USA: Becky Hart

Oct. 19th
My confidence in driving on the “wrong” side of the road is increasing. Once we got out the venue(40 minutes away from the hotel) I practiced in our rental car. In true Malaysian style it took almost 2 hours to get the car. Art of the problem was the promised SUV was not available, so I was offered a car or a pickup. I opted for the pickup and it turned out to be a very wise choice. Because it took so longto deliver, we are convinced that the truck was commendered from an emplyee of th rental car agnency. We saw then taking personal stuff out of it.

It is an older 1990’s Missubishi, abutit is a crew cab and we can fit 6 people if we squeeze 4 in the back seat. Since there are now 9 of us wealso can take the rest in the back of the truck. The locals think this is very amusing we get a lot of stares. We think it is no more unusual than a family of four on a motor scooter – very common here.

We have been the the Mydin and the Giant stores – sort of Malaysian Walmarts– to buy our supplies of buckets, sponges, chairs, drinking water, carrots, apples, etc. It is cheaper to buy these things locally than to try to ship them.

We have our credentials from the OC – wristbands are required to get into the stalls. The stalls are prepared with shavings and water set out in the new plastic trash cans in the sun to take away some of the plastic taste.

Jim Bryant, our team veterinarian, and I managed to touch base while he was with the horses in Amsterdam. The shipping had gone well and the horses were EDPP (eating, drinking, peeing and pooping for you non-endurance folks). They had a 2 and a half day layover in AMS, so Jim, with the help of two local horsewomen, made sure the horses were walked 2-3 hours each day, and an hour the day they left AMS.

Tomorrow is horse arrival day and so it’s off to bed – our latest night yet – at 8:30.