Riding in cars with boys

A few things have struck me as slightly odd over the last few weeks spent careening around the dirt roads of the plantation with a car load of Indonesian guys. The first is their interesting taste in music. The driver I normally travel around with is named Lambertus and looks like he would be well suited to playing rugby league. His music of choice tends towards Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, though ABBA also figures prominently in his playlists. I guess I should give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that the Indonesian songs he plays that I can't understand have very macho lyrics. As they are all sung by women who tend to sound remarkably like Celine Dion, I think it is unlikely. Jacksen, the youngest of the team, informed me, when asked what music he likes, that he is a big fan of Slipknot. Not exactly my cup of tea to be honest, but maybe a little more masculine than Boyz II Men. He then asked me with an excited expression if I liked Westlife, and at my smile launched into an interesting rendition of Flying Without Wings. Right. Westlife and Slipknot, an interesting combination. At least I may at last be free to indulge my love of irish boybands in Indonesia without facing the ridicule I encountered back home.

The other notable thing about driving around with these guys is their aversion to using four wheel drive. I have sat in trucks with the wheels spinning and my side sliding perilously close to the edge of a cliff for a few minutes before Lambert finally acquieses and shifts into four wheel drive. Four wheel drive probably wouldn't have helped Deni the other day when he took over driving. Within minutes we were thrown all around the road as Deni drove straight into a line of ditches he hadn't seen. I was pissing myself laughing when we finally came to a stop in a ditch, while trying to find my glasses which had flown off in the fun. At least it woke Lambert up, who soon took over driving responsibilities.

I shall write soon about my crocodile hunting exploits but needless to say after four days living on a raft, and washing in a river that ten other families use for everything else, I am pretty happy to be back at the plantation. My apologies if I disappoint with my lack of 'woman vs wild' tendencies.