Three years ago, while in Lesotho, our van experienced a broken tire trying to make a U-turn on a road that was not yet built, but existed on a map (since they didn’t want to print new maps when it was finished). We were in an isolated area and it was very cold, so we walked to stay warm. It was great to meet children in an area not visited by Americans, and the surrounding land was breathtaking.
Today, a parallel experience occurred. On the way to Nakhon Si Thammarat, which is about 75 miles north of Bangkok, near Myanmar, our bus experienced mechanical difficulties. Since it was not possible to fix the engine, they called for another bus to come and pick us up, which would take some time to arrive.
Luckily, we found ourselves in a small town, complete with much to see, including a 7-11, a temple, and shoe store.
Ok, I admit it, I bought two pairs of shoes. But, they were so cute and so cheap! I got two pairs of shoes for less than US$13.00. I did have to prove to the woman at the store, several times, that my feet would fit into the shoes. I guess they anticipate American women having Amazon sized feet, and my size 7.5 were stereotype breaking.
We also had a chance to meet some Chinese monks, who showed us the temple. This included two mummified monks, both of who died naturally, but during their lives experienced deep meditations. Their bodies were sealed in some kind of metal, it looks like gold, but it could be bronze. The belief is that a third monk will also experience the same deep mediation, and they are keep a place to put his mummified body when that occurs.
When the bus arrived, the mural of The Lion King on the side was funny to me, although I originally could not say why. Then, I remembered our family drive from Minnesota to Florida during Spring Break, and how my sister and I watched the video over and over again. By the time we arrived to Daytona Beach my dad had the words memorized. My sister would love the side of the bus.
No comments:
Post a Comment