sorry it's a bit long...........
Monday 13 June
In Kota Kinabulu. Very heavy loud rain last night. Lazy lie-in this morning, then got organised and walked over to Jessleton Point to catch a boat out to Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, which is made up of 5 islands.
A bit confusing to organise but I ended up with a '2-island' ticket. They gave us lifejackets and whisked us across the bay, the louder you scream, the faster we go! First stop was Pulau Mamutik which was more developed than I had expected. Did some snorkelling but the visibility wasn't too good because it was overcast, but what you could see wasn't that great anyway; I saw more plastic packaging than fish.
So I just sat on the beach and read my book, until the boat came to pick us up and take us to the next island, Pulau Manukan. At first I only saw more rubbish and tree branches in the water but I asked the lifeguard-type guy if there was any better place to look and he pointed me in the right direction and I swam out to some better coral and lots of fish. It was pretty good, just nothing like as good as in the Phillipines.
The lifeguard-type guy was actually helping to organise the personal submarines, whereby you sit on this machine, like you would a motorbike, and your head is inside a pressurised helmet with an oxygen tank attached. The punters certainly looked funny sitting on these contraptions and being lead into the water. Each machine also has a big buoy attached and they went out in a line so I just followed them as they were obviously being taken out to where the good stuff was.
Along the way I met some nice people, Malaysians and Bruneians. Had delicious late lunch of Mee Goreng (fried noodles) with beef and chilli, and roti canai (like parathta) with sauce. Had a bit of a wander round the malls sussing a few things out...
In the evening, went down to the food night markets with English Dave and Danish Sarah. We had marinated tuna steaks, which were ok, but very dry. We also had two types of seaweed which didn't really taste of anything. Washed down with a mango juice.
Tuesday 14 June
Went to the Indonesian Embassy to collect my passport and visa. I got 60 days which is great but not really the dates I had requested, it expires too soon. Will have to change my plans a bit..
Checked out of Lucy's homestay and got a taxi with two others to the bus station out of town. Caught the 11am bus bound for Sandakan, and got dropped off at the junction to here, Sepilok, at about 4:30pm. Sepilok is famous for the Orangutan Rehab Centre, and river boat tours.
We walked towards Sepilok for a bit, then one of the hostels' Ute's came by and gave us a lift the rest of the way. We saw an eagle(?) flying with a snake clenched in its claws, before dropping it into the bushes.
I met a couple of Canadians I had seen earlier in the week and they directed me to Uncle Tan's (Guest House) from where I hope to do a river boat tour tomorrow (doh! Need to go to Sandakan and got more cash first!).
Wednesday 15 June
Early breakfast and started walking to Uncle Tan's, about 1km, but soon a local woman and her daughter stopped and offered me a lift which was keenly appreciated.
I dumped my stuff and walked up to the roundabout and soon got a bus bound for Sandakan and got some cash from the bank, then back on a bus back to Sepilok.
The Guest House then gave me a lift to the Sepilok Orangutan Research Centre so that I would be in time for feeding at 10am. You have to put your bags and stuff in a locker so that no creature tries to steal it. After getting a ticket I entered the reserve and followed the small crowd, along the boardwalk to the viewing area. There was a buzz of anticpation as we waited for the staff to come out with the food that would hopefully tempt the orange guys down onto the feeding platform.....
And after about 10 minutes a smallish orangutan made its way up the wooden steps of the feeding platform, past the staff and grabbed some fruit. Of course this was the cue for everyone to start taking pictures, but I tried to make sure I was watching properly rather than just trying to get a good photo, and besides my camera was playing up again so I couldn't zoom!
The little orange guy then proceeded to climb up on to some ropes in front us and swing around and show off. Well, he was not really showing off, I think he was just doing what comes naturally, which makes them even more cute, I guess. On the other hand, it did seem as if maybe he might have been trained to swing along from one end of the rope to other, right in front of us. Anyway, it was good to see. We waited a while he left but no more turned up.
