The search for Ali
Posted on 29. May, 2025 by Paul Sochaczewski in Alfred Russel Wallace and his assistant Ali
This article is excerpted from a chapter in Dead, But Still Kicking. Part I–The Set-Up contains an extensive review of Ali’s background and how he assisted Wallace, Part II-The Conversation with Spirits reviews my frustrating attempts to “speak” with Ali with the help of various mediums. The Search for AliCan eager shamans solve the […]
Read MoreWhy travel far?
Posted on 11. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Curious Travel
IN SEARCH OF A “MORE VIRGIN” DESTINATION A traveler’s dream — being the first foreigner to trek in Nagaland. LAHE, Myanmar My travel agent friend in Yangon sent me an itinerary for a trek to Nagaland, with a comment every traveler dreams of: “This place is more virgin; you will be first to visit.” […]
Read MoreOn the yeti trail
Posted on 11. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Curious Travel
ON THE YETI TRAIL Chasing a wisp, a legend, a key to who we are. OGYEN CHOLING, Tang Valley, Bhutan “If you want to look for a yeti just climb the mountain behind the village. That’s where they’ve been sighted.” I was enjoying a post-dinner whiskey with Kunzang Choden and her husband Walter Roder, […]
Read MoreCivet coffee – do you know where that coffee’s been?
Posted on 02. Feb, 2026 by Paul Sochaczewski in Curious Travel
Paul Spencer Sochaczewski A captive civet in Vietnam. Recently excreted civet-coffee dung, Herry Setiawan at the blind-tasting of kopi luwak in Indonesia. YOU KNOW WHERE THAT COFFEE’S BEEN? Searching for the perfect dung-delicious civet coffee. BUON MA THUOT, Central Highlands, Vietnam Oysters. Termites. Camembert. Snails. Snake blood. Brains. Broccoli. On the long list of strange […]
Read MoreAlmost last shaman
Posted on 11. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Curious Travel
THE (ALMOST) LAST SHAMAN It’s been a good ride, but Iban healer doesn’t expect many others to follow his path. SERUBAH ULU, Sarawak To the untrained eye he seems an unlikely magician. Frail, but with a hundred-watt smile. He has two wispy whiskers, short grey hair, and holes in his earlobes where he once […]
Read MoreUnusual critters
Posted on 03. Mar, 2024 by Paul Sochaczewski in Alfred Russel Wallace and his assistant Ali
WALLACE’S CRITTERS Some intriguing Southeast Asian critters inspired by Alfred Russel Wallace’s The Malay Archipelago Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1912) explored Southeast Asia for eight years in the mid-19th century, collecting some 125,000 specimens which included thousands of new species. His observations, compiled in his classic The Malay Archipelago, contributed to the fields of biology, evolutionary […]
Read MoreWhy do boys leave home?
Posted on 11. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Alfred Russel Wallace and his assistant Ali
WHY DO BOYS LEAVE HOME? The rite of passage and the teenage imperative BATANG AI, Sarawak, Malaysia I stood on a ridge near the border between Malaysian Sarawak and Indonesian Kalimantan. I had been gone half the day and had not brought food. Time to return to camp, a damp grouping of leaky impromptu […]
Read MoreGolf and Environment – can golf be good for nature?
Posted on 11. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Golf
CAN GOLF BE GOOD FOR NATURE? Solving the conundrum. BANGKOK, Thailand I play golf. And I am committed to nature conservation. Is this an insolvable conundrum, or can the two passions be reconciled? “Golf development is becoming one of the most unsustainable and damaging activities to people and the environment,” notes Chee Yoke Ling, […]
Read MoreCheating – if a golfer cheats in the forest …
Posted on 11. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Golf
IF A GOLFER CHEATS IN THE FOREST, DOES IT COUNT? Rule abuse is rampant among amateurs, yet professionals exhibit saint-like ethics BANGKOK, Thailand “Put me down for a six.” My friend Dan and I looked at each other? “You sure?” we asked. We were playing at a Bangkok-area course in a friendly competition (loser […]
Read MoreNeed/Fear Relationship with Nature
Posted on 09. Aug, 2025 by Paul Sochaczewski in Environment
July 24, 2025 — Earth Overshoot Day Earth Overshoot Day recognizes the date each year when humanity will have used up nature’s entire annual budget of ecological resources and services. The Global Footprint Network, developers of Earth Overshoot Day, have calculated that “humanity is using nature 80% faster than Earth’s ecosystems can regenerate, […]
Read MoreUncle Joe and Aunt Anisoara
Posted on 21. Apr, 2024 by Paul Sochaczewski in Personal essays
UNCLE JOE AND AUNT ANISOARA Dreaming Eccentric Meets Complicated Sentimentalist CLUJ, Transylvania, Romania The love affair of my uncle and aunt shows us the pitfalls of trying to decipher a relationship. How could I not love an uncle who, when he babysat for me, let me stay up well past my bedtime to watch […]
Read MoreCheng Ho Gardens
Posted on 15. Sep, 2024 by Paul Sochaczewski in Personal essays
CHENG HO GARDENS China reveals an imaginative new tactic in its takeover of the South China Sea. NANYANG AUTONOMOUS REGION, China “I’m going to show you our plans. I trust that you will be discrete with the information.” My host was Horace Wee, chief executive officer of Nanyang, the newest Special Administrative […]
Read MoreWe vs Them
Posted on 11. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Personal essays
WHEREVER I TRAVEL I’LL REMAIN AN “OUTSIDER” The “we vs them” reality is ancient and universal. BANGKOK, Thailand Since forever, groups of people have recognized the difference between their “own kind” and “outsiders.” In a best case scenario, the welcoming of “other” ideas can be positive — strengthening of the gene pool primarily, also […]
Read MoreNegativity Land
Posted on 11. Apr, 2017 by Paul Sochaczewski in Golf
NEGATIVITY LAND Why do we take such delight in golf’s screw-ups instead of the great moments of success? EVERY COURSE, Everywhere A golfer faces more Dark Side moments than Luke Skywalker. We take a morbid delight when golf legends screw up. And we wallow in our own masochistic moments of crash and burn. Why […]
Read MoreFlying Phallus Fights Forces of Evil
Posted on 15. Sep, 2024 by Paul Sochaczewski in Curious Travel
FLYING PHALLUS FIGHTS FORCES OF EVIL How does the male reproductive organ, “exuberant, slightly askew and sometimes frothy,” protect villagers? NABJI, Bhutan “I can make you a new phallus, no problem.” “But we’re leaving in the morning.” “Trust me.” Figuring that we could always use a bit more protection against demons in our house […]
Read More