Yes I really live on an Island with a tribe of Natives

[masamaaso]

you sir, have just provided me with more genuine fun,thrill,suspense, and laughter(mostly at the solar guy) than ive had in a long time!

f'n awesome to read your stories, see your pics, and hear about the lifestyle you are adapting to(quite well i might add!)

keep the stories and pics coming, it is TRULY INSPIRING!

cheers from Canada!

EDIT:you should REALLY REALLY be writing all this down physically somewhere, it would make an amazing book one day heck, even just stories for your son to one day read, his dad has sure been there and done that a few times over

Tell ya the truth a couple people have said that,, my wife put it best when she said "people like your stories because its just you writing about living and growing your smoke in an odd place, Its got bad grammer misspelled words worse puntuation even seen, if it were all arranged in a little package by the corperate world, edited, perfect spelling and no cool fotos,,, it would'nt be the same".
Welcome aboard shipmate, find yerself a berth below, report to the Master at Arms for yer duty assignment, chows at 18:00, theres rolling papers on the table.

Oh mannnnn Masa this adventure gets better and better!!!! I love coffee and the darker the better. Nothing like a nice espresso. I'm dying to know it must be better when you freshly harvest it?? Please keep this thread up through the bean harvest.

Tam wut up ??? coffee lover are ya ?? well stand by, my absolute favorite time of year is upon us, COFFEE HARVEST..

My wifes known from day 1 my drink of choice is coffee, morning noon , night, if I have a choice I'd like a cup of coffee, hot or iced , it dosent matter. When we were preparing to come here part of my "crap " was a seabag stuffed full of different coffees, as we traveled to get here I would buy more, a kilo here, a kilo there and each time my wife would just smile and say "ah more coffee good" me thinking shes encouraging my "travel bag of java" the whole time she knows what I was going to discover in a few more days,,,, lil vixen was playin me for sure.

As we travled she would ask about my coffee, and I know there were times when she was fukin with me, and other times she would ask if it was with the other stuff, showing genuine concern..
We were sitting on a wharf in Bali waiting for the last of many different forms of transportation that was to take us to the island we'd been on the move for 2 weeks, in and out of hotels planes ,,no trains,,, vans, buses, several forms of motorized 2 wheeled and 3 wheeled vehicles and now we're waiting for a boat, we have a small mountian of luggage piled up at the end of the dock, we're chillin in a shady spot at a cool little cantina, I'm havin a cup of coffee,, got a lazy hash buzz,, its early morning real quiet, only sound is the water splashing as it hits the dock, and the faint sounds and voices of a few fishermen getting ready to go out,,,,,,, all of a sudden my wife sits up and says "I dont see your coffee bag out there" (My left eye is flash burned to just seeing shapes now, she knows I cant see that far)

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT.

Any subtlety I might have had was now gone, Mr cool left the building and that "other guy" is here now, and he's on a mission, stomping his way down this rickty old wooden dock, got the whole thing shaking and swaying from side to side, any one in the area was now focused on me, and by all accounts could best be decribed as a wild animal.
I get about half way down the dock, first thing I see is my coffee bag, I turn around and head back ( mr cool has returned) as I get to the cantina my wifes got a teary eyed belly roll laff going on so hard she cant even speak,,,,,,,,,,,,,Lil bitch

I'd take that over lobster any day of the week...

Monster shrimp, and eat like lobs my biggest complaint with these guys is not having any nice butter, I like um in a sauce of soy, limes, and diced toms onions and garlic.

 

[benzo]

this thread is so cool!!

any chance you can share some pics of the natives?

 

[Full Of Peace]

Man that looks like some great BBQ, give me the go ahead and I'll bring a milk cow too!

 

[LEDSmoke]

You sir fill me with inspiration. Your a reminder that pretty much anything is possible.

 

[SeaMaiden]

Your wife is awesome. Cheeky doesn't begin to describe it, does it?

