The Union
Well Edward and I are packing our bags in anticipation of heading towards the mysterious
"Union of Myanmar" tomorrow - I am looking forward to the trip but do have a sense that it will be an interesting time in a slightly sinister way - what with the situation in the country at the moment.
But we will be travelling in good company - it's not everyday that one of Time Magazines Heroes of Asia invites you on an elephant adventure to Burma. Ed and I will be making the trip with Lek, the fearless founder of the Elephant Nature Park and her right hand man Jeff, a Canadian engineer who is usually seen carrying a baby chicken around town. Accompanying us will be Lek's brother, resident crazy man around town Chom whose favourite activities include chatting up the ladies, doing life threatening things, trying to cuddle and kiss Ed and shouting ''Oh my god!'' in several different languages - he is going to be the team interpreter (oh my god indeed...), Also along for the ride will be mad englishman Chas who runs a charity called "eleaid'' and the lovely Laura from Seattle who suprisingly seems quite normal.
Lek has promised elephants galore, wild elephants, working elephants, training camps and even some beautiful white elephants that live down in a temple in Yangon. We are visiting villages out in the middle of nowhere and delivering toys and medicine to the kids there as well. Jeff has promised that we will also be in for blackouts galore, extreme heat and some potentially interesting times with the authorities.
As for my blog - things will be a bit quieter for the next 2 weeks. Y'see the internet is pretty much banned in Burma, you even need permission from the Govt to own a fax machine or even a phone (which is usually tapped anyway..) so it will be back to the dark ages for 14 days for us.
But do not fear, I'm sure I will return with many a story and many a picture and even a year older as Ed and I will both celebrate our birthdays while we are still in the arms of the mysterious ''Union''. Until then...................
"Union of Myanmar" tomorrow - I am looking forward to the trip but do have a sense that it will be an interesting time in a slightly sinister way - what with the situation in the country at the moment.
But we will be travelling in good company - it's not everyday that one of Time Magazines Heroes of Asia invites you on an elephant adventure to Burma. Ed and I will be making the trip with Lek, the fearless founder of the Elephant Nature Park and her right hand man Jeff, a Canadian engineer who is usually seen carrying a baby chicken around town. Accompanying us will be Lek's brother, resident crazy man around town Chom whose favourite activities include chatting up the ladies, doing life threatening things, trying to cuddle and kiss Ed and shouting ''Oh my god!'' in several different languages - he is going to be the team interpreter (oh my god indeed...), Also along for the ride will be mad englishman Chas who runs a charity called "eleaid'' and the lovely Laura from Seattle who suprisingly seems quite normal.
Lek has promised elephants galore, wild elephants, working elephants, training camps and even some beautiful white elephants that live down in a temple in Yangon. We are visiting villages out in the middle of nowhere and delivering toys and medicine to the kids there as well. Jeff has promised that we will also be in for blackouts galore, extreme heat and some potentially interesting times with the authorities.
As for my blog - things will be a bit quieter for the next 2 weeks. Y'see the internet is pretty much banned in Burma, you even need permission from the Govt to own a fax machine or even a phone (which is usually tapped anyway..) so it will be back to the dark ages for 14 days for us.
But do not fear, I'm sure I will return with many a story and many a picture and even a year older as Ed and I will both celebrate our birthdays while we are still in the arms of the mysterious ''Union''. Until then...................
posted by Kate Browne at 12:50 AM
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