Stan's Reflection on the Unexpected Joys of Travel

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When you arrive at a new destination, you subconsciously begin to look for what idiosyncrasies or pleasant surprises this new location has to offer.

For example, you may be greeted in your hotel room by towel arrangements that resemble flowers - with the actual flower incorporated into the design as its bud, or maybe sculpted birds, or perhaps elephants. I have been trying to reproduce the elephants for weeks now, but somehow they don't quite look like the ones we had waiting for us on our beds when we arrived at one particular hotel.

We are now staying on the Tip of Borneo, at a resort called "Tommy's Place". Back in Canada, I live next door to my best friend named - you guessed it - Tommy. Every time I pass the hotel sign, I cannot help thinking of him, for we have been friends for over forty five years.

Travelling is really about the people you meet. Yes, once in a while you come across an obnoxious traveller, but they are so few and far between that you soon forget about the encounter.

While at Tommy's Place we spent a week with an English gentleman, the youthful and inspiring seventy two year old travelling author, Steve Morris, whom Bev described in detail on the Tip of Borneo entry.

We also met Filip Seijkle, a renowned Polish music composer, also described in detail in the Borneo entry, with whom Bev played music together and shared many ideas about music, as well as Zebra, a renowned Australian musician. Needless to say, Bev thought she had died and found heaven on earth.

The unit we are presently staying in at Tommy's Place has two rooms attached. Yesterday our new neighbour checked into the room adjacent to us. Well, he is Canadian chiropractor. His mother came from Swift Current, Saskatchewan; he grew up in Medicine Hat, Alberta, and Victoria, British Columbia, and has now been living and working in Borneo, for the past twelve years. So we fellow Canadians find ourselves on the Tip of Borneo, talking about the Regina Pats, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and tonight, of all things, we hope to be watching the Olympic Men's Hockey final for the Gold Medal, between Canada and Sweden.

Yes, it is these unexpected surprises that make travel so enriching.

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Comments

[Marsha]

Darling Dreamchasers, Glad to read and smile, knowing you are relaxing on a beach in Borneo. (Total contrast to our winterscape, no further description necessary...) Soon you'll be yoga-ing, and your 2014 adventure will conclude. Love ya, m
iss ya, hugs to ya! xoxoxo