 

[Mrs.Babba]

Your wife is awesome. Cheeky doesn't begin to describe it, does it?

hahah SM I was thinking the same thing! Great story, I can just see masa running down the dock after his precious coffee!!

 

[SeaMaiden]

I love playing tricks. Truly, I do. And I love it when someone else is able to play a really good trick, even on me.

 

[toughmudderdave]

I love playing tricks. Truly, I do. And I love it when someone else is able to play a really good trick, even on me.

Like when we called my son in the Navy to tell him he was going to be a "big brother" on April 1st and he fell for it? Damn that was good.

 

[Mrs.Babba]

Like when we called my son in the Navy to tell him he was going to be a "big brother" on April 1st and he fell for it? Damn that was good.

Our daughter did the same thing to us, called on the phone and said she was preggers, in college, not the best timing, we took it all in, asked who the father was..."I dont know" lol we just about fell on the floor, then we hear giggles and "APRIL FOOLS" ohhh she got us goooood!!

Sorry didnt meant to go off topic, just reminded me of the "worst phone call ever!" lol

Did ya get her back masa?? lol

 

[nvthis]

Dude, I can't remember if you already said.. Maybe this thread, or maybe the other one... But what kinda peppers can you grow there? Or do they have their own strains there? Some never-before-seen super hots, maybe? Hmm.... I am betting, with the heat that make tomatoes not go well probably makes for some crazy, screamin' peppers..

Also, I imagine ya got coconut palms there, eh? Must be pretty important. Probably got some sort of figs, too. Any fruits there that blew your mind when you tried them first? There must be tons. Hey, fruit bats gotta eat, right?

 

[noyd666]

grouse read masamaaso ,ill read page 9 10 after tea

 

[masamaaso]

this thread is so cool!!

any chance you can share some pics of the natives?

Yes and no,, some dont mind the camera ,,some do. Most wear some type of clothing,,in fact they love cloths,,JEANS is the biggy but some dont wear clothing and bare breasted women are the norm,most of the men wear a "loin cloth" ( my personal fav, got several custom made loin cloths) some of the older men wear a penis gourd (I got one but we just use it for decoration). And I have to be carefull transmiting fotos of the indigenous population, we're going on 7 years here now and the W.H.O and UNESCO still get bitchy. their concern falls under a what if,,What if someone cuts the foto and uses it in some way to exploit the natives,, bla bla bla,,,But,,,,I can kinda see their point,,, sorta.
Most of the time all I smell from them is bullshit. Like any "do gooder" organization they got an agenda all their own....

Man that looks like some great BBQ, give me the go ahead and I'll bring a milk cow too!

I do miss cows milk for sure,,been on goats milk for 5 years now and have gotten used to it, and raised our son on it.

Your wife is awesome. Cheeky doesn't begin to describe it, does it?

She is, and no, it dont, she's way past cheeky.

When we first arrived and all the crying stopped we were led to her parents hut and got sorta settled in. We had a load of stuff and it wasn't all gonna fit inside and leave room to move around so it got piled up in front of the hut and looked like a good spot to sit and chill for a bit, just spent a day and a half on small freighter, so i shuffeled the bags around and made myself a sitting perch, sat there taking it all in ,,,the sights the sounds,,lil kids hiding from me, taking looks from their hiding spots, old people walking out of their huts for a look and then back inside,,the slight smell of dryed fish in the air,, a whole new world is in front of me and im spinning in my mind where to start, as im spacing out my wife walks out and hands me a hot steamy cup of aromatic brown liquid, popped a hard brown hunk of something in the cup looked like brown sugar, (now I know it was unrefined cane) Tasty,,yer sir a good cup of coffee, strong and dark but not bitter,, yer sir,,tasty cup a Java.
So there I sit on a luggage pile sipping me a cup smoking a camel, not a worry in the world. I got about finished with my cup knowing I would be looking for more, and questioning where more can be found,,, it hit me,,,,,, "when did she have time to grind beans and brew a pot of coffee ??" still not looking at the bigger picture, it hasent hit me yet that my dumb ass is using my coffee bag as a back rest... So I call for her,, and here she comes carrying one seriously "rustic" looking kettle and the brown stuff, sat down next to me, pours me a cup smaller hunk of the brown stuff this time, I'm sipping it ,,,I fire up another camel,,, I look around spot the seabag behind me and the padlocks still on it,,,, I finally say it,,,,,,,,"so",,,,,"wher'd ja get the coffee ????? "

She stands up waves her hand around all casual and shit and says,,,,,,,
"There's coffee trees everywhere here " "1000s"
turned and walked back inside......lil bitch......

