The Road to Chan'tha'gon

Our Lady's Shrine
















Local school and Sr Geraldine















Pilgrim's Rest

From Am’ara-pu’ra we went to deliver the electric wires, sockets and lights to wire to the boy’s orphanage at Chan’tha’gan. We went through the back roads to get there, even more pot-holes and uneven surfaces. Along the way we came across the university which was a long distance out of town. It was quite empty as it was a holiday but sister said that there were many students there. She did tell me something that we in the west would find quite odd and that is; as a student you are not allowed to pick what subject you would like to do, you are told what subject you are taking and what university you are going to. There is no such thing as choice, that is unless you belong to the ruling elite. I did meet a hotelier who trained as a doctor but who never wanted to be one. So after his studies he became a doctor but soon gave it up as he had no interest in being a doctor. It is the same with the tourist guides they cannot choose they are told what nationality they will be a guide in. This is called control at its worse.

When sister Geraldine and myself were in May’myo sister Marie Anne and Peter the driver went to the industrial area to buy all the things that were needed so that the orphanage could have electric so that during the long nights (it gets dark fairly early in Myanmar)they will be able to study and read and see what they are doing. They also brought more blankets and mosquitoes nets. We were now going to take these to them. The rain started and it came down in torrents. By the time we got there the shrine was packed with about 5000 pilgrims. They were staying for two nights going home after the eight am Mass. They all stayed there as their equivalent of marquees had been put up. They were bamboo sheds really every one brought their mats and blankets with them and got their allotted space according to how many was in their party. In other words just enough space to lie down and go to sleep for every person. The centre provided food for everyone. I know now just how the apostles felt when Jesus asked them to provide food for the 5000. All the food was donated and the cooks did it all free of charge. I cursory looked at the washing and toilet facilities but there was no way I was going to go in.