A lot of you already know this : I was born from a Jewish father and a Catholic mom , which makes me a atheist kid ;) , and what some of you also already know is that my Catholic mom is probably the most "jewish mother" of all Jesus loving persons out there . Why the hell am i telling you that after being silent for almost 2 months ? Have i gone crazy , or have i seen god you may ask yourself . No , the reason is simple : because of this heritage , i've been trying to find a way to write about what's been happening here for the past weeks without creating a chain reaction which would involve my Dad contacting the local mossad people , have me kidnapped , drugged and flown back to France to make sure his little jewel of a kid was fine . Or even worst , having my Mom read the account of the previous month events and , since she knows she'd do better than a mossad agent , fly herself down here and escort me back to France to make sure i'll be once again eating properly and sleeping in 100% pure cotton clean sheets .

How not to frighten such sensible parental units when the past weeks have been spent (this list is non exhaustive and in no chronological order) :
- drinking a lot of Rum , Beer and vodka
- Drinking a lot of Rum , Beer and Vodka in Girlie Bars around town
- Going for a "quiet game of darts" with my Friend and Surveyor Ray Wolfe , ordering quite a few tequila shots for his "birthday" and ending the night at the Local police station (he was the one driving when we crashed into the back of that police car)
- Getting totally drunk on Rum and Vodka at 2 o'clock in the Afternoon on the Marina's dock for one of the filipino Boat boy 's birthday
- Getting totally drunk on Rum and Vodka (again) at 2 o'clock in the Afternoon on the Marina's dock for one of the filipino captain 's Farewell party
- Stealing a friend's "girlfriend" , which is probably too brown and not blonde enough for my Mom , while he was away racing a boat down in Borneo
- and finally Making that "girlfriend" an almost permanently crew onboard my boat

You can understand reading this that it could frighten even the most depraved parent out there ... You people could believe that i lost it , became an alcoholic and spend my time bar hopping in search of a nice brown skinned lady for the night . But you see , it's all part of the game : there's times when you enjoy the good life anchored in front of a postcard perfect sandy beach , and other times going mad in smelly places waiting for parts to arrive and repairs to be done .
I've been forced to experience this unfortunate side of the cruising life lately , and even if I'm sometimes bored to death , on the verge of loosing my mind or having criminal thoughts because some guy's three weeks late in delivering a stupid part , I'm still happy to be here and living my dream . Understand this , I'm on a mission . i won't leave until the improvements to my ship are done ! So I'm trying to make the best out of this situation . And regardless of the previous accounts of my filipino fiestas , i really work hard on trying to keep my liver in a good shape for the future :)
I'm putting the finishing touch to a really fine boat here , and it's all worth it .
Big Kisses to All
Ben Ben , Lost in Subic

"Smurf and Bryson , aka Santa Claus"

There's a south american feeling to this place . It doesn't feel like Asia at all . I constantly have to remind myself that I'm not in some mexican border town . The place is full of U.S Navy retirees , expats with a dodgy past and like Mexico , the local law enforcement gentlemen have a deeply american-influenced sense of fashion . I could also be lost in some Caribbean ex-Spanish colony . The Filipino's genes are deeply mixed by centuries of colonization . And the local alcoholic delicacy is called Tanduy : Not another one of those lethal Rice based fire-starter beverage but a really nice brand of locally distilled Rum !!! I recently stopped buying the really cheap one as i learned from an acquaintance that making a 75 pesos (about 2 dollars) full-size bottle of Rum is quite impossible unless it's ethanol based :) I'm now spending a little bit more for the really really nice one , and the morning headaches have magically disappeared . At night , driving through Barreto , the Tijuana-flavored part of town , really reminds me of times spent south of the border . David , aka Smurf , calls that place the Dark Side , and he's quite fond of it .
The Skipper was born in New Zealand and he's now enjoying life aboard Lady Emma , his beautiful 55ft sailing yacht . Smurf , an australian passport holder , replied to his ad on the internet asking for a crew and joined him aboard his ship . Both of the are making a great couple , and perfect partners in crime . I truly believe they'll never leave this place , life for them is just too good here .
The cruising life is a good life .

