A group of unwary American tourists venture into Burma. Without the wise guidance of their friend who arranged the trip, they stray off the beaten track with disturbing results. An unexpectedly comic read, and a powerful and subtle comment on Burma precisely because the horrors are implied and understated.
This was a National Geographic moment: two people, vastly different, separated by language and culture and a whole lot else, yet giving and giving back the best they had to offer, their own humanity, their cartoons, their pickles. He gratefully accepted the pink plastic bag with its soggy lump, this beautiful token of universal friendship. It was incredible, so warming to the heart. He would keep it forever --- or until disaster struck, which would be only a few hours later.
