signaling other pedestrians and motorists. It is a dance of traffic which I cannot understand.

I am forever comparing here with home and ask myself how can we have so much and complain about everything while these people have comparatively nothing and only want a happy life. It's fantastic. This is what life is about. People. Not the pusuit of stuff. This is it's own reward and I am forever changed.

As I am typing this a young man next to me is asking me where I'm from and wants my email address to correspond. He says he wishes all people had our hearts and is very grateful for us being here. I didn't even tell him why I was here. They just know.

The monsoon season has started early and rains on and off during the day. Work is slow due to mortar work getting wet and we haven't actually started construction yet. This will change in the morning. If weather delays us tomorrow I am going to find another site called the Galle Project that may have rain work for us. I met a British medical doctor named Christa in the morning after my first night at Full Moon Garden. We had breakfast together and she had been here for 5 weeks. She gave me the Galle project info as a backup plan and was very helpful and a delight to talk with and then she caught a plane back home. That's how it is here. Friends within minutes and then part ways.

My mind is a blur right now. So much to tell and so little time. Zach and I walked in the monsoon rain to Galle just now to experience what most do which is walk the streets. It was about 4km and a great walk. We are experiencing the hero's welcome which was promised in Iraq. Smiles and hellos the entire way. People stopping offering us rides, for a fee of course, but they politely smile and wave when you
say no thank you we're walking. I cannot feel anything but the knowledge that I am exactly where I should be. I've never felt anything like this. I explained to Christa about my Serendipity experience and how just that morning I noticed my backpack of 3 years had a "Made in Sri Lanka" tag inside when I was packing for Galle. How many things do you know of made in Sri Lanka in your home? Not many I'm sure. What are the odds of that??? I cannot tell you how weird that was. Christa just said, "So it's happening to you." I knew what she meant. She said that is more common than you think. When you are acting out of pure love and intent things have a way of falling in place. She told me similar stories which she experienced.
About needing supplies or an expert in some field which seemed near impossible to procure and they would arrive the next day on site without warning.

I cannot state enough how fantastic the Singhalese are. They need our help and support. So much more than they are getting. Govts get in the way as does greed. Many many only see relief from efforts such as ours. You don't need to sign up with GC. Just get on a plane to SL and hire a car to Galle for $30. You will be taken care of. Everything else is just details. This is where it's at.

I met James today from I think Minnessota. He approached me after orientation and we introduced ourselves. He said my site is how he found out about the project and seemed very pleased to meet me. I was more than pleased he told me. I cannot explain what that feels like.

Sorry for the rambling and I'll try to put my thoughts in better order but this past 48 hours has been surreal. The flight, the volunteers, the surroundings, the people and the purpose make it all perfect. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else on the planet. Take care until next time and find love in each other and in what you do. If you can't then come here and the Singalese will teach you by example. Love is all
there is.

I'm off to find my group. They left the cafe 45 minutes ago. I'll try to burn some pics and upload a few next time. Take care and I
wish you all could be here. They want you here and, trust me when I say this, you need to be here as much for them as for yourself.

Chris

Bangkok, Thailand

It is Thursday 3/31 at 2:29 p.m. in Bangkok, Thailand and I am in the China Airlines Dynasty Club in stealth mode. I didn't have a pre-printed boarding pass for Colombo because even though the tickets were bought through China Airlines I'm flying Sri Lankan today and in so many broken English words, the downstairs desk said no Dynasty Club for you. But, at this stage I feel like I've earned a notch or two so I try my luck at the actual club doors. I show them the Club card I have and at least the last name matches mine. I explain I don't have a boarding pass because Sri Lankan Air doesn't open it's transfer desk until 2 hours before boarding and the club will be closed at that point. "No problem." The lovely Thai woman at the desk says as she writes my name, or my father's name down (sorry 'bout that dad) and my flight and puts it in a drawer. Sweet! I'm in like Flynn with internet access, food, drink and I'll be in Colombo soon anyway. Boy, are these clubs convenient. (Dad, if you're in Bangkok any time soon I'd suggest a pseudonym.)

Last time I wrote I was complaining about my road grime. Well, after I sat at the computer terminal for 2 hours in my funky smelling shirt at the Taipei Dynasty Club this morning, I asked if they might have a place I could clean up. Before I knew it, I had a basket with toiletries and 2 clean towels. I was led to a large private bathroom with shower, hair dryer and the works! No, I don't need a hair dryer but as you'll see it came in handy.

