Reflections from Asia (Pt. I)

Sunset at Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Bangkok, Thailand.

The trail to the Tham Khao Makaeo cave on Koh Lanta Yai.

Traveling in Asia feeds my heart in so many ways, yet equally confounds my mind in just as many ways. I have a deep affinity for so much of the culture--and yes, some of those things that drive my mind wild. Refreshingly different things juxtaposed with heart wrentching incongruencies has kept me pondering this trip, I thought I'd share a few of them here:

• Seemingly outrageous and chaotic traffic. This took some time to understand. While it seems chaotic and out of control, really, people and drivers are far more courteous,  inclusive and cooperative. There seems to be an attitude of "we're all in this together trying to live our lives and reach our destination. I want you to be safe and happy, too." This makes sense in a predominently Buddhist region given that keeping others' happiness in our hearts and minds is a Buddhist tenet-- we all want happiness and here we take the time to help others be happy. We've heard of some hairy accidents, but for the volume of traffic, they seem relatively small in comparison. I recently rented a scooter for a few days on the island of Koh Lanta. Learning how to drive on the left side of the road is challenging enough, but merging traffic, blurred and ignored divider lines, and roads needing repair kept me mindful and in the moment!
  
• Things are not perfect nor perfectly safe. Jim and I were not the only ones that found this refreshing. While in general, safety and boundaries can actually increase our ability to be more creative and fulfilled (we're not having to struggle with our basic needs), some cultures have regulated moment-by-moment living out of life through excessive concern with safety and boundaries. Our trek to the Tham Khao Makaeo cave on Koh Lanta brought this foremost in our minds. What we thought was going to be a simple, overpriced tourist trap walk into an open crevice in a mountainside turned into a three-hour exhilarating trek...
  

Can life be perfectly safe? What gets lost when we try to make it so?

• ...through luxurious forests, up steep waterfalls (sometimes with a rope assist, sometimes not), and a full hour in caves and tunnels. Huge, slippery slabs of rock, rickety plank bridges, narrow, steep ladders and the pièce de résistance, crawling on our bellies through a tight crevice to reach the bat-covered exitway. Jim called it "vigorous" and I concur! (I was grateful for a yoga session on the beach earlier that morning to limber up and a beachside Thai massage a few days later to recover!)
  
• More on imperfection. When things are too perfect or easy, we have a tendency to space out--we don't need to pay attention to moment-by-moment detail. In Thailand, we have to pay attention to virtually every step, lest there be a paver ajar that will trip us up. Who is responsible for their ultimate safety and well being? There was no question on our hike to the cave that if something were to happen, we would be fully responsible. There were no waivers or explanations of dangers beforehand. I thought virtually every time we crossed a bridge or shimmied up a rock waterfall, "Surely this will be safe. They wouldn't put us in harms way." But each time I knew the answer, "We are doing this at our own risk."  Ultimately, there are no guarantees in life and we are all subject to pain and loss--regardless of the safeguards around us. Visiting underdeveloped countries becomes an exercise in mindfulness itself--from walking on uneven sidewalks to looking for potholes while scootering to our next destination. Our own safety is literally dependent on our present moment awareness.
  

The trail to the Tham Khao Makaeo cave on Koh Lanta Yai.

This is a wall design made of shells at the Kunda Cafe, Koh Lanta Yai, Thailand.

• Everyday items sometimes include inspired artistic flair. Slower paced life seems to afford more opportunity for attention to detail and artistic expression--and not just with the more affluent--tile work, wood work and clothing are filled with intricate patterns and deliberate style. What we do with what we have at our disposal is up to us--we can create art, nothing at all, or something ugly. Speaking of ugly...
  

• Garbage garbage everywhere! While it's not refreshing to come across the smell or scene of piles of discarded waste, at least it is not hidden away in some bucolic, sterile illusion that we are not amassing choking amounts of garbage from our consumer-driven lifestyles. As I wrote about the final project for my Bachelors, the problem is NOT that we throw things away--packaging is necessary for all kinds of products and we've been doing this since we learned how to carry items from one place to the next. Discarding used up, old and broken things on the trail was not only expedient, our waste contributed to the cycle of life by feeding other beings and the soil itself. The problem we see with our castoffs now is the material we've chosen for packaging--namely plastic--and its lack of biodegradability. It doesn't seem to fit in the scheme of health for ourselves or the planet. I continue to contend that if we could address this one factor, we would not have the waste problem we do on the planet. Biodegradable sources of packaging--particularly single use packaging--are a must if we are to continue in any sustainable fashion. Besides which, there is nothing more refreshing than receiving your snack or meal on a plate pressed from leaves or wrapped in a sugar cane stalk--as was the case many times in India.
  

This is most likely a recycle center for a small community in the Bago, Myanmar area. The closeness to the waste helps one keep in mind the truth of our existence.

View at sunset on the Mae Nam Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.

• Myriad travel options. One thing I really love about traveling in Thailand (and India for that matter) is the number of options to get from place to place. Bicycles, tuk-tuks, scooters, open truck taxis, SUV taxis, automobiles, water ferries, long tail boats, airplanes--you name it, you can travel by it in Asia. Travel employs a LOT of people in Thailand! I've looked to my home community of Lake County, California to explore additional options for transportation, thus increasing business and tourist opportunities. We live around the largest lake in all of California. Not only  business could be generated from water taxis and ferries, but other opportunities arise from introducing those forms of transportation to a community. Taxis would be needed at the end of the ferry lines, small food vendors and artists could possibly thrive by creating a toursist draw. In essence, more creative public transportation options could cut down on pollution and Co2 emissions from individual vehicle travel and increase opportunities for community connection and income.
  

From just these few reflections, it may be easy to see how traveling in Asia touches my heart and mind. In Asian cultures, the heart and mind cannot be separated. This is important, I believe, to our continued survival and thriving as a species. With my strongly Western-influenced mind, I'm working on keeping these two connected as I continue finding my way through this sensational journey.

Readying for coaching session from "office" in Chiang Mai, Thailand.