Thursday 30 June
I met the 3 English travellers at the bus station at 10:30am and we caught the bus out to the jetty at Bako Bazaar where we chartered a half hour boat ride out to Bako National Park. We checked into a comfortable 4 bed hostel. After lunch Lynsey, Danie and I walked past the mangroves and onto the Paku Trail, looking for probiscus monkeys. The trail was a little slippery and mostly across the huge network of thick tree roots, with boardwalk and wooden steps now and again. We soon spotted some probiscus monkeys, quite high up and far away but this was my best view of them so far. Half of the fun is trying to spot them and you usually hear the trees rustle as they move about and swing from tree to tree.
After a while the girls turned back and I continued through the forest, eventually coming out at the small picturesque beach. I sat there for a while then started to head back, as did the few others. The small gray langur monkeys then headed onto the beach to see if the humans had left behind anything they could eat, so we followed them down the beach. There was one adult male and 5 or 6 youngers ones. They didn't find anything to eat but they sat facing us as we sat in a semi-circle watching them; it was a bit like a meeting or a school class.
I walked back through the forest over the tree roots. It took about 45 minutes to get back. As I got close to HQ, one of the locals told me that there were probiscus monkeys in the trees by the beach so I went with a couple of french guys to have a look. With our backs to the ocean, facing the trees we followed a group of probiscus monkeys as they swang their way along from tree to tree, it was like a show. They would stop now and again and grab a branch and then sit on another branch and pick off the leaves and eat them. We were all quite excited and it was funny how everyone is silently animated, pointing out each monkey to eachother, without saying anything.
Back at the canteen we saw the large bearded pigs which are very ugly and spend their days snuffling in the grass.
In the evening there was a huge storm and the temperature dropped.
Friday 1 July
Up early, and after eggs and toast for breakfast I headed out on the Big Loop trek, the others didn't fancy it. When I asked, the lady at reception she said that parts of the trail are slippery and swampy and the water would be up to my knees....hmmmm....
The Big Loop is actually a combination of a number of smaller trails so I met a few people who were heading off in other directions. All the trails are clearly marked by painted squares on the trees as you go. Initially the path is a little uphill over tree roots. I saw a pitcher plant which lures insects with an attractive smell and then captures and eats them; a meat-eating plant! Then the trail was wet and sandy and it was easy to slip. Along the Tajor trail it was back to typical rainforest and a few steep slippery descents and I was holding on to trees for support as I went. There was a part where I had to climb up using tree roots above me to pull myself up.
After nearly 2 hours I came to the Tajor Waterfall, which is not really a waterfall, just a wide stream over some rocks. There are 2 ways to cross: either across a felled tree or by walking on the slippery rocks through the stream. When I got there a french woman was crawling across the tree on her hands and knees and her two children were already on the other side so I didn't want to make too much fuss! I didn't fancy my chances with crawling, with my heavy backpack, so I threw my boots and my moneybelt across the stream to the french family, in case I fell in, and stepped carefully into the stream and back out; the rocks actually had some moss on them and I was able to get a grip.
After a short rest and a banana I carried on to the Bukit Kruing Trail. The next obstacle was a faster flowing stream that ran into a natural pool. The only option was to walk across. Luckily I had brought one of my trekking sticks and used this to help me balance as I waded in, only up to my shins, and walked across the slippery rocks. I continued through the dense forest, then I came to the Ulu Serait Trail, and as the lady had told me, it was swampy.
Sometimes you could walk around the knee-high swamps and often logs had been strategically placed so you could walk across the water, but I still had to hang on to trees, and use my stick for balance as I went; it was fun! I would have taken my boots off and walked in the swamp if really necessary but I just carried on in my not-so-waterproof hiking boots. I only slipped once, onto a log, and quickly stood up before the water started soaking into my shorts. I was in the swampy area for about 1 hour and it was hard work, and you have to concentrate on where you are putting your feet and to look ahead for finding the best route through.
Eventually I came to the Lintang trail which is the last part of the Big Loop. This trail was sandy and wet and then I was back to walking over tree roots and down wooden steps. 6 hours and 10kms after setting off, I arrived back at the HQ, pretty tired, and pleased with myself for successfully completing the Loop.
After a shower I went for a leisurely walk to the jetty, where the tide had gone out. Under the jetty I saw groups of mud skippers heading out to the water. They look like fish but they crawl around and can skip across the water. They seemed quite nervous and would skip away if I got too close.
Near HQ there were a few probiscus monkeys in the trees, and this time they were even closer than last night. They were right above our heads and they just sat there eating while we watched. One of the big males seemed to be posturing for a fight against an unseen male rival (according to a local), and he was getting quite feisty. It was great watching them in their natural environment and they were not the least bit intertested in us.
After dinner we joined the night trek with about 20 others. First they took us to see the bright green highly-toxic pit viper that was hanging around next to the reception area. Then we walked along a boardwalk into the forest. We saw stick insects, spiders, another pit viper, a crab, tree frogs, spider crickets (crickets that look like scary spiders), moths, a kingfisher, a snail and gekkos.
Saturday 2nd July
After breakfast, Lysney and I caught a boat back to the jetty with a dutch couple, and from there we got a bus back to Kuching, I checked into Tracks Guest House. The dorm room is a bit smelly; the staff opened the window and sprayed some air freshener but couldn't tell me the cause of the smell (maybe it's another traveller?)
I got lunch and had a slow wander around town. Then I went to the rugby ground, hoping to watch a game. When I got there there was just one Aussie guy, and a big friendly Kiwi (Islander) guy getting ready. Soon the whole squad turned up, for the practice match, mostly local guys. And there were 5 or 6 retired expats there too, including the Club President, and an English architect who had travelled Africa in the 1970s, lived in Neutral Bay and retired here. They were a nice bunch of guys and each shook my hand as they arrived, and gave me ("smuggled") Singha beer and we swapped stories; I felt a bit like a guest of honour.
The usual torrential rainstorm arrived at 5pm, and the guys carried on playing, rolling around on the flooded pitch, it was fun watching from the shelter of the small covered terrace. There was a rainbow and the early evening light was kind of orange.
The expats are not the snobbish types just living it up here; they have a genuine interest in the town and the people and the culture.
After the game, I said goodbye to the expats and walked across town to the Weekend markets where there were many fruit and veg and clothes stalls as well as food. I bought apples from South Africa and oranges from America! For dinner I had mee goreng pattaya, which is still rice with chicken and egg, but it is Malay food, and nothing to do with Pattaya in Thailand. It was good. How come with all that wonderful veg at the market, it is so hard to find it in a restaurant?
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