I was so grateful to get the stink off me I because I knew I had another 2 flights coming up with no chance of showering. But, then I spied my shirt hanging across the marble bathroom and still reeking. Hmmm. Shirt is CoolMax 100% polyester and I see a hair dryer. Into the shower the shirt goes. I soap and scrub it along with the rest of me. I have about 30 minutes to board a plane to Bangkok so I'm keeping an eye out on the clock and an ear on the overhead speaker. Every minute or so I have to stop the hair dryer because a pleasant "Ding, dong, ding" chimes and an announcement about some flight to some distant land is announced in 2 languages so each pause lasts as long as I can dry. Let's just say it was an interesting study in multi-tasking. "Ding, dong, ding. Now boarding flight 423 to Kuala Lumpur gate A-8." Nope not me. I continue to get dressed quickly and drying my now clean shirt. It dries pretty good but it's still damp. And white. Fun. I throw on the damp shirt and cover myself with my fleece. Down to A-4 to catch my flight and it's business class again! Fortunately, my body heat dried the poly shirt in about 45 minutes as it's designed to do. I bought these shirts for hiking and working on this project because I knew cotton wouldn't cut it in Sri Lanka. Anyway, bone dry and smelling like a rose the flight was fantastic. I felt so rested after that shower I had my wits about me a little better and may have enjoyed this flight as much as the SF-Taipei leg.

I forgot business class was for this flight as well but let's just say it was the same excellent service as out of S.F. Smoked salmon, sushi, fresh fruit, shrimp, you know, the usual lunch. Plus, the video screens had a channel which let you watch the ground in front of the plane or directly under from under-mounted cameras. No joke. As we are landing I get to watch Bangkok, Thailand grow closer underneath us from my private 10" color monitor while sipping Jasmine tea. Was I talking smack about consumerism a few days ago? Everything in moderation. That's what I meant.

On the flight over here I was reading my Sri Lanka guide book and came upon a very interesting note. Actually, I think it's more than interesting. I was writing of happy accidents a few days ago in relation to missing the earthquake on my way to Sri Lanka. It seems early Arab traders called Sri Lanka "Serendib" through the English word serendipity. Serendipity is defined as, "The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident" also a synonym for "the making of happy accidents by chance." I feel something bigger than me at work here.

Anyway, I'm in 90+ degree Bangkok and you can feel the humidity wetly throbbing through the plate glass windows. I just finished a 30 minute foot, leg, head, neck, back, arm, and hand massage by 2 Thai women in a kiosk for 600 bhat. About $15.70. Good deal I thought. It's pretty surreal to be in 3 airports and 2 continents in less than 24 hours and contemplating all this as you watch the blades of a bamboo ceiling fan circle overhead while you get a deep oil massage in Bangkok. I'm feeling limber and ready to get to work.

I'll be in Colombo tonight before midnight as I drop one more hour and then it's on to Galle in the morning. Did I tell you I completely skipped Wednesday? I left Tuesday midnight and arrived Thursday morning. Hello? I'm 2 days older than I was yesterday. But, I'll get it back when I return. What if you just kept flying in the other direction? Would you get continually younger? My friend Jim popped that one on me when I explained my schedule. Hmmm. I'll have to ponder that during my next massage in 2 weeks on the way back.

I've never had the experience of knowing nobody is talking to me because I can't understand a word around me most of the time. It's kind of pleasant. Like a fly on a wall. Now I know exactly how those strangers in a strange land feel when I see them on my shores. I'll remember to extend a kind nod of the head or quick smile next time that happens. It means a lot I can tell you. As you walk the terminals of whatever airport your eyes inevitibly lock onto other westerners eyes. It's a bit of a brotherhood out here. It seems very natural and almost welcomed to ask a complete stranger something as if you know them, because compared to everyone else around, you do.

I've emailed the GC contacts with my new details since I missed my original flight so I don't really know if I'm being met or not tonight. I have several contact numbers and I know of 2 hotels in Colombo the volunteers stay in so I'm not worried.

