We were on the bullet train speeding through Chinese countryside, getting glimpses of vastly changing landscapes. It was my birthday weekend and Lucas had planned a weekend getaway to surprise me. While I dozed, nibbled on snacks and peered out the window, I could feel Lucas getting more and more tense. Every couple of minutes … More A Whirlwind Tour of Guilin
And just like that, it was all over. We were standing in Jakarta airport, about to board our separate flights and a deep melancholic feeling settled over me. We had spent every moment of every day for the last 27 days together (miraculously without a single cross word being said) and separating from my “drunken, … More The End of an Era
We arrived in Makassar and as we looked out of the window of our guesthouse, a sickening sense of dread descended on us both – there, not 5 metres away was a loudspeaker attached to a mosque. The call to prayer starts at 4am! As we settled in, the last call to prayer erupted from … More Down on my cluck!
After my malaria diagnosis, I sweated my way through the next three days, almost entirely bed bound, and we abandoned our original plan to proceed further into the interior of West Papua – exploring areas devoid of tourists and largely impossible to get to. Manado would be a much better destination for rest and recuperation, … More Escape from West Papua
Things were not quite right when I woke up. My head was splitting and I had a slight fever – and when I pushed my breakfast away untasted, dad was concerned. I love breakfast. Luckily, there was a boat leaving for the mainland that morning and he decided to go to a doctor to get … More Ellie gets malaria
When we arrived on Ternate we were told that the ferry to Sorong in New Guinea had left that morning and there wouldn’t be another one for two weeks. We rushed down to the docks to try and suss out our options. There we found that there was in fact a Pelni ship (a state … More The journey to New Guinea
It started 4 years ago in Sulawesi, an island in the north of Indonesia. We were staying in the docks in Manado and, on a whim, the parents decided to jump on board a boat headed to the closest island, Siau – dragging a very reluctant Katie and me with them. When we got there … More Operation Bau-Bau – The Origins
Musings and Wanderlust 