From Thailand, December 14, 2000
(The post below is from a group email I sent to my friends and family while traveling years ago. I include it in this blog as an archive to my travels. It remains in the the raw state that I originally sent it, foolishness of younger years intact, typos and sics untouched.)
i've escaped the commune, or as it's properly known
Ratchathani Asoke. i had a great time, learned so much
and had quite a unique experience compared to many of
my other travels. a month awakening to a gong before
sunrise, working a farm, a vegan restaurant, teaching
english students. a month of no shoes, riding around
in the back of trucks (with 10 other people), sleeping
on the floor of a wooden house on stilts, squatting
toilets, bathing in the moon river, no drinking(!),
playing with children, not understanding the ramblings
of the old men, and spending countless amounts of time
and energy trying to explain the wonders and
complexities of snow, why foreigners are so big and
fat, what my home and family are like, the
internet/email, and the rest of the western world.
i did work on my thai a bit, and no doubt learned a
lot; but it once again made me realize the many
intricacies of a language. thai is a tonal language,
meaning that each vowel can be pronounced five
different ways. so all to often i would be trying to
say a simple word like 'rice mill' ('rong sii') and
people will look at me completely clueless for up to
five minutes as i babble on with my 25 word
vocabulary. finally they'll say 'oohhh, rong sii!' the
same exact way i'd been saying. put that on top of a
completely different alphabet with 44 characters and
i'm just lost. i thought i had learned quite a bit,
then i realized my vocabulary mainly consisted of farm
and kitchen jargon. HA! but damned if i can't identify
common farmyard animals and vegetables as well as
order at any vegan restaurant...
they are a truly happy group (which still boggles my
western mind for some reasons), and were all sad to
see me go. i exchanged my address and promises to keep
in touch with so many people (many of whom speak
little or no english), i just don't know what to do. i
also promised a whole commune a place to stay if they
come to america. i hope mom doesn't mind!
but my time came, and they were so sweet as i left.
little gifts, cards filled with a misspelled english,
and enough food to feed the entire train i left on.
but i love contrast. so i set straight off for
bangkok, a manic dirty city of sin and desire. i love
it! i just need a partner in crime to really provoke
me....
so instead i mostly wander the city absorbing the
sights, people, markets, food stalls, solicitors,
dirt, and chaos. my feet are worn and covered in
blisters. suppose i should wear shoes, but you all
know better than that, i'll stick to the flip-flops.
and the future? don't ask. all i know is that i fly to
Kuala Lumpur friday. as luck would have it i'll stay
with a friend whose sister will be getting married.
should be quite an experience, a malaysian bride and
an irish groom! two completely different cultures and
a crazy yank. i'll email you all the scores.
but then its off to mexico (yes! back to the west...)
for xmas and new years to be with mom and that half of
the fam. should be a complete blast. from there is the
'don't ask' part of the future. i find myself with
only a one way ticket to mexico and a dwindling cash
supply. no worries though, something will come up, it
always does. any suggestions? i'm open.
the farthest ahead i'm planning is this fitting i have
to go to this evening. somehow i just stumbled across
buying a suit. only because i've a wedding to attend
this weekend and tailor-mades are dirt cheap ($150).
but i bought a suit nonetheless. i'm still not quite
sure how i feel about this. is this a sign? does it
mean i'm a grownup? hopefully 'no' to both of those,
but i'll keep you up to date.
as for now i'm off to my fitting, then a bite to
eat(vegetarian-- can you believe it? holding strong 3
whole days after the commune), followed by a stroll
home turning down taxis and ladies of the night the
whole way. damn its ...
love to all,
jeff
p.s. sorry if i haven't returned your email. please
forgive. its just that buddhist vegan communists seem
to be rather technologically impotent... i don't hate
you. really i don't! don't hate me! i'll try catching
up over the next couple days in BKK.
oh yeah, merry christmas too. did you get my christmas
card in th mail yet?
Thursday, December 14, 2000
Monday, November 20, 2000
the beat goes on...
From Thailand, November 20, 2000
(The post below is from a group email I sent to my friends and family while traveling years ago. I include it in this blog as an archive to my travels. It remains in the the raw state that I originally sent it, foolishness of younger years intact, typos and sics untouched.)
i'm still alive, never fear...
