TravelStream™ news feed for member kevandrach on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/kevandrach en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:08:49 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1229938740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1229938740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1229938740/tpod.html Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:08:49 -0400 The Great Escape - Journey to the 4 corners of the earth

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Gunung Mulu National Park, Malaysia

As time was rapidly running out we decided to change our route slightly and miss out on Brunei. We had planned to spend a couple of days here before Christmas, but after being told numerous times that it was not only expensive but also very boring, some of this from people who had lived there, we decided on spending the money on a couple of flights out to Mulu. Only accessible by either plane or a journey of 3 boats, the Gunung Mulu National Park is pretty much in the middle of some of the best preserved jungle still left in Borneo. Famous for a number of activities including a hike up to the 'Pinnacles' - an area where sharp jagged limestone pierces through the hill side creating amazing formations, the 'Head Hunters Trail' - an ancient path, now used only by tourists, originally used by the ancient tribes on their waring encounters with other factions, nicknamed headhunters due to the fact that upon killing their enemy they would hack off the head and use it as a souvenir back in their longhouses - the more heads you had, the higher your status back home. The other reason for visiting Mulu is the Caves - numerous, extensive limestone caves, reportedly hundreds of Km long, crisscrossing the mountains and plains in the area. The flight over to Mulu was great, the plane was small and propeller driven meaning we flew lower to the ground giving us great views over the landscape below. Upon arriving at Mulu airport which was something along the lines of a large flat pack shed with zero customs, duty free or quarantine, where your baggage claim area was a long metal table usually used in abertois with everyone's bags just lobbed on top and a shit fight to get your own, we grabbed a lift and headed straight for the national park. We had prebooked a dorm for 2 nights the day before we left, as it was the cheapest option and we were concerned with it being so close to Christmas that it would be full up - I didn't mind if it was full as the only other accommodation was a 5 star luxury resort with swimming pool and massage, Rach however said it was not the backpacker way ! Ah c'mon it's Christmas !!
We checked in and booked our tours, organised and run by the park, for the next 2 days to ensure we made the most of our time there. It was late in the day by now and a quick walk into the forest as the light was fading, listening to the frogs and god knows what else, was about all we could muster - knowing that we had an early start in the morning. We had thankfully forgot what it was like to sleep in a dorm, and with lights being turned on when you are trying to sleep and people making noise, we were glad when morning arrived and it was time to explore.
After breakfast we tottered off down to the river to catch our motorised canoe to the first cave of the day, the deer cave. Before we arrived there however we took a pre-planned (although a surprise to us) detour to one of the local villages who every morning sit and wait under a bamboo roof, with their 'handmade' wares, waiting for the tourist boats to come by. The usual display of uninteresting gifts met our eyes, bought at a secret souvenir market somewhere that tourists could never find, with only the different place names printed on them ever changing. However this irritating stop off was not a complete loss as it gave us a look at one of the traditional Malaysian longhouse villages, a place we were hoping to stay later on in our trip around Borneo. 30 minutes were up and the camera snapping stopped as we were herded back to the river bank and into our canoes for first cave of the day. After a steep climb from the waters edge, along a path cut into the rock and giving UK Health &Safety a heart attack we entered the mouth of the cave and waited for our guide. The network of caves here are huge, running hundreds of miles in all directions, only partially explored they are meant to be one of the largest continuous collection of show caves on earth. Deer Cave and Wind Cave were our morning stops, each with interesting tites and mites and huge cathedral like centre pieces, very well maintained for future generations. The air inside was cooler than the high humid air outside and was a welcome relief, although the mosquito's and other insects made you think twice. Outside Wind Cave, the second cave of the day, was a freezing cold pool, filled with water from the top of the mountain before it plunged underground into the network of caves - We took the opportunity to have a dip in the crystal clear waters before heading back to camp for lunch. That afternoon we headed out to the larger caves in the area, 1 being home to the largest cave entrance in the world, which did not disappoint, the other being home to millions of bats who put on a spectacular display each night at they exited their home to devour some hundred million insects for dinner. It was a stunning show, and from our view point you could see the bats coming out in large groups, circling up the mountain side in tight formation like a tornado before snaking across the sky, ever aware of the danger all around them in the form of bat hawks who would sit and wait for the straggler or a lapse in concentration which would leave someone vulnerable to attack.
The following morning we awoke early, and although we had a flight out, we took the oportunity to take a dawn walk into the forest and up to a high canopy walk, hoping to see the birds and other animals taking advantage of the early morning cool to feed and relax. It is allegedly the longest canopy walk in the world, although this we can't confirm, what we can say is that it is the most rickity and narrow and just walking across some of the bridges suspended high in the tree tops was an adventure. We saw a handful of birds and heard a handful more. The mist in the distance created an eary sight but couldn't fully make up for the lack of animals. We know it is luck, we have been lucky enough to visit some amazing natural habitats so far during our trip, but you always hope that you will be the lucky ones who catch the Orangutan or the big cat, this morning was not one of those days. The sun soon appeared and the temperature soon rose, we headed back for breakfast and to await our onward flight back into civilisation.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1234437600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1234437600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1234437600/tpod.html Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:06:29 -0400 The Great Escape - Journey to the 4 corners of the earth

