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Settling In

It was a very long trip from Idaho to Malaysia  (last night I woke  
from a dream/nightmare where I was sitting in a small cramped center  
seat and even though the rest of the airplane's seats were empty the  
stewardess told me I had to stay where I was :) . But then I stepped  
out of the arrival gate into the Kuala Lumpur airport and just had to  
smile. I love this airport, and have so many fond memories of  
previous trips to Malaysia. The warm sweet air, the bright colors,  
the music which has a touch of the tropics and a touch of arabic, the  
friendly faces - I think the Malays are some of the most openly warm  
and friendly people on this planet.  I left the International  
terminal and boarded a domestic fight from Kuala Lumpur to  
Terengganu, and landed at the newly built Terengganu Sultan Mahmud  
INTERNATIONAL Airport! The older buildings were gone, and a  
beautifully architectured airport was there in it's place. With the  
extension of the runway (2800m to 2400m) the airport was now able to  
receive the big International jumbo. Last year for the Sultans Cup,  
the international horses were flown into Kuala Lumpur, and then  
brought to Terengganu by the smaller Malaysian Airforce cargo jets  
(C-130 Hercules), which was adequate for the 15 invited horses, but  
not for the 150 horses that would need to be flown in for the WEC!

I was met at the airport by familiar friendly faces. Mimi herded me  
into one of the transport vans and off we went. I stopped by the  
venue (TIEP, Terengganu International Endurance Park) before going to  
my hotel to say hi to everybody. Azrin, Salim, 'Boy', Marouf, Zulu -  
it was great to see everybody again. They were all looking busy, non- 
stop motion, and looking just a wee bit tired. Among all of the other  
tasks at hand, preparations were being made to receive the final MAS  
transport of horses to Terengannu. There would be a chance to rest a  
little after that, but for now they were all still in high speed mode.

I checked my email - fast wireless connection - at the venue, and  
then the driver took me to my 'home' for the next three weeks. I  
would be staying at the Merang Suria (Best Western) Beach resort,  
along the coast just south of the Sutra where I stayed last year.  
With so many people to be accommodated, Azrin said they had fully  
booked 6 hotels in Terengganu, some of which were just finishing  
additions in time for arrivals. There will be just a few of us (WEC  
folks) here at the Suria - me and John when he arrives next week, Cue  
(liason), Hisham (transportation coordinator), the Russians , the  
Hungarians and the Slovak Republic.  Plus a few others - I met on of  
the vets this morning Dr. Karappanan who is taking care of the  
quarantine horses. It's a very 'local' hotel, not as fancy as the  
others, but quiet and spacious. There's a TV in the dining hall which  
runs all day with music, local shows, some interesting stuff :)

After an early dinner (I hadn't slept in 24 hours and didn't think I  
could stay awake until 7pm dinner time) I went to my room, a nice  
little ground floor room with a patio door opening to the sandy yard  
out back, and crashed. And since I fell at sleep at 6pm, of course I  
woke up at 2am. Wide awake, and hungry (again) with nothing to eat.  
But, there was an electric water pot and Nescafe instant coffee,  
creamer and 2 cups on the dresser so I figured that would sustain me.  
But first I decided to get out the computer and set up and try to  
work some. I went to plug the bus (with several US sockets) into the  
wall outlet and Zap! a spark, the smell of  hot plastic, and the  
lights went out in my room. damn...  So now, no electricity for the  
computer, and even worse no coffee!  I was wide awake and getting  
hungrier and it would be several hours before the restaurant opened.  
I wandered over there just in case there was something left out from  
last night (maybe some crackers...) but nothing. What was I going to  
do for the next 4 hours!?  I went back to my room along the lit  
outdoor walk way and noticed 2 electric outlets in the hall outside  
my room - hooray! maybe these were still working. I propped the door  
of my very dark room open with one of the big wooden chairs that were  
in there, and dragged the computer, the 3 prong adaptor and the  
electric water pot outside, and yes, the outlets were live, so I was  
set for the morning. 2 cups of Nescafe with creamer and sugar should  
keep me till breakfast, and I had the computer and a cool breeze off  
the ocean, plenty of work to do, and all was well.  What I didn't  
realize at the time was that with the door propped open, half of the  
Terengganu mosquito population had decided to take residence in my  
room... I discovered that the following evening.

