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 …
Continue reading "Borneo: Cows and other Endangered Species"
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: …
Borneo: Heading out
We booked rooms at the La Quinta near the airport the night before we left, not because our first flight was particularly early, but because we didn’t want to add any knots to the string of transports that needed to come together to get us all to Borneo. I stress, before we leave for trips. …
ICEBOX PLUMS: Moments, sweet and cold 