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Everest Region, Himalayan Region, Nepal

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]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1230800280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1230800280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1230800280/tpod.html Wed, 18 Mar 2009 03:54:15 -0400 The Great Escape - Journey to the 4 corners of the earth

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Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

We left Sibu on the fastest form of transport available which happened to be by boat. It was loaded up with passengers and luggage, mainly on the roof, and left on time. We stayed on the roof until it started to rain which was long enough to get depressed by the large number of logging yards dotted along the river as well we were getting soaked by the spray as this thing was going pretty fast! Inside, the AC was on so strong we were shivering in our seats, they had put a film on to keep us occupied which we hoped would take our mind off it. We were excited by the thought of seeing another film so soon and of all the films it could have been during our 18 month absence from the cinema we were really pissed off when we realised it was The Day The Earth Stood Still - the film we saw and paid for on Christmas Day!!
Eventually we arrived in Kuching, Cat city - or so the name translates, and after a short taxi ride through the city we passed the never ending cat statues and monuments, we arrived in the old Chinatown area of the city. Our hostel was lovely, quite small but brand new and fairly central. We went straight for food at a nearby restaurant and during our meal of tasty dumplings we were treated to a parade - the local chinese temple was having a celebration for the birthday of their particular god and passing us by were candle-lit floats, dragons, bands, dragons on van roofs, dressed cars and some more dragons. it was great free entertainment and before we knew it, it was dark and time for bed!
We spent the next day sightseeing, where we visited the local heritage museum whilst being on a reccy as it was New Years Eve and we wanted to find a party. We had been told about one place but we walked for miles out of the city and couldn't find it so in the end we stumbled onto a bar owned by an English guy, as we looked in their window he invited us in for a beer even though they weren't quite open and invited us along to their party. People had reserved tables and bottles of liquor weeks in advance and every table seemed to be reserved, even the bar space, we turned up pretty early and the place was quiet and we thought that we were in for a disappointment. We managed to find a little bit of space at the bar and the beers were flowing, within an hour the place was swarming and we could hardly move but were grateful for the stools we were sat on (how old are we?). The music was pumping and goody bags were handed out by the bar staff containing masks, party horns and glowing shot glasses!! We counted down to wish in the new year and by now were pretty tiddly, it wasn't long until the beer munchies took hold and we found ourselves in the nearest McD's - it was a pretty cheesy night all in all although some of the music was pretty good, we have never heard a dance version of Auld Lang Syne before, but it was a great night and a fantastic way to see in the New Year.
We had to be up early the next day in order to catch our flight back to JB, we weren't looking forward to heading there again.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1231405260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1231405260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1231405260/tpod.html Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:58:42 -0400 The Great Escape - Journey to the 4 corners of the earth

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Singapore, Singapore

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]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1231405020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1231405020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1231405020/tpod.html Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:54:11 -0400 The Great Escape - Journey to the 4 corners of the earth

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Longhouse, Sarawak, Malaysia

