Lest We Forget

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- John McCrae, May 1915

I know that I have posted this poem before, but with this being Remembrance Day, I thought it was again appropriate. I had the honour and privilege today of performing in a mass choir for our local Remembrance Day ceremonies. It was very well attended with over 6,000 people there. It was a great experience to be able to honour those who served my country in a tangible way. The best part I think was the two minutes of silence that is traditionally observed at 11:00am. It was very emotional to be among 6000 people who are completely silent at once.

I was thinking today about where we would be if those guys and gals had not given everything they had to protect the blessing of freedom that we have (and so often take for granted). Our world would definitely be a different place.

I for one remember them....

Epilogue



I just wanted to add a few final thoughts about the trip to Nepal and my recent travelogue. This trip was the "experience of a lifetime" for me. Unlike most vacations, it actually changed forever my view of the world and my place in it. It was truly amazing and edifying to be exposed to such new and different cultures and I really feel that I came away from it a better person. Reliving it through my journal entries and these blog postings over the last few weeks has been a great experience for me, and has helped me remember and reflect back on the things I learned. It's interesting that as wonderful as the scenery may appear to be, when I look at these pictures it is the faces of my friends, old and new, to which my eye is drawn. I consider myself so fortunate to have shared the experience with two close friends, and as well to have met people on the trip that are some of the best travelling companions ever!

I want to thank everyone that has been reading these postings, too - I know they probably weren't very inspiring, but to me they mean a lot.

Thank you for sharing the experience with me while I lived it all over again.

Now, for the next big trip.... Mt. Kinabalu in Borneo, the Inca Trail, or the Annapurna region of Nepal.. choices, choices....

Oct 31-Nov 2, 2005 - Kathmandu, Hong Kong, Home!



The last entry was actually the last day that I wrote in my journal, since this day was a VERY long one! I'll give some details here though for completeness.

We just kicked around during our last morning there - all our new friends had already left for their various destinations or home. We spent some time in the Kathmandu Guest House Garden to soak up some last peaceful moments before our long trip home.

We left the hotel about 10:30am and headed for the airport. After a looong series of security checks we finally got to the final boarding area. Where we waited and waited.. We left Kathmandu (:() about an hour late and thought we were going to miss our connection in Bangkok, but luckily that was ALSO late and we made it with lots of time. Not so our luggage however, and we arrived in Hong Kong late and missing most of our stuff. After reporting it missing (most of the people on the flight that had come from Kathmandu were in the same "boat") we blew off our original hotel reservation which was way downtown, and stayed at the airport hotel instead. It wasn't cheap, that's for sure!!

Our luggage arrived okay the next day (we slept in until quite late, since our flight didn't leave until about 3:30pm). We had Big Mac combos for lunch in Hong Kong and they actually were delicious! Our flight to Toronto left right on time - it was a quiet but looong flight (once again) back to Toronto. We all arrived VERY tired. After our short stopover, it was on to Saint John and home. It sure seemed weird to be back in Canada!! Everything seemed so different.

I'll post a few final thoughts tomorrow.

The tired but intrepid explorers arrive home!!