Advertisement
Published: August 1st 2008
Edit Blog Post
My son Quincy called me at work the other day. He had caught the tail end of the story on the news that there was a man driving across Canada in a Tuk Tuk!
Q couldn't give me any more info and although I thought it would be cool to show the kids what a real Tuk Tuk looks like, I dismissed the idea as it was highly unlikely we would be able to find the guy! The next day I read a brief article in the paper that the Tuk Tuk had come through Winnipeg. Missed a little bit of South East Asia.
A few days went by and we were on our way to pick up my car from the shop and as we crossed through the intersection, Quincy points out that coming towards us is a Tuk Tuk!
If you don't count the 120 + km/h (in a 80 zone) or the roll over (technically it only went onto its side according to Candace) or pulling into a funeral procession when passing on the highway (in between the hearse and the limo carrying the grieving family), Candace is a great driver.
Her next move only
adds to the list of interesting driving situations.
Defying some laws of nature and/or physics, she cranks the wheel causing the car to do a 180 at breakneck speed as the Tuk Tuk passes by us. She then cuts across two lanes of traffic, narrowly missing a head on and follows the Tuk Tuk into a parking lot. Like a lioness cornering its prey, she boxes the Tuk Tuk into the corner of the parking lot using her car!
I think I saw a bit of fear in the Tuk Tuk drivers face. Quick to defuse the situation, I got out of the car and introduced myself.
Just so you know, this Tuk Tuk is in mint shape, has a kickin' stereo, lots chrome and seat belts. Its canvas top is bright white and the seats look comfy. Besides the mounted GPS, the only thing we noticed was how quiet it was.
Sitting in a very clean and chromed up Blue Tuk Tuk is Ray Emery. Turns out Ray lives in Nipawin, SK for 6 months of the year and for the other 6 months, he and his wife Bonita live in Chiang Mai where they
are help to provide a safe and secure place for women that suffer from HIV/AIDS to live. They found out quickly that the demand for such a place was huge. They knew they needed to expand. To help offset the costs of purchasing the land and building the bigger and better housing, an idea was born. And where better to go for support but back to Canada.
The 2008 Tuk Tuk tour began with Ray having the Tuk Tuk rebuilt in Bangkok to meet Canadian safety Standards. Then it was shipped to Vancouver where it was trucked to Saskatchewan. Ray admitted having some challenges in trying to license the Tuk Tuk but found that Saskatchewan and Manitoba would permit him to travel in their provinces.
Ray had been zipping around showing off the Tuk Tuk and he was turning heads everywhere he went.
We got Ray's number so if we cross through Chiang Mai in February, we can call and stop to visit!
It seems almost serendipitous in a weird sort of way. Even when we are not thinking about S.E.A, it seems to somehow find its way back to us in the weirdest of ways.
I need some Som Tam!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.09s; Tpl: 0.009s; cc: 6; qc: 57; dbt: 0.0488s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Milla
non-member comment
Are tuk tuk sold in Canada? If so, where may I find them? Thank you.