We left Miri in search of an Iban Longhouse experience so we took a 6 hour bus to a place called Sibu, a city that wasn't very pretty nor particularly friendly, but we knew that upriver were many villages home to the Iban and other indigenous groups and we were hoping for an invite for a night! The budget hotels in Sibu are mainly brothels so we treated ourselves to a 'mid-range' place - the room was dark with plastic mattress coverings but it was central and didn't feel too much like a porno set so we stayed there whilst we went to visit a travel agent who's reputation preceeded him. We had high hopes for this guy but when we went in and told Frankie what we wanted, he had it booked and was asking for 500 Ringitts (about 100 pounds) for one night before we could even take a breath. Caught up in the whirlwind, we had no clue if we were being taken for a ride or not but we handed over the money, afterall some of our best experiences have been those that we had not had time to debate. We were told to be back for 9am the next morning and we left the office with our fingers crossed.
Outside the office, waiting beside a suped up 1980's Toyota sedan was Tilda, with a huge smile on his face he ushered us into the fur lined seats with glowing neon dials up front. He told us that the AC was temperamental so we waited with windows closed until we could bear the heat no longer, as the windows came down we found ourselves away from the city and travelling down the quiet backroads that followed the river. Eventually we turned into a village comprising 8 longhouses, a medical center, a school and a church.
A longhouse is a long stilted wooden structure which has a communal verandah running the length and anything from 10 to 60 doors, behind each door is a house for a family, which could be anything from 1 to 5 rooms, sometimes more. Tilda is the father of the family we would be staying with and his home was in a 20 door longhouse, which had a large front room with a corridor leading down to the kitchen and 3 bedrooms in between. Kev and I felt quite bad when we realised that we would be evicting his 12 year old daughter from her room so that we could have a double bed!
After we had been shown around the house we were taken a few doors down to meet the neighbours, here meeting the neighbours inevitably involves the consumption of Tuak - rice wine, a deadly home brew made from rice gathered from the paddies out front of the longhouse, and as we came to realise every door produces tuak in its own special way - some were as sweet as a sherry others as dry and sour as a gin or whisky. Every door we went to we met some lovely people and some characters, we got to find out about Iban culture and every day life. We became quite the celebrities and got taken to door after door after door with an increasing entourage. Much to Kev's delight, the visiting of a new door meant a new tuak to try and Kev had found a buddy who kept challenging him to "in one". By lunch time Kev had had more than enough, as I had been delicately sipping mine I hoped that breaking for lunch would see him sober up just a little! The food certainly did us both the world of good as we ate freshly caught prawns, fish, rice and tapioca leaves. After lunch Tilda's son took us out to the back shed and from a black plastic bag, produced a net of skulls - the Iban people have long since been known as The Headhunters and traditionally they would brutally kill and then take the head of trespassing rivals and display them on the verandah of the longhouse to warn any other potential troublemakers!
The afternoon involved Kev and I being dressed in traditional clothing and being taught dance - Kev a war dance and I a very delicate lady's dance!!! Drums and cymbals were brought out and we tried to learn the traditional beats, unsuccessfully! Before we knew it, it was time for dinner and again we were treated to delicious homemade fayre as well as a rare fruit that had been found in the jungle - this was seen as a real treat as it only ripens once a year. The fruit was a little like Durian fruit apart from not having the dreadful smell and was sickly sweet, one or 2 pieces were more than enough although Kev couldn't stomach any especially as the slimy consistency had him gagging!The night passed with more Tuak and a very drunken chap who's slurring made it impossible to understand as well as his continuous repetitive questions. He couldn't remember my name so in the end he and I found it easier for him to call me "Soup" much to the hilarity of everyone else! The next day Tilda took us around the village, we had brought gifts as suggested and spent the time handing out biscuits and balloons to the many kids. As it was a weekend we managed to meet a lot of people who were just chilling, the place had a huge community atmosphere with everyone helping each other out. We had planned to head back around 3ish and give Tilda some peace but his neighbours in the Longhouse were having a celebration for their son who had recently had a promotion in the Air Force, they seemed keen to have us stay so we happily obliged. We were quite unprepared for the actual ceremony as we gathered on the porch for his return with everyone, his mother scattered Puja food offerings up the steps and then a pig wrapped in a hessian bag was placed at the bottom of the steps, the son arrived and was given a long spear which he promptly thrust in the poor pig's neck, it came as a bit of a shock to us but nobody else seemed that bothered. It was however the freshest and tastiest pork we have ever eaten - the ultimate in being responsible for the meat you eat! The afternoon continued with Tuak, speeches, ceremony and more animal sacrifices namely a chicken and a freshly caught mud turtle, nothing was wasted though - the eyes, brains and tongue were all consumed. Eventually it was time for us to leave meaning that Tilda could also drink his body weight in Tuak. As we arrived back in Sibu the heavens opened a torrential down pour and a thunderstorm to boot, we enjoyed the show from the safety of a covered pavement cafe with a nice beer in hand!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1230108900/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1230108900/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1230108900/tpod.html Mon, 09 Feb 2009 07:24:39 -0500 The Great Escape - Journey to the 4 corners of the earth

