a little more fluff

I have to tell you all that I've really had an awesome eye opening experience here in INDIA. I just posted the one below here and have yet to put pictures but will soon. There's just a ton of beauty here that I didn't really write about. Seeing the tiger for example was one of the most incredible events of my life. What an animal of such sheer power, grace and beauty. They are like us you know! Nothing in their natural environment can attack them and survival is simple and easy. Being in the tigers world gives me the impression that every inch of that land, every hoof that walks it is there at the tigers disposal.. and even if you spend three days driving around in it without seeing one of them you can be sure that many of them have seen you. I think it'll be a few day before I put those pictures up.. So look forward to that! And I'll be home soon! Woo Hoo. I'm going to cook a Huge steak.. rare in honor of the tiger! I'll update more when I can upload pics

Just a little bit of an impression

Well, how to sum up nearly two weeks of hitting the road every day. Waking up early and going to sleep late in strange beds, stranger hotels, Sleeping on trains where few people speak my language and I know so little of theirs. Yes, Where to start?

I know already that writing about these places without posting the pictures is going to be silly. There's a huge story in India. There's so much color everywhere, there's so much action and life that it's so overwhelming I'll do my best to find a way to upload at least a few teaser shots before I'm done here today. I have a terrible head cold from the last few days of game drive style safaris in search of that holy Bengal Tiger of India.. My fifth drive was the charm though. After four trips of looking at deer and monkeys I finally saw a tiger.. wooo, not one tiger, Two tigers. Two tigers in an apparent territorial dispute.. Sparks flew, horrific roars sounded, Striped arched backs launched ferocious blows at each other.. It was amazing!! Fucking Unreal!

I'll Start from the beginning though and see where this goes. The first part of my journey led me west towards the ancient castles of Hindu kings and also perhaps more importantly to trace the steps of some of India's greatest leaders and conquerors. The Moghuls.. You might just want to call them the mongols.. Same diff. Hmmm history lesson here or not.. Summarized the last great dynastic rule of India before the Brits showed up and changed everything was by a great and powerful family lasting 7 generations.

Babbu-- a born fighter and leader of the 14th century was the heart and the beginning of the strongest mongol presence in India

His Son Himayu-- Wasn't a bad leader but smoked a ton of Opium people say he was indecisive. Himayu has an awesome tomb that I visited

Son of Himayu Akbar had 3 official wives (one christian, one hindu and one muslim) Nice! Unofficially he had over 3000 wives regardless he brought back dignity to the empire through close relations with competing nations.. He did represent all of them in his herem after all.

Son of Akbar Jehangi I know little about but his son

Sher Jahan built the Taj mahal for his favorite wife as a tribute to the love he shared with her. ++The Taj is a simple design which probably represents some of the most amazing beauty in architecture on the planet. you'll see in the pictures. It's solid, Built to last, Made mostly of marble that absorbs the light and changes tones with the sun. I believe that it's a must see.. Though the mosque adjacent to the Taj actoually had a profound effect on me as a visitor.. When Inside, I could not help but to feel this overwhelming sensation that I was inside of a beautiful flower. Priceless.. Too bad this is the short version.. I could really go on and on and on

After Shar JAhan two more moghuls ruled until the British basically took it all away. Rats!

Here's the deal about the brits here. There are people who only want to talk about the negative parts of their rule and you don't have to look far to find a story about a beating or hanging.. perhaps mass hanging of dissidents.. But they did bring in a better system of rul, improved on education and modernized India in many ways. At the time the British arrived the Moghuls were doing what they have always done.. War over land and build empires.. The british were pretty good at that too .. In fact better.. So it's tit for tat in that case and I would wager that India would be no where near the nation it is now if the Brits hadn't come over to rule.. They're gone now too so remember that. All the executive buildings were built by the British and given over to the Indians as theirs to rule themselves in.. Cheer On!

Bla bla bla political bull isn't my thing.. You want to know what it's like in INDIA the nation of mystery. We hear so many good things about this place but know so little about it. Here's my impression so far.

Get me the fuck out of here!!!

Allow me to elaborate. The food is indeed very good and the culture is time tested and richer than you could possible imagine. Buddha preached here Hinduism started here hundreds of empires have risen and fallen here. The people now are a mix of all that. India is indeed on the path of development. No, India is a place of sharp contrast! So much so that you may find construction everywhere you look and on the surface, It would look like there's a multitude of jobs for anyone who wants one... Hell, We gave them a ton of our own from the united states didn't we? But There is a huge difference between the haves and have nots for example the CAST system is still very much alive here. There are five levels.. The people born into the highest level can do anything practically where as the people born in the lowest lever "the untouchables" can do very little but beg and live in their own squalor.. and that they do! Who by the way do you think has more children? Anyway, There are some places in India like the Taj Mahal where I think Ohh my god, this is a testament to the greatness of love and the profound nature of humanity itself.. and the next day I walk through Varanasi where the temples predate christ and probably haven't been cleaned since then and think.. Holy shit..Literally.. No, people cannot sleep in shit, children shouldn't have to push cattle out of their way to school in an alleyway and step over mountains of trash, food waste and urine.. Does anybody know what a trash can is? Fuck! Untouchable mothers know that their sick babies get more money when they use them as props so they make them sick with pills.. Is that fucked up.. but who cares, These are the "Untouchables" were talking about. They were bad in a previous life and this is their karmic punishment. To mess with this system is to challenge the entire way of living here. I'm not sure that I like the direction this post is going. so I'm going to end it here. I am in Varanasi now near the Ganges river and want to go back down to the river to see the nightly ceremony of appreciation to mother Ganges it's pretty cool and I can take a bunch of pics of random people there. Strange fact.. the water treatment plant is right nowt to where people are cremated and dumped into the river.. and also bathe...in something like a toxic soup after near bye manufacturers also dump their chemical waste.. But hey, It's mother Ganges, she can take care of herself!

A new Day in Delhi

I'm here at my hotel on a computer that has a password of abc123.

Today after decompressing for a few hours I ventured out into the city of Delhi via taxi to a govt. Tourist beauro. Usually I just wing travel and fly by the seat of my pants and by some standards, Waiting till I get to delhi to make further travel arrangements still qualifies as winging it. This feels more like flying by the seat of someone elses pants because in less than a half an hour I booked travel and places to stay until I leave India on the 21st. I have some pretty exciting sights to see in the coming days which include but certaintly arently limited to

The capitol city of Rajistan, Jaipur. An Indian historical and cultural gem which is home to An Amber fort, The City Palace and the remarkable Pink City..

The World renown city of Agra which has it's own spectacular fort appropriately named the Agra fort and the Taj ma hall. Word!

The Holy City of Vernasi where I'll submerge myself in hindu culture and ritual

and perhaps the best place in the world to see a Tiger in the wild Bandhavgarh national park.

From there it's a slow way made back to delhi via train and hired car through vernasi one more time to rest before my last half day in Delhi.