"The Lifesaver"

First crossing , first Typhoon !!! After three days of pure bliss , I started feeling a bit worried when i realized that this typhoon was not going to stay on the east coast of the Philippines . A quick look at the weather map confirmed that there wasn't enough time to reach land before everything got out of control . The only option was to start heading west to get away as much as possible from the center of the storm . Night fell and rain started pouring down . 50 knots of wind and no way to see were the waves were coming from . Scary ! The boat got knocked down a few times : it's a strange feeling to be standing on the wall of your boat !!!
I was glad i had met Glenn in Hong Kong and asked him to come with me on that trip , I probably wouldn't have made it without his support . We had to endure 30 hours of madness before finally managing to get to the coast . ICE , Don McIntyre 's boat (more on him later , he's a legend !!! ) who had left Hong Kong with us had managed to get in before the Storm . He was waiting for us at the pass and guided us through a maze of Philippino fish farms to a good anchorage spot . First time in my life i was happy to see flat water :) Surfing a 20 tons steel boat had not been the most pleasant experience . I finally shut down the engine and we went to bed exhausted . After a day of rest we got back on the water this morning , heading for Subic to repair a few things and make a some modifications to the boat .
I'm really peacefull now , fear has been replaced by a feeling of ecstasy . I don't know if i've ever felt like this ...
I guess that's what happens when you really start to enjoy being alive .

Ben , transmitting Alive from Kalakuta , 15° 28 North - 119° 45 East

"Around The World"

The List is Dead , Long Live The List !!! I finally left Hong Kong yesterday and i'm on my way to the Philippines right now ;)
I was on watch this morning and i enjoyed my first sunrise onboard ! 130 miles away from Hong Kong and 420 miles to go !!! What a great feeling , watching the world go by at 6 knots . It's so much more than what i was expecting , i don't know how to write about it ! I just can't get rid of that big smile on my face :)
James Brown blasting from the speakers in the Pilot House , Kalakuta gently rolling with the South china sea swell , I'm like a turtle , slowly moving my house to a new country .
Big Kisses to all who believed in what i was doing, and supported me and my crazy dreams . And a big FUCK YOU to all the others who tried to make me doubt :)
Free Your Mind , And Your Ass Will Follow !

Ben , Transmitting live from the South China Sea : 20° 32' 054 North , 116° 18' 067 East

Rain , Rain and a bit more Rain !!! Summer is coming in Hong Kong and this means hot temperatures and high humidity ... It' s in this kind of weather that i've been running around the city for the past two weeks , looking for all kinds of parts . I' ve become an expert at scouting for all kinds of things in Hong Kong : Boat stuff in Ap Lei Chau , electric things in Sham Shui Po , tools and screws in Mong Kok . And if you want to be successful , you got to get deep into The List .
The List started it's life as an innocent looking piece of paper but has now grown into a healthy looking A-4 sized notebook . The List is like the Blob , the more you feed it , the hungrier it gets . The List likes when i meet other sailors , as it's almost sure i'll have another thing to add to it . The List ranges from fuel filters to cookware , food , diving gear , lifejackets , rope , more filters , bed-sheets , oil , flares , fishing rods and transmission fluid ! My credit card hates The List . The List has become my best friend and my worst enemy : it will keep me safe and ready but could also keep me shopping forever . I now understand now why many people get a boat and never leave : The List has taken control of their lives .
But I plan on beating The List . I'll be burning The List at the end of this week . It's the only way i'll be able to get my freedom back ... Oh , just though about one more thing to add to The List ... And one more ... I will also need a can opener ! And a Wire Cutter , 10mm minimum !!! It feels great , more lines on the notebook ... It starting to look a lot more serious now !
Hmm , The List is so addictive , it's going to be hard to get clean .

"Cruising in Causeway Bay"

