A Toucan’s Nest Away from Home

Last night, I arrived at my favourite haunt: Hotel Tukan in Urmond.
Some people insist on calling it Van der Valk. They are, of course, slightly confused. To me, it is the home of the toucan: that magnificent bird presiding over good food, generous hospitality, and the comforting prospect of a proper night’s sleep.
My affection for toucans began long before my weekly visits to Limburg. As a child at Avifauna, near Alphen aan den Rijn, I remember seeing one and being utterly captivated. That extraordinary beak. Those colours. The improbable beauty of it all. I wanted to take it home.
Perhaps that was where my love of birds first took flight.
Yes, people, I like birds.

These days, the toucan means something else to me, too. It means arriving. Putting down my bag. Exhaling. It means a nest away from home.
As a forensic doctor, my work brings me close to grief, uncertainty, and the difficult moments in people’s lives. At the end of a working day, sleep matters. And sleeping somewhere you feel welcome, recognised, and at ease makes all the difference.
Once a week, this place in Limburg gives me that feeling.
But last night, there was a surprise.

Waiting in my room was a little toucan, given to me as a gift. Not the grand metallic figure I had admired, but its delightful younger counterpart. A small bird with a considerable talent for making a grown man happy.
I felt at home already. This thoughtful gesture made me feel that the affection travels both ways.
For years, I have claimed—strictly in confidence—to be a member of the Toucan Liberation Foundation. Our noble mission: to free the toucans held hostage in these hotels. Admittedly, their accommodation is excellent and the catering leaves little room for complaint. Nevertheless, a principle is a principle.

Now, however, the hotel has voluntarily entrusted one of its toucans to my care.
The Foundation must therefore reconsider its existence. The liberation campaign has achieved a peaceful breakthrough. There is no need to argue. The bird is free.
And, rather conveniently, coming home with me.
To the team at Van der Valk Hotel Stein-Urmond: thank you. For the hospitality, for the welcome, and for a little gift that meant a great deal.
You have given this travelling forensic doctor a place to rest, a reason to smile, and a nest to return to.
A toucan’s nest, of course.

Namaskar
Ashis Brahma

#birds
#toucan
#forensics