Look deep into Nature,
and then you will understand everything better.
– Albert Einstein.
Faa Mai. Four years old and one of the happiest elephants in the world. Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Look Deep into Nature…
Author Archives: raveburbleblog
Beautiful Vardos (Tiny Houses on Wheels) to Drool Over…
Tiny houses don’t necessarily have to be grotesque little tin shacks in the woods ya know. There are some beautiful ones out there, hand made with great care and a flair for design. This guy has made some beautiful vardos – the gypsy word for Caravan, essentially – and his Facebook page shows some of them in the throes of creation – fascinating stuff!
His website Zyl Vardos here
And his Facebook page here
One of the beautiful Zyl Vardos – Fortune Cookie. Image by kind permission from zylvardos.com
I Have Been Published!! Dining with Assassins…
I have just had an article published on the My Destination travel website. Anyone who wants my autograph, rush quickly and form an orderly queue here…
The My Destination article
A palace at night – Madhya Pradesh, India.
Another Cool Example of Physics… Bead Chain in Motion
Here’s another example of cool stuff in physics, using a bead chain and a beaker…
Check it out here
To See the World in a Grain of Sand…
To see the world in a grain of sand
And to see Heaven in a wild flower
Hold infinity in the palm of your hands
And eternity in an hour.
– William Blake
Mae Jan Peng (Full Moon) – one of the oldest elephants at Elephant Nature Park. A hole was made in her ear in her harder days previous to her retiring at the Park. Her mahout now puts a fresh flower in it every day to make her feel more beautiful.
Energy Transfer – A Very Cool Pastime Indeed…
I was just wandering through the blog of another WordPress writer/photographer Wind Against Current, and he shared this on there. I liked it so much I had to pass it on. Thanks Vladimir. 🙂
Weekly Photo Challenge: ‘Companionable’. Size Really Doesn’t Matter You Know…
Mong Dee, mahout, and his elephant friend Sao Yai out for a walk. Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
I decided to enter into the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge. This is the photo I chose for the subject ‘Companionable’.
Mong Dee and his elephant friend Sao Yai are great companions, and the love between the two of them is palpable. At 5 foot 2 inches I tower over Mong Dee, one of the smallest men I’ve ever met. And his best friend is a member of the Largest Mammal on Earth Club.
No hooks or other beating implements are allowed at the Elephant Nature Park where these two live – it is a sanctuary in North Thailand where elephants are rescued from unhappy situations and given a beautiful, loving home at the Park, and the elephants are managed with love and positive reinforcement.
I volunteered at this sanctuary in 2012, and I intend to go back this year in September. Volunteering there last year was the most unique and privileged experience of all my travels. Every day I get an update on Facebook from the Park about the elephants and how they are doing, and every day they are in my thoughts. So from my point of view, the elephants of this Park are the companions of my mind. Hence my choice of photo for this particular subject.
Mong Dee keeps bananas at the ready while Sao Yai bathes in ecstacy…
The Way to Love Anything…
The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.
– Gilbert K. Chesterton
Chang Yim – young male elephant and all around ratbag. Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
How to ‘Om’ an Elephant and the Boy with the Elephant Tail. Elephant Nature Park – Day 6
Chet featuring a fetching little work outfit.
The chore du jour was peeling the husks off sacks and sacks of corn in the elephant kitchen. The silk from the corn must be removed so it doesn’t disturb the elephants’ digestive systems. For this, Chet wore a lovely little number featuring a net singlet, black shorts, black silver-tipped collar and a beautiful bling ring to suit. Gumboots completed this gorgeous ensemble, and his presence lit up the kitchen in the most glorious, if eclectic, way. More word games helped keep the boredom away while furthering our literary abilities, and we emerged a couple of hours or so later just slightly more educated than when we went in. Continue reading
The Beauty of the Flower…
By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower.
— Rabindranath Tagore
Frangipani – as I found it. Wat Umong, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
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