What's Delhi like?? Dusty.. Pretty damn Dusty! There's a lot of construction going on here since they have gained so many of the worlds jobs.. Indians (had to get that off my chest)

Really though Thsi city does have some amazing history and culture. Today I just tried to get a little understanding of what India will mean to me.. Here are my impressions-

Did you know that many people here still live in the caste system.. I'm still trying to figure that one out but I'm learning from Shiri the guy who's driving me around delhi Jaipur and Agra (I'm flying by the seat of his pants)

India was ofcourse ruled by the British until 1947 but before that there was a Moghul Dynasty of sorts which had control over much of the surrounding land. The moghuls were muslim though Indias population remains 75 nearly percent Hindu. They also believed in huge monuments to mark the death of the ones they loved..The Taj Ma Hall is one of them Sorta. I'll tell you the love story it symbolises after I get there. But I did visit the first of such monuments today here in Delhi called the Himayu Tombs (I suck at spelling these things) These tombs were a precursur to the Taj and are quite spectacular. It sure gives me appreciation for what a good ruler king can get people to do if he has all the food and controlls all the jobs.. Hurry up Obama we need some cooler monuments in the USA!

I've given in to the food here already aswell. I initially thought that I'd be surviving on crackers and bottled water.. I just couldn't resist the chicken curry and garlic nan.. Ohh the nan. Suprisingly though, many resturaunts don't serve beer or any alchohol in Delhi.. Many.. But not all (wink) Shiri says that Alchohol is a fourth class thing..I told him that I'd be having a fourth class night out before too long then if he knew what I meant! Anyway, the food here is delicious and tempting.. I saw mutton brain on the menu today and nearly ordered it.. Nearly. Easy Yank!

So, That's it. Jaipur tomorrow and a ton of pictures that I'll eventually upload.

Amsterdam's for the birds

I'm just getting my feet wet here in Delhi. I'm still a little jet lagged from the two day flight over here around the other side of the world (via Amsterdam) But get this.. After arriving in Amsterdam and taking off for Delhi my plane hit a flock of birds that got sucked into the engine! Smokin feathers duck man! Crazy huh! The captain said that as far as he could tell there was no damage to the mechanics of that huge boeing 747-400 class sky boat that holds over 400 people (every seat on this ride was over packed with curry smellying gassy smiling people with children..Lucky I had a middle seat too!) But because of potential danger on such a long flight we turned around and landed back at the schipole airport to board another plane.. Time damage= 5 hrs delay. Ooops, I shouldn't have taken that sleeping pill just after take off, I was wrecked! Still, the calm sound of the captains voice had an effect on me that I could only describe as thrilled! I was hoping for a water landing like sully sullenberg made on the hudson.. No, Not because I have a death wish.. I love life! I want that gold pass for flying anywhere any time for the rest of my life.. that I figure they give you if you're ever involved in an airline incident. No such luck. I did however witness that mammoth plane jettosen hundreds of gallons of fuel out of the wing tips to lessen the landing weight of the plane.. Pretty wild, The fuel looked like it turned into smoke as it hit the atmosphere. We landed uneventful. End of story.

pdx preflight

Sitting at the Portland airport.

Here begins another epic journey for me. INDIA.. The name evokes mystery, intrigue, charm, grace, culture, amazing colors, historical struggles, Modern boom towns, poverty, chaos and of course Beauty! Sparing any speculation of what I expect to see and hope to find I think that I’m just going to say how excited I am and how fortunate I feel to be visiting this country. Seriously! Doesn’t the name INDIA just send chills down your spine? It does to me. My mind is a cocktail of swirling thoughts, sparkling dreams, adventurous aspirations and gentle appreciation for the world I’m about to visit. I can only compare what I feel right now to my first pre African anticipation. I was afraid but charged with adventure and a passion for life that I apparently still haven’t lost. Consequently, Every time I visited Africa I was so overwhelmed that I always told myself after a week or two “ Self, This place is FUCKED UP, It’’s so crazy here. I just want to survive, experience and go home. I’m never coming back!” Then after a week or so of being home I thought to myself “Self, Africa was so fucked up but so utterly amazingly different than anything I ever experienced before that I have to go back, I feel changed inside, I need it” I still want Africa. That love affair is what I hope for now with INDIA.

I’m going to see the Taj Ma hall! I’m going to take pictures of Tigers in the wild! Can you believe that? I’ve wanted to see Tigers in the wild as long as I can remember! I’m going to witness first hand the virtues and rituals of this religious nation, It’s monuments, culture and spirituality and loose myself in the bustling crowded perhaps even horrific streets of Delhi.. If in two weeks I can do more I will but I’m not going to push it.. I’m looking forward to coming back here.. This is only a test;) and I’m going to do it right.

Ahead of me is such a huge flight that I dread even thinking about it. I’m not sure why. . But, I’m at PDX right now and my ticket to Delhi is through Amsterdam.. I’m not going to arrive in India until 11pm the 8th- I’m leaving here at 1230 pm the 7th Atleast a solid day of flying! Yeah, You can say ugh for me. I wont remember, I have sleeping pills and vodka!

That’s it for me here at pdx… Next stop will be The green city of Amsterdam.. Wish I had a layover

Up to date

Click on the video TWICE to watch it full screen at you tube or else you'll miss part of the intro


I'm fresh from the sea. It's been a long while since I posted anything on here so I'm finding myself trying to organize the mess of my thoughts through thick brain cob webs in a hurry. Bear with me.

The fishing season was a longer than usual one for starters. I'll post a link to a fishing video I made last year for the guys here so if you've never heard me go on and on about what I do for a living and how it's all done in person you can watch it from my perspective. All the guys I work with are a great to spend almost 4 months with at sea getting the shit kicked out of you for a buck. Though the season did test our stamina both mentally and physically most of us made it al the way through. I turned 34 this year on the boat, another birthday shared with the ocean. I think I'm forgetting what it's like to have a birthday on land with friends. I did keep a journal this time and wrote about 2 pages every night before going to sleep. Someday,like in a million plus years, I hope somebody finds it and makes a discovery or A and E show program about it because it's mostly about fishing, the people who do it and my strange thoughts as the mate of a longliner. It could be a future cult classic!

Let's see, Here are some highlights

In general, we didn't do bad at all. The first trip was pretty slow. But started to pick up toward the end. Just before half way through the second trip we had to coe in to drop off one of our best factory guys because of a gnarly infection in a very private place- no names or comments here. Use your imagination though, it wont do it justice! Our third trip was pretty damn good. for a month and a half (including the second trip) we caught twice the fish that the fleet was averaging per day.. that is until a manic propulsion problem occasionally interrupted our fishing. We cut that trip short aswell to have some preventative maintenance done on the boat and finally our fourth trip though short because of the season closure was a steady grind.

The weather was wild especially in the last month. Forecasts of 35-to 50 knot winds were common. Fishing turns into a battle with the sea on those nights. There was one night n particular that I remember well, The weather was so bad that I was actually a little edgy trying to get a haul started in 30 + foot seas. I'm usually pretty good driving in that kind of weather but getting a haul started requires the most maneuvering and cn sometimes get tricky.. It was after all blowing rain sideways at 50 miles an hour. I wrote this poem while wedged in my bunk that morning after I got off shift.