After, I went to the large aircon video room to watch the video about the work that the Rehab Centre does, which I kind of already knew about. I think you are supposed to watch the video first but nevermind. I was a bit cycnical before the video that it would just be an emotiional appeal for donations, which it was, but it worked! When they showed the time and effort and skills they put into rescuing these humanlike creatures and helping each one over many years, to integrate back into the rainforest, you can't help but feel sympathetic and generous, and reach for your wallet. (Although of course there are many more humans in the world in a lot worse state than the orangutans).
Back at Uncle Tan's we had lunch and then got organised for the boat cruise. Cruise is the wrong word; its a boat safari, since we will looking for wildlife. On the river Kinabatangan, into the jungle. It was a 90 minutes car drive to the jetty. Then we got onto a skiff with an outboard motor which I shared with a German family, two Spanish guys and a girl from Coogee. We sped along the river which was quite shallow and about 70 metres wide and very brown. We stopped along the way to watch some monkeys, and some hornbills.
We arrived at the camp after about an hour. On arrival at the camp, the guys who run the camp showed us to our wooden cabins, on stilts above the water, no doors; I shared with the Spaniards. It was actually more comfortable than I had expected, with soft mattresses, excellent mozzie nets and proper loos.
The guys soon had us playing 5-a-side soccer on the ready-made sand pitch complete with wooden goalposts and nets. And these guys love their football, they know all about the Premiership (and Bristol City) and took the game quite seriously, deciding it was them against the tourists! Well, obviously we lost but we did well considering the heat, that we had only just met eachother and some of had no sports shoes to play in. It was great to play soccer, its been ages and I was happy to carry on but the others had had enough. Boo.
The guys gave us a briefing on the program for the coming days. They really know their stuff, but also have a good sense of humour and made it enjoyable. For dinner we had bbq stingray and tuna with a range of other local dishes. All the food and cleaning up was done for us.
At 9pm we went out on our first night safari along the river. I was lucky enough to be sitting at the front next to the guide with his car-battery-charged halogen light. During the next hour we saw, from various distances, an owl, a wild cat (also known a leopard cat, it looks alot like a domestic cat), a civet and the red eyes of a big crocodile, before it darted away. We then got to within touching distance of a baby estuarine crocodile and it just rested there in the shallows while we watched it for a while.
I slipped getting off the boat back at the jetty and thought I was gonna fall in the shallow water; instead I smacked my bum on the side of the boat. Ouch. Back at the camp we had to make sure that we had no food in the cabins as this would attact the rats which would in turn attract the snakes.
Thursday 16 June
A bit chilly in the night but soon hot and sweaty again this morning when we got up at 6am for the morning river safari. It wasn't long before we found a few orangutans swinging in the trees quite close to the river. They were just being themselves, swinging from branch to branch and tree to tree, stopping to eat some fruit. My zoom wasn't working again and I don't have binoculars so they were a bit far away, but it was ok. We saw, and heard, gibbons, too.
After breakfast, which included fluffy pancakes, we had a short rest before heading out on a hiking safari in the jungle. They gave us gumboots/Wellies and we walked out of the back of the camp into the squelching mud. We had to duck down under the vines, and I had to curl up my toes to stop my boots getting stuck in the mud. We didn't see many mammals but we saw some plants, and ants and towards the end there was a Kingfisher sitting in a branch near us and it didn't get frightened off so we were able to watch it for a while and get good photos.
There are also lots of palm trees in Borneo, which is a big problem. The palm tree was introduced from Guinea, in Africa, and the fruit bears palm oil which is used in many products, such as shampoo, and for cooking. The problem is that the tree kills all the trees around it, killing the ancient rainforest and so destroying the habitat of those who dwell there. e.g. orangutans.
After lunch, most people were tired from the early start and there was no program so we had a siesta, out of the heat, for the rest of the afternoon.
