I wasn’t feeling too Christmassy as Mandolyn approached Brunei at 4am on December the 11th. I’d been weaving through oil rigs in the dark while dodging shipping and keeping a nervous eye on the lightning flashing all around. It was impossible to get comfortable in the rain soaked cockpit. We rounded a point of land, when what to my wondering eyes did appear? Is that… It was a Magical Christmas Forest! A hundred foot tree glittered with lights, surrounded by…
“So I know we just met, but how about our families go travelling together… for like six months? It’s not weird, we’ll just go everywhere together, do chores together, and realistically if you don’t finish your dinner at a restaurant, I’ll probably sneak a few bites. Am I coming on too strong?” Six months later, at Belitung Island in Indonesia, we had to say a sad farewell to the crew of Bumfuzzle. We had some great times hunting for bread…
When I was a kid I had a Curious George stuffed monkey that was my absolute favourite. George kept me safe in those dangerous times after lights out, and he gave me a lot of opportunity to imagine myself as a monkey. There we’d be, George and little monkey Doug, soaring through the treetops, throwing back bananas. Just two monkeys living the dream… Back in my adult reality, Mandolyn had arrived on the island of Borneo! We anchored off the…
“Be careful of the monkeys. Do not look them in the eye. If they steal from you, do not resist. If they jump on you, do not flinch. Never fight back.” Seems a little dramatic. This was the warning from the driver who dropped us off at the Ubud Monkey Forest on the island of Bali. This popular tourist attraction is a Hindu sacred site, as well as a monkey sanctuary. It’s also the perfect place to photograph yourself in…