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Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia

We flew back to Miri just in time for Christmas Eve, we had hoped for some glorious beach weather so that we could at least make some sand angels but alas it wasn't to be. Christmas day and the rain came by the bucket, there wasn't that much to see in the town so to make ourselves feel better we decided on a trip to the local shopping center for a movie and McD's - we really sold our soul but we didn't care quite frankly. We watched The Day the Earth Stood Still and had a Big Mac as well as popcorn and it was a great day of familiarity which is what we were both actually craving. Christmas really isn't christmas without family and friends, so we didn't think about it as such, amazing impromptu things happen all the time so this more than makes up for the times when nothing happens!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1229852280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1229852280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1229852280/tpod.html Sun, 08 Feb 2009 05:03:40 -0500 The Great Escape - Journey to the 4 corners of the earth

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Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

We were in pain! Every muscle, ligiment, bone and blood vesel in our legs were ached, and the hotel had thought it a good idea to put us on the 4th floor of the building, some 8 flights of stairs up. With thighs throbbing and weak knees we had made it up to bed and slept like babies, only waking to the usual street noise outside. After an enormous effort to get up and out of bed - to be honest it was more of a roll out of bed, onto all fours and then a very slow hand over hand movement to actually stand up - we headed for breakfast and decided how best to spend the day. We knew that we ever we did would be painful, however doing something was probably a better idea than doing nothing - at least we would be moving which should help free up the fused muscles in our legs. We decided to hit a beach, and after a conversation with a Canadian chap called Bernie, who had been out to the islands around KK, we decided to take his advice and head to Mamutik. There are 5 islands around KK, which make up the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, established in 1974 it comprises 49 sq km, of which 2/3 are sea, the remaining being coral reef and the islands themselves. Named after the first prime minister of Malaysia after British rule, the beaches surrounding the islands are meant to be some of the best in Malaysia and in the world. Mamutik although being the smallest was meant to have some of the better snorkeling, and our impromptu tour agent (Bernie) had told us about a quieter spot on the island, where no-one else seemed to go, which contained the best reef. We boarded the boat at Jesselton Point and donned our life jackets, all which were a little worn to say the least and would have been better as a tea bag, than something in which to entrust your safety and life should god forbid anything happen! The other comforting sight our eyes saw upon the boat racing across the waves to the island was the large crack under the seats we were sitting on and the seats opposite - With every large wave we seemed to rise up and crash down with increased ferocity, it was only a matter of time before the cracks turned into holes. We did however get to the Mamutik in one piece. Once their we wandered along the beach looking for the spot advised to us by Bernie. One side of the beach was a little breezy and the reef a little way off shore - this did not sound like the spot. We turned around and wandered back and continued to the other end of the beach, this side was more sheltered, but again did not seem to be the place. We decided to go in anyway and test the water and snorkle gear, as well as use the water to bath our aching muscles. The sea was lovely and warm, and with not many people about, to get in your way we were soon in our eliment again, enjoying the views under the sea - not an amazing reef, but still quite interesting. After a while we took a break, and happened to see Bernie, coming over the rocks, past the end of the beach - The secret spot ! We stopped to chat and Bernie then lead the way to the 'Other Reef'. One the other side of the rocks, was a maze of boulders and limestone plinths leading out of the water, however under the sea which surrounded these was an amazing array of corals and fish wierd things which looked like stringy jellyfish, although luckily didn't sting!. Bernie had found a great little place, isolated enough to keep everyone from coming along and damaging the coral, but still in the midst of the ocean to ensure plenty of passing fish, keeping this tiny ecosystem alive. The highlight of the afternoon was a number of Clownfish (We Found NEMO!..Sorry Ma Eltoft), sitting happily in the soft coral, much smaller than we had first thought they might be.
It took a couple of days to recoup enough to leave KK, and we used the time well catching up on washing and office admin! - It's not all work work work you know!!. However it was time to leave Sabah now and head south to Sarawak - Headhunter County!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1229679060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1229679060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1229679060/tpod.html Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:06:16 -0500 The Great Escape - Journey to the 4 corners of the earth

