Mokwai - Mokwai!!!

So there we are again. Communicating with Samoot and the moto drivers and he keeps saying "Mokwai, Mokwai!" Again I flash back to the Ghost signs, the stories, the legends and the the story of the mokwai.

We are looking up at the climb and anxious to get going. First we must get to the bottom of the ghost tales and what he is talking about.

You mean GHOST? We all try our different approach in figuring it out. I try jumping up and down (you know - like most ghosts do) and saying BOO!

Nothing. Well nothing except laughing at myself for this bizarre situation.

Samoot continues his hand waving and jumping up and down.

We are all thinking.... what about the context... being afraid at night... it triggers a thought.

Night time - what comes out at night? We open the Khmer book and flip through the pages frantically...

Mokwai, Mokwai!

And there it is... Mosquito? Yes - Mosquito.

"Mokito - Mokito!" More frantic hand waving and touching his arms...

- Ban Ban Ban Yes! Yes! Yes!

You're kidding me. We all stand there in disbelief as we realize what Samoot has been saying. The entire time he has been talking about wanting to get out of Dodge because of the mosquitos... We all laugh with each other.

This will be a topic of conversation for some time...

Trans-world Airtime

After the mad dash to make the flight, I sat on the tarmac in Jackson for an hour. The runway was icy and the snow continued. I arrived in SLC at 9:50 AM - the same time my flight was to depart for JFK, NY.

Mark Tuttle, who had the same flight to catch for his trip to Slovakia, was about to explode with his desire to make the flight. We Ran - Sprinted - through the airport to no avail. After some alternative searching, my flight pattern was re-created. "This is going to be interesting..." the agent 'comforted' me. I need to be in Bangkok by 10:00 AM on Thursday morning so i don't miss my flight to Kathmandu.

The result....

• Jackson to Salt Lake
• Salt Lake to Houston
• Houston to Paris, France
• Paris to Moscow
• Moscow to Bangkok
• Day lay-over - and Bangkok to Kathmandu

Because of my return layover in Moscow - I had to go through it on the way. So, all in all, I get to Bangkok in time to make the flight to Kathmandu the next day. I remind myself again to remain open, embrace the process, smile, and live life with gratitude.