At 5pm we went out on another boat safari. I guess we saw the same things as before, which is ok. It's fun just being on the boat and wildlife spotting. As it grew dark we saw many flying foxes/fruit bats overhead, with their huge wingspan.
We were due to go on a night hiking safari at 9pm, but just before that a storm whipped through the camp, and it rained for the rest of the night. The safari was cancelled, and nobody complained, it would have been yuk, and the animals would have been hiding.
Friday 17 June
Up at 5:45am for the morning boat safari. The rain had cleared and it was a lovely blue sunny day. We saw some more orangutans and eagles in the trees, as well as monkeys and maccaques and a monitor lizard and egrets on the muddy river bank. I think we saw probiscus monkeys too in the distance.
After breakfast, the trip finished and we packed up and got back on the boats back to the jetty at the small village. From there we were picked up by the minibus and taken back to Uncle Tan's Guest House in Sepilok where they gave us lunch.
After lunch, I packed up and walked up to the main road and got a bus 23kms to the city of Sandakan. This is a port city and not much to look at, but it was easy to find the hostel, which was nice enough and the locals are friendly and smiley. I dumped my bag and got a bus half way back to Sepilok, jumping off at the turning for the Sandakan Memorial.
The Memorial Park, which is set in a small wood, was established by the Australian Returned and Service League (RSL) to memorialise those Australian and British soldiers who died at the POW camp that was here, and those that were forced to leave here on a Death March across the country; and also those local people who were killed for trying to assist the resistance.
The POWs were initially brought here to help the Japanese build an aerodome; there is a rusting excavator still there, from when an Aussie sabogated it in protest. There is a pavillion there with a display describing the camp's history and the conditions there and the day to day life. Despite working in terrible conditions, the inmates tried to improve morale by putting on theatre and radio entertainment. Only 6 of the 2500 prisoners survived; by escaping from a Death March.
In George Street Sydney I have often passed the small memorial to those who died in Borneo. Now I understand better what it refers to.
Sandakan looks better in the dark and there was a pleasant atmosphere by the harbour in the evening and a big lightning storm across the sea.
Monday 13 June
In Kota Kinabulu. Very heavy loud rain last night. Lazy lie-in this morning, then got organised and walked over to Jessleton Point to catch a boat out to Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, which is made up of 5 islands.
A bit confusing to organise but I ended up with a '2-island' ticket. They gave us lifejackets and whisked us across the bay, the louder you scream, the faster we go! First stop was Pulau Mamutik which was more developed than I had expected. Did some snorkelling but the visibility wasn't too good because it was overcast, but what you could see wasn't that great anyway; I saw more plastic packaging than fish.
So I just sat on the beach and read my book, until the boat came to pick us up and take us to the next island, Pulau Manukan. At first I only saw more rubbish and tree branches in the water but I asked the lifeguard-type guy if there was any better place to look and he pointed me in the right direction and I swam out to some better coral and lots of fish. It was pretty good, just nothing like as good as in the Phillipines.
The lifeguard-type guy was actually helping to organise the personal submarines, whereby you sit on this machine, like you would a motorbike, and your head is inside a pressurised helmet with an oxygen tank attached. The punters certainly looked funny sitting on these contraptions and being lead into the water. Each machine also has a big buoy attached and they went out in a line so I just followed them as they were obviously being taken out to where the good stuff was.
Along the way I met some nice people, Malaysians and Bruneians. Had delicious late lunch of Mee Goreng (fried noodles) with beef and chilli, and roti canai (like parathta) with sauce. Had a bit of a wander round the malls sussing a few things out...
In the evening, went down to the food night markets with English Dave and Danish Sarah. We had marinated tuna steaks, which were ok, but very dry. We also had two types of seaweed which didn't really taste of anything. Washed down with a mango juice.
Tuesday 14 June
Went to the Indonesian Embassy to collect my passport and visa. I got 60 days which is great but not really the dates I had requested, it expires too soon. Will have to change my plans a bit..
