Tiger Temple, Krabi Cont.

     Thanks for joining me again. When I left off, we had just made it through a full day of climbing and a tsunami scare. The next morning, Ryoko and I slept in and enjoyed a slow start. After eating breakfast and organizing a bit, we left for a very special place called Tiger Temple that is located just a short trip outside of Krabi. We took a local transport (a truck bed with a bench running down either side and a canopy for shade) and made our way.

     Tiger Temple is specifically located at the top of a large steep hill. This whole region is known for its jutting limestone high rises. It will be flat as far as the eye can see in one direction, then out of no where, several of these rather large features present themselves. On this particular rise, someone has been kind enough to lay a cement staircase that zig-zags all the way up to the top. There's exactly 1237 steps in total if I'm to believe the sign at the bottom. The steps are a bit taller and skinnier than we are accustomed to back home which means it must be over a 1000 foot climb at least.

     The trek to the top is really amazing. Its sort of like ascending into a higher state of awareness as you continue up. At the bottom, there's all sorts of things going on, firecrackers, travelers, monks, Thais, kids, adults, food, fountains and more. So as one starts the ascent there can be a lot on the mind. As I continued up though, my mind became focused on the climb. It was hot and humid, too much so to hold a discussion even when traveling in pairs. After a 1/4 of the way up or so it becomes sort of an inward journey. The scenery was spectacular and I coldn't help but just try to absorb it. Each time we would stop for a break, many were required, we would turn around and reflect on how the ground just kept moving away like a distant floor. At the same time, there was never much of an indicator as to when the top mind present itself, so we just kept moving. Apart from the beautiful foliage, there were little monkeys all the way up. We read before hand that they can get a bit grabby. Some say they've been jumped and had their earrings or other shiny items taken but we just kept a respectable distance, when possible, and they never bothered us.

     By the time we were close to the top, my mind was nearly silenced. Step, step, step, step, I just tried to focus on my balance and I make sure not to skip a single step up or down. I figured they were there for a reason and I wanted to be sure to experience it fully. Looking past the hand rail to the extremely steep hill side made me thankful someone before me had laid the path. More than once I felt a little shaky in the knee and was happy I had something to hold onto. I got the impression that a fall down may require less effort than continuing up.

     Finally we made it to the top where there was a water cooler with some of the best tasting water we've had in a while. There were several statues of the Buddha in various postures, including one that sat more than 15 feet tall, overlooking the countryside from his seat atop an enlarged blossomed lotus. There were incense stored away near the foot of various statues that one could remove, light and place in the holder next to the hundreds of others. Their sent was everywhere. The view was incredible. A few hundred yards away were the top of several other similar growths of limestone Earth, still rugged and untouched yet similar to the pillar where we found ourselves. Beyond them you could see the ocean and the area where we were just the day before. One couldn't help but take a seat in the shade and reflect. Reflect on the amazing scenery, reflect on the work that must have been done to create such a place, reflect on the imagery of the statues that were both beautiful and perfectly placed, reflect on life, the experience and the seemingly natural energy of the location.

     On the bottom level of the temple was a prime clue as to how the temple must have been constructed. Bags of unused cement, awaiting a future repair or minor alteration sat stacked in a pile 9 wide and 5 tall. Each must have weighed 40-50 pounds and surely arrived there by none other than man power. No beast of burden or any machinery would likely have been able to assist their arrival, and hundreds, even thousands, must have been used for the initial project. Of course there were easier places to build such a thing, but I think the labor involved really shows the dedication of the people here to work towards states of awareness that expand beyond one's self. The experience for me could be likened to walking through a filter of consciousness that helped strain out some of the impurities. Perhaps I'll have to make the voyage again someday.

     As some ominous clouds began to move in, we decided our stay was just long enough. The decent proved to be a much quicker trek and soon we found ourselves at the bottom with ice cold freshly blended real mango  fruit smoothies. It was a satisfying end to an experience well worth the effort.

     Thank you again for joining me here. Believe it or not, Ryoko and I had a couple more nights in Krabi, and yet another novel experience during the event of Sankran (Thai New Year), but that I will have to share with you on another day. I truly hope all is well for you wherever you are, and that this life is being as generous to you as it has been to me. I appreciate you spending your time here with me and please feel free to send me a message/update if ever you feel so inclined.