Well, here's where the real story starts and the reason your reading what I'm writing. I'm anxious to find out what happened with the volunteers after the 2nd tsunami scare a few days ago. Looking forward to some good sleep tonight in Colombo when I find a home with my name on it. (Or my dad's for that matter:)

-Chris

Taipei, Taiwan

It is Thursday March 31st at 6:41 a.m. and I am sitting in the Taipei China Airlines Dynasty Club. I made it! Well, at least this far anyway which is pretty darn far. The flight was amazing. The upgrade to business class on China Airlines thanks to all those Hong Kong miles was incredible. I've never had service like that anywhere let alone an airplane.

I had my own row in the upper deck of a 747 and I truly felt out of place. Who gets used to service like that? There was a large crowd of people, 99.9% Asian, at the gate but I was let on first with the rest of business and first class. I was escorted to the stairway where I was greeted by classical music floating down from above. At the top of the stairs I was greeted by two BEAUTIFUL flight attendants who pointed me towards the forward seats There are only 24 seats up here of which only half would be used. I casually strolled towards my seat as if I had "been there, done that" only to discover 5 minutes later that I was in the wrong seat. And row. It wasn't confusing, I was just out of it. They pointed to my correct seat and I immediately sat in the wrong one again. I simply pointed out that I wanted to try all the seats on for size. Yes, we all had a good laugh at me. I think.

My seat was 2nd row right side. Two seat to a side and I had both for lounging. Foot stools, reclining seatbacks, the works. The flight attendants couldn't have been more kind or gracious. Slippers for the feet, hot towels for the face, GLASSES of juice, private 6" screen in the arm-rest with my choice of about 5 movies, 10 Nintendo games, or an animated airplane screen that showed our exact position on the globe with all the in-flight stats a geek like me would enjoy. At one point I noticed we were over Japan's coastline at 540 mph, 35,000 feet, and -70 degrees F but, with the wind I'm guessing it felt like -700 F. I felt just a bit out of place in my tattered cargo pants and a smelly shirt. I wasn't planning on living out of a carry-on that long! Think, peace-corps volunteer wins the lotto and immediately books one of the nicest flights possible.

An hour after takeoff I was served my pre-takeoff ordered prosciutto wrapped sea bass with lobster ravioli. That was after the salad and sushi appetizers. A fruit plate and tiramisu followed everything. I'm sure I just lost all my sympathy votes so I may as well tell you after my 4-5 hour nap swaddled in pillows and blankets and watching Friday Night Lights and Ladder 49, I was served breakfast at around 3:00 a.m. of wild mushroom and Swiss cheese omelette. Preceded, of course, by a fruit plate and croissant. After my coffee I went to the bathroom which is fairly private since there are only a few of us using it. Everytime someone exited, an attendant went in to straighten things for the next person. James Bond never had it so good.

All the passengers kept to themselves and no one said a word to anyone else. I tried to catch an eye or two to no avail. The attendants were very nice and engaging though. I'm sure I fell in love a time or two somewhere over the Pacific.

It is slightly disturbing to my better sensibilities of the service I just received. I'm not used to being waited on hand and foot especially with where I am going. But, I don't make the rules I just follow them, sometimes happily. The juxtaposition of that flight and what is to come in the next 20 hours will be extraordinary. I will completely go from one end of the comfort spectrum to the other quicker than you can say tiramisu. Perhaps this will be a good lesson in truly understanding the differences between the have-alls and the have-nothings.

Oh, yes. I must also mention when I left the S.F. airport Hyatt my bill was somewhat different than I had expected. Due to my staggering around the S.F. airport at 4:00 a.m. 2 1/2 days prior, I forgot to get a "distressed passenger voucher" for a discount at the Hyatt. Add to that 2 room service meals and 3 nights instead of 2 because I need the extra time in the room before my midnight flight Tuesday, I was expecting a rather large bill. When I checked out I didn't need to sign anything so they just handed me my receipt, smiled and said "Thank you for your stay." My hotel bill was about 1/3 what it should have been. I don't know if Jasmit had a hand in this but since he helped me so much at the business center I have to suspect as much. Thank you Jasmit and the entire Hyatt staff! My stay couldn't have gone any better and you were an oasis for this weary traveler.

Combining this unexpected courtesy with the wonderful emails I am receiving it's all a bit overwhelming. Thank you all so much for the well wishes and prayers. Keep them coming! Your support means so much to me and the mental journey to come, I suspect, will be the hardest road to walk.

