Not Afraid of the Fall: 114 Days Through 38 Cities in 15 Countries by Kyle James

Author:Kyle James
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Travel, Adventurers & Explorers, Special Interest, Literary, Adventure, Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9781942645283
Publisher: Inkshares
Published: 2017-07-11T00:00:00+00:00

9/15/15

Ko Samui, Thailand

Our morning was spent on the beach, floating in the shallows of

the gulf. We talked about our plans for the rest of the trip and our

plans for the rest of life. We reminisced on our days in Denver and

in Eastern Europe. We promised ourselves things we would do when

we got home and things we wouldn’t. The warm waters of the Gulf

of Thailand were a great place to make plans.

After showering off sweat, salt, and sand, we decided to do

something different tonight. There was a famous Buddha statue on

the island of Ko Samui, and after our powerful experience in Chiang

Mai, we were interested in seeing it. It took some negotiating, but we

found a taxi that would take us there for six dollars. We were about

halfway there and, like clockwork, the rain showed up. The truck

was covered with a makeshift tarp, but it didn’t even come close to

keeping us dry.

The driver must have put two and two together and asked us

if we needed a ride back. We said yes, and he agreed to wait for us.

The temple area was set up like a courtyard, with meditation

altars and small temples on both sides. In front of us was a golden

staircase that led up to a forty-foot gold Buddha statue sitting cross-

legged. The cold rain poured down on us, but we were mesmerized

by the beauty of this forty-three-year-old relic. It was almost eerie in the darkness, but we felt safe with the large Buddha looking down

on us. I heard a noise and turned to see an old monk sweeping one

of the altars. He looked over at us and we locked eyes. He gave me a

smile that could only be described as pure peacefulness. The aura of

positive energy he put off warmed me in the cold rain, and I smiled

NOT AFRAID OF THE FALL

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back. He continued to sweep, and I could tell he was happier sweep-

ing rain off these temple steps than many people were ever. I bottled

up as much energy as I could, and we raced back to the taxi, avoiding

as many puddles as possible.

The taxi driver waved when he saw us and started the truck

once again.

“I am glad you got to see the Buddha. Would you like to see

another great temple?”

Normally, I would think he was just trying to extend our fare, but

for some reason, I trusted this guy, and the people of this country in

general. “Sure, that sounds awesome,” we said in unison—for once.

He drove us across the island to where there was a temple next

to a Buddha. Both were on a platform out over the water and had

a long walkway leading up to them. We walked in the pouring rain

out to the large majestic Buddha, where we heard a sound coming

from the temple. I looked across the water and saw dozens of monks

singing in prayer inside. Standing in the cold rain, the dark stormy

sky sitting closely above, and listening to monks’ recite a prayer was

beyond powerful and very spiritual.

This was a moment I would never forget. The combination of

the

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