North East Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani:
this volunteer thing i ended up doing is nothing like
i would have expected. the info beforehand was very
vague. but i ended up finding myself in this extremist
buddhist vegan commune! extremist in the reliogious
and work ethic sense, don't go thinking cults or
anything. i came in time for the rice harvest, so i've
been spending 12 hours a day in the fields. they
believe in sustainable agriculture which means, to
them, no tractors or farm equpiment, all man power and
buffalo fertilization. so we cut the rice with
scythes, bundle it with thin pieces of bamboo and
stack it to be beaten. then at some point we will
stomp it to release the rice from its coating. it's
all quite amazing and a beautiful experience. i wake
up to leave by 5am. we (me and 11 other people cram
into the back of a little pickup truck) drive a half
hour to the fields while watching the sunrise and
feeling the brisk air zip over our skin. we get to the
field, work until 10 and then sit for a meal. the
monks start eating first, then we join in after bowing
three times to them. the food is plentiful and quite
delicious. i'd never been on a vegan diet before, but
it is nice. and they stuff the food down your face.
the chillis are hot, the garlic zesty, the rice
filling, and the fruit exotic. the bananas and
pineapple are sweeter than any i've ever had before,
and there are so many exotic fruits i try every day
that you could never find back home. and its all
organic.
after eating and most people only eat one huge mean a
day(because that's what buddha did. i'll try it this
week...), we start the work again until they call it a
wrap. we then pile in the pickup and watch the sunset
on the ride home. i'm in bed by 9:30.
the people are all so good natured its almost hard to
believe. we get along quite well, we teach each other
our repsective languages and teach each other songs.
most speak no or little english, so often
communication is difficult but it never seems to get
frustrating. a cute little seven year old boy has
latched on to me and we our becoming good friends. his
name is pannee and he comes over every morning to
greet me when i wake, often sees me in the fields and
comes over every evening to see my 'banknotes'. he
loves seeing foreign money and it took a while for him
to understand he couldn't keep them. it must be
strange to be raised on a commune as a vegan since
birth. doesn't grip capitalism or what money is, but
knows he wants it. i on the other hand have thought of
communism, but have never experienced it. i must say i
have quite an uneasy feeling towards it, but
everything runs so smoothly and happily here.
but there are several strange things about living
here. there are people my age living here who are
completely happy doing what there doing. problematic
for me are the routine, and the sense that while
everything is being taken care of and you are fed and
heppy, what about the future? they don't see beyond
the commune. and they have very little interaction in
the bigger community and in the world around them. but
most problematic is the buddhist precept of no sexual
misconduct they must live by. they consider the love
between a man and a woman to be the lowest form of
love(in my rationale, is any form of love bad?!). so
all the people i've been working with in their
twenties are single and seem to lead no impression of
dating or even interest. a completely foreign concept
to the western mind.
and yet i've sort of promised to stay a week or two
longer so i can teach some students once they return
from holiday. it will work out good for me though. i
am very low on $ and here i live and eat in exchange
for my labor and smiles. it is all so tiring though;
not only the work, but more dedicating all my energy
to trying to communicate and to teach people a bit and
learn a bit. and everyone wants to talk to me. its is
so nice and so rewarding, but i find myself never
having enough time to myself. i read whenever i have
the chance. just to stay in my world a bit. i have one
day off a week. i sleep late(until 6), go into town
and have my only opportunity to have a soda, walk down
streets, window-shop, email, and enjoy a beer. but it
is good. i feel healthy, strong and fresh. that is
life these days....
jeff
(The post below is from a group email I sent to my friends and family while traveling years ago. I include it in this blog as an archive to my travels. It remains in the the raw state that I originally sent it, foolishness of younger years intact, typos and sics untouched.)
i'm still alive, never fear...
North East Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani:
this volunteer thing i ended up doing is nothing like
i would have expected. the info beforehand was very
vague. but i ended up finding myself in this extremist
buddhist vegan commune! extremist in the reliogious
and work ethic sense, don't go thinking cults or
anything. i came in time for the rice harvest, so i've
been spending 12 hours a day in the fields. they
believe in sustainable agriculture which means, to
them, no tractors or farm equpiment, all man power and
buffalo fertilization. so we cut the rice with
scythes, bundle it with thin pieces of bamboo and
stack it to be beaten. then at some point we will
stomp it to release the rice from its coating. it's
all quite amazing and a beautiful experience. i wake
up to leave by 5am. we (me and 11 other people cram
into the back of a little pickup truck) drive a half
hour to the fields while watching the sunrise and
feeling the brisk air zip over our skin. we get to the
field, work until 10 and then sit for a meal. the
monks start eating first, then we join in after bowing
three times to them. the food is plentiful and quite
delicious. i'd never been on a vegan diet before, but
it is nice. and they stuff the food down your face.
the chillis are hot, the garlic zesty, the rice
filling, and the fruit exotic. the bananas and
pineapple are sweeter than any i've ever had before,
and there are so many exotic fruits i try every day
that you could never find back home. and its all
organic.
after eating and most people only eat one huge mean a
day(because that's what buddha did. i'll try it this
week...), we start the work again until they call it a
wrap. we then pile in the pickup and watch the sunset
on the ride home. i'm in bed by 9:30.
the people are all so good natured its almost hard to
believe. we get along quite well, we teach each other
our repsective languages and teach each other songs.
