We start at midnight tonight. And when it's dark here, it's really dark. Deep forest canopy, clouds and mist block any ambient light. The first loop winds through the date palm forest - hillside trails, crossing creeks, winding around the towering palms. It's gonna be interesting :)

I don't have an official list of starters, but I believe there are around 15 entries in the 120km CEI*** ride which starts at 10pm, around 25 in the 80km (non FEI) which is what Leo (longtime Belgian friend Leonard Liesens) and I are riding, it starts at midnight.

There is also a 40km ride and a 15km young riders ride the next morning.....

An interesting perspective: FEI now requires that all sanctioned distances, including 40km rides (equivalent to our LD) must be conducted as 'first to finish' with crossing the finish line as the determination of 'finish'. They do not use pulse criteria to determine finish, they recognize it as a race, first across the line. The 40km rides I watched in Argentina were very very much a race - gallop out of the start, gallop across the finish line.

Leo and I are being given two seasoned horses that were shipped over last month from Sabah (on the island of Borneo) - both mares, in their teens, they seem pretty reasonable. Horses are in great demand here, many recently purchased from Australia, but there still aren't enough horses for all the new riders wanting to get involved in endurance. Plus those that do have 'going' horses are trying to qualify for the Asian Games - the Asian continental championship - which is being held in Doha, Qatar in December. So we are actually lucky to have horses at all. They both vetted in fine, we'll see how it goes.

HRH Sultan Mizan (officially - DYMM Deputy Agong or Deputy King - Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of the State of Terengganu) is riding in the 80km ride. He will be Malaysia's next King, and his interest in Endurance has really sparked the growth of the sport here. He's the force behind the bid to hold the 2008 WEC n Terengannu. Several Malaysian riders, including Mizan, are shipping horses to Germany this month, to try and qualify for the Aachen WEC. There are so few rides here in Malaysia, and even fewer 160km events, that just qualifying is a challenge. They do have a lot of nice horses now - almost all of them imports from Australia. I met Paul Brown - an Australian, here as trainer for HRH Sultan Mizan. He had some very interesting comments and observations about doing Endurance in a tropic climate. His comments about doing the WEC here - yes, it can be done, but the horses must have time to acclimate, and it's not going to be a 'race'. It's going to be a matter of pacing, slowly covering the miles, a very technical challenge.

Back in Malaysia - it's so wonderful to be here again. The Malaysian hospitality is incredible. Such friendly welcoming people, they just make us feel instantly at home.

I left from New Orleans Sunday evening. I had gone there for a family reunion to celebrate my parents' 80th birthdays. It was very poignant, and the shadow of Hurricane Katrina was over everthing. My brother and his wife live there, evacuated before the hurricane, spent a month in Florida and Virginia until they were permitted back into the city, and arrived to find two of their three houses (two rentals) uninhabitable. They were above the flood zone, but Katrina tore the roofing off, and then Rita (the next hurricane a couple weeks later) dumped rain in all the exposed homes, and the houses were ruined - mold, water damage, 30 days of high temps and high humidity - they had to be entirely gutted and rebuilt. They are living in their little rental (the 'slave quarter' house next to their shotgun style home in an old neighborhood, close to the river, a few blocks from the French Quarter) while they rebuild their houses, but it's a slow process. My brother is a wood worker and architect so he is doing the work himself, it will take time.

I took a tour of the flooded neighborhoods in New Orleans with my older brother and neice. It was unbelievable. The city is a ghost town, empty ruined homes, both the poor neighborhoods - and the elegant wealthy neighborhoods. People that are still living in the city are living in white FEMA trailers, parked in their front yards. I couldn't have imagined how bad it is, still can't get over it. I took some photos, most of them from the lower 9th ward, where the worst flooding occured - they are at (more images) ... very sad. to see the holes chopped in the roofs where some people were able to crawl out and escape the flood (or the authorities manage to get in to look for survivors). All the lives which came to an instant standstill. and then disappeared.

So - 27 hours after leaving New Orleans, I arrived at Kuala Lumpur airport. I was met at the airport by Dr. Nik - still full of enthusiasm and humor and adventure, he's a special guy. settled into the Corus Hotel, a nice little hotel very close to the KL Towers (still the most beautiful architecture I've ever seen). Nice to be in the city, and it's a very vibrant city - especially at night - it seems to come alive when the air cools. the lights come on - lots of neon - and people fill the streets. I really like this city - it's clean, safe, and beautiful. But the traffic is awful!

Thursday morning we did a little bit of tourist stuff. Edaran has provided us with drivers - Ardi, the young student on college break, and Asri Ghani, a new Edaran employee, and a very knowlegable and gracious man. He's recently back in Malaysia after 3 years working in United States - fiber and IT technology. He's a wealth of information - running commentary on everything - the history, culture, politics, geography, technology - he's been a lot of fun. A wife and three children (his youngest daughter was born with a congenital heart defect, received a heart transplant last year on Valentines Day, at the age of 4. she has a new life now).

We were taken out to Ar-Raudah Wednesday afternoon - to meet our horses and try them out. Afterwards we went up to the club room for 'High Tea' (still a lot of British influence in this recently liberated - 1957- nation). It was nice - Malaysian food, friendly atmosphere. Edaran Digital Systems is owned by Tansri Tajuddin, a very gracious and generous man. Tansri is also a horseman, though not actively riding any more - he also owns Ar-Raudah, the equestrian center where the ride is being held.His son Azri rides Endurance, and most of the company is now quite familiar with and involved in the sport - this is the only company I'm aware of in the country that is directly involved with - sponsoring - Endurance. A few photos from Wedneday are at images

Friday morning we relaxed, stayed at the hotel. (I'm waking up at 5am every morning so far, can't go back to sleep - but a good time to work I suppose). We headed out to Ar-Raudah around 1pm . I took a bunch of pictures during the drive, just for a little flavor of the city (road images at images Stopped by the very very nice KL Equestrian Center, where there was a tack shop with lots of Endurance stuff as well as jumping/polo/etc. I left my helmet back in Idaho, had to get a new one! There was a couple at the tack shop looking for last minute items for the wife's first Endurance ride - she would be doing the 40km Sunday morning.

Another stop at a Starbucks for much needed caffiene, and then on to Ar-Raudah for the ride technical briefing and vetting horses. (in the rain!! (more images)

We're headed back out to Ar-Raudah this afternoon - a presentation forum at 4pm - one of the vets will speak on the special challenges of Endurance in the tropics, Leonard will talk some about preparing a horse for WEC level competition, and about the Aachen course. I'm supposed to talk a little about pacing and ride strategy. we'll see... We'll have dinner at 8pm, and then Flag Off for the 120km at 10pm (Dr. Nik is riding the 120), and Flag Off for the 80km at midnight. I'm truly concerned about staying awake... even for the start! Hopefully a nap early this afternoon, and lots of Starbucks.

more later -

Steph