Bruma And The Enchanted Forest

The day was cold. Although the sun was out, dark clouds appeared in the distance over the San Gabriel Valley. A soft wind blew. Rain was expected later in the day. All put together, it was a beautiful day. But in the city of South El Monte, there was a group of friends that were turning this beautiful day into a living nightmare in their lives, a nightmare from which they would not awake. Having just robbed the city bank on the east side of town, Rebecca and her four buddies, Steve, Ricardo, Mark and Mike, fled scared for the mountains. The youngest of the five, Mike, had been wounded in the robbery. Police sirens sounded all around. In a desperate measure to hide away from the law, they ascended the mountains and drove off the main road, into the wild forest. There, they would come to a valley hidden deep in the mountains, a valley hidden to the world, where some of their most horrific nightmares were about to come true. What happens in this place will blow their minds away, literately. This was a place where their darkest side would manifest in them, and their true friendship would be put to the test. This was a place where they would be given the chance to turn around and make things right in their lives. However, not even the monsters and demons in this forest would deter them from their dark purpose. They were willing to lose it all, even their lives, for the love of money. This was a place of magic and wonder, a place of horrors and witches. This was the place where they would meet Bruma. This was the enchanted forest.

La Gomera can be considered the wildest of the Canary Islands. From the central highlands of the almost 1500-metre high island, countless, steep-walled gorges wind down to the sea, slicing the otherwise gently sloping island coast like a cake. La Gomera is made for nature-loving walkers, and offers an incredible variety in its countryside: Idyllic valleys with terraced fields and palm groves stand in contrast to precipitous cliffs and spectacular gorges; the magical laurel forests of Garajonay National Park are countered by pine forests and banana plantations. Thus, the hiker can expect a pleasant stroll like no other, between blazing lava beaches, lush, misty primeval forests, ridges shrouded in clouds – and the ever-present, deep-blue Atlantic. This Rother Walking Guide presents the hiker with a wide variety of entertaining tour recommendations encompassing all regions of La Gomera. These walks range from comfortable paths through palm-studded valleys, to tranquil mountain strolls, to panoramic summit climbs – hiking trails through the dreamy, misty primeval forest are mentioned, as well as the partly paved caminos, which once represented the main connecting roads between villages. Many of the 70 tour recommendations are ideal for less experienced hikers. Yet experienced mountain hikers who are not afraid of power hikes and can handle a shot of adventure and risk will also find a rich selection of routes. This excellently researched guide is enhanced by outstanding colour photos and map excerpts based on the Freytag&Berndt hiking map of Gomera (scale 1:35,000), and is highly recommended to all mountain fans of the island. Walkers also interested in the neighbouring islands should check out the Rother Walking Guides on La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

The author examines how the Burmese state has sought to control the country's forest activities, and the ways in which groups relying on the forest for their livelihood (loggers, transnational corporations, cultivators, peasants) have fought such control.

Reproduction of the original: Burma by R. Talbot Kelly

Includes various articles on the Burmese and allied languages.

A story about connecting with nature through the concept of Forest Bathing.