Attacked by a Grandma 

We were exploring the aviary in Kandawgyi Botanical Garden…a beautiful garden in Pyin Oo Lwin (unfortunately now owned by the government) when a woman came dashing up to me and literally, taking one leap, jumped onto me like a monkey! I nearly fell over from the impact. She was all smiles as were her accompanying adult daughter and son as she disengaged. In most other environments I would have suspected a scam of some sort in progress but it was sheer uninhibited spur of the moment action of an ethnic woman acting upon impulse when seeing a strange bird (me). Here we are after she climbed down 🙂

The highlight of the park for me otherwise was the magnificant orchid garden.

Pyin Oo Lwin was a welcome stop reached by train from Hsipaw. The trip’s highlight was acrossing the Gokteik Viaduct (on the single gage track and rickety old train). Yikes.

Above left: tree growing up through stupa, viaduct, gorge; bottom: tea leaf salad (a local specialty), view out hotel room in Hsipaw.