My flight for Bangkok leaves at 9:10 a.m. in just a few hours and lasts 3 hours 40 minutes. It won't be a 747 but I think I'll survive. Then a 9 hour layover in Bangkok and finally a 3.5 hour flight to Colombo which will arrive there 11:30 p.m. tonight. Just in time for me to ask, "Huh?"

I'm not sure when I'll be able to check in next. Maybe hours, maybe days, but as soon as I can I will. Until then...

-Chris

Across the Bay for a Day

I was so tired last night that falling asleep early was no problem. After blogging and before I hit the hay I decided to book a tour which would take me over the Golden Gate Bridge to the Muir National Monument (Redwood Forest) and then down to Salsalito before coming back across the bay. Ashley, at the concierge desk was a great help with lining everything up for me. Thanks, it was great!

We left at 8:00 am and had a really knowledgeable driver named Jon who told us about everything about the Monument's history on the way over. We were in a large bus which was really nice. The name of the tour group is Super Sightseeing Tours and well worth the $45 for a 5-hour tour. This included hotel pickup and return! Much cheaper than renting and driving yourself.

It was drizzling a little but somehow that really added to the magnificent redwood forest. Those babies drink A LOT of water. We only had 1.5 hours but given my time constraints it was perfect. I could have spent days wondering among those giants.

Back in the bus we headed to the rich and famous Salsalito, CA. With lots of art galleries and boutiques this is a great place to drop some serious cash. There are a lot of famous people living in this area: Sean Penn, George Lucas, Grace Slick, etc... I walked along the docks admiring the sailboats and the view of the bay which look back over toward San Francisco, Angel Island, Alcatraz, and the Bay Bridge. After a quick lunch we hopped back on board and since we were all good little tourists and came back on time we were driven up the hill to the right of the Golden Gate Bridge before going back across. This gives a fantastic view of the bridge. It's the money shot. For the driver that is! They work and talk a lot for those tips.

Back across the bridge and into the city I wondered around the Fisherman's Wharf area again while waiting for my photos. I missed the return shuttle due to getting pictures developed, but I grabbed a ride with one of the drivers who was going that way. He was from Spain and a very friendly man who loves this country. He says it has it's bad things like any other country, but most importantly it was fair. Fair means something different to a person from a country that would allow a rich citizen to pre-pay a fine before shooting a peasant. You can't make this stuff up.

You will notice a new album has now been posted. I'm about to go up to the room for a power-nap which will hopefully sustain me for most of my 13.5 hour flight this evening. This may work out well.

I've been chatting to my new friend Jasmit here at the Hyatt Business Center who is from India originally. A very nice, intelligent and charming young man who looks ready to take on the world. We've been talking webmaster stuff. Good nerd talk going on here! Let me know if you need any more tips Jasmit! He's recommended a spot for a great cup of milk tea upstairs in the Taipei airport which I'll have to try.

It seems that the recent earthquake did create a smaller tsunami but it fortunately traveled south instead of west again. I'm sure everyone is on their toes at this point and hopefully won't be caught by surprise again. Sri Lanka's coasts were evacuated further inland but I don't know any details yet. I'm sure I will soon enough.

Tonight I'm finally headed over the big blue. See you on the other side.

-Chris

Hotel California

It is Monday 6:03 p.m. pacific time and I am in the business center of the SF Airport Hyatt. Things certainly could be worse. I could have NOT sat in my seat on the Nashville tarmac for 3 hours only seconds before takeoff due to weather in ATL and made my original flight out of Atlanta. ("Look kids, Big Ben. Parliament.") I COULD have caught my 12:05 a.m. flight to Taipei out of S.F. but instead I missed it by 3 hours. I could have made it all the way to Bangkok with my bags checked through instead of having to pick up my luggage (all 3-bags and 110 lbs. of it) in SF at 3:30 am, drag it through a deserted airport, up a flight to the departure lounge, across a rainy roadway to the shuttle median, and wait for the Hyatt shuttle which allowed me to fall asleep at 5:30 a.m. pacific time. I could have NOT gone through the hassle of all that and made all my flights with clear weather only to now be somewhere in the middle of the Indonesian earthquake.

So instead of making all my flights and being in SL right now, I missed one flight, an 8.7 Indonesian earthquake, and spent a perfect day walking up and down the hills of San Francisco with trolley bells in my ears and SF Bay waves at my feet. Happy accident or just an accident? I think attitude decides. This lesson never gets old to me and I hope to always recognize it; By not predefining your path you allow the path to define you.

