We're here in Malaysia and we have an absolutely beautiful view.
Yesterday we had the opportunity to visit the caves.
Apparently, they recently changed the term spalunking to caving,
as per my teammate Aubree.
If you ask me, that's boring! Spalunking is so much more fun to say!
On the way, we passed the old train station.
(I love when my shorts get hiked up when I walk. Its my favorite.)
Once we had walked for 25 minutes or so, we arrived at the path to the cave.
Of course, it was much less a path than it was a walk through thorny plants and rock climbing
and mosquitos on steroids.
But it was fun, and before we knew it, we were at the entrance of the cave! Here it is:
For my claustrophobic friends out there, this would not have been an adventure for you.
We were sandwiched between the walls most of the way in.
But it was a short entrance, and we had finally made it into the cave!
It was beautiful.
I make the most beautiful faces, don't I?
I realized something.
I don't want to admit this, because I try to pretend that nothing scares me,
but I was legit scared in the caves.
I mean, you plunge into the darkness with nothing but a headlamp.
Interesting… thinking about it now, it was quite a teachable moment. Our calling
is to do just that. Plunge into the darkness. But the difference is, it's not the light
from some little headlamp, it's a light that blinds. And we have nothing to fear,
befcause "perfect love casts out fear."
I wonder if I would have been less scared had I not been thinking
about the movie The Descent the whole time. Dumbest movie ever,
but when you're actually in a cave (and then your teammate makes a
creepy sound behind you to scare you), you're a little more wigged out
than usual.
At one point, we stepped out of the caves and Andrew and I did a little climbing.
I came back down while Andrew climbed to the top.
Said it was worse than any mountain in Nepal he had climbed.
Needless to say, I would have died if I had gone.
Shelley and I used our time well.
We took pictures smiling with our eyes.
Can't you see the smile? Haha we look like hot messes.
Look at that sweat I'm reppin'.
This cave won't conquer me!
After andrew came back, we walked back through the way we came.
My butt got stuck on the way out.
That was fun.
We made our way down slowly.
The mosquitos found us again.
We were in the final stretch and….
BAM.
I fell like someone had pulled a rug right out from my feet.
I had no time to react, and I hit hard.
I'm pretty sure I landed on a rock.
My back's not doing so hot today.
The best part is, as soon as I stood up, i feel again.
I thought this stuff only happened in the movies where
you have the really stupuid bad guys who are always so clumsy.
But this is real life.
And it can happen to anyone.
I wanted to cry and be really mad,
but for some reason all I could do was laugh, thinking
"This would happen to me." 🙂
Overall, it was a stellar day!