Checked out of Lucy's homestay and got a taxi with two others to the bus station out of town. Caught the 11am bus bound for Sandakan, and got dropped off at the junction to here, Sepilok, at about 4:30pm. Sepilok is famous for the Orangutan Rehab Centre, and river boat tours.
We walked towards Sepilok for a bit, then one of the hostels' Ute's came by and gave us a lift the rest of the way. We saw an eagle(?) flying with a snake clenched in its claws, before dropping it into the bushes.
I met a couple of Canadians I had seen earlier in the week and they directed me to Uncle Tan's (Guest House) from where I hope to do a river boat tour tomorrow (doh! Need to go to Sandakan and got more cash first!).
Wednesday 15 June
Early breakfast and started walking to Uncle Tan's, about 1km, but soon a local woman and her daughter stopped and offered me a lift which was keenly appreciated.
I dumped my stuff and walked up to the roundabout and soon got a bus bound for Sandakan and got some cash from the bank, then back on a bus back to Sepilok.
The Guest House then gave me a lift to the Sepilok Orangutan Research Centre so that I would be in time for feeding at 10am. You have to put your bags and stuff in a locker so that no creature tries to steal it. After getting a ticket I entered the reserve and followed the small crowd, along the boardwalk to the viewing area. There was a buzz of anticpation as we waited for the staff to come out with the food that would hopefully tempt the orange guys down onto the feeding platform.....
And after about 10 minutes a smallish orangutan made its way up the wooden steps of the feeding platform, past the staff and grabbed some fruit. Of course this was the cue for everyone to start taking pictures, but I tried to make sure I was watching properly rather than just trying to get a good photo, and besides my camera was playing up again so I couldn't zoom!
The little orange guy then proceeded to climb up on to some ropes in front us and swing around and show off. Well, he was not really showing off, I think he was just doing what comes naturally, which makes them even more cute, I guess. On the other hand, it did seem as if maybe he might have been trained to swing along from one end of the rope to other, right in front of us. Anyway, it was good to see. We waited a while he left but no more turned up.
After, I went to the large aircon video room to watch the video about the work that the Rehab Centre does, which I kind of already knew about. I think you are supposed to watch the video first but nevermind. I was a bit cycnical before the video that it would just be an emotiional appeal for donations, which it was, but it worked! When they showed the time and effort and skills they put into rescuing these humanlike creatures and helping each one over many years, to integrate back into the rainforest, you can't help but feel sympathetic and generous, and reach for your wallet. (Although of course there are many more humans in the world in a lot worse state than the orangutans).
Back at Uncle Tan's we had lunch and then got organised for the boat cruise. Cruise is the wrong word; its a boat safari, since we will looking for wildlife. On the river Kinabatangan, into the jungle. It was a 90 minutes car drive to the jetty. Then we got onto a skiff with an outboard motor which I shared with a German family, two Spanish guys and a girl from Coogee. We sped along the river which was quite shallow and about 70 metres wide and very brown. We stopped along the way to watch some monkeys, and some hornbills.
We arrived at the camp after about an hour. On arrival at the camp, the guys who run the camp showed us to our wooden cabins, on stilts above the water, no doors; I shared with the Spaniards. It was actually more comfortable than I had expected, with soft mattresses, excellent mozzie nets and proper loos.
The guys soon had us playing 5-a-side soccer on the ready-made sand pitch complete with wooden goalposts and nets. And these guys love their football, they know all about the Premiership (and Bristol City) and took the game quite seriously, deciding it was them against the tourists! Well, obviously we lost but we did well considering the heat, that we had only just met eachother and some of had no sports shoes to play in. It was great to play soccer, its been ages and I was happy to carry on but the others had had enough. Boo.
The guys gave us a briefing on the program for the coming days. They really know their stuff, but also have a good sense of humour and made it enjoyable. For dinner we had bbq stingray and tuna with a range of other local dishes. All the food and cleaning up was done for us.
