Hey everyone, long time no see! Nah fa worry mi nuh dead yet I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying Jah or looking forward to their next trip. I've been riding a motorcycle, an old Honda Bonus 125 named El Diablo, around SE Asia for the last 3.5 months. Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia so far.
It's been one crazy ride full of beautiful countryside, amazing islands, awesome cities, hill tribes, remote villages, dense jungle, dirt tracks through rice paddies, fearless drivers, and so much more. Skinny dipping on a tiny island with Scandinavian girls in phosphorescent allege, Austrian cougar sisters, Scottish drinking contests, ping pong shows, drunken Muay Thai fights with locals, snake feasts, run ins with Cambodian mob bosses, mistakenly hitting on a Russian mobster's new wife, life and death battles with monster spiders in the bathroom piss drunk at 4am, being chased by a King Cobra on Phu Quoc Island. Rooftop bars in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, late nights at Heart of Darkness in Phnom Penh. $2 pitchers of beer, $1 spliffs, happy pizza and happy shakes at Happy Bars!!
Spending the night in an actual opium den in a very remote region, like something out of a Western movie. Home stays with rural families, random hammock bars on tiny lakes in the middle of nowhere. Having to spend the night in the jungle on small dirt track in North East Laos because of breakdown. Winning good money at hold-em tournaments and table games in casinos, losing good money on cock fights. Nearly drowning trying to swim to an island that looked alot closer than it was. The food is amazing, some of the best I've had in the world. Especially South Vietnam and Phu Quoc Island. Tons of great job offers and business opportunities. The money gears in my head are always turning, particularly in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where i have spent a good deal of my time.
My plans are to spend about the next 3 months bouncing around the rest of the region, spending 2 weeks in Myanmar (Burma) and a week in Singapore. After a short stop in New Zealand I'm heading to Fiji where I've taken a 3 month contract as a private Chef on board a sail yatch. It's a pretty good gig, 47' boat, only 4 on board, just the Captain, his girlfriend, a Dive Master and me. Free passage, unlimited dives and $20 a day. I have carte blanche over the entire provisioning and menu planning for the boat. Planned route as of now is, leaving Savusavu, Fiji mid june, cruising to and around Tonga, Vanuatu and finally sheltering for cyclone season somewhere in the Solomon Islands. Coming home for a wedding at the end of Sept and those are as far as my plans go. Been thinking about spending a year working in New Zealand since I still qualify for a WHV, but who knows...
This was by far the best decision I could have ever made for myself. My mind is clear, my heart is open. Mentally and spiritually I'm in the best shape of my life. Physically I feel amazing, I've lost almost 40lbs and after the sailing adventure should be back to my high school weight which I'm very excited about. Life is amazing and you should always do whatever it takes to make yourself happy. I am at peace with my inner demons and my past. I am no longer ashamed nor proud. I am who I am and people love me for it. I think about and miss my second home in Jah often and know I will eventually return. I wonder how the people of Broughton and Little Bay are doing. I wonder if this season was any better for my friends. I'd love to hear what the feeling is like on the island right now. Maybe a short visit in the fall before heading out for unknown once again. I hope everyone is well, and to all the newbies on here reading this, I'm just a guy with a long story who loves Jamaica and Jamaica loves me!!
Bless up!
John