A classic start to the 2008 Malaysia WEC adventure!  After a real  
breakfast at the outdoor dining hall I got a ride to the venue and  
settled in to the media room to check email, work on the website, and  
get reacquainted with everything. Azrin said the final shipment of  
horses would be that night so I would plant to go along and see if I  
could get some photos and info. This plane was coming directly from  
Europe with team horses from Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, and one  
Argentine horse. (huh?)
I worked in the morning, bumped into a few friends (Yaguchi who was  
here early with Hasumi-san's horse Fayette de Cameo - the Tevis  
winning Shagya Arabian, Mercedes Tapia here with her polo mare  
Caiparinia - the mare that became crazy on the polo field, but found  
a new career in Endurance) and then went back to the hotel to try to  
catch some sleep before the 1am arrival of horses at the airport.

It was a most incredible thing to be standing outside on the tarmac,  
puddles from the recent rain, warm breeze,  to first see the airplane  
lights in the distance, flying by overhead, disappearing out over the  
ocean, and then coming back in for a landing, the lights, the  
incredible noise of the jet engines, and then be standing there as  
the plane taxied right up to us. It raised goosebumps on my arms, and  
made my heart beat faster. Wow!   There were 100 other people there,  
waiting for the horses, watching to make sure the horses were  
unloaded safely off the plane - one 3 horse cargo box at a time - and  
then loaded safely into the waiting horse vans. The Argentine horse  
belonged to Carolina Greenwald - there had been some problems with  
travel papers, and the horse, Jesse Q, had been detained in Amsterdam  
until the proper papers arrived. Carolina was ecstatic to see her  
beloved horse! She and Jesse had also competed at the 2006 WEC in  
Aachen, and were a very tight team. And to make her story even more  
poignant Carolina would head to the US, to Maryland, the following  
day to attend her husbands funeral. He had died over the summer, but  
as a member of the US military would be granted a ceremonial funeral  
at Arlington Cemetery along with other military men and women who had  
died that year. I can imagine that her emotions were strong that  
night, and her reunion with her horse was even more special.

I spoke a little bit with the man (his name escapes me) who oversaw  
the construction - and completion - of the airport runway. The tall  
man whose efforts and focus helped insure that the cargo planes would  
be able to land in time for the WEC. He quietly watched the arrival  
of the plane, I could tell he was proud. He and Dato' Salleh (chair  
of the WEC organizing committee) spoke some and watched the arrival  
together - and shared the feeling of accomplishment - and relief.

I'm starting to settle in now, sleeping through the night (sort of)  
and finding my way around again. I had lunch at the stable 'Cantina'  
so I could meet up with the riders and grooms that were here with the  
horses. I was very glad to meet up with the USA folks - we had lunch  
together  - I talked to everybody about their horses, their travels -  
everything was going well, the horses were adapting. I saw so many  
familiar faces - the Canadians where there, friendly and open as  
always. The folks from South America, Europe... I couldn't put a name  
with every face, yet, but the faces were familiar and friendly!  (a  
little side note - later that evening I was struck with a very  
intense, very immediate intestinal emergency... after talking to some  
of the others that had eaten lunch together they had the same  
reaction - it must have been something that we all ate - and I laugh  
every time I imagine all of us that evening - at the same time, but  
in different  places.....  )

So, on we go! Today I'm going into town with Yaguchi (who has a car)  
and Sasaki (here as groom for Hasumi-san) and Mercedes. They will buy  
apples and carrots for the horses, I will buy some food to keep in  
the little refrigerator in my room (for emergencies!) and a few other  
supplies.  It's a very cool morning - it rained during the night, and  
the cloud cover is thick. I'm still comfortable in a tshirt, but just  
barely. Though I hear from John that it is VERY cold in Oreana right  
now, they had a freeze last night, so I'm thinking that maybe it's  
not too cool here :)

later,

Steph
www.endurance.net/2008WEC/





 

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