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Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia

After a brief stop in KK in order to book our onward trip to Mount Kinabalu and to have a bloody good time with Bonny and Kev, we set out for Kinabalu National Park. We caught the local bus to the road entrance and trudged up the hill to begin the formalities, which, like most things, was not well advised and we ended up queuing at wrong counters and being sent back numerous times! We had to leave headquarters before 11am in order to make it to Laban Rata for tea time, fortunately we had picked up our guide and packed lunch and were on our way to the start point for 10. After enduring our competitive group members on the Inca Trek I really hadn't wanted to make the climb with anyone else or feel pressured into having to run up the mountain, but in the queue we met a lone Swiss girl called Anu and decided to make the trek with her. Our guide's English was limited but she did her best to give us a little pep talk at the start point - namely, take it slow.
It never bodes well when the start of a walk heads downhill! We were starting at 1800 meters and had to get to 3600 meters so to start off with steps downhill was a little soul destroying. It wasn't long though until the path started to head upwards, today we would gain 1800 meters in 6 km so we knew it would be pretty damn steep! Luckily the weather was cool and the mist was down, so it didn't matter that our eyes were firmly fixed on the floor with our heads bowed in concentration and determination. We stopped regularly at the designated shelters and the tame squirrals came to eat nuts out of our hands. The way was marked every km with a board indicating the route and how far along you were as well as how far you had left, these actually acted as encouragement and although it was bloody hard work, it felt as though the km's were just dropping away. Eventually rising from the tree line we could see the roof of Laban Rata, we had made reasonable time, not the fastest by any stretch but certainly not the last and we felt good. It was quite cold here and the wet sweaty clothes didn't help so we took the opportunity of a shower before feasting on the buffet. The difference in altitude certainly didn't go unnoticed and the short walk to our lodge in the dusk was a challenge although it didn't stop us having a quick puff on a cigarette! It was only 7pm when we hit our bunk beds but at 2am our alarms would be alerting us to the task of making the 4 hour, 1.7 km, 500 meter ascent to the summit. We prepared ourselves for the sleepless, oxygen-starved night by having a diamox as well as leaving a paracetamol ready at the side of our bed for the familiar headache. For the first time we both had a pretty good night, apart from waking to need a pee, twice, we never woke at all with the familiar gasping, neither did we need the paracetamol.
By 2.15 we were dressed, ready and raring to go but our guide and Anu were no where to be seen. They had stopped at Laban Rata and we had arranged to meet here. We waited in the cold and dark for another 30 minutes until they finally showed up, our guide didn't have any urgency in her at all. She had slowly begun to infuriate us as we had had no choice but to pay for a guide, these were the park rules but yesterday she hadn't walked with us at all instead choosing to stay to chat to her friends, we were left very unsure of what we were actually paying for, so in the morning we weren't really that shocked when she waved us on saying she would catch us up. So off we went, in the dark silently concentrating on step after step after step. It wasn't long until the vegetation thinned out to nothing and the steps were replaced with almost vertical granite which involved pulling ourselves up on anchored ropes. We made it through the last check point so we knew we weren't far, only 0.7 km left, we were on the home stretch, it was still dark as well so we felt good for the summit in time for sunrise. This last leg was definately the hardest, the air was much thinner, the terrain very uneven with great boulders to clambour over but eventually we touched the summit marker - we felt exhausted and exhilerated and with a tear in my eye, we watched the sun come up over Sabah. The view was extraordinary and we could see all the way to the ocean in one direction and out past the palm plantations to the distant jungle but it wasn't long until the clouds rolled in and it was bloody freezing, so, feeling slightly refreshed we began the descent. It was easier to run on the way down, the granite wasn't yet worn smooth by the hundreds of people making the pilgrimage every day, so the grip was good. At one point we were stopped dead in our tracks as we saw a guide carrying a girl UP the mountain, yes up - flabergasted at the sight, we carried on convinced that whatever the reason was, they surely should be heading down!By this time we had bumped into our guide, who now was right behind us - well, she was on the promise of breakfast!
Back at Laban Rata we devoured a feast whilst stretching and massaging our already aching knees before the last 6km back to park HQ. The steps on the way back were agony, large drops and no sticks didn't do our knees any favours but eventually, 4 hours later we arrived just in time for lunch - not that we were really that hungry but a sit down was certainly appreciated. After queuing for our certificates we exited the park in the hope that a bus wouldn't be too far away.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1229332620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1229332620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kevandrach/kev_and_rach/1229332620/tpod.html Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:52:33 -0500 The Great Escape - Journey to the 4 corners of the earth

