“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intentions of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a Ride!’” –Hunter Thompson

I keep this quote from Hunter on my phone. I read it often. Sometimes standing in the grocery store. Sometimes sitting in the airport. Sometimes while writing a paper or a book chapter. Sometimes when I sitting on the front porch. This is my life mantra. I live everyday like a bug on a windshield screaming “Weeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!! What a ride!” Every day is an adventure–just depends on you and how you look at the world.

Tuesday I had a driver, who spoke English. He was excited to talk to me and practice. He asked why I was here. I explained I was studying dukun (native healers). He said his grandmother and grandfather were dukun. Of course, we talked about this for the duration of the ride–about 25 minutes. He agreed to let me visit and see the stuff he has from his grandparents. He said his grandfather was 128 years old and his grandmother was 119 years old when they died.

When I interviewed the first tribe, I learned they use the whiskers of the tiger in their medicine. However, I could not find out exactly how/what they used. While I was with the elephants, I discovered people ask the mahout to give them the elephant’s sperm. Again, no clear answer on why or how to use it or what it does. One person said it was to make a man more attractive to a woman. I asked if they drank the sperm or put it on their faces. He said, “rub it on your face.”

Been here 4 months and finally the driver has most of the answers and he SPEAKS ENGLISH!!! Can you believe it? My last day in Bengkulu and I find a driver that speaks English and his grandparents taught him to be a dukun–he is not; instead he went to college and got a degree in economics. That is a long story.

He took me to his house yesterday and shared some of his items. Below is a picture of a bottle. The bottle contains elephant sperm, oil from the small green coconut, oil from a heart bird (his term–not sure the actual name), AND the whiskers of a Sumatran tiger!!!! I could not believe it!!! I finally found out how they prepare the whiskers and the sperm!! They mix these together and put them in a bottle. The dukun says a spell on the ingredients and on the bottle once it is ready. The dukun gives the bottle to the person with a spell. When you see someone you want to love you, you make a cross pattern on your forehead with a drop of the sperm/bird/coconut/tiger mixture. Then the person will do what you want them to do–fall in love or be nicer to you, etc. The concoction gives you power over someone.

He shared the magic money his grandfather gave him. The money rolls up into a circle when you hold it. You can see many videos on Youtube. In my video, the money does not roll all the way up. There was a breeze coming in the window, but you get the idea. Magic Money Bengkulu, Indonesia

With great sadness, I sign off from Indonesia. This was an amazing experience. I look forward to the adventure getting home and the adventures that await me at home!!

My first adventure outside the country was in Ecuador (1999) with the North Carolina Zoo and the University of North Carolina Wilmington. When I got on the plane to leave, I wrote the last sentence in my journal and I have put in my journal many times since:

If I die right now, I have had the most amazing life and adventures. Do not be sad. Celebrate!

Dora the Explorer Says Goodbye to Bengkulu March 25 9:45am Bengkulu, Indonesia time–good-bye.