The sea quathered in muffly blue- in contrast to a horizons hue.
A storm was brewing in shuffly zunes of rays of strays of windy cayes.
My ship careened with the zeen of fiends for fish we bleed these seas of needs. And all through the night froth’es mumbling wake of tales of whales or rudders quake. To my men in zen of knightly strife who power the wheels of changing life and to the rolling of ocean that we battle each fight-We face in arms each others harms.
Brothers of storm and sea you make mountains we climb to wield our prime. We share this home of mysterious zeal and share the rule we cannot steal. And you rise to meet us with a buffalos grin and race to charge us for fish and fin and we ride your back in awesome gales that live in our eyes when we revere your tales.
So, Know this both, and know it right when you rise quaking howl and winds grow tight that I stand with a force that lives in you and challenge your challenge with not a fearsome que for crashing is splashing and is fuel for my fuel and shall continue with what‘s in you for it‘s in me too.

I try to make up words sometimes as I go.

Ohh, one really cool thing that happened was that I was attacked by a large bird of prey! Believe it or not! It happened like this.

I Just finished setting several miles of longline gear and had to go out side to adjust our xm antennae so that I didn't loose the "coast to Coast" program I was listening to So I opened the door and latched it open without knowing that I had swept up and captured a large sea hawk or falcon who was hiding from the storm in a leigh behind the door. It was a shock to us both obviously! I just heard scratching at first but when I got a flashlight and shined it down where he was trapped, I was shocked to see massive talons and brown feathers crunched into the bulkhead by the door. I wasn't really sure what to do.. I mean, he had some big claws. I mostly stood there awestruck by the sheer possibility of seeing one of these guys up close and over a hundred miles from land while I watched him wiggle his way out.. And when he did get out, he was pissed! Ofcourse, I was the first thing he saw- You'd think that once he got out from behind the door that he'd just fly away.. No! He saw me and flew right at me, Talons in the air, wings flapping, Beak snapping! I jumped and fled back into the wheelhouse into the little U shaped corner that I drive the boat from and tried to sweet talk the bird whose beak by the way could take fingers off and he chased me! This is a valid "no shit, there I was" cornered by a man eating sea falcon or whatever beastly avian name he goes by who was determined to get a piece of me. I grabbed a sguigee that I use for the windows and yelled .. "back off you big feather flapping fuck head bird!" But he just bit at it and jumped at my feet. I had no where to go so I started to sing to him.. Gooo too sleeepp, Goooo tooo Sleeeep Goooo tooo sleeeeepp myy little falcon.. IT worked, He actually calmed down so I kept talking to him Squeegee in hand. I grabbed the phone because nobody was going to believe this and I was still trapped in the corner by this bird and called down to the galley for some help. You might imagine that the cook didnt believe me when I told him that I was cornered by a large bird of prey but he sent some guys up to see what I wanted. I managed to snap a few pictures of the bird once he got comfortable too! But as soon as the calvary arrived the bird knew that he was outnumbered and jumped back outside and flew into the night. Believe it or not!


I'm going to leave the Bering sea update there for now and just upload a few pics and that video. I'm In Juneau right now and although it's a little bit of a ghost town outside right now, I have some explorig to do.. If not Drinking and socializing.. I am a sailor ;)


P.S I hope you like sunrises!

Hi friends- It's a little strange writing on this Blog now that I'm home in my living room. Things are good here and it's great to see my friends in Bend. After2 and a half days home I feel like now would be a good time to start unpacking. My sleep schedule is completely messed up and I unfortunately have a ton of yardwork to do as soon as I clean up the horrible mess that a hundred lbs of rotting fish can make when the freezer mysteriously turned off while I was gone. Still, I'm anxious. Every day of my trip I had something to do somewhere that I could learn from, experience and challeng me. I made a little video compilation this morning that I hope you enjoy. I'll keep you posted on my next adventure. It looks like I don't have to work until august 1st so there's a ton of fishing, hiking, kayaking and adventuring to do around here... If anybody wants to visit, Let me know!

Here's the link over at youtube for the video.. make sure you have the sound turned on your computer!

Holy Hong Kong!

Well Guys, I am wunderlusterly awestruck once again. Just when I thought it was all over, here in the magnificent city of Hong Kong I find my self in huge amazement.

I initially wrote all about it yesterday with my first impressions of this incredible city. The post failed to launch for better or worse I'll sum up my experience before sharing with you my impressions from today.

When I first arrived in Hong Kong I felt like I had landed on an Alien planet inhabited by strange looking lightly tanned slim eyed lanky people who moved past me as if I was a ghost. Never making eye contact, unimpressed by my presence and moving with certain purpose through a city of amazing apparent enormity. You would not believe how big this city feels- Even though it's not really that large! Massive buildings cover every inch of coastline and every square of existence here where people Carry on with their everyday lives and business. In between the buildings are other buildings and beneath those fortress like towering skyscrapers is an efficient underground moving people even faster to where they want to go. Corporate headquarters, epicenters of commerce and trade, shopping mall after shopping mall, restaurants of every taste, housing complexes, saunas, tea houses and even parks line the interior and exterior alike along brightly colored streets sometimes decorated with alleyways of markets, food stalls, eastern medicine shops and arcades of sorts. After second observation, I realized that I was the ignorant alien here and felt more so in my place once again as a wide eyed explorer knowing that I had much to learn about this rich and prosperous city. My words cannot express the how big this city feels while still being so compact. As far as feeling like a ghost, I haven't shaken that feeling quite yet and kind of feel comfortable in a sense with that identity. Nobody seems to mind that I stop in awe with my camera at any moment. They're care full not to touch, bump or disturb my space while they move hurriedly past with whatever purpose they serve. Which could be due to the measure of sanitation I've also witnessed in this place. Never before have I witnessed such extreem levels of Germaphobia. There are signs everywhere assuring residents and visitors alike that each area has been sanitized on a two hour schedule. Free ninja masks are passed out at the airport and every service person wears them.. from McDonald's to Starbucks to banks, even the chefs in sushi restaurants wear them while they work! I passed a random temperature scan in the city just an hour ago.. for my personal safety of course.

Hey whitey round eye! Check this out!

Today, I woke up in my luxury hotel (which overlooks the city) courtesy of my older brother Jer and his awesome wife Sallie who offered me the family employee discount rate through her work and walked over to the museum of Hong Kong history where revelation once again found me. I was shocked to learn how Hong Kong was originally colonised by the British and why. Sorry Brits, here comes a huge skeleton from your closet.

