Our last day in Thailand.
I will fill you in on today & yesterday when I am back in London tomorrow but today's entry is about Japan.
You cannot have missed the way that all the media has been looking back to exactly one year ago when the massive earthquakes and tsunamis hit Japan - killing at least 20,000 people and destroying many, many communities.
Nicola Chilton (the Public Relations Director for Four Seasons Thailand ... and dear old friend) lived for many years in Japan. With her partner, Shin-san, she has spent large parts of the last year in the communities that got hit the hardest. The photographs they took of the fishing town of Ishinomaki - for instance - are as spectacular as they are depressing.
While there are many, many horrific stories .... there is one that makes me smile. It revolves around Jason the Beagle.
His owner felt the earthquake ... and knew that a tsunami would follow. He cycled home as quick as he could to rescue his beloved pooch. By the time he arrived home, the first wave had struck ... and he held onto a pillar in the house with one hand and Jason with the other. Over the next few hours, the house was washed out to sea and back to land THREE times ...
Jason's owner NEVER let go of him.
The next morning, the house finally settled on a hill and Jason & Master trotted off to find shelter in the hills. We always hear stories about dogs that save their owners ... but it does happen the other way round too!
The love of a dog is second only to the love of a mother ...