This is Karta and his Mom . This guy leaves on an old wooden junk at the Marina . He designs clothes and accessories for upscale bicycle fanatics . Two nights ago they took me out to dinner at their local Sikh Temple . How did i end up eating Sikh food in Hong Kong ? Well it's all about meeting the right people i suppose , which is what happened to me all week long .
The past few days have been quite hectic , running around Hong Kong to buy stuff for the boat . I've been looking for so much things , ranging from Bed Sheets to Pipe wrenches that i sometimes get dizzy just looking at the list i've made! So i was on my way back to the boat the other day when i bumped into two Funky looking englishmen on the Yacht Club's San-Pan: Dan and Omar are multimedia geniuses and they were flying back to England that night . Feeling a great urge to be talking about something else than boats and oil filters , I invited them to share with me their last Hong Kong sunset . Many laughs and a few beers later i heard about this Karta dude for the first time . Apparently they'd been friends for a long time and had just spent three weeks at his factory in Shenzen to set up his new internet site . Since they'd been back , they were leaving aboard his boat . The two of them strongly suggested i should hook up with him while i was here . I gave my email to my newfound friends and then they finally left for the airport .
The next day i was entertaining a couple of French friends onboard . I'd met Mathieu and Sam two months ago when i first arrived . At that time they'd taken me to the Hong Kong Sevens (seven people/seven minutes games of rugby played every year in H.K) . Sam brought some friends visiting from France and a bottle of Pastis !!! It was a real French "Apero" and once again i made new friends , French this time !!! And just before going out for dinner I finally had my first glimpse of the elusive Karta : As he was passing by in his tender , he stopped by my boat and "rendez-vous" was taken for lunch the next day . I was finally going to meet the only guy around this Club who's about the same age as me !!! The evening ended having to steal a boat to get back to my bed : The San-Pan service stops around midnight and being out with French people it was much later than that when i got back to the marina ... Chance was with me again as i found an old dinghy on the dock and i finally managed to paddle back safely (and dry) to my Home .
Lunch the next day was great . Overlooking the bay on a sunny afternoon , Karta and I were enjoying our outdoor table at the club , unshaved amongst the Cigar smoking elite of the Royal Yacht Club of Hong Kong . He was born in Oregon and was still a child when his Mom and dad converted to the Sikh religion . They sent their kids to a Sikh boarding school in India for ten years and the stories he tells about his time out there are hilarious . He could be a character from a Wes Anderson movie . I've got to instantly like the man and hanged out quite a bit with him the last few days . He went through a really bad motorcycle accident doing the Gumball a few years ago and he'll be going in for his nineteenth surgery tomorrow . his mom was in town for the surgery so we met the next day . She's a great person , always laughing and happy to be living : The real Hippie Mom !!! The two make a great team . Once again i feel really lucky to have met them , just listening to their stories makes me want to travel more !!! So when they invited me to follow them to the temple , i just couldn't refuse this unexpected trip .
So that's how i ended up wearing a turban and eating free food sitting on the bare floor of a Sikh Temple in Hong Kong . This city has been all i was expecting , and even more . I met many new friends from all around the world , had my share of new experiences and even got some work done for the boat's preparation .
This is just the beginning , I think i'm on the right path .

Ben Ben

"Kalakuta at the dock in Baijo , Zhuhai"

Yes , I Just Can't Wait Until Saturday . That's the chorus of Saturday , one of my favorite disco tune . It's also what I'm feeling right now because on Saturday , i'll be cruising towards Hong Kong !!! The boat is all done , we're painting the non-skid on the deck tomorrow and then I'm out of here . I've just reserved a spot at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and let me tell you boys and girls , that feels GOOD ;) It was time for a change of scenery , and time to change that little flag on the site . By the way , The Hong Kong flag will be following me all around since the boat will registered in H.K , so i guess it's a good sign .
So yesterday evening i went to downtown Zhuhai to buy a few stuff like bed sheets , cookware and bathroom accessories ! It was a surreal experience , that place is very "modern" compared to what i've been accustomed to : Computer shops , Night clubs , well dressed people ... It felt quite strange actually . I got out of the taxi , headed for the first floor of a giant supermarket where i was told I'd find tons of supplies and suddenly there it was , what every sane people would dream about after weeks of rice and noodles : a McDonalds restaurant !!! Now , I'm probably going to loose my French passport writing about how much i enjoyed this enormous amount of junk food , but who cares :) One BigMac please , a Hamburger , Vanilla shake , large Fries and a Coke ! Heaven !!! I'd forgotten how Ketchup tasted like . Just writing about it drives me mad , i want more !!!
So there it is , my china days are over soon . Hong Kong here i come . I'm going to enjoy going to the movies , eating western food (Pizza is next on the list) and just cruising around this amazing city which for me is the Asian New York .
Cheers
Ben Ben
p.s : there's a KFC not far from my hotel , i think i can't resist going there tonight ... Hmm , junk food never tasted so good :)

"Smile"

From what i've been able to understand , this guy is a music teacher at a local school . Every night he's playing some traditional chinese tunes in his little outdoor stand in the main pedestrian street of Doumen . Sometimes i catch him playing a kind of violin and some other nights he's jammin' on a kind of dulcimer called Yangqin . It's a string instrument that he plays with two bamboo sticks and he's quite good at it . This guy loves to play for people and even if he sells a few instruments under his little tent , i suspect he's only out there for the love of music . I think he understand i dig his stuff and each time he sees me coming on my bike he starts playing like a mad man . After only a few minutes a big crowd gathers around him and it only stops when he breaks one of his sticks ! We can't communicate with words but hey , "Music makes the people come together" ...
Cheers
Ben Ben
Live From China