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Kinabatangan, Malaysia

We waited at the lodge on the morning of our departure for a pick up to take us to the Kinabatangan Nature Lodge, a place on the river some 2 hours away. We were expecting a bus that never came, and by 1 pm we were getting a little frustrated, we eventually telephoned to see where our pick up was and were told not to worry it was on the way. At 2pm a 4WD finally roared into the carpark and we were warmly greeted by Popa Bear, who told us not to worry, we had been forgotten but he had come to rescue us! A lovable chap who had been a tour guide for over 20 years and was now the proud owner/manager of the Nature Lodge, he had lots of stories and questions to keep us amused on the journey and gave us his rendition of country specific exclamations ie: "well, I'll be darned" in an American accent, "mamma mia" in a fine Italian accent, and "goodness gracious me" in an English accent, only to name a few - I taught him "ee, by 'eck!" well, he needed to represent good old Yorkshire didn't he?
Our car journey ended at a wide river where Popa Bear whistled across and soon a motorised canoe was winging its way across for us. Across the other side we were just in time to catch the evening river cruise, we were told to leave our bags, don a lifevest and jump aboard. We immediately got chatting to a couple from Essex, Bonny and Kev, on their trip of a lifetime too, as well as another couple from Prague. It was a very informal group of the 6 of us and we had a very pleasant time speeding our way down the river stopping every so often when our eagle-eyed guide spotted wildlife. First was a basking Monitor lizard, then macaques and Proboscis monkeys. We journeyed down a smaller river branching off from the main one and met several other boats from the surrounding lodges. Down here we were lucky enough to spot more monkeys but we all secretly prayed for pygmy elephants, crocodiles or wild orangutans, we returned to the lodge unsuccessful but hopeful that a further 3 river cruises as well as 2 treks might just yield one of these rarely spotted creatures.
In camp that evening was the 6 of us plus a family of mum, dad and young son, dad was a Malaysian from the southern state of Sarawak and grew up in a Longhouse. At dinner time we were separated for dinner, the couple from Prague and ourselves were in the cheap seats and the others in the posh dinning room with a 3 course dinner - they had paid more for their trip and we joked with Bonny and Kev calling them 'flashpackers'. After dinner we were prepared for our jungle night trek, we dressed in long sleeved shirts tucked in to long trousers tucked into our socks, feet in leech socks as well as a pair of wellington boots and hair tied back. We needed a torch too but were advised not to put it on our heads because the bats may come flying to our faces!! Sorry, tell me again why we are doing this? Our guide told us the rules, namely - be quiet or you wont see anything! Then we set off, our guide had a very bright light but still I am amazed how he managed to spot Borneo's smallest frog on the ground, it really was tiny about the size of a finger nail. We continued on, stumbling over tree roots and slipping in the mud, and saw a pair of sleeping Kingfishers, very beautiful coloured orange, red and blue. It wasn't long until I felt an odd tingling sensation in my groin, I rubbed it slighly and the pain intensified, I very calmly said to Kev "I think I have a leech in my groin", he did a double take but didn't really believe me, I didn't want to believe and carried on for a bit longer until I couldn't bear the pain. I opened