most speak no or little english, so often
communication is difficult but it never seems to get
frustrating. a cute little seven year old boy has
latched on to me and we our becoming good friends. his
name is pannee and he comes over every morning to
greet me when i wake, often sees me in the fields and
comes over every evening to see my 'banknotes'. he
loves seeing foreign money and it took a while for him
to understand he couldn't keep them. it must be
strange to be raised on a commune as a vegan since
birth. doesn't grip capitalism or what money is, but
knows he wants it. i on the other hand have thought of
communism, but have never experienced it. i must say i
have quite an uneasy feeling towards it, but
everything runs so smoothly and happily here.
but there are several strange things about living
here. there are people my age living here who are
completely happy doing what there doing. problematic
for me are the routine, and the sense that while
everything is being taken care of and you are fed and
heppy, what about the future? they don't see beyond
the commune. and they have very little interaction in
the bigger community and in the world around them. but
most problematic is the buddhist precept of no sexual
misconduct they must live by. they consider the love
between a man and a woman to be the lowest form of
love(in my rationale, is any form of love bad?!). so
all the people i've been working with in their
twenties are single and seem to lead no impression of
dating or even interest. a completely foreign concept
to the western mind.
and yet i've sort of promised to stay a week or two
longer so i can teach some students once they return
from holiday. it will work out good for me though. i
am very low on $ and here i live and eat in exchange
for my labor and smiles. it is all so tiring though;
not only the work, but more dedicating all my energy
to trying to communicate and to teach people a bit and
learn a bit. and everyone wants to talk to me. its is
so nice and so rewarding, but i find myself never
having enough time to myself. i read whenever i have
the chance. just to stay in my world a bit. i have one
day off a week. i sleep late(until 6), go into town
and have my only opportunity to have a soda, walk down
streets, window-shop, email, and enjoy a beer. but it
is good. i feel healthy, strong and fresh. that is
life these days....
jeff
Saturday, November 11, 2000
it continues...
From Thailand, November 11, 2000
(The post below is from a group email I sent to my friends and family while traveling years ago. I include it in this blog as an archive to my travels. It remains in the the raw state that I originally sent it, foolishness of younger years intact, typos and sics untouched.)
It's been a while but i've just been up to the same,
wandering about, island hopping, vine swinging...as
you do...
I spent last night in a buddhist monastery. I was
hoping to enlist in a ten day meditation retreat, but
in fact i came at the wrong time. i'm probably better
off anyway, as i wasn't completely mentally prepared
to get up at 4:30 am everyday and meditate for 14
hours a day for the next ten days. maybe next month
though...
before that, i've most recently been in Rai Lay beach
in Krabi.... absolutely beautiful and a must see for
any of you in the area. Its only reached by boat and
has a complete island feel to it. Surrounded in lush
tropical vegetation and breath-taking limestone
cliffs, all those unfamilar must just remember 'The
Man with the Golden Gun' or 'The Beach' which were
filmed here (although i mention these movies with the
greatest reluctance due to my disgust with how they've
completely trashed these islands... but at least you
get a mental image...) one spends the days rock
climbing, snorkeling or diving, sitting on the white
sand beaches, sipping fresh fruit smoothies, or
chilling from the porch of one's bungalow...
life became too relaxed after a week so i had to take
off. a boat to a mini-bus, to the back of a moped for
an hours journey to this tiny forest monastery. the
whole way i was bouncing off the back through these
rural country with everyone giving me double takes,
surprised to see a farang in these parts. the little
kids would shout "Hello!", "Hey, Yo!", and "I Llove
You!" as i zipped past. all too funny...
but now i'm in this little seaside city called
Chumpon. Known for its swallow nests, they're
harvested each year and sold as aphrodisiacs, with
which to make soup. Here the streets are packed,
dirty, and full of mopeds (quite fun dodging when
trying to cross the street...what are zebra stripes
for anyways???). and the constant "hey mister, you
want a lady" comments still crack me up.
but today i head off to NE , the poorest region in
Thailand, to start a 2 week volunteer program
educating farmers on sustainable agriculture and
handing out buffaloes. i'm not really sure what'll
happen, but i'll fill you in later... it is within a
few miles of the Laos border though, which is all a
bit sketchy now so we'll see.
thanks for reading my dribble once again. Have a happy
thanksgiving all (i'll think of the turkey and
dressings when i'm up to my knees in rice paddies and
buffaloe shit...)
jeff
(The post below is from a group email I sent to my friends and family while traveling years ago. I include it in this blog as an archive to my travels. It remains in the the raw state that I originally sent it, foolishness of younger years intact, typos and sics untouched.)
It's been a while but i've just been up to the same,
wandering about, island hopping, vine swinging...as
you do...