"The diesel buffalo rental shop"

There's two sides to Doumen , the suburb of Zhuhai where my boat is being built : One part , where my hotel is located , is a bustling asian town with a million cellphone shops , appliance stores and non-stop traffic jams . The other side though , where the boat is being finished , looks more like a little rural village with a nice little outdoor market , no modern buildings and a much more quiet lifestyle . All you need to do to feel like jumping in a time machine is to get onboard the ferry for a 4 minutes ride and get across the river . You'll find that people here still ride bikes and tricycles and when they need to transport heavy stuff , they're using my favorite vehicle here : I call it the "Diesel Buffalo" .
The Diesel buffalo looks like it was conceived for a post-apocalyptic movie . i just love it's simplicity , with it's tractor engine directly connected to the handlebar . It must exhausting to drive ... Try to imagine making a turn and having to move the engine too !!! Probably not the best machine for Paris or New York :) But i though of a really cool concept for a reality show : Buy a few of those , fill them with all the fuel and food you need for a month and get contestants to race across china on those machines : That would look really cool ! So if there's a producer out there who's interested , i know where to buy them , there's a dealership right next door !
Big Kisses to you all from China
Ben Ben

p.s : click here to check my new "download page" , you'll find files for Google earth to check where i am right now and a wallpaper download section . hope you'll like it .

"Sunset over Zhuhai"
click on the picture to see a larger version

Sunsets : Don't have much to say about that , except that if you're going to follow that Blog , you should expect a lot of those shots . I just love that time of the day and when i travel i almost never miss one . Over the years it became a tradition and those who' have been with me on trips know how serious i am about this . Those 20 minutes when the sky looks like a painting .... They' re never the same and they change depending on where you are on the planet . For example , Indian ocean sunsets are purple while the ones in the mediterranean sea are more orange . This one is quite special though : It was the first one onboard and my first Chinese Sunset .
Love
Ben

What's this guy gonna do with his boat you may ask reading this blog !!! A while ago there was a show on french T.V called "Lunettes Noires Pour Nuit Blanche" (Sunglasses for a Sleepless Night) , and the part of the show i really liked was the Auto-interview. The best one i ever saw was Serge Gainsbourg' s "Gainsbourg by Gainsbarre" . So instead of explaining to you why i' m doing this trip , i've decided i'd try it myself : Ben by Benjamin.

Benjamin : So Ben , where are you from ?

Ben : I was born in Paris , France . But i've got serious doubts about being from that place ! And call me Ben Ben , that's my chinese name , they don't like names with one syllable here !!!

Benjamin : Ok Ben Ben. About Paris , do you mean you feel you don't belong there ?

Ben Ben : I guess ... too much stress, too many fake people and not enough beaches :)

Benjamin : Ok , i get your point. Age ?

Ben Ben : Mid thirties on my passport , but about 12 in my mind ! I probably suffer from the Peter Pan Syndrome.

Benjamin : I see ... Straight , Gay , Both ?

Ben Ben : Women only for me please ... But i've got nothing against the way other people live their sex/love life .

Benjamin : God ?

Ben Ben : Who ?

Benjamin : (Laugh) Ok , so when did you decide to go ?

Ben Ben : Always though about going on a boat trip , but if i have to put a date on the decision to go ... about 7 years ago , on a hammock in Puerto Escondido , Mexico. Then it really became obvious i'd be doing it after i started spending a lot of time up in North West Australia . The coast up there is amazing , camping for months in the desert on the edge of the indian ocean ... amazing trips !!!

Benjamin : And why ?

Ben Ben : To live an adventure. To go windsurfing in remote places with my friends. To travel all around the world with my home , Like a turtle... To make friends and while we're at it maybe to find love ... and make babies :)

Benjamin : Now that's a plan ! Any sailing/cruising experience ?

Ben Ben : Not much, never been on a long crossing. but i've been windsurfing since i was 13 (laughs).

Benjamin : So aren't you afraid to die out there ?

Ben Ben : A little , but i think it's good : More chance to survive when you're a bit scared , makes you think more. And you feel ALIVE ! I'm more afraid to die riding a motorcycle in Paris... I'd be really pissed off to go like that , because an idiot forgot to signal he was making a turn ... What a shitty ending !