After the Dark ages in Europe the English were interested in trade with China. the Portuguese had already opened the market doors and paved the way. the Chinese, However, weren't as interested in what the English had to trade and only allowed them access to two cities under a strict set of rules and guidelines that the English weren't quite fond of. The emperor at the time even flat out made a statement to the British telling them that they were proud of and enjoyed their way of life and had little use for western wares. Frustrated yet determined, the British hatched a devious plan.. get the Chinese hooked on Opium and they'll sell anything including their souls to the crown. So, the British (already manufacturing Tar in India) Began to import Opium to china by the ton. Trade relations changed immediately. they found it quite easy to get the things they wanted from people now only interested in getting their next big fix. When the Emperor of mainland china realized what was happening he seized all the opium to be found and boarded British ship to relieve them of their toxic cargo then piled it up into huge ponds, mixed it with lime while it dissolved and washed it back into the ocean. He ordered that anyone caught distributing Opium to Hong Kong or China would be put to death. Trade stopped immediately. That is Until the British Waged war. the Chinese had an estimated 100,000 troops against the British 20,000 but stood no chance against ships armed with a hundred cannons or more, against battle tested generals using modern warfare tactics and the matter was easily settled. The British assumed control and Opium manufacture, sale and trade resumed. This all happened in the 1830's and 1840's in case you were wondering!

the history of Hing Kong gets worse. In world war two, the Japanese seized Hong Kong and the British military fled making way for almost four years of what has come to be known as the Darkest period in its history. Residents were tortured or executed for not conforming to Japanese rule and people starved as rations were small and inadequate. On the Bright side when The United States of America dropped the bomb august 1945 the world stopped and Japan signed an unconditional surrender. Unconditional. Meaning that they had to evacuate Hong Kong and relinquish control back to our Opium dealing friends from across the pond.. Long live the queen. Things are quite different now as you might guess. The royal crown has surrendered control of Hong Kong which has been reunified with China. The city has been a boom town ever since mixing western technology with eastern ways, hong Kong is a the business center of Asia..or at least it seems like it to me!

I have some awesome pictures that I hope will illustrate how magnificent this city is but I also have taken enough video this trip to make a compilation when I get home that I'm looking forward to. I'll post the pictures on the 5th.

I have to roll friends, I'll be seeing a few of you soon!

Tick Tock in Kuta-After Bromo, Prambanan and Borobodur

Holly wowness friends and peekers. I'm nearing the end of an epic journey. If you enjoyed this blog, you should know that I'm not done yet. and I'll probably continue to post at this site for my future travels. Still, I have one last day in Indonesia and 3 days, 2 nights in Hong Kong. I'm thinking that for my next trip- If I have a few months available, I'm going to India and if I only have a month, I want to do Viet Nam and Laos.. But If you're like me, I'm certainly open to suggestions. Here's what I've been up to the last week or so.

Shit, It seems like I have been travelling hard these last few days! Since leaving Toba busing and flying all that day then arriving in Jakarta only to realize that I couldn't hang in the contrast of my previous tranquil surroundings vs the most amazingly chaotic city i've been in then busing again after finding out that the train had been oversold and that my ticket wasn't valid and busing it 15 hrs to Jogjakarta, Hitting Jogja hard and visit temples on tours, drinking in alleyways at 3 am the night before with new friends and then busing it to Bromo all the next day to wake up again for another sunrise tour of some of the most magnificent scenery I've ever witnessed then immediately busing it again all day to catch a ferry to Denpasar, Bali then taking a cab with some new friends to Kuta where I walked the streets at night with my backpack in search of accommodation. Success. (that's alot of "ands"I'm here now road weary yet somehow supercharged and excited to see Hong Kong. Still, buses can give you an unparalleled sense of filth that is in so many ways dehumanising. I think a long, very long shower followed by a massage is going to be my remedy! Cha ching!

Indonesia, you have been so kind, welcoming and good to me. You've opened my eyes to appreciate your beauty and diverse culture. Thank you for sharing with me The shores of Bali, The monstrous Komodo Dragon, the intriguing nature of the orangutan, the peace and tranquility of Toba, the sand and serenity of Gilly islands, the mayhem of Jakarta, the temples of Jogjakarta, the magnificent sights and scenery of Bromo and The heart of the jungle. I could go on and on. Terima Akasi!

I'm uploading some photos to facebook, here's a few here to give you a taste of what's over there. You should also know that I can't tell the quality of my pictures at the moment the screen I'm using has a double view and is quite blurry. I hope that I'm uploading the good ones. Either way, I have only uploaded a fraction of my favorite pictures to facebook. I have hundreds to go through when I get home in a few days and look forward to sharing them with you after I crop them and possibly adjust the levels.

Hello Guys. I couldn't hang in the big city of Jakarta. You would not believe how big it is and how many people are there. For example, there's one night club that opens on Thursday and closes on Monday morning. It holds a meager 4000 people! Alcohol is also not the escape of chioce.. Strange, I know, in a country that happily announces on every flight that drug trafficking is a crime punishable by death. P.S. Have a nice day!

Jogjakarta is a different place all together. Still quite large in size, Jogja is ruled by a Sultan. Although the people here are primarily Muslim, There's a massive and mostly abandoned Buddha statue and temple here and a Hindu Temple of which I'm also going to visit tomorrow.

Today, I've been wandering around the little city villages of Sosrowijayan. There's three main areas, Gang one two and three which are mostly little walkways and crawlspaces that you have to be Indonesian to get through. They're each separated by walls. For good reason too, Gang three is where the prostitutes hang out. Gang1 and two are more or less hotels(I use that word loosely here) shops of sorts and restaurants. The people here are very friendly and kind. I have to wake up early to catch the sunrise over the Buddha statue but it shouldn't be a problem because my room is feet away from the mosque and here they start praying at 430 am with a loud song hailed over amplified speakers that lets the world know that everybody should praise Allah.

I'm killing some time here surfing the net and chillin because all my action will be tomorrow and have little else to do. I'm uploading a video of one of the orangutans I saw in Bukit lawang because It's the coolest thing to watch them walk and you should see it for yourself. This one is the one I was photographing from the river who decided that the rock I was on looked like a good place to sit-Sending me into the water with my friend. Also I'm uploading a video of my view at lake Toba.

Jungle Tigers

I have to say something about this because it's been eating away at me for quite some time. You may be as surprised to hear this as I have witnessed it for the whole of the time I've been in indonesia... Remember this though when you read a post like this one from me- the last thing I want to be is a preacher- I loathe them on most occasions because I believe that we should be smart enough to try to figure out the best path to our own identity and subsequent goodness. What I would like to be is an observer of life that can share it with friends from my perspective. Sometimes I'm ignorant, sometimes completely naive, sometimes I'm even offensive. But, Hopefully I can keep a measure of humility, a strong adventurous and optimistic spirit and an eagerness to learn about and share the beauty of human life that surrounds us even if I cannot help but to share our struggles, challenges and defects- It's is my solid belief that we learn the most from those.

So, here's what I have to say.

Seriously, it's not so uncommon to see beautiful young south east asian women under the arms of fat old white men far from their prime. The sight is usually disturbing to me. Many men come here to find a wife to live with, love and cherish for the rest of their life, have children with and adore. On the flip side, and the reason that I'm often disturbed by their presence is the fact that sexual tourism thrives in south east asia. The women here are so eager to find a loving western partner that the end up with so many men who essentially treat them as prostitutes. See, marraige here isn't always initially about love. Arrainged marraiges are common and primarily, a marraige is an aggreement between two people to take care of eachothers needs and to be good parents to their children..Men are providers and the women are the regulators. Love, hopefully comes in the package. Indonesia is a different than much of the rest of the surrounding areas. Outside of the Jakarta and Bali, Women are etremly oldfashined and shy. The interest in western men is certainly strong but they are reserved, proper and dignified. Not to say that every available girl doesn't let you know that she's interested, she just wont give her heart or body away so easily or wrecklessly- Her family, friends and Village are all watching. In Toba, I did meet a girl that I was very attracted to. She was beautiful, charming and sweet. She showed me around the town, introduced me to all her friends and taught me about her culture. We had drinks together and danced the night away. For a moment there, I dreamed of taking her away with me and giving her the life of a princess, she was so sweet (regardless of the fact that her ancestors ate humans) I didn't though, and the extent of our physical relationship never even succeeded a goodbye kiss that I will remember forever. It would be so easy to be the kind of guy who indulges in the ease of the moment with these willing, beautiful, younger girls.. but, I know from unfortunate experience that when you break a womans heart because you're a traveller and simply have to listen to the call of the road and can't take her with you that it stays with you and you're an asshole if if you can feel good about yourself and live with it. So for me, atleast, my rule is fun.

