I took my walk on the beach this morning and at breakfast, we had a great table of people we were sitting with. Kind of our 'favorites' from the week. At the end of the meal, I was telling them about my cold which has morphed into a sinus infection. (I find as you get older, conversation topics become your ailments and I think people bring them up to see if anyone else has done something that has worked for them?). There is lots of pressure on my left side so much that my teeth hurt. I also told them about my frozen shoulder. The two women are nurses and started telling me how to remedy it. Paul (and Kim from India) went to his room and brought back pretty much a 'pharmacy in a bag' to the table. They all pored through the stash to see what would help me best and decided on a few things including some more vitamin C (my family already polished off the last container we bought), as well as told me to keep up on the probiotics. Nothing like sitting with a bunch of medical missionaries who take care of people. This trip has just been so fulfilling on that front. We've met such interesting people and that's what really has been missing on all our other trips.
After breakfast, Kim let me use her electromagnet massager for my shoulder and these 2 decided to take the scooters out for an adventure.
This woman is amazing. Such a sweet and kind disposition. She is in constant pain (not that you'd know it until you talked to her). She and Paul work in a children's home of 12 kids in India. They are 22 months into their 24 month commitment. She showed me the 12 kids pictures on her phone and described each of them to me. The girls had their heads shaved because lice is a huge issue. Many of the kids have mothers in the sex trade. One little girl had been taken by the 'brothel mama' to 'train up' but she was too young, so in the meantime, she was chained to a chair for her days as she aged. Somehow she got to Kim's home but is bought back to see her mom on the weekends. Another young girl came to the house addicted to tobacco and opiates. Mom would drug her overactive child when she would get home from working the sex trade at night because she had to sleep during the day. Can't sleep with active kids (every mom knows that). Kim misses her own kids a lot. They are all in their 20's and starting their lives. Kim and Paul sold their house and car to work abroad. She had back surgery 2.5 years ago and now consider it a failure. So much pain still. Lovely woman.
Had no idea Paul and Chris would take in the last cave that we hadn't seen yet. I wasn't surprised though! Chris always finds adventure.
He said it was a great cave - no crawling!
Pool time afterwards with nobody
else around ....Paul and Chris talking to Kim and I.
And now naps! (I had mine just before lunch - it was delicious). When he gets up we're going to go on another scooter ride. Final day and all!!
Tommorow - We head to the south of Thailand!!!