I spent last night in a buddhist monastery. I was
hoping to enlist in a ten day meditation retreat, but
in fact i came at the wrong time. i'm probably better
off anyway, as i wasn't completely mentally prepared
to get up at 4:30 am everyday and meditate for 14
hours a day for the next ten days. maybe next month
though...
before that, i've most recently been in Rai Lay beach
in Krabi.... absolutely beautiful and a must see for
any of you in the area. Its only reached by boat and
has a complete island feel to it. Surrounded in lush
tropical vegetation and breath-taking limestone
cliffs, all those unfamilar must just remember 'The
Man with the Golden Gun' or 'The Beach' which were
filmed here (although i mention these movies with the
greatest reluctance due to my disgust with how they've
completely trashed these islands... but at least you
get a mental image...) one spends the days rock
climbing, snorkeling or diving, sitting on the white
sand beaches, sipping fresh fruit smoothies, or
chilling from the porch of one's bungalow...
life became too relaxed after a week so i had to take
off. a boat to a mini-bus, to the back of a moped for
an hours journey to this tiny forest monastery. the
whole way i was bouncing off the back through these
rural country with everyone giving me double takes,
surprised to see a farang in these parts. the little
kids would shout "Hello!", "Hey, Yo!", and "I Llove
You!" as i zipped past. all too funny...
but now i'm in this little seaside city called
Chumpon. Known for its swallow nests, they're
harvested each year and sold as aphrodisiacs, with
which to make soup. Here the streets are packed,
dirty, and full of mopeds (quite fun dodging when
trying to cross the street...what are zebra stripes
for anyways???). and the constant "hey mister, you
want a lady" comments still crack me up.
but today i head off to NE , the poorest region in
Thailand, to start a 2 week volunteer program
educating farmers on sustainable agriculture and
handing out buffaloes. i'm not really sure what'll
happen, but i'll fill you in later... it is within a
few miles of the Laos border though, which is all a
bit sketchy now so we'll see.
thanks for reading my dribble once again. Have a happy
thanksgiving all (i'll think of the turkey and
dressings when i'm up to my knees in rice paddies and
buffaloe shit...)
jeff
Monday, October 30, 2000
notes from a rolling stone...
From Malaysia, October 30, 2000
(The post below is from a group email I sent to my friends and family while traveling years ago. I include it in this blog as an archive to my travels. It remains in the the raw state that I originally sent it, foolishness of younger years intact, typos and sics untouched.)
it's just a week i've been in malaysia, but what a
throw back! quite different from theoz world, but
thoroughly exciting. i flew into Kuala Lumpur, the
capital, and spent three days there. it's a hectic
city filled with bustling people holes in sidewalk and
craziness throughout chinatown where i was staying.
everyone was so nice, but i can't even tell you how
many double-takes i got as this lanky blonde white boy
stumbling around carelessly... and how about this:
this fashion stylist i met offered me a gig modeling
for a shoot for FHM magazine of Malaysia (Maxim in the
states)... too funny eh?! but, i turned it down...
there's no way i could hang around that city a week
when the jungle is just next door.
so i split. and headed to Taman Negara National Park,
the oldest rainforest in the world! sooo much better.
little cabins with large hornbillbirds squaking about
and monkeys swinging from trees... to get into the
park you must take this 2 1/2 hour boat ride up the
muddy-brown tahan river in this beautiful long boat
40' long by 4' wide holding 12 passengers. so i hit
the resort and decide it's time to chill. i figured
i'd spend my b-day there rather than in transit to the
next stop (which is what i'm doing now...). so i
figure what the hell i'll do this right. none of those
handbag trails for fat out-of-shape tourists, no i'll
do it proper. i decided to head up north about 10
miles to these limestone caves where i'd spend the
night and head backthenext day. by myself of course.
youknow a rite of passage gone cavemanthing...
so i catch i ride up the river the day before my bday
and head out on on this ambiguous trail. i had a map,
although it was virtually useless and my trusty
compass. the trail meandered north but was extremely
difficult to tell where it was (at some points it just
consisted of some worn leaves and completely overgrown
ominous looking jungle plants) or which one to take.
its a trail that's used no more than once a week...
so somehow i do that all right, dodging the sketchy
looking plants, climbing over huge fallen trees,
crossing streams (24 to be exact, kind of bizarre...),
and jumping at the rustling noises coming from the
bush. it was truly amazingly beautiful. and dense.
but i finally reach the first cave. it was nice.
stalagmites. stalagtites. (which is which, can someone
remind me?) bats. that was nice, but i was restless to
see more and find a camp before the sun went down. i
hiked on. to the next cave...gua kepanyang besar. the
biggest of the region and truly a natural cathedral!
