Mya Than San - Enjoying the lap of the deep forest

Enjoying the deep forest

I remember the journey that Alaungdawa Kassapa took about four years ago. It was the rainy season, so there were hardly any pilgrims. The Taungkaya River in the Anaga region is also famous. If the Taungkaya River overflows while crossing the river, he runs away. If it is normal, it is as if he is not there. There have been cases where a whole car has been swept away by the water. Not to mention people, buffaloes, cows, and animals. It is not easy to get back on track. That is why we did not go on this journey during the rainy season. We have already drawn up a documentary filming schedule, so we will go no matter what the situation is. The relevant authorities have prepared the necessary transportation.

Alaungdawa Kassapa is a large forest reserve. It is also a very deep and beautiful forest. We spend the night in a small village on the edge of the forest. In the morning, we continue our journey with elephants. I have never ridden an elephant before. With the help of the elephant leader, I climbed a little to get on the elephant. The elephant moved slowly and steadily. Sitting in a wooden cradle on the elephant's back was not stable. We also moved like the elephants. It was raining and the roads were impassable. In the summer, the dirt mixed with water and became muddy. After leaving the village, we crossed a field and reached the edge of the forest. “The elephant leader said, ‘I have already entered the boundary of the forest of the great king of the forest.’ We were entering a large and deep forest. As we entered the forest, we had to climb a small hill. The path leading up the hill was slippery with mud because of the water flowing. The elephant we were riding had to take every step to avoid slipping. As we climbed up the hill, the wooden hammock we were sitting on felt like falling backwards. The trees were so tangled. There were countless small trees. There were also bushes and vines. The forest was so tangled that it seemed closed. We could not see from one place to another. What was there in the bushes? What color was it? Although there were some large trees, the trunks of the big trees were so tangled that we could not see them. In our view, the hill was There was nothing to see or feel except the huge, swaying elephant head. If you look to the side, you'll see nothing but green, brown, black, and tangled trees.

After traveling for more than two hours, we arrived at a ridge. The rain had stopped somewhat. The trees, shrubs, and bushes were becoming fewer and fewer.

The ground was clearing up a bit. The sun was shining through the raindrops. The light was getting brighter. The darkness that had been oppressive for a while had eased. We had set up an elephant camp and took a break. When we looked out at the edge of the ridge, we could see the surrounding scenery. However, the fog was still there, so it was not very clear. Whatever we said, we were definitely at a high point. Behind the drifting fog, we could see the forests. We could see the hut where we had spent the night. We could see the fields. We had come a long way. We had come a long way.

After a short break, we continued our journey. We heard the sounds of various birds. We could also hear the occasional roar of a cheetah from the deep forest. We could also hear the occasional howl of a monkey. It was almost as if the rain had stopped. The sun was shining. We could see the sun shining on the elephant's path. The sunlight filtering through the trees was illuminating the forest. In some places, it was still dark because of the shadows. However, we could see the path we were on clearly.

We have arrived at the designated lunch spot. The elephant drivers call it the intermediate camp. We left at 6 am, so it is now 11 am. The journey has been about 5 hours. We see a small stream on the slope. We feel a sense of relief. The elephants seem to be happy when they see the stream. They are shouting and shouting.

We dismounted. The elephants that had been accompanying us for the trip were now allowed to rest. The leaders led the elephants to the water. The stream was so shallow that the elephants could not bathe. The leaders made the elephants lie down and poured water on them. The elephants also sucked the water from the stream with their trunks and blew it out. Some of the elephants were spraying themselves with water by holding their trunks back. They also seemed to be tired.

After eating, we continued our journey. This time, I did not ride an elephant. I had to ride on the elephant's back for about 5 hours, so my legs were not allowed to stretch. I was so bent over that I was stiff. So I walked down the path to stretch my legs. It had not rained since we reached the intermediate camp, so the weather was clear. The forest was getting deeper and deeper. We had to climb the hill again. Since we were not with the elephants, we crossed the footpath. We reached the hill easily. A forest officer came near me.

"You could say it's quite deep in the forest."

Listening to his remarks, the view I saw when I reached the top of the hill was amazing. I had never seen such large trees. The trees were so big and tall. The big trunks were scattered here and there. They had their own place. The bottoms were also so clear. There were even green grass growing at the base of the trees. The midday sun was beating down on the forest, but it wasn’t hot everywhere. It was patchy and uneven. There was shade and light. You could see the nature of light and darkness. There were no small plants among them. Only big trees with clear bottoms. It was clean, clear, and peaceful. Orchids, which are often planted in homes, were also found hanging from some of the trunks. The trees were all strong and powerful. The flowers were also colorful. Some were yellow, some were red, Some are maroon, some are purple. The colors are as beautiful as the shapes. While I was thinking that if the flowers and orchids fell, they would be better if I carried them away, I saw more and more beautiful flowers. And then I had to give up. Nature is beautiful in its own way. I was in the lap of nature. I could not look at it, it was beautiful,

The elephant herd was moving along the stream. I was observing the movement of the elephant herd with the stone on the bank of the stream in the foreground. The clear, peaceful and free nature of the forest was deep in the forest. In my mind, the elephant herd had disappeared. I compared and contemplated the deep natural forest that I had entered and the nature that I was still entering, which was called “dharma.”