Swinging with the Orangutans (in the jungle!)

  Kota Kinabatangan, Sabah, Malaysia
Monday, April 27, 2009

Explicit language ahead parents...

Richie disappearing into the sunset

Richie's departure was marked by another night of roadworks under our bedroom.  A nice place in KK but during the recent nights the roadworkers came out to carve the road up and start relaying.  Sadly on this particular occassion it was the road that ran through our bathroom (sounded like it) that needed doing.  This helped the need to move onto to Semporna but....things never work quite so easy.

So as all best laid plans on the travelling scene last no longer than the hour we couldn't make it to Semporna due to it's popularity.  It needed better planning, i.e. somewhere to sleep and apparently you can't just rock up at the world's top dive site and go the next day.  Visitor numbers are restricted to 120 a day at Sipidan as well.  So, being as only the one of us is a diver it made sense due to our time limits to commit to something else as we were ready to move on.

So an early taxi ride to coach journey, to mini-van and boat later, our 8 hour journey drops us into our new Jungle Lodge in Kota Kinabatangan (that was the nearest town anyway).  Run by Nasalis Larvatus based in Sabah, it had a pretty good setup.  There are a few companies operating in this region, all based in the jungle next to the river Kinabatangan, a 560km river tearing through the jungle.  They all offer the same sort of scheme, 3 day packages trekking and river boating spotting wildlife, sweating, removing leeches and generally staying boiling hot, but for the package prices we were really impressed.  Our dorm lodge was small but clean and despite Pys' (Sweden) alleged snoring I slept well.  Bathrooms were all perfectly clean and washed each day so to be fair it can't be knocked.  They also had a fridge full of San Miguel.

Jumping monkeys

A big monitor crawling

Monkeys...

On our arrival we were greeted with an abnormal sweating frenzy, one where I seemed unable to stop at one point - I did genuinely think I might wash away - seriously it was hot in the jungle - and our new group and guide for the next few days.  Thankfully we had a decent crowd and avoided the token morons.  I'll read their blogs to say we had a good group except the English moron in the vest now.

Moth pretending to be a leaf

Chucked stuff into our dorm, promptly tried to cool down with a cold shower, to no avail and went off on a river cruise to see the sunset.  Now we had been told we may see some pretty cool stuff in the jungle, but nothing's guaranteed.  10mins in and we see an Orangutan!  In darn wild too.  I've been to the sanctuaries but something makes it a little different when you see them in their natural habitat so we were pretty pleased with that.  The rest of the cruise revealed a couple more, some probiscus monkeys (only found in Borneo and look funny as f) a snake etc etc.  Jungle stuff really.

Post-dinner, we were treated to a jungle trek through the darkness.  We were tipped off about the leeches in the jungle and I developed a minor fear of them instantly.  Not usually scared of crawlies and the likes I jumped every time something brushed me in the dark jungle.  Before we head out however, our team of Ben & Clara (Brit), Pys & Caroline (Swedes) and Jessica & Anna (Swedes) cover every possible piece of skin.  Tucking socks and taping wellies up etc.  This made two things happen. 

1 - we don't get kaned by leeches and general jungle bugs (they're big here)
2 - we all could be picked up and rung out on our return due to the puddles under all of us.  Mannnnn it was hot.

Me taping up boots

All prepped, Caroline determined not to get a leech, appears in what must be her entire backpack, short of wearing the actual bag as well.  The rest of us are top to bottom covered.

Caroline in her whole kit

Scorpion

The evening walk in the dark wasn't the best but in a group 8 or so strong it does tend to disturb the wildlife.  When you spend the whole time watching for your next footstep (in thick ankle deep mud) it distracts you somewhat.  It was a giggle if nothing else.

Another attempt at cold showering to reduce body temperature and it has cooled off slightly.  A quick cold one to bring the core temperature down and off to bed for early rising.

Someone decided to arrange the sun rise about half 6 so we're all up and at the jetty for the boat trip just before 6am (holiday??)

Twas pretty cool to see the sun come up over the river and all the early morning wildlife out for its jaunts.  Post-brekky we had a full mornings sweat-trekking lined up.  Tipped off the leeches were worse in the daytime we had to cover up again.  

Monkeys

Guide doing something weird to a scorpion

The words came true - as we trek through the jungle towards Oxbow Lake they are pointed out to you.  After this, you see the little sh*tes everywhere.  Seriously lots of them.  Walking in single file you spot them on the wellies of the person walking in front, tip them off, and kick them off.  Cath tried kicking one off my boot but they are genuinely quite strong.  We all had them in our wellies on and off throughout the day and I'm not squeamish, but they are a bit gross.  Jumping up and down and screaming doesn't seem to help either.  They have an army mentality, as you stop to take one off and the rest move up your wellies.  Note to future trekkers, in the words of Five: Don't stop, keep on moving.

Two monkeys coupling

Probiscus

Leeches

More leeches

Centipede that emits perfume

The afternoon spent at leisure, mainly swatting flies and sharing a couple of beers with Pys, we have another evening jaunt out onto the river.  I think we used more repellant in 3 days than in 3 weeks here by the way.  Showered about 9 times and layered the stuff on after each time.  Same trend for the evening except we didn't get hammered in a storm this time.  Our guide did point out a Probiscus monkey sat on a tree with his red chilli.  I wasn't quite sure I heard him right until I notice said chilli and proud looking monkey.  I think he knew the cameras were a-clicking  The storm came through the night and belted it down.

Orangutan!

And again

As a group we make an executive decision to give our guides the evening off so they can relax instead of dragging sweaty tourists through the muddy jungle.  We in turn opt for international games of shit-head.  The number one card game of the traveller.  Except its shit-dude in Sweden (or shit-bitch, the new feminine version due to international masculine/feminine bumf) and shit-face when the Dutchies join us later.  Now for all you kids reading, take these games to school and show your teachers.  The Swedish contingent take advantage of our good nature and introduce new rules as we start winning to ensure we (read that as Ben) always lose.  As do the Dutch crew who join later.  NB - Dutch guy and gal join us after their evening walk.  They all think we're winding them up about the leeches pre-walk and come back 'no probs, no leeches.'

Me modelling the jungle body warmer

The horizon witt\h Pys' bright do

Monkey being angry

'Whats that on your arm mate' and laugh watching Dutch guy spend 5 mins trying to flick it off his arm.  Then his hand. Then finger.  Resilient so and so's leeches.

Monkey chowing

So a few hours of cards, all their San Miguel and bed-time calls as the electric goes off at 11pm.  Obviously it goes out seconds after we've spotted the newly named 'green thing' flying around our room like a maniac.  Pys batters it with a towel, it flies on.  We all hit the deck, I say just ignore it and then scream like a girl when I put my hand in a cobweb and something lands on my leg.  It was dark, in the jungle and I've recently developed phobia's of the green things.  Most entertaining thing being we can't find the little blighter until the next morning when it's spotted sleeping about a foot from Caroline's head.  Cracking...

Baby using the bridge

Cath with sunset

Mangrove snakes

Our last cruise is a hard one due to many eyes fighting losing battles (it was early).  So as our jungle trip comes to an end, we all spread our goodbyes heading onto new destinations with hopes to meet again for future beers somewhere around...

Evening over jungle

Here's your thinker for the day: in the UK I would turn the heating upto 20C if I got cold and sit there nice and warm in the house.  If I get too warm here I turn the air-con to 20C and freeze my backside off.  What gives?

Sunset

Me just being told