it was huge! the ceiling at least 50' high with two
huge openings. i had been told by local guides that
elephants and tigers often stayed there (the same
guides told me not to do it without a guide,
especially alone. they just wanted me to hire their
services!). and indeed i found elephant dung amongst
other types of dung as well. i decide this is where i
will camp. so i set out to find some firewood as the
smoke and flames will keep the large animals away. let
me tell you, it is damn hard to find firewood and
start a fire in the rainforest. my attempts at
lighting a fire in the cave were slow and frustrating
(even though i am a raging pyro) and i started to get
freaked out as it started to get dark, the rains set
in, and the unidentifiable jungle noises started
hitting my ears. and no joke, i heard the elephants!
in my desparation i had to use the first 70 pages of
the book i am reading ("The Power of One", sorry Bryce
Courtney!) to get it started but once i did i felt
safe. for the rest of the night i chilled out, ate
dinner, reflected and reminisced, and dance around the
cave nude...
the next morning i woke to a feeling of invincibility.
it was this unbelievable sense of confidence and
comforting isolation (if that is possible). i
regretfully broke down camp and set out again, back to
civilization and drinking water (which i was running
low on...). all in all it was unreal. definitely one
of the stupidest (although i prefer to call it crazy)
yet mosty rewarding experiences.
in the end i saw monkeys, boars, lizards, countless
types of butterflies and mushrooms, a poisonous snake
(don't worry i didn't pick it up this time), and
leeches, lots of them... and i came out of the jungle
today with a variety of rashes, bites, a dozen leech
holes and a year older. not bad eh?!
so now after the 2 hour boat ride out of the park, the
1/2 hour taxi, and the 9 hour wait, i will jump on a
train to kota bharu at 1:30 am hoping to reach the
perhenthian islands and some of the best diving in SE
Asia...
more later,
jef
(The post below is from a group email I sent to my friends and family while traveling years ago. I include it in this blog as an archive to my travels. It remains in the the raw state that I originally sent it, foolishness of younger years intact, typos and sics untouched.)
it's just a week i've been in malaysia, but what a
throw back! quite different from theoz world, but
thoroughly exciting. i flew into Kuala Lumpur, the
capital, and spent three days there. it's a hectic
city filled with bustling people holes in sidewalk and
craziness throughout chinatown where i was staying.
everyone was so nice, but i can't even tell you how
many double-takes i got as this lanky blonde white boy
stumbling around carelessly... and how about this:
this fashion stylist i met offered me a gig modeling
for a shoot for FHM magazine of Malaysia (Maxim in the
states)... too funny eh?! but, i turned it down...
there's no way i could hang around that city a week
when the jungle is just next door.
so i split. and headed to Taman Negara National Park,
the oldest rainforest in the world! sooo much better.
little cabins with large hornbillbirds squaking about
and monkeys swinging from trees... to get into the
park you must take this 2 1/2 hour boat ride up the
muddy-brown tahan river in this beautiful long boat
40' long by 4' wide holding 12 passengers. so i hit
the resort and decide it's time to chill. i figured
i'd spend my b-day there rather than in transit to the
next stop (which is what i'm doing now...). so i
figure what the hell i'll do this right. none of those
handbag trails for fat out-of-shape tourists, no i'll
do it proper. i decided to head up north about 10
miles to these limestone caves where i'd spend the
night and head backthenext day. by myself of course.
youknow a rite of passage gone cavemanthing...
so i catch i ride up the river the day before my bday
and head out on on this ambiguous trail. i had a map,
although it was virtually useless and my trusty
compass. the trail meandered north but was extremely
difficult to tell where it was (at some points it just
consisted of some worn leaves and completely overgrown
ominous looking jungle plants) or which one to take.
its a trail that's used no more than once a week...
so somehow i do that all right, dodging the sketchy
looking plants, climbing over huge fallen trees,
crossing streams (24 to be exact, kind of bizarre...),
and jumping at the rustling noises coming from the
bush. it was truly amazingly beautiful. and dense.
but i finally reach the first cave. it was nice.
stalagmites. stalagtites. (which is which, can someone
remind me?) bats. that was nice, but i was restless to
see more and find a camp before the sun went down. i
hiked on. to the next cave...gua kepanyang besar. the
biggest of the region and truly a natural cathedral!
it was huge! the ceiling at least 50' high with two
huge openings. i had been told by local guides that
elephants and tigers often stayed there (the same
guides told me not to do it without a guide,
especially alone. they just wanted me to hire their
services!). and indeed i found elephant dung amongst
other types of dung as well. i decide this is where i
will camp. so i set out to find some firewood as the
smoke and flames will keep the large animals away. let
me tell you, it is damn hard to find firewood and
start a fire in the rainforest. my attempts at
lighting a fire in the cave were slow and frustrating
(even though i am a raging pyro) and i started to get
freaked out as it started to get dark, the rains set
in, and the unidentifiable jungle noises started
hitting my ears. and no joke, i heard the elephants!