I had pulled an all-nighter on the plane from ATL to SF since I was determined to bust through the inevitable jetlag a day early. Knowing that I would pick up my Taipei flight the following midnight, I knew I was still on schedule sleep-wise. That was until my room phone rang at about 10:30 a.m. and my dad told me no problem with my flights being rescheduled (thanks again dad and Sandra!) but I may want to turn on the news as there was another large earthquake in the same area as Dec. 26th! Of course, who knows what would have been, but arriving a few days late in SL and touring SF instead has to be better than being somewhere in Asia between flights when that earthquake hit.

There is a flight from Bangkok to Colombo only every other day, so when I missed my flight out of SF we decided for me to wait here 2 days instead of just one. This allows me to avoid an overnight stay in Bangkok with 110 lbs of luggage in tow. Again.

I have just returned from riding the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) which is SF's rail system into downtown SF and the bay area. I got off BART at the Powell Street Station and the place was hopping with energy. Blue skies and 65 degrees and alone in SF! Where do I go first? I paid $3 for a one-way trolley ride up and over the hills all the way to it's end-of-line just short of Fishermans Wharf. A 10 minute walk found me in the heart of the seafood district and all the shrimp and crab sandwiches a person could want.

I had a nice lunch with an older couple from NY. I didn't catch their names and they didn't get mine but they both were stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack, have lived in Saudi Arabia, and had a sense of humor to match. Good stuff.

From there I walked along the bay park and just enjoyed the street vendors, sights and sounds. The people here are as diverse as the landscape. I think a few have been here way too long. :) After about 5-10 miles and 4 hours of walking up and down, up and down, and back up again, I made my way back to the BART and hotel where I now sit. Walking the hills of SF on five hours of sleep after an all-nighter in wild airplane rides takes it's toll. I may do some more touring tomorrow before finally making my way west/far-east at midnight but I may need more rest.

I found a place to burn a few pics onto a CD and have loaded them in the album. Some are posted sideways so I'll have to figure that out later. Take a look and I'll see you in Taipei. (maybe)

-Chris

Have Smile, Will Travel

How do you prepare for a trip like this? Two months of preparation has netted 110 lbs. of gear in two army duffel bags, a carry-on backpack, 7 immunization shots, loads of new equipment and a world of unknowns ahead. How can you possibly prepare to travel to a third world country that has been wrecked by one of the largest natural disasters we have ever seen? I could pack for another 2 months and still not be prepared for what may lay ahead. Then again, how do you prepare to have your ENTIRE family, home, friends, job, economy, community, and the very ground you walk on to be swept away by a tsunami? How on Earth do you handle that????? Earth. That word is about to earn a whole new meaning to me.

Enough talk, it's time to go. Tomorrow will be a day I never envisioned for myself and one nobody wished necessary. These past 3 days have been a non-stop whirlwind of activities and last-minute thoughts. I stopped by my local Lowe's Home Improvement Center in Cookeville on Friday and asked if they would be interested in donating a few tools for the cause. Before I knew it I had 5 canvas tool belts, a tape measure, a complete set of masonry tools, and a nice first aid kit. Thank you Lowe's for coming through without hesitation. These supplies will be well used and appreciated. Also, the passport arrived not on Monday, as promised, but on Wednesday, as expected. Anyway, enough of that.

The posted times on my blog will be US central time and are automatically displayed when updated by the Blogger system, but I will post in my entries the local Sri Lankan time just to completely confuse you. Also, I was mistaken on the time difference in my earlier post but it did make a good story. India is indeed one big time zone on the half-hour but Sri Lanka is exactly 12 hours ahead of central time not 11.5. Normally they are 11 hours ahead but do not recognize daylight savings time. Learned enough about that? Me too. Just switch your A.M.'s and P.M.'s and you'll know where I am, because I probably won't. :)

I understand there is internet access in some of the airports and I will try to say hello between flights. Five planes and six airports in 2 days and I'll be happy with whatever accommodations I can find at the end.

Please note the new page, "Thank You", on the left-side menu. Also, the Photos page has a new link at the top which will open a new window to my offsite photo album. This album will be updated whenever I get my camera's memory card transferred and uploaded. Well, until then and as Forrest Gump would say, "That's about all I've got to say about that."

-Chris