Later that night we got curled up and I busted her chops for fuking with me, her reply before she fell asleep was
" there was no way I was going miss out on the entertainment value of watching you go crazy buying and collecting different coffees, and then watch you carry and protect a 55 kilo bag of coffee,claimed she was going to tell me long before we left but once I "went all OCD" on the issue of making sure I had plenty of coffee,,, it was more fun not too.

Dude, I can't remember if you already said.. Maybe this thread, or maybe the other one... But what kinda peppers can you grow there? Or do they have their own strains there? Some never-before-seen super hots, maybe? Hmm.... I am betting, with the heat that make tomatoes not go well probably makes for some crazy, screamin' peppers..

Also, I imagine ya got coconut palms there, eh? Must be pretty important. Probably got some sort of figs, too. Any fruits there that blew your mind when you tried them first? There must be tons. Hey, fruit bats gotta eat, right?

Only a small cayanne grows here on its own,,,I have a few in the garden but nothing to write home about, the fruit now is a different matter,,,yea theres a ton of different fruits,and not all of um are tasty, most are but some do suck and there everywhere, the amount of edible vegatation is extrem and every time I make a personal discovery someone will say ,,"ah,,thats food" or "ahhhh we eat that". theres a little black berry like fruit grow at the tops of the trees and I mean way the hell up there, little round black fruits not really a berry, they make tarts and fruit spread from um and are tasty with a sweet non discript fruity taste, my wife likes one that looks like a "gum ball" from a gum tree, inside is sweet jelly fruit outside its covered in semi sharp thorns, list goes on for awhile, my 2 favs are native pineapple and a fruit that only grows high in the rocks at the sea, dosent have a name in english, best translation is "fruit of the bird" or "bird fruit" the seeds are dropped by migrating birds and grow high up in the rocks where the mountains meets the sea, and tast like a strawberry flavored kiwi. the pineapple tops the fruit list for me, its small, red and packs a power punch of flavor, I started cultivating them as soon as I discovered um, got about 50-60 going now and we eat 2-3 a month so the tops go right back in the patch,, 2 years they'll be another.

 

[masamaaso]

grouse read masamaaso ,ill read page 9 10 after tea

Welcome aboard lad, settle in, get yer kit packed for a few days inland,close to time to go to where the coffee trees are.

 

[Aloseanofgreen]

Well cool never really thought anyone was interested in places like this anymore, most islands off Asian coast lines have been turned into resorts and condo time shares, some are not to bad about it but most are not regulated by anyone so sewage and garbage gets flushed into the sea, remember that next time ya wanna go to some off the beaten path resort getaway, Philippines is about the worst for it,Vietnam about the best. Alot of Islands this way are savagely mined for nickle and gold, blowing up entire mountains and letting the runoff go into the sea full of chemicals.
The W.H.O,,, W.H.F and UNESCO now protect whats left outside of other countries mainland E.E.Zs(200 miles).

The story goes before WWII (I'm figuring about mid 1930s)when Japan started claiming islands to be used as forward operating bases in southern Asia they came to this archipelago, my wifes grandfather says he was 15 or so when a Japanese war ship came into the back water, it stayed far off shore for several days, until one morning it moved closer and a small boat came ashore with 12 men who were quickly killed and their bodys taken to the mountains where their heads were removed and mounted on hardwood poles about a meter high. the next morning 12 more Japanese soldiers landed and met the same fate as the others, killed and taken to the mountains, no more men came for several days until 3 small boats landed with 30 men and the captain of the ship early in the dark hours of the morning, each killed by a warrior and taken to the mountains,,,to the caves of the dead.