in my desparation i had to use the first 70 pages of
the book i am reading ("The Power of One", sorry Bryce
Courtney!) to get it started but once i did i felt
safe. for the rest of the night i chilled out, ate
dinner, reflected and reminisced, and dance around the
cave nude...
the next morning i woke to a feeling of invincibility.
it was this unbelievable sense of confidence and
comforting isolation (if that is possible). i
regretfully broke down camp and set out again, back to
civilization and drinking water (which i was running
low on...). all in all it was unreal. definitely one
of the stupidest (although i prefer to call it crazy)
yet mosty rewarding experiences.
in the end i saw monkeys, boars, lizards, countless
types of butterflies and mushrooms, a poisonous snake
(don't worry i didn't pick it up this time), and
leeches, lots of them... and i came out of the jungle
today with a variety of rashes, bites, a dozen leech
holes and a year older. not bad eh?!
so now after the 2 hour boat ride out of the park, the
1/2 hour taxi, and the 9 hour wait, i will jump on a
train to kota bharu at 1:30 am hoping to reach the
perhenthian islands and some of the best diving in SE
Asia...
more later,
jef
Friday, October 20, 2000
the latest and the greatest...
From Australia, October 20, 2000
(The post below is from a group email I sent to my friends and family while traveling years ago. I include it in this blog as an archive to my travels. It remains in the the raw state that I originally sent it, foolishness of younger years intact, typos and sics untouched.)
YES I'M STILL ALIVE! i seem to be getting that
question quite a bit these days. but i'm doing fine,
really, besides the index finger i almost chopped off
the other day... don't worry though, a little
splurting blood followed by a quick ride to the
hospital and four cute little stitches on what i now
call 'franken-finger' (and it really screws my
typing/pecking skills...)
i've just come out of the bush after five thrilling
days in Kakadu national park and Arhemland, some time
in Darwin, and then a jaunt down to alice springs and
ayers'rock/olgas/king canyon. i've been traveling with
my mate fran (from binghamton and studying in perth
now...in case you don't know.)
but anyway... i wrapped up prot douglas about a month
ago now with a week long diving trip out on the great
barrier reef and the remote osprey reef aboard the
'Undersea Explorer' (check out their webpage:
www.underseaexplorer.com trip photos from sept 22nd.
to catch a glimpse of what it was all about and check
me out in my full scuba gear 20m down holding a
nautilus...) it was absolutely out-of-this world. i
got in 18 dives all over the place... 4 night dives,a
shark feed, reef, reef, reef, and countless types of
fish, sharks, moray eels, turtles, etc. it's actually
a research expedition/advebture diving boat and had a
bunch of cephlapod (you know octupus, squid,
cuttlefish, nautilus) and marine biologist
reseasrchers on board. i learned a lot and had quite
a few 10th grade biology flashbacks...
then fran came into town and we did it up grand.
drove up to cape tribulation and saw the rainforest,
chilled on the beach, got a couple of sails in, one
last blow-out sunday session and the few final ragers
with my flatmates kirsty, ruth and gareth and of
course all the la marina crew. we then proceeded to
fly to darwin and make our way out to kakadu national
park for five days with a madman for a guide... amidst
the grungey state of living (no showers and limited
swimming possibilities in croc country) we went out on
a croc cruise spotting and feeding 'em. one tried to
take a bite out of the 18' aluminun boat and came more
than close enought to jumping in. spotted 10 or so
which is quite a few for this time of the year...
the trip was filled with 200 meter water falls,
cathedral gorges, bush pigs and spunk rats, sunrises
and sunsets, 10,000 year old aboriginal rock art,
camping out under the stars 20m from croc-infested
waters, crazy rockclimbing, countless types of
animal-life, and the usual jungle sideshow element of
danger. so, our best story?...
it's gotta be one morning while we were breaking down
camp. fran calls me over because a 3-4 foot snake had
just crawled over his foot while he was standing
there. i go over and check it out. it seems docile
enough. i pick up its tail a bit, still chill. i pick
up a stick to handle its front half in true steve
irwin style and pick it up. it seemed no big deal as
i'd watched our guide pick up a 2+ meter python the
other night and this one wasn't 1/3 the size. so fran
calls ou guide over, he looks at it, freaks out and
tells me to put it down. get this- it was a western
brown, one of the top 5 deadliest snakes in the world.
so needless to say, i put it down. my judgement wasn't
complete idiocy though, because shortly after i put it
down it slithered away slowly and started to behave
quite stranglely. we go over and check it out. it
turns out its really messed up. someting's sticking
out of its side, its in pain and it will inevitably
die. so i picked it up, laid it in the coals from the
fire and put it out of its misery.... it also made a
fun game of
chase-the-other-tour-company-down-and-throw-it-on-their-windshield-as-they-freak-out-and-drive-away.
and in a close second (i just can't help but tell this
one...) is our dingo story. it was the fifth day and
we were driving down this dirt trail in arnhemland
when our guide slams the landcruiser to a quick stop.