my trousers to see a slippery little leech sucking happily at my skin, now I panicked and demanded that Kev remove the creature at once, he was a little nervous about such a deed and just managed to stretch the little beast which only made him suck harder. I turned around for help and the guide looked at me in horror, he was younger than me and didn't look too happy about the prospect of fishing around in my groin. Eventually the Sarawakian father helped me out, he was well practised with leeches and didn't bat an eyelid as he professionally pulled the engorging leech from my skin. My skin however, continued to bleed, the leeches excrete an anticoagulant as they suck so your blood doesn't clot and my trousers soon had a patch of blood visible. We made it back to camp only having seen a few centipedes and other insects, we were all pretty freaked out by the leeches and Bonny managed to find one in her hair and in her groin too, the boys managed to escape unscathed, oh well, there was always tomorrow!
At 5am we all made it to the boat jetty, sleepy-eyed and groggy. This time we ventured in the other direction down the river and we were all a little shocked at how thin the jungle appeared to be in parts, the trees were only 2 or 3 deep with palm plantations very visible behind, needless to say we didn't spot many animals!
During the day we were led on a day walk to Oxbow lake, on the way we saw evidence of recent elephant activity - footprints and broken branches but alas, no pygmy elephants, there was however, a pygmy squirral. We spotted a spider on a strange zig-zag web and watched as a cricket got caught and at the speed of light, was wrapped in silk. Looking up into the trees, we saw evidence of orangutan presence as there were huge nests built up in the treetop, every night an orangutan will build a new nest in which to sleep the night, but from the ground it was difficult to tell how old the nests might have been.
That evening as we set off for our penultimate cruise, we all crossed every possible part of us that could be crossed in the hope of seeing a wild orangutan. Mother Earth must have been smiling upon us as when we neared a bend in the river, up in the trees, our guide spotted a rather large orange looking, furry mass. We held our breath in disbelief until we saw him swing from branch to branch and simultaneously let out gasps and squeals of delight. We could have stayed there and watched him all night but we had new people in our group and they were keen to see the other animals residing in this area.
We left the Kinabatangan with a real mix of emotions, on one hand we felt so priviledged to have seen all the wild animals that we had but also, we felt great sadness at the reality of deforestation and the loss of habitat for these vulnerable creatures. Kev and I debated the issue of deforestation and realised that there really are no easy answers - developed countries all around the world have chopped down their natural forests at the drop of a hat and have grown economically as a result of the industries this has led to. Now, because we have developed and become more knowledgeable, we are able to recognise the impact logging can have but have the nerve to turn around and demand that other countries don't do it which effectively limits their economic and educative growth. The logging industry is so lucrative, how can a person in dire straits refuse the work? For a long time Britain has bled Malaysian Borneo's natural resources almost dry and walked away with the profits, surely as a 'developed' nation we need to be offering alternatives!
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Sepilok, Malaysia