After that preface, Here's what might shock you.
TOURIST WOMEN HERE ARE THE BIGGEST SEXUAL TOURISTS I"VE MET! The indonesian girls are reserved and usually keep to themselfes (remember like I said..outside of the big cities) But anything goes for the guys! Keep in mind ladies that the men here also have feelings, they also dream of making a new life somewhere new and exciting and hope to live in relative riches and enjoy the western world. The closer I got to the jungle or even off the beaten path, the more women I saw with indonesian boyfriends, the more stories I heard from the locals about how western girls are crazy with jungle fever. It seemed that every local guy had atleast one tale of the girl who was here for a week, fucked his brains out and left him for dead, a shell of a man.

My last night in Toba, I danced with all my new friends. We celebrated, laughed and drank Arak, vodkas and beer. Beneath our laughter a growing sadness loomed and grew inside of me. It wouldn't be long and I would leave he girl that I had become so fond of without even kissing. (Sucker alert, I know) At one point in the night, as the party was dying down, I found myself alone with my thoughts. A young Indonesian Butok man walked by me and said casually "You look lonely brother, I'm lonely too!" and walked by. After I said my goodnights and goodbyes I walked down the road towards the Reggae hotel where I was staying and the same man ran from the bar saying "Brother, I'll give you a ride on my motorbike, Wait. I have to get out of here too" I aggreed, Bottle of Vodka in one hand, Bottle of water in the other. A beautiful Finnish girl chased him out of the bar. He didn't have to tell me what he was feeling. I'd seen them around town and all that night playing like young lovers. It was also her last night in his town and he knew as well that their relation ship was over. Infront of me stood a broken hearted man in too much pain to even be with the girl that he'd fell in love with because she would leave him and probably never see him again. A tear welled in his eye as he looked at the dusty street in his little town far from the places where movies are made, far from places where families don't share houses, far from places where there's reliable clean water, flushing toilets and efficient sewage systems. She laughingly begged him not to leave because she needed one more night with him. I handed him the bottle of vodka, patted him on the shoulder and walked home. So, is it better to have loved and lost rather than never to have loved at all? I'll say for me atleast that it depends on your intentions.

About Toba

Lastly, I have nothing to do today but meet some people later on.

I've arrived at Lake Toba. This is a really mellow place. I'm not sure how long I'm going to stay here because the end of my journey is approaching at light speed. In contrast to the people North of here, The Butok people of the Toba area are christian. It's a good thing too! Not even two hundred years ago they were eating their enemies and criminals. Ruins of that society and recorded history remains. Yesterday, I visited the old village where criminals were tried and beheaded before being eaten. Erie! An interesting note- before being killed and eaten, the dinner guests were tortured and marinaded with onion, lime, salt and garlic.

I have to run, It is actually time for lunch.

Mom, wouldn't it be strange if I fell in love with a girl who's ancestors were cannibals? I met one last night! She can hula hoop, dance to hip hop and carry a beer on her head all at the same time!

More from the and about the Jungle of Bukit Lawang and the people

After my last journal entry from writing on the middle of a rock in the jungle river we had a little surprise. Our guide got word from another guide up river that an Orangutan and her little friend (not child) were walking towards us on the river bed. I grabbed my camera and headed that way with a few others. We walked about 10 minutes and easily spotted the two. The lighting wasn't bad their red hair contrasted the riverbed nicely and the two didn't mind me getting too close from the river..see pictures at FB. At one point while I was taking pictures from a rocky outpost, the orangutan decided that it wanted to sit where I was and sent me into the river chest deep with my camera and a friend- Awesome! That morning was one of the best I've ever had. Waking up early enough to appreciate all the sounds and sights of my surroundings, tired legs, sore feet, interaction with orangutans. I ate a jungle fruit breakfast (passion fruit is so amazing), drank clean river water Sumatran coffee and later enjoyed the pure existence of this place soaking and bathing in the river. Water itself has never felt so much like such pure life to me.

Just so you know- I mentioned that there were two Orangutans here on the river, An older female and her younger friend. I say friend because I found out later from Firman that the younger ones mother was killed by another Orangutan in something like a territorial dispute. The child escaped. Lost and lonely, in need of a mother, the older female I saw with him took the youngster as her own. Although the younger one is now 6 or seven years old, the two are mostly still inseperable. I heard another story that's also quite sad that I'll share it with you here aswell. The jungle is ,of course, no easy place to survive. The first few years of an Orangutans life are crucial to it's survival. Occasionally an infant dies. When this happens, it's not unusual to find the mother carying the child with her on her back even weeks later as the body stinks and decays. It pauses sometimes to shake it or try to feed it, care for it or just try to wake it up. On My trek, I was informed that one such Orangutan is in that jungle now. I'm greatfull that I did not see her. It would have broke my heart.

After a second breakfast of pineapple and passion fruit and maybe just a little relaxing and sandcastle making with two friends I made from Holland, we had lunch and packed up our things for a float down the jungle river through mild rapids. All the while laughing hard at our own jokes and antics. We floated with the rolling water past jungle children playing, mothers bathing in the river, palm roofed huts scattered and all the splendor of the jungle canyon. Trees draped the hillsides with lush shades of green, flowers blossomed in every direction people smiled and waved every time we passed them- anxious to practice their English. After a short while, seeing houses and people became more frequent and we approached the village of Bukit lawang and the first of three foot bridges that join the two opposite banks of the river. Near the it seemed that all the people of Bukit Lawang were in the river to greet us with their laughter, friendly eyes and excited hellos and how are yous. But, they weren't there for us. They were there because it's what they do- Enjoy the life that surrounds them like I did in their jungle home as a guest for the time we shared it together.

Life here hasn't always been so great-

On a sadder note, In 2003 The jungle village of Bukit Lawang was nearly completely destroyed by a flash flood in the rainy season. It was Ramadan, Many of the residents were weak from fasting, the flood happened at nighttime and there was no electricity. In the space of minutes, Massive fallen trees swept by a wall of water came crashing through the night and down river instantly wiping out many of the houses and home stays in the area. At least 300 people died and everyone in the area was affected. Most of the people I met here eventually told me about how they lost close family members. The good news is that this stronghold of humanity has made a slow and steady recovery and certainly thrives today!

In a personal note, ( you don't have to read this) I think that the Jungle people of Bukit Lawang are as important to the essence of humanity with their rich child like laughter, warm friendly hearts, welcoming arms, clever perseverance, honor and dignity as our sky rises, computers and automobiles. I think it would be wise on our part to take note of their example of humanity as they cannot escape the presence of ours.