he points out a little dingo pup running away. it was
probably about 2 months old (think of a puppy) and on
its own. i ask our guide Vanni if we chase after it,
and before he can get 'yes' out of his mouth me, fran
and alex jump out the back and chase after this pup
full speed thru the bush. we chased it down finally as
it yelped and thrashed its little teeth. i started
kicking it around gently just to keep him off his feet
and stop him from running again. it was SO cute and i
wanted to pick him up and take him home more than i
have any other animal i've ever found (talk about
childhood emotions running through you again...'mommy
can we keep him, pleeeaaasssseeeeee!!!'). the problem
was he was wild, who knows what it could have been
carrying, and i just knew his little puppy teeth and
claws would have been as sharp as razors. more
importantly, where was the mother. so we let him run
away, definitely in fear, probably its first human
encounter. Our guide thought it wierd that the mom
wasn't around, which means it was probably on its own
and most definitely wouldn't survive it as a hawk or
croc would get to it. it was so sad...
so kakadu was a sensational experience. one always to
be remembered. and i vowed i'd go back some day in the
wet season, as this was the very end of the dry.
but from there we flew down to alice springs and ayers
rock with a bunch of handbags( are there beds in these
tents???). but the rock was cool. just a huge piece of
rock sticking out of the arid desert. beautiful
sunrise and sunsets. its phenomenal, but i don't have
too much to say, and not too many exciting stories (at
least no sober ones).
and from ayers fran and i flew back to perth (while
getting plently of free drinks and flirtations from
the flight attendants... ;) ) where i've been for the
past week. i've had a killa time hanging out with him
and his mates, swimming in the indian ocean. but now
its weekend and the usual activities will pursue.
All good things must come to an end, and so too will
oz for me. it's been a year to the day this sunday
when i fly out. i had many a crazy times, met so many
interesting friends, and seen so many breath-taking
sights. (or was it crazy friends, breath-taking times,
and interesting sights???)
So sunday i fly off to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. don't
ask me what i'm gonna do there. all i know is that
i'll buy a new camera (anyone have any insights on
35mm SLR nikons, minoltas, canons, or pentaxes?) and
head north, maybe/probably through thailand, vietnam
and laos.
so keep in touch (seriously, send me your address and
i'll get you a postcard...at least it'll be a bit more
tangible than my sparse and fleeting emails) and keep
your couch free as who knows when i'll vagabond it by
your neighborhood...
love and good times to all...
jeff, SS, jungleboy, etc...
p.s. please forward to anyone you know i may not have
included (and benji and patrice to the team, please)
best wishes to all my oz mates: the cmc crew for
countless nights of slavedom, the pink trev parties,
dylan the overly energetic partner in countless
crimes, the east coast migration run-ins, kirsty,
ruth, g-spot, la marina et al, all the other
douglas-ites holding up the roof..... HAAAAA... until
we meet again.
S.E.Asia anyone?
how about a mexican christmas?
(The post below is from a group email I sent to my friends and family while traveling years ago. I include it in this blog as an archive to my travels. It remains in the the raw state that I originally sent it, foolishness of younger years intact, typos and sics untouched.)
YES I'M STILL ALIVE! i seem to be getting that
question quite a bit these days. but i'm doing fine,
really, besides the index finger i almost chopped off
the other day... don't worry though, a little
splurting blood followed by a quick ride to the
hospital and four cute little stitches on what i now
call 'franken-finger' (and it really screws my
typing/pecking skills...)
i've just come out of the bush after five thrilling
days in Kakadu national park and Arhemland, some time
in Darwin, and then a jaunt down to alice springs and
ayers'rock/olgas/king canyon. i've been traveling with
my mate fran (from binghamton and studying in perth
now...in case you don't know.)
but anyway... i wrapped up prot douglas about a month
ago now with a week long diving trip out on the great
barrier reef and the remote osprey reef aboard the
'Undersea Explorer' (check out their webpage:
www.underseaexplorer.com trip photos from sept 22nd.
to catch a glimpse of what it was all about and check
me out in my full scuba gear 20m down holding a
nautilus...) it was absolutely out-of-this world. i
got in 18 dives all over the place... 4 night dives,a
shark feed, reef, reef, reef, and countless types of
fish, sharks, moray eels, turtles, etc. it's actually
a research expedition/advebture diving boat and had a
bunch of cephlapod (you know octupus, squid,
cuttlefish, nautilus) and marine biologist
reseasrchers on board. i learned a lot and had quite
a few 10th grade biology flashbacks...
then fran came into town and we did it up grand.