At 9pm we went out on our first night safari along the river. I was lucky enough to be sitting at the front next to the guide with his car-battery-charged halogen light. During the next hour we saw, from various distances, an owl, a wild cat (also known a leopard cat, it looks alot like a domestic cat), a civet and the red eyes of a big crocodile, before it darted away. We then got to within touching distance of a baby estuarine crocodile and it just rested there in the shallows while we watched it for a while.
I slipped getting off the boat back at the jetty and thought I was gonna fall in the shallow water; instead I smacked my bum on the side of the boat. Ouch. Back at the camp we had to make sure that we had no food in the cabins as this would attact the rats which would in turn attract the snakes.
Thursday 16 June
A bit chilly in the night but soon hot and sweaty again this morning when we got up at 6am for the morning river safari. It wasn't long before we found a few orangutans swinging in the trees quite close to the river. They were just being themselves, swinging from branch to branch and tree to tree, stopping to eat some fruit. My zoom wasn't working again and I don't have binoculars so they were a bit far away, but it was ok. We saw, and heard, gibbons, too.
After breakfast, which included fluffy pancakes, we had a short rest before heading out on a hiking safari in the jungle. They gave us gumboots/Wellies and we walked out of the back of the camp into the squelching mud. We had to duck down under the vines, and I had to curl up my toes to stop my boots getting stuck in the mud. We didn't see many mammals but we saw some plants, and ants and towards the end there was a Kingfisher sitting in a branch near us and it didn't get frightened off so we were able to watch it for a while and get good photos.
There are also lots of palm trees in Borneo, which is a big problem. The palm tree was introduced from Guinea, in Africa, and the fruit bears palm oil which is used in many products, such as shampoo, and for cooking. The problem is that the tree kills all the trees around it, killing the ancient rainforest and so destroying the habitat of those who dwell there. e.g. orangutans.
After lunch, most people were tired from the early start and there was no program so we had a siesta, out of the heat, for the rest of the afternoon.
At 5pm we went out on another boat safari. I guess we saw the same things as before, which is ok. It's fun just being on the boat and wildlife spotting. As it grew dark we saw many flying foxes/fruit bats overhead, with their huge wingspan.
We were due to go on a night hiking safari at 9pm, but just before that a storm whipped through the camp, and it rained for the rest of the night. The safari was cancelled, and nobody complained, it would have been yuk, and the animals would have been hiding.
Friday 17 June
Up at 5:45am for the morning boat safari. The rain had cleared and it was a lovely blue sunny day. We saw some more orangutans and eagles in the trees, as well as monkeys and maccaques and a monitor lizard and egrets on the muddy river bank. I think we saw probiscus monkeys too in the distance.
After breakfast, the trip finished and we packed up and got back on the boats back to the jetty at the small village. From there we were picked up by the minibus and taken back to Uncle Tan's Guest House in Sepilok where they gave us lunch.
After lunch, I packed up and walked up to the main road and got a bus 23kms to the city of Sandakan. This is a port city and not much to look at, but it was easy to find the hostel, which was nice enough and the locals are friendly and smiley. I dumped my bag and got a bus half way back to Sepilok, jumping off at the turning for the Sandakan Memorial.
The Memorial Park, which is set in a small wood, was established by the Australian Returned and Service League (RSL) to memorialise those Australian and British soldiers who died at the POW camp that was here, and those that were forced to leave here on a Death March across the country; and also those local people who were killed for trying to assist the resistance.
The POWs were initially brought here to help the Japanese build an aerodome; there is a rusting excavator still there, from when an Aussie sabogated it in protest. There is a pavillion there with a display describing the camp's history and the conditions there and the day to day life. Despite working in terrible conditions, the inmates tried to improve morale by putting on theatre and radio entertainment. Only 6 of the 2500 prisoners survived; by escaping from a Death March.
In George Street Sydney I have often passed the small memorial to those who died in Borneo. Now I understand better what it refers to.
Sandakan looks better in the dark and there was a pleasant atmosphere by the harbour in the evening and a big lightning storm across the sea.
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