In het rijk van Siameezen en Maleiers

A young Swiss geologist sets sail in 1917, leaving the snow‑capped Alps for the heat and mystery of Southeast Asia. The voyage across the Mediterranean and into the Indies awakens a restless curiosity, as the distant jungles and bustling ports seem to promise a world untouched by the familiar. Even before stepping ashore, he feels a premonition of the vibrant cultures and untamed landscapes that await.

Upon arrival, the dense, dew‑laden forests of Siam unfold like a living tapestry, alive with countless butterflies and the whisper of ancient trees. Villages of Siamese, Malay, Chinese and Buddhist peoples appear side by side, each preserving its own rituals while sharing the rhythm of the river and rice fields. Through his geological eye he maps the terrain, yet it is the interplay of sun‑soaked canopies, fragrant coconut palms and the hum of distant chants that captures his imagination.

Nightfall brings a velvet sky pierced by the calls of unseen creatures, and the narrator reflects on the timeless freedom that the jungle offers. Listeners are invited to travel with him through these early encounters, feeling the awe of a world both foreign and profoundly human.