I DID see a leech. I found one in my pants during lunch. I stood up to get a cup of coffee and my thigh itched. When I scratched it, a soft tootsie-roll-thing slid around under my fingers. I thought at first it was the spare toilet paper that I keep tucked in my wasteband …
Borneo: Belief
Even on vacation I struggle with goal-setting and achievement. I love to bird watch. But what sort of spotting should give me the most satisfaction? A half- glimpse of what what might possibly be a rhinosaurus hornbill or a face to face conversation with what definitely is a common sparrow? And if I see …
Borneo: Cows and other Endangered Species
At the end of our steamy days at jungle camp, Afiq loaded us back up into his boat and drove us away. I left most of the beer behind because Afiq said he would take care of it and that's fair. We traveled two swerving heaving hours to a village called Telupid. Afiq …
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Borneo: For Memories
Afiq is super generous. His jungle camp feels like staying at a friend’s house. Our mid-dock suitcase/clothes exchange wasn’t the most efficient and we forgot shoes and long-sleeved shirts and flashlights and he shared his own with us. We might think it’s strange that the cook keeps the door to the kitchen locked while …
Borneo: Wildlife Spotting Protocol
Afiq arrived in his van the next morning to take us to the jungle. Afiq is an earnest young man who was born in a village alongside the Kinabatangan River. He is affable, but intense about his job as a jungle guide. Once he and his father caught malaria on a hunting trip because …
Borneo: How to Earn a Nap
We flew from Brunei to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, an easy on twenty-minute Royal Brunei Airlines flight, half-full of serene passengers enjoying their free newspaper and plastic cups of apple juice. From the airport we took a “Grab”, which is the Asian equivalent of Uber, downtown to our hotel, a giant pink monstrosity of condos. The …
Borneo: Traveler’s Notes
We flew from Portland to San Francisco to Tokyo to Singapore to Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city of Brunei. During the SFO-Singapore section our seats in the very back row jiggled like water balloons on a trampoline which led to some uncomfortable vomiting, but luckily Japan Airlines supplies plenty of barf bags. Traveler’s note: …
ICEBOX PLUMS: Moments, sweet and cold 