One last thing. I have a lot more to tell you guys but I'm already late for a fish fry here in lake toba. So, I'll post more about the jungle and my experiences here too.. OMG This place is so cool. Shit, I have to go. wish I could write about it more.. Tomorrow.

Peace, Brian

It seems like it has been forever since I posted anything

So much has happened, I have my journal with me here so I'll share some of it in present tense..

Before I begin

I feel like I left you all on a sour note with that last post from the airport. I apologise if you actually felt how uncomfortable I was sitting there thinking that my most important things were gone forever. I could care less about the clothes, souvenirs and toiletries, really! There's one thing in that bag that I would fly around the world to get back if I could and that's what really worried me. I have a pair of pants that I have worn since day one of travelling. They're beaten and a little dirty but they have sewn on them patches from nearly every cool place I've ever been. Not just the countries, or the cities, if someone sells a patch at a museum, I'll buy it and put it on the pants. I once bought a guys shirt in Togo, Africa because there was a patch on it that said Togo(I was desperate, there weren't any Togo patches to be found!) Anyway, All's well that ends well, I've had the most amazing week in the jungle- please allow me to share with you my experience. while I simultaneously upload photos to facebook.

After my experience at the airport, I caught the first bus (and the last one of the night) to Bukit Lawang where I hoped to explore the jungle there in search of our hairy red cousins. The bus ride to BL is an experience to remember. It's actually not really a bus at all, it was a decrepit, dilapidated, overcrowded minivan that someone hailed off the street for me. That thing felt like it was falling apart, No suspension, vibrating windows, shredded seats, no muffler and all the smells of an Asian summer. Did you know that you can fit 22 people in one of those.. remember, I'm talking about a Mini van! you can fit even more on top of it. I think that at one time we had 25 total on board.Body heat, breast feeding, coughing, chain smoking, farting and crying babies. I tell you about this bus now but you haven't lived until you take a "chicken" bus somewhere. I'm getting ahead of myself but I 'll tell you now that the chicken bus includes all the fore mentioned qualities multiplied by at least one hundred. I saw one drive by today that had about twenty five people on the top and was crowded the same inside! Back to the jungle- I have to write this down.

From the Journal-

I write this from a rock in the middle of a river in the middle of the jungle. I slept under tarp tent and stars last night, close to the earth. Somewhere close to me now in the morning sun Macaques are plotting to invade the privacy I'm enjoying on this perch while I write and sip river water coffee and listen to this magnificent water bubble and roll along.

It turns out that bukit lawang means "Door to the Jungle Hills"! These hills are no small feat to climb!

Yesterday, my jungle guide Firman and I had the greatest time hiking and climbing these very hills I'm enjoying the view of now. I wore vibram shoes for the hike so it was like walking bare foot through the jungle. My feet are sore now but it's worth it to feel that amazingly close to the earth (dave knows what I mean here!) Although my feet are a little sore, it sure beats the blisters and scrapes I've been getting from my Tevas!

The search for Orangutans was a huge success for me. In the morning even before the trek, I spotted a young male walking along the riverbed! Shortly after our hike began, Firman and I spotted another older male Orangutan swinging in the trees. I followed him for quite some time. About an hour later, We found our first mother with child. There's no doubt in my mind now that these animals have some very human qualities. The mother held her child and played with her while they moved effortlessly through the jungle trees. She even cautioned the little one when she came too close to me. Finally, later that day, we found another mother with child. This orangutan was special, they call her "Mena" Firman told me that mena was aggressive towards people but that we shouldn't have any problems so long as we had a few pieces of fruit. After I posed for pictures about 8 feet from her and her child I received the rest of the story. Mena has a very long, very bad history of attacking guides and trekkers alike. I now know that posing for pictures with her was borderline insane- she has bitten more than 50 people in the past and she doesn't just bite! she wrestles and fights and wont quit unless she knows that you're hurt. She doesn't feel pain apparently, sticks only make her more angry and one time... she attacked a guide who had a knife who (as a last resort to save himself from her beating) slashed her face. She's a bad ass! with a bad ass scar too! This day was no absolutely no exception from mena's tyrannical rule of the jungle. We didn't know it at the time but Mean Mena had just sent a guide to the hospital about a half hour before she spotted us in the jungle- she hunts tourists! She did seem to look quite content when I was standing an orangutans arms length from her.. Blood thirsty orange bitch! At lunch in the jungle later, Firman demonstrated how large she can open her mouth by showing me the scars mena gave him two yeas ago when she nearly bit through his knee puncturing his muscle and tendons in the shape of an orangutan mouth from the top and front of his leg to the back side- WOW! He told me also later that most of the guides had been bitten by her at some time and most of them try to avoid her but like I said, she hunts tourists for food! give her some passion fruit and she's as happy as can be. That is, until you run out!

The orangutans I saw in the jungle yesterday were great. Still, I keep thinking that I'm supposed to feel some sort of enlightenment after being so close to them. I don't. It is no doubt to me that we're certainly more closely related to them in the evolutionary chain of things than most other animals but in their faces I don't see peace and enlightenment. It's evident to me that we as humans created those things with our big minds, creative reasoning, will to succeed and the many abilities that we pioneer as the dominant race of this planet. Orangutans have been left behind to live in the trees and pick flees out of each others hair. In them, I see a wild animal, driven by instinct to survive. Smart enough to be greedy, capable of emotion and compelled by the law of the jungle which you may only ever grasp if you enter-

I am still a curiosity to ever closer and surrounding macaques!


Jungle night, River bed camp

Deep green water flows with persistent and gentle force with medium fizz and yawning style across a path carved by centuries of diligence in a bed now barely used but kind and welcoming enough to share it with myself and 5 others last night under starlight next to a campfire. The jungle and mountainous hills watch the water grow and shrink with the rainfall in seasons constantly eroding the shape of the accomodating canyon which holds it all. Life here is abundant, ever present and thriving- Gushing into existence with the river and the light from the sun in so many forms. It swings from the trees, it crawls from holes on hillsides, it hides under rocks, swims in the river, flutters, buzzes or glides overhead and it eats and savors the rain and blossoms in so many colors to rejoice its mere existence and for the simple sake of its being. Perfection in simple and pure form. I cannot help but to feel completely alive and in good company in the belly of this jungle. It did not choose me even though I now feel completely welcome. I sought out her mouth, eyes watching me the night before, green morning rose in my heart and I climbed vines down her throat and hiked hills and shared my sweat with a days muddy trek down trails, up trails around massive, sky scraping mahogany trees, through twine like parasitic root structures. Feet on bald rocks slipping past laughing and taunting monkeys and deep eyed orangutans that carry on with life here with babes in their arms stretching and swinging through nesty trees- their homes. Along the crest of this canyon mad my descent, holding ropes of roots and hands of branches, dropping stories to the river bed and finally to this massive rock in the belly of it all where jungle breeze and morning mist share with me tranquility.