The next morning the ship was gone and the Japanese never returned, history was written and word spread, to this day Japanese ships do not stop here, trade ships cruise ships freighters smugglers private yachts of all sizes and nationalities have been making the back waters a stop for fresh water and fruit for as long as anyone can remember, but not the Japanese, and this is the last deep water stop ships can make for water and fruit before entering the Southern Pacific.

Now all this is told by my wifes grandfather an old guy who looks about 100 or but his body is still a little brown steel band, and when I hear him telling stories from the past and they start to sound a little far fetched,,,, I remember the Japanese Officers sword that hangs on the wall in his hut.

Cave of the dead,,, creepy place and i'm not allowed up there, so you know that means i had to have a peek.
But im gonna save the creepy part for last.

Interesting Story of the Islands Captain SMOKIN THE WHOLE WAY !!

 

[SeaMaiden]

I am so loving this thread, masama. I have slightly different ideas about NGOs like WHO. I feel they do have a place, but when it comes to protecting people from other people... not so much. Places, that's what I thought the WHO was about. Of course, my only interaction with WHO has been via what I read of archaeological research and digs, etc.

That red pineapple looks fantastic.

Oh, your wife was, of course, 100% correct. I'm not sure I would have been able to hold my water as well as she did.

 

[johnipedestran]

Cool thread. Been a great read

So when you go out fishing for a couple days are you sailing? Or power?

Thanks man

Peace
jip

 

[Dawn Patrol]

What an awesome thread Masa! I've enjoyed every post and picture - you are a lucky man.

 

[masamaaso]

I am so loving this thread, masama. I have slightly different ideas about NGOs like WHO. I feel they do have a place, but when it comes to protecting people from other people... not so much. Places, that's what I thought the WHO was about. Of course, my only interaction with WHO has been via what I read of archaeological research and digs, etc.

That red pineapple looks fantastic.

Oh, your wife was, of course, 100% correct. I'm not sure I would have been able to hold my water as well as she did.

With 6 or 7 different kinds of bananas, 3 kinds of mangos, and all the other odd ball fruits, the Lil red pineapple tops it for me,,,and I've never was a big pineapple fan, next time I slice one I'll get ya a foto, the inside is bright yellow sometimes light orange.

Cool thread. Been a great read

So when you go out fishing for a couple days are you sailing? Or power?

Thanks man

Peace
jip

Most of the boats in the fishing village have engines, anything over 3 meters,, but theres plenty of paddle boats, and you'd be freaked if ya knew how far into open sea they go.
My boats the orange one, 5 meter length 1 meter width it's got a 16HP honda mega marine engine and I like to keep it pimped out with fresh paint every 3-4 months. I fish with gill nets rod and reel and long long, depending on the time of year and whats migrating through. Everybody usally goes out at the same time and stays close to each other in case ya need a little help,, I've been towed back many times, until I wised up and got better fuel filters.. started useing 2 inline filters and switching where I was buying the gasoline, I havent had a hicup outa her in long time.

A perfect morning for me is when the back waters are calm and flat as a table top, I'll set out a 100 meters of gill net first, then troll a deep lure till I either catch something or get low on fuel, then I'll bottom fish for groupers or snappers> I dont get skunked often but there are times when the spirits of the sea might be angry with me for something I did 3 days ago and won't let me have fish,, gotta watch that spirit thing around here,, I might yuk it up on the subject but these people are real about it.

 

[johnipedestran]

wow.....i am sure it cuts through swell, I certainly would not want to be in charge on a boat like that till I had some deep experience in the area.....really cool

what you do break some kapu?

peace
jip

 

[SooperSmurph]

Those red pineapples look absolutely amazing!

Dole needs to give your island a new hospital/harbor in return for a few cuttings of those fellas.