Luckily we had been escorted to the bus station by a 'guide', we had been told we would be taken to the station only to find in the morning that we were taken by this 'guide' on the local bus, a feat that we could have achieved ourselves. Then when we received the tickets that was for an amount far less than the price we paid, I hit the roof. She was dumbfounded and acted like this was news to her as well or she was a very good actor. She told us that she was coming to Sandakan the next day and would refund the money, somehow I didn't believe her.
We boarded the bus and prepared ourselves for the 6 hour journey to Sandakan, it wouldn't have been too bad if it wasn't for the incredibly loud Malaysian movie and music choices. The journey was broken in Sandakan for the night so we could head to the Sanctuary fresh faced in the morning. That night we received a telephone call from the hostel owner apologising for his 'mistake' - our money would be waiting in KK for when we returned!
Our choice to get to Sepilok was either an expensive taxi to the doorstep or a bus to the main road and a 2 km walk - we decided on the latter and a far cheaper option only to find the walk 4 km and by now the sun was relentless. We had booked a nearby lodge so went straight there to drop our bags, we had missed the morning feeding time but had heard the afternoon was generally quieter anyway so didn't mind too much plus it gave us chance to cool down. The lodge was lovely, it had a small pool and verandah-cum-restaurant looking out over the expansive grounds.
We set off to the sanctuary in the afternoon, it was still hot with increasing humidity and the sky was becoming dark. No sooner had we made it down to the main road when the heavens opened, fortunately there was a small stall selling a fluorescent pink liquid and deep fried bananas and they had erected a rather convenient canopy. We sampled some of the fluid expecting a sweet syrupy drink only to experience a kind of bland milky rose water that Kev nearly vomited back given his huge dislike of anything 'rose' flavoured. I didn't like it too much either but drank it out of politeness, we got to try some banana too for free, not sure if the ladies felt sorry for us in our drenched state but it passed the time until the rain stopped.
At the Sepilok sanctuary we paid our entrance fee and learnt a little about the rehabilitation work that is done here and in the wild as well as the education that is being taught in the local communities to try stop the massive amount of deforestation that is happening in Borneo and subsequent destruction of orangutan habitat. We then followed the boardwalk through the jungle to the feeding platform, it would be an hour until the rangers came so we hung around waiting for some orangutans to arrive. We were disappointed to find that there weren't any smaller walks we could do in the interim in a bid to increase our chances of seeing some orangutans close up. By now we were both pretty excited, this had been one of the things in particular that Kev had wanted to do (not that I minded in the least) and had been talking about this for 3 years now, so to be here waiting to see the orangutans was really a dream come true. We walked the small boardwalk in order to pass the time and saw a few people stood around one particular area, once there we saw a an adolescent male orangutan just sat on the fence. He was lovely but looked almost forlorn, people were having their photo taken with him and he was so placcid just watching and looking the people up and down. Eventually he got fed up and must have been pretty hungry as he walked the fence and stopped by a bolted gate that he managed to open with no problems at all, we realised that this must be the way the keepers come when they bring the food, very clever! We also spotted a baby up in the tree just above our heads, we weren't sure where his mummy was and he seemed a little anxious so took a couple of snaps before leaving him alone.
As we waited on the viewing deck something else caught our eye, the trees behind the platform had begun to shake and the ropes spanning the trees seemed to wobbling up and down, this was far too much movement to be caused by the wind and sure enough a large orange orangutan came swinging into view. She landed on the platform with ease and as she turned, a small baby clinging onto her chest came into view. A few more orangutans were starting to arrive, a couple of younger looking ones as well as another mother and baby, suddenly it almost felt like the earth was moving and the trees were swinging violently, several of the younger ones scarpered as a great big male came into view by now we were pleased for the distance between us. The adult male certainly had more than food on his mind as he apprehended one of the mothers to have his wicked way, the poor baby didn't have a chance of attention as the brute kept pushing him out of the way. Eventually he left and the others started to make their way back just in time for the keepers and the bucket loads of bananas they had brought with them. The bananas were devoured in what felt like minutes and soon the orangutans were off in their own directions, back into the jungle again. The show didn't stop there though, as the orangutans departed to the left, the macaques entered from the right. Walking along the fence, hopping up through the bushes then launching themselves into the air to land on the nearest tree, the macaques made light work of cleaning up the feeding platform!
We left the sanctuary in absolute awe of the orangutan - 'the wild man of the forest', the first time we had seen them and despite the hoard of tourists it hadn't felt too much like a zoo although we had expected to get a little closer or seen behind the scenes, at least briefly. It had certainly wetted our appetite, now we just hoped to see one in the wild at our next stop, the Kinabatangan River.
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