Sumatra Confirmed.

The expedition to Sumatra will definately go ahead in September this year. I have just had to pay out for my flights, so I am seriously skint, and I am off to Tenerife for a friends birthday celebration Friday to Monday!
Had to be done though, to secure our places on the aircraft. I now have Dally working on the costings over in Sumatra. Meanwhile, over in the U.K. , Dave Archer and I, have been discussing what equipment we are going to be taking with us,particularly sourcing night vision kit to use at just before dawn.Meanwhile, Glen Vaudrey has also launched a campaign looking for sponsorship for trailcams.
John Carlson's paranomalist website now has that great new article I mentioned on the Orang-Pendek up, and as I mentioned previously, it is well worth a look.
I will post again when I get back from my short trip
There will be no `Monster Hunting` going on in Tenerife...........

Dancing to the Kinshasa beat...

Last night , I went out for a drink with my old mate Andy Sanderson, who's not long out of the Royal Navy. We primarily met up to talk about the forthcoming Sumatra expedition,and particularly, to talk about what kit we would need. So ,Glen Vaudrey's trailcam appeal launched on the CFZ website, comes at just the right time.
Whilst reminiscing ,Andy reminded me about some of our old escapades together, including some lighter moments. For example, after literally having to fight our way out of Kinshasa during the civil war , we headed straight off to Rhodes ,where we won a `dance off ` to Run D.M.C , in a Greek nightclub! I can't imagine doing that now, but I am going to Tenerife on April 1st for three nights for Anthony's birthday, so you never know.
Later on in the evening, Keith and Anthony both turned up, and as I recall, Keith bought some shots with gold bits or something in them.What is that stuff? They both headed off to a club, and I have been unable to get hold of either of them today to ask!
I have been working on a new post for John Carlson's paranomalist blog.It should appear there shortly.Last year, Dutch cryptozoologist Tim De Frel contacted me and asked for some help in organising an expedition to search for the Orang-Pendek.His report will be no doubt posted on John's site, along with a few very striking observations of my own based on previous evidence I have gathered.I advise you to read it if you get the chance.

Sumatra 2011 and Bownessie continued!

Well, its been a crappy week at work ,with briefings about potential redundancies .To take my mind off it, I took a walk by the riverbanks where I live ,ironically in a place nicknamed `happy valley`. It did live up to its name this morning,and I spotted a lovely little Kingfisher diving into the water, in search of a tasty little silvery snack.
On Friday, I met up with my old friend Stuart,and together with Anthony, we discussed among other things(Stuart -I still can't believe what you said about the Teletubbies), the prospect of going up to Lake Windermere, for a short recce, to check out the contiuing stories about the alleged `monster` that seems to have a sudden taste for celebrity status in Lake Windermere.If nothing else ,it wil be a good opportunity to test my hydrophone and other equipment for when we get down to more serious matters.More of that anon..
Planning for Sumatra continues apace, with Sahar ,my chief guide agreeing that my idea of spliting the team into two will maximise the chances of seeing the Orang-Pendek.Jon McGowan, and Dave Archer will also be joining the team members already coming.
Although I am very familiar with Sumatra and its jungles,I am only to aware how quickly the situation on the ground can change, and its important not to go into it blindfolded, so I will begin the detailed process of operational planning shortly

Sumatra 2011

Its been a busy week. As well as the dayjob, I have been busy writing an article for EdgeScience magazine,to be published I believe in April. I also took some time out to tie up with a great new friend of mine. Now however, I am turning my mind to expeditions. I am happy to announce that I will be returning to Sumatra in September 2011.I will be joined by my chief guide Sahar, and Andy Sanderson will be coming with me for the first time since 2004, I think.
Other team members confirmed are :Chris Clark, Richard Freeman, and Rebecca and Mike from CFZ Australia.
Its still early in the planning stage,but I am already looking forward to it!
In the meantime, I would really like to squeeze another expedition in if at all possible, so if anyone has any ideas /help, please feel free to contact me.

Bownessie.

Well, last week I was pondering where to take my new hydrophone, and right on cue, a supposed sighting of a Lake Monster appeared at Lake Windermere, which is a few hours drive from me!
I am a great fan of hydrophones.With this device, you are able to record sounds,and have them scientifically analysed.Indeed , I was part of a team that sucessfully did this while looking for Selma, Norway's Nessie.The sound recordings we brought back ,led the Marine Research institute to conclude that they were from an unkown species.The problem with Sonar, is that alhtough it may be able to tell that a large object is moving through the water, it cannot tell you what it is with any reliability.Eyewitness and film footage can also be prone to mis-identification, (eels, otters etc).However sincere the person who has seen the `monster` may be.Of course, there are always hoaxers ...
I remain very doubtful indeed at present, but what's to lose?I was very sceptical of the Seljord Serpent's existence, but I ended up seeing that with my own eyes, much to my surprise!
In the meantime ,standby for some important expedition news...

Hydrophone and the Killer Tortoise.

Well, my new hydrophone has come in the post,and like all the new kit that I seem to buy, at first,I haven't a clue how to use it! Not yet ,anyway-but I will have a fun practising I guess.Dr.Chris Clarke joked that he had `stress tested` his in the bath,but I can't imagine what noises he has induced in their to get readings,and frankly I don't want to :)
No, will take mine out with a friend of mine who is a dive master, and see how reliable it is in more extreme surroundings.
Its been a few months now since I go back from India,and I am restless ,and wished I could be in the field once again.I was pleased that the interview I did with Tim Binnall got such a positive response from those who listened,and a big thank you to all those people who have mailed me subsequently, to ask me questions ,or to say that they enjoy reading or listening to what I do. I do read all the correspondence I get, and will always reply to any of your mails.
In the meantime, I do need to begin planning where I go next,but as ever, it has to be subject to what I can afford...
In the meantime though, , I will have to settle into more mundane tasks. For the second time in a week, my son's bloody tortoise has taken a chunk out of my foot!
A `master of disguise`, it lurks beneath the coffee table, and the moment I sit down seems to lunge(as speedily as a tortoise can), towards my big toe,which it infinitely prefers as a tasty snack to the chopped cucumber and red pepper I dutifully chopped up for it.
I have decided it is ungrateful.No animal should bite the toe that feeds it.

Tim Binnall.

From Monday, the interview I did with Tim Binnall just beofre Christmas will be available for download from his website. Tim's a really good guy, and I very much enjoy being on his show. I hope you get an opportunity to download it and listen. If anyone has any questions about the Mande-Burung expedition , or anything else I have done, or intend to do,please feel free to mail me at :adamkdavies@yahoo.co.uk.Or, you can post a comment on the website.
I wonder if any of the `predictions` I made on Tim's show about the outcome of the expedition results, will come true? Time will tell.............
I had a really great week this week.Here's hoping next week will be awesome.