The ups and downs of flying

I'm going to force myself to try to write something about this without letting it stink up the room. As some of you may know I've been in Bali, Indonesia for the last few days (again) and have been using it as a hub to travel to and from some of the most amazing places that I've been to( Flores, Komodo island and the Gilli islands) This time in Bali, I have to say that I was just passing through. I wasn't interested in the The hawkers speaking broken English in Australian accents who sell anything to anybody , the multitudes of kids dominating the streets with beers or surfboards in hand, grabby salesmen, pushy moped rental guys- I wasn't even interested in the food. I went out one night and met a girl who told me stories about her broken heart and how she was suicidal because of it.. What can one say to that? Buzz kill! I tried to share with her positive reasoning and she countered with stories of masochism. I felt sad for her, she was sweet and beautiful and so honestly heartbroken and painfully puzzled that someone would take her precious heart so for granted. It seems that broken hearts are common here because so many foreign men land on these shores with stories that fill these girls hearts and minds with the wildest dreams... most of them lies. Hit and run. (please don't remind me that I have a history of being an insensitive, inconsiderate heart breaker myself- hopefully we live and learn)

No Aceh in the hole!
However.. I've just landed in a place in Medan in Northern Sumatra where Muslim radicals rule! Cool, huh! Here, If you're caught having premarital sex you might be subject to a public caning in front of the mosque! That means foreigners too. Better yet, it's televised. Recently an Italian aid worker in Bandah Aceh was caught in his hotel with his girlfriend from Aceh and given the beating of his life in between scripture readings. I bet the masked punisher also said something like "trust me, it's hurting me as much as it's hurting you"

Regardless, I feel regarded as an infidel at the moment because there is no reason why I should be writing this blog from an airline executive lounge. There is no reason why I should be eating free food and there is no reason a strange man comes to check on me every hour EXCEPT TO TELL ME THAT MY FUCKING LUGGAGE IS STILL MOTHERFUCKING LOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HOLY SHIT!

I'm going to keep that line there. But you would not believe the luck I just had. I have to go catch a buss. As I was typing that last line and letting the expression marks flow, said man ran up to me carrying said fucking luggage in hand.. so what if I waited 6 hrs. Phew.. I can't believe it. Can you believe it? Seriously, I avoided typing anything about that until the end here.. Fuck it. Speak of the devil.

I have to race to catch a cab to the bus station to get to the Jungle of Bukit Lawang YES!

P.S Credit where credit is do. They say that everyone in a sinking ship is a religious man. I admit, I prayed.

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder..

Stay tuned! I'll be back in a few days with exciting stories. You're not going to get much from me in the here and now. I have atm about three weeks of travel to look forward to. Soon to come will be a journey to the rim of atleast one active volcano,The serene views of Lake Toba in Sumatra, Possibly some views our our Orange cousins, the Orangutans in the same area, A quick survey of Jakarta ,the heartbeat of Indonesia also place spurred with civil unrest, a visit to a viewing of a giant Buddha statue and all the unexpected tests and challenges and maybe even the struggles of travel in between. Then, Let's not forget a two day visit to Hong Kong before I fly in to Bend over the fireworks on the 4th of July.

I should also say that, at the moment, I feel a complete peace in my soul. The inescapable sounds of rolling ocean waves and trance like Indonesian music charmed with the friendliest of people in a place where the only machines are hidden generators to run air conditioners, blenders and disco lights that sparkle on sandy roads have all brought me to the most relaxed state of mind. I know that you know the feeling, the one where it's Sunday morning and you don't have to get up to do anything for hours and the temperature is just right and it's so peaceful that you accept the cozy feeling of your comforter and pillows and just enjoy doing nothing but enjoy being without a care in the world. That feeling is priceless. I have to be honest here, I almost never experience that feeling, It's go go go go go- Do something, always or else I feel like shit about myself and wasting time and life. So here and now, I'm enjoying this place and brewing excitement for the next leg of my journey through the amazing place that is Indonesia.

We'll return in a moment to our regularly scheduled program.

I'm trying something new here by uploading a video to this site. It may take forever but lets see if it works. If it does, I hope you are as amazed at how magnificent the Komodo is as I am. The video starts slow because I had to position the camera far enough away from the dragon to be safe. They are wild, they do attack, they are poisonous and they do kill people. The last attack was in February. This massive dragon stopped on the trail to look at the park ranger who was with me, I had my chance and took it. I have no way of editing out the minute or so where the dragon looks frozen on the trail looking at me and the ranger but, if you wait, you'll see him walk right over my camera with the ranger and myself in the background.

So, what else.... I'm at this point in my trip where I've decided to recharge. It's so peaceful here in Gilli, the food is good, my room is clean, I have a hammock on my porch, a big bed, nice shower (built for smaller people because I am a giant here :) My bungalow is surrounded by vines, jungle vegetation and hundreds of wild flowers- this could be the perfect retreat. The people are great here too. They follow a chieftain law here before a government law so some pretty strange things happen here like for one, There are no motorized vehicles except for boats. Instead, taxis (or Taksi) are actually horse drawn carriages- Nice! Marijuana is still not legal here but it's tolerated and everybody local sells it where in the rest of Indonesia trafficking can easily put you in the grave also I don't get this but the pot sellers whisper in the streets but at almost any restaurant or bar you can buy a magic mushroom shake (so if you ever come here and get a side of sauteed mushrooms, ask if they are magic! So, you can imagine that the locals are somewhat Rastafarian islanders. They're also Muslim. There was a party till 430 at rudy's beach pub and disco last night that got pretty wild. The guys who work at y hotel were there late but had to work this morning early. When I saw them at coffee (when I got up)they were looking pretty rough.. one of the said that he needed to go to the mosque!

My plan right now is to sip fruity bevs, study Indonesian, write if it comes to me and soak in the sun. Tough life, I know. But, the next leg of my journey will be to hike an active volcano and hopefully travel to Sumatra to see Lake Toba and Orangutans

Condensed update

Hi guys, I'm currently killing some time in Flores near the island of Komodo. I spent the night on Komodo the night before last and saw an amazing ten dragons! I'm trying to upload the photos to face book as we speak along with the pictures from Bali island. I'm just going to condense some of my journal writing here with a short into to each. Some of My Journal writing is mostly imagery and impressions and I think of it more like a painting. I hope that when you read it you can feel some of what I felt experiencing this amazing place.

The night before at paradise restaurant after sunset-

Somewhere out there in this archipelago in the direction of the sleeping sun is the island of Komodo. There the dragon waits for me. In the morning, I'm boarding some kind of rickety craft, tested by time. I know that it will be comical but i'm doing it anyway with Nick from Sweden my new friend who has been to so many of the same places as me that I swear that we must be related.

Later, after arriving at the island on a four hour boat ride we decided in the heat of the day to visit Komodo village and afterward do our first hike around the island.

In Komodo village, children's laughter fills the air. Hello's echo from young and old. They all want their pictures taken.. Many of the curious touch and rub my skin to feel my tattoos. Fishing boats of many sizes crowd the harbor with lines out tied to anchors. Big eyed children carry komodo dragon carvings and pearl necklaces for cheap but they know how to bargain and first ask for pens and pencils. News of Obama has reached even here. Near the Mosque someone gives me a thumbs up to my president. Houses sit on stilts and children sing and play games in the shade while hiding from the afternoon sun. The smell of drying fish fills the air. Everyone smiles. there is so much life here.

