Pouring rain that is – Singapore in June was always going to be a tricky start to An Endless Summer.  While waiting for my next frequent flyer flight to London a solution was needed.

So to an island off Borneo I went. A 2 1/2 hour flight, then a short transfer both on and off water which had the desired effect.  As the boat powered up I switched into a different gear – idle – and felt the fresh, clean air wash over me. It had been too long.

My attempt to get an upgrade by saying I was newly married backfired when they asked where my wife was…friggen details. Trying a newly divorced angle also had no outcome and even a few strange looks.  So, by not denying that as a single male traveller who took lots of photos and wrote constantly, I was not a travel writer was confusing enough to impress management, would impress my legal family but would have horrified my English teachers…Mr Garling Jeremy suddenly seemed widely known – could have been cause he was the only bald guy on his own.

On the island there were no cars, so sorry lazy travelers but you had to walk everywhere…all of a few minutes…the previous reviews seemed to make this sound like a travesty. It resulted in the only sounds being the rustling of the trees, a forest animal medley and the de-stressing exhale of every breath, it was bliss.

Into the pool I went, like a crocodile going for its prey, in this case I went across to the pool bar and was rewarded with an ice cold beer.  A few watched my death roll with the bottle and smiled knowingly as they had been there before. Haven’t we all?

A nightly singer butchered the music as much as Sauvignon Blanc butchered the wine list.  For a moment I felt trapped…but discovered that looking for more than first impressions was a lesson worth going through as the food was delicious, with a few non-Sauvignon Shite bottles throughly drinkable.

Rain did follow me but when it cleared an untouched paradise flowered and one could only pause with a sense of joy at how remote this was, not even the weather could name the location – only GPS numbers. An endless summer had commenced.

While relaxing at one point I came face to face with a monkey. He gave me such a knowing stare I was reminded of my father’s childhood story where one of his brothers was taken by a monkey not far from my location and after a cap gun fight no one was sure which came back – the monkey or his brother.  Was this to be a family reunion, was I to save him like a version of Angela Joile?  Fire up the jet…Hollywood here I come!

No it seems, he scared me senseless with a near death lunge that was worse than some of my Saturday night dates, needles to say I ate garlic at every chance and my umbrella followed me for the rest of the stay.

What would this endless summer hold for me? I was onboard and ready to find out, no monkey business – just endless possibilities.

Ps. New high end fancy camera so it may take a while to get some great photos – I am sure a six year old knows how to use it more than I, nice to be back :).