Benjamin : About stupid ways of dying , I guess you've seen "Into the Wild". Sean Penn' s movie ?

Ben Ben : Yes , and i loved it. But what i'm doing has absolutely nothing to do with what this guy was after ... well , a little bit maybe. But i have a different method to try to achieve what i think he was looking for . And different reasons !!! By the way I'm reading the book right now , and there's a quote in it from Leo Tolstoy' s "Family Happiness" . It goes like this :
"I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life." ... I couldn't have explained what i' m feeling in a better way !!!

Benjamin : I get your point !!! Let's get back to the trip then. What are you taking onboard with you ?

Ben Ben : Windsurf gear , surfboards , books , fishing gear , a nice digital camera , tons of songs ... i've loaded my computer with my entire record collection . I hope to be the first one to play a James Brown tune while crossing the equator !!! And i'll be creating music too. I've prepared loads of sounds .

Benjamin : That's cool , I dig J.B too , he's the Funky President ! ... Ok , where will you be going ?

Ben Ben : NorthWest Australia via the Philippines , Malaysia , Bali . Then maybe New Zealand , Fiji ... Who knows , don't really like to make plans , you usually miss a lot of stuff when you plan too much in advance... And on a boat you never know what's going to happen ! I'll go where there's waves and wind !

Benjamin : Sounds great. What do your parents think about this ?

Ben Ben : They think it's great. Couldn't have done it without them. I'm really lucky to have such amazing parental units !!!

Benjamin : Well , thanks for you time , anything you wanna to say to end this interview.

Ben Ben : ... Ok , what about : Keep Dreaming :)

Benjamin : Thank you for sharing this with me , i hope you'll have a great time out there .

Ben Ben : You're welcome , it was a pleasure. By the way , i think you should come with me :)

"Barbecue Street"

Yesterday didn't start too well ... the weather was hot and humid and things were going really slowly at the yard . So when the sun went down and the temperature finally dropped a bit , i decided to go for a little trip along the river . First good surprise came when i followed the smell of barbecue to a really nice street market full of little food stands : choose your meat , veggies , find a table under a tree and let the magic happen ! It tasted so good i couldn't resist and ate until i was close to explode : Grilled eggplants with garlic , sausages and shrimp skewers , it was PARADISE !!! The family eating next to me was laughing watching me , the foreigner , enjoy such a simple dinner amongst the local middle-class .

After saying goodbye to my new found culinary friends , i rode my bike a bit further and started hearing music in the distance . I once again followed a promising trail and ended at a big town square . About one hundred people of all ages had gathered and were dancing under the stars to the sound of the local mobile Dj : It was magical . Apparently the chinese love to dance , and not only to local music : they could dance the waltz , the cha cha , tango , salsa and do it really well . They all had huge smiles on their faces and their joy finally made me forget all the little troubles of my day . From our westerner's point of view , we think chinese people have a hard life : it's probably true in some regions but here in Zhuhai , the heart of industrialized China , even if they work in factories and don't earn a lot they are embracing their new lifestyle with a contagious happiness . Probably like what happened to us after the second world war .

Have fun everyone and keep smiling !!!
ben


"The Mobile Love Sound System"

"The low rider is a little higher , Low rider drives a little slower , Low rider is a real goer , Low rider knows every street yeah !"

I've always loved that song by WAR , probably because i've seen Cheech&Chong 's UP IN SMOKE many times ... Anyway , i was on my way to the yard this morning when i decided i needed a vehicle to get around town in STYLE !!! I was getting tired of riding with those crazy chinese Motorcycle Taxis . Sure it doesn't cost much (3 yuan , about 30 cents) but you don't get to wear a helmet and if you've ever been to China or any other Asian countries , you'll know that each ride could be the last ... The traffic here makes going around the "Arc de Triomphe" in Paris looks like a joyride !!!
There's a few bicycle shops on the way , so i had a look in a few of those stores and instantly fell in love with this baby . It's a three-speed , rear suspension beauty and even better , it's a folding bike so i'll be able to take it with me onboard . Can't wait to cruise around Freemantle on it , I'm sure i'll make many people drool over that piece of equipment :) and best of all , it only cost me 300 yuan , which for you europeans is about 30 euros ... you probably couldn't buy a tire for this price in Paris . LIFE IS GOOD !!!
See you soon
Ben