An Optimist’s History of Disappointment and Denial

See all those scuba divers returning to our five-day live aboard after seeing glorious sights under water.  I’m not among them.

When it comes to vacations, there is an essential truth in hoping for the best and expecting the worst.  Yet I never imagined that the worst would occur so persistently over the decades in my travels around the world—from Suriname to Singapore and Kenya to Kazakhstan—for work and pleasure.

Part 1

Despite a string of mishaps, I see nothing like travel as a source of stimulation, respite and new perspectives.

What inspired this fit and healthy older guy to assess the odds is the debacle of my trip to Indonesia in October 2015.  But let me begin at the beginning. . .

Equipped with