After a jungle hike-

The Jungle is Alive! Wild boars, hairy necks, shrieking and snorting, fattened and careless, they sound like monsters sometimes when challenged by movement-
They are monster food. Timid deer travel in herds and sometimes dangerously alone. Velvet antlers, childrens eyes, shiny nostrils- spies of the jungle. In the distant plains and hilltops, Water buffalo graze sun fried grass. Geckos, blue and green, jumping or falling from trees. Fast like a flash gordon travelling in spurts. Chicken, Jungle chicken, Protected by law- Fruit of the land for the king only, Clack and flap wings on palm frawns and bushes like the dove and quail- just slower and less mobile. Snakes of all colors and types fill the bushy green bushes and trees. Eagles nest at the apex of natural living pillars somewhere and listen like I do to the symphony of ever present and changing jungle sounds. The drum beat of this island is legendary here and constant as it is real. Shaped like a dinosaur, living in a place where fantasy and reality meet fascinations and nightmares. His head is bigger than mine, his mouth seeps so much saliva and poison that it sticks to the ground when he looks up to notice me with eyes that question my position in the food chain in a place where he knows that he is the ultimate evil and can do no wrong. His shoulders arch and rotate prominence between front and hind while he walks only with a purpose- Swaying his massive muscular whip weapon tail. She is rare, she is precious, she is a marvel and an animal jewel to our planet. It is Komodo.

Komodo at night after an amazing day- Sounds of the Jungle at night.

Sounds of Komodo at night, Crickets steadily chirp so much that the night air rings like a quiet car alarm under atomically lit sky light full of stars and stars behind them. Waves in the bay froth in moonlight but it's dark where I sit. Bushes shake, A dragon hisses somewhere like a cobra not far from me. Wild boar shreik when they get too close to each other. They sound like monsters. Deer tred cautiously and light because they are everywhere. Lizards feast on ants and small bugs while arboreal snakes sneak sleakily through trees. The temperature drops to a cool 80 degrees. Park rangers laugh in the distance playing cards. A boat putters by close enough to the beach that I can hear someone singing a love song to the ocean breeze and it's time for bed. Tomorrow, I'll be part of that jungle.

Nick and I were by the way the only two visitors to the island of komodo. It's the slow season and most tourists go to the island of Rincha where the terrain is easier for hiking and it's easy to see dragons because they hang out near the ranger station. Before coming here we both agreed that we had to see dragons at Komodo no matter what it took. After our first amazing day of seeing 6 dragons and one tremendous monster (check the video of him walking over my camera out on Facebook) we took the longest, hardest hike on the island. The ranger said that he only did it twice last yr. I wasn't prepared for what the island had in store for me. Here are my afterthoughts.

The hike-
Sandled feet, one scarred from surgery, screws and metal aching inside- Both feet aching and worn and chafe to flesh like saddles too tight. Legs pushing limits, muscles like chewed cheap bubblegum. Sweat rains from my insides like a broken hearted cloud- The scenery amazes me thoughfrom up here and It pushes me in forward ascent, Climbing, crawling through bushes and on dewy, mossy rocks worn by time and few feet like mine past every shade of jungle, plains, hilltop grass, palms (some not surviving the heat so well like me), Tree and earth at 55 degrees to the peak. I should be in better shape but I'm not yet. My heart thumps hard in my chest and neck, I can feel my pulse finding a rhythm with my gasping breath and feet on rubber on changing ground. The sun rises to prominence, taking aim at me like a battleship in space shooting laser beams at my forehead and shoulders. Birds laugh. All the other animals take shelter in the shade. I spot a Komodo under green umbrella at distant hillside disinterested in my foggy gaze. I drink hot water from my pack and hide too, watching him and recharging my soul and will. The peak is nearer now. The thought is conception for my rebirth. Only one more kilometer to go. Few bushes survive here, fewer trees manage the heat. The surface I hike eases to burnt , yellow grass and slippery pebbles. My legs have no more bushes to fight. My body slicker now, skin coated with days of beer and water and pollen. I am tarred and feathered from every plant and flower. Arms and legs like bees feet. My head buzzes. Something like poison drips into my eye from my forehead. I move, still pushing and climbing. An encouraging breeze calls me closer to the top where in moments I will remember the reason of my origin. Moments pass and I pause, breathless, golden skin now shining in the sun- eyes wide open, heart filled with the passion of a thousand loves. Hair on my arms and the back of my neck stand erect pointing at the light of my spotlight. The Terrain of three hours climb looks up at me now peacefully. The breeze continues in full panorama. Smaller mountains hold the water below like an offering bowl to their make and those like myself who have come to visit him. Every bush, every tree, every patch of jungle, every rock, hillside and animal hiding in the terrain of this life filled place is part of the most beautiful painting that took millions of years to create. I'm thank full for the life my parents gave me and what I've done with it and am humbled in the presence of such wondrous beauty.

Wandering the island of Bali

Beachside waves of humanity cruzing by my eyes at moped speed. Signs of commerce streak like lines in the road. a golden old man sits at a corner i'm stopped at for a moment. Dopplering horns, bells, voices and whistles echo in my ears. I just passed a market where people buy their food from tables on dirt and concrete. It's the merchandise that moves with services here though. Tourists, tourists, tourists paid for this paved well beaten track. Batik, Silver jewelry, masks and incense- Massages and spa's for facials and pedicures and pleasures. Wood carvings, stone sculptures, paintings with the national geographic girl with the eyes next to stacks of other paintings rest in the shade. But there's more that this in the hustle. I'll tell you my wonderlust. . It's Temples crowning corners of every road with people who seriously pray at them. It's White sand beaches stretching for miles with children playing. It's that strange hypnotic music that seems to play everywhere (maybe it's only in my head) It's the food! It's Monkeys tugging at your pockets when you walk in the jungle that WILL bite you if you let them get too close. It's the Jungle itself. It's crusty Leather bodied mangy dogs that you don't want to touch your skin. It's Hawkers working their best Aussie accent to impress me because they don't know that I'm a Yank. It's the way that everybody wants to stop me to look at my tattoos and sometimes take pictures with me. It's this road that plays like a movie changing titles at every corner or street light even if were driving on the wrong side of the road. It's a parade of weaving mopeds down closed pedestrian paths. It's rice field after rice field and mosques and churches and the little Hindu offerings that people burn outside their shops every morning. IT's the stranger animals that I've never seen before. It's the smoke from grilled ocean grouper mixing with an ocean breeze. It's what I saw in Bali Today!

I took some really cool pictures today of a massive fruit bat(that I held- they call it a flying fox), a "turtle sanctuary", some temples, an awesome sunset, Sneaky little Monkeys and their newborns (never ever trust a monkey!) and some other random stuff. I didn't cross any major cultural lines today and was pretty much the model tourist with the camera. I'm flying to Flores tomorrow which will be a jumping off point for the island of Komoto, I hope to have some good trekking time there to play commando photo (my favorite game) and to find the komoto dragon. Hope to have the pictures up soon. Some of these I really enjoyed working on.