drove up to cape tribulation and saw the rainforest,
chilled on the beach, got a couple of sails in, one
last blow-out sunday session and the few final ragers
with my flatmates kirsty, ruth and gareth and of
course all the la marina crew. we then proceeded to
fly to darwin and make our way out to kakadu national
park for five days with a madman for a guide... amidst
the grungey state of living (no showers and limited
swimming possibilities in croc country) we went out on
a croc cruise spotting and feeding 'em. one tried to
take a bite out of the 18' aluminun boat and came more
than close enought to jumping in. spotted 10 or so
which is quite a few for this time of the year...
the trip was filled with 200 meter water falls,
cathedral gorges, bush pigs and spunk rats, sunrises
and sunsets, 10,000 year old aboriginal rock art,
camping out under the stars 20m from croc-infested
waters, crazy rockclimbing, countless types of
animal-life, and the usual jungle sideshow element of
danger. so, our best story?...
it's gotta be one morning while we were breaking down
camp. fran calls me over because a 3-4 foot snake had
just crawled over his foot while he was standing
there. i go over and check it out. it seems docile
enough. i pick up its tail a bit, still chill. i pick
up a stick to handle its front half in true steve
irwin style and pick it up. it seemed no big deal as
i'd watched our guide pick up a 2+ meter python the
other night and this one wasn't 1/3 the size. so fran
calls ou guide over, he looks at it, freaks out and
tells me to put it down. get this- it was a western
brown, one of the top 5 deadliest snakes in the world.
so needless to say, i put it down. my judgement wasn't
complete idiocy though, because shortly after i put it
down it slithered away slowly and started to behave
quite stranglely. we go over and check it out. it
turns out its really messed up. someting's sticking
out of its side, its in pain and it will inevitably
die. so i picked it up, laid it in the coals from the
fire and put it out of its misery.... it also made a
fun game of
chase-the-other-tour-company-down-and-throw-it-on-their-windshield-as-they-freak-out-and-drive-away.
and in a close second (i just can't help but tell this
one...) is our dingo story. it was the fifth day and
we were driving down this dirt trail in arnhemland
when our guide slams the landcruiser to a quick stop.
he points out a little dingo pup running away. it was
probably about 2 months old (think of a puppy) and on
its own. i ask our guide Vanni if we chase after it,
and before he can get 'yes' out of his mouth me, fran
and alex jump out the back and chase after this pup
full speed thru the bush. we chased it down finally as
it yelped and thrashed its little teeth. i started
kicking it around gently just to keep him off his feet
and stop him from running again. it was SO cute and i
wanted to pick him up and take him home more than i
have any other animal i've ever found (talk about
childhood emotions running through you again...'mommy
can we keep him, pleeeaaasssseeeeee!!!'). the problem
was he was wild, who knows what it could have been
carrying, and i just knew his little puppy teeth and
claws would have been as sharp as razors. more
importantly, where was the mother. so we let him run
away, definitely in fear, probably its first human
encounter. Our guide thought it wierd that the mom
wasn't around, which means it was probably on its own
and most definitely wouldn't survive it as a hawk or
croc would get to it. it was so sad...
so kakadu was a sensational experience. one always to
be remembered. and i vowed i'd go back some day in the
wet season, as this was the very end of the dry.
but from there we flew down to alice springs and ayers
rock with a bunch of handbags( are there beds in these
tents???). but the rock was cool. just a huge piece of
rock sticking out of the arid desert. beautiful
sunrise and sunsets. its phenomenal, but i don't have
too much to say, and not too many exciting stories (at
least no sober ones).
and from ayers fran and i flew back to perth (while
getting plently of free drinks and flirtations from
the flight attendants... ;) ) where i've been for the
past week. i've had a killa time hanging out with him
and his mates, swimming in the indian ocean. but now
its weekend and the usual activities will pursue.
All good things must come to an end, and so too will
oz for me. it's been a year to the day this sunday
when i fly out. i had many a crazy times, met so many
interesting friends, and seen so many breath-taking
sights. (or was it crazy friends, breath-taking times,
and interesting sights???)
So sunday i fly off to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. don't
ask me what i'm gonna do there. all i know is that
i'll buy a new camera (anyone have any insights on
35mm SLR nikons, minoltas, canons, or pentaxes?) and
head north, maybe/probably through thailand, vietnam
and laos.
so keep in touch (seriously, send me your address and
i'll get you a postcard...at least it'll be a bit more
tangible than my sparse and fleeting emails) and keep
your couch free as who knows when i'll vagabond it by
your neighborhood...
love and good times to all...
jeff, SS, jungleboy, etc...
p.s. please forward to anyone you know i may not have
included (and benji and patrice to the team, please)
best wishes to all my oz mates: the cmc crew for
countless nights of slavedom, the pink trev parties,
dylan the overly energetic partner in countless
crimes, the east coast migration run-ins, kirsty,
ruth, g-spot, la marina et al, all the other
douglas-ites holding up the roof..... HAAAAA... until
we meet again.
S.E.Asia anyone?
how about a mexican christmas?
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