FEATURE THE CLACKAMAS PRINT April 12,1989 Page 6 Burbridge recounts Thailand adventure came out of nowhere.” They then “backpacked to a primitive village,” where they enjoyed “ceremonial dances.” They spent the night in the village sleep ing “on the floor on mats.” The next day Cook became ill. They were to spend the day rafting on bamboo rafts. Since there was no medical help available in the village they decided to stick with that plan. They hiked down to the water where the guide informed them that there was no raft, but that he was going to make one instead. He rounded up some kids and went off to go cut bamboo. Luck ily, some tourists came by on rafts so Burbridge and Cook went with them. Unfortunately, they had to go on separate rafts. Burbridge had brought along a life jacket, but she soon dis carded it. “When I pulled out my life jacket, the women on the raft looked at me really funny. Then I looked down and discovered, that the water was up to my hips» safety is not a main concern there.” The rafting trip went smoothly. “There were no big waves,” stated Burbridge. When the raft landed Cook had recovered, but they decided to end their trek. They hiked to a truck and left “I was freaking out! But it taught us that we have a lot of survival skills, and that some things that are important to us are not important to them (the Thai people) and that ours was not the usual experience.” While in Thailand, Burbridge and Cook also “rode a night train and rode on took-tooks, which are motorized bicycles.” In spite of the difficulties she encountered, Burbridge said that she enjoyed her trip. “The people are wonderful; They’re very po lite. It’s very safe and very clean. You can eat food anywhere.” On the way home, Burbridge and Cook went to Hong Kong and Korea. In Hong Kong they stayed with different families, did “a lot by Caret Hussey Burbridge and Cook also went into the mountains and visited the Feature/Managing Editor Have you ever wanted to go hill tribes.-‘You can actually live on an unusual vacation? That’s with primitive people and go out what counselor Ellen Burbridge on organized treks for four to nine days.” Burbridge and Cook chose did. Twice a year Burbridge goes to go on one of these treks, and on vacation. The first vacation she that’s when the adventure began. takes with a woman friend. “My “The trek was a disaster,” family takes separate vacations to expressed Burbridge emphatically. renew our sense of freedom,” she “Usually eight people go out on explained. Burbridge chooses a treks and you can meet people “more primitive culture” for her from all over the world.” Not so first vacation site. She stated that this time. she goes to “check it out for my The first part of the journey family.” If the place meets with was taken in the back of a truck her approval, she goes back at over bumpy roads. Burbridge took another time with her husband this in stride and merely com and two children. mented that the scenery, “was This year she chose to go to beautiful.” When they arrived at the site Thailand during the last three weeks of March She and her friend, where their trek was to begin, they Margaret Cook, started out the discovered that it was just the two vacation normally enough. They of them and . the guide (he’d ne took a not so short flight. “It took glected to pick up other people 32 hours to get there,” she re for the trip.) called. They spent their first day in Bangkok “visiting temples and getting oriented,” and spent the "The people are won first night in a hotel. But for the derful. They're very po rest of the trip they took “the lite. It's very safe and adventure route, not the tourist very clean. You can eat route.” They spent some time on the food anywhere." beaches, which Burbridge de scribed as having “powder white Ai this point Burbridge be sand and warm aqua blue water.” gan to worry. “I was scared. I had When visiting the beach, you can no idea where we were.” Thè do several things, according to guide gave them a choice of hik Burbridge. ing or riding on elephants. They “You can lay out in the sun or chose elephants. get a massage for $2-$4. You can Two hours later the elephants arrived, guided by “guys with long 'Trave/ is a lot of work." sticks with a nail on the end.” The elephants were equipped with have people. cook food for chairs on their backs, and to get to you...things like chicken or coco these chairs Burbridge and Cook nut soup, oryou can get your nails had to climb ladders. When they started into the done or go swimming.” Hie Thai method of cooking jungle, they discovered that their guide had disappeared. But Burbr on the beach isn’t like the hot dog stands here in the U.S. They carry idge, Cook, the elephants and their pots around on their shoulders, owners continued on. “We rode the elephants for suspended by a long stick, and cook the food right there on the three hours. The elephants stopped for a fallen tree and the guide beach. photo by Tara Powers Ellen Burbridge displays some of the unusual Items she bought during her trip to Thailand. Burbridge also visited Hong Kong and Korea. of shopping and hiking. They have delicious food and it’s a beautiful country.” From there they travelled to Korea where they “rested a few days.” But the atmosphere in Korea was different form the two previ ous countries. “It’s not a friendly place, not a very warm place,” stated Burbridge. There were “lots of American soldiers... and it’s more expensive.” "I like to experience different cultures." Burbridge has also travelled to Guatemala and plans to spend her next vacation, river rafting in Costa Rica with her family. .... How does she decide where to go? “We ask people who have been there. We do a lot of reading before we go,” explained Burbr idge. Planning a trip like this is not like going with a tourist group, “Travel ist a lot of work,” stated Burbridge. When visiting another country, they arrive during the day and spend the first night in a ho tel. The remainder of the trip is “free time.” Why does Burbridge go to such out of the way places? “I like to experience different cultures,” she explained. Next week: read about Corky Kirkpatrick’s trip toThailand and her very different experiences. ■ - Try our soups, APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED fresh salad bar, Crowd Management Services, the Northwest's largest crowd control security agency, is currently seeking applications to fill full time and part time positions for the upcoming summer season. If you would like to be eligible to work con certs, festivals, sporting events, etc. apply prior to May 1,1989 by calling the CMS crew line at (503)222-6130 between 1:00PM and 5:00PM Monday-Friday or send your name, address, and telephone number to: P.O. Box 4411, Portland, ¡Oregon 97208-4411, . >*■ foo percent Beef Hamburgers I Good Food at Good Prices k,-- - ■ inches 7| I 39.12 13.24 15.07 ' 1 •W 65.43 18.11 18.72 49.87 -4.34 -22.29 ‘ 1 ’ 1 • ' 1 • 1 ' 1 ' 5| ' 1 ' 1 ’ I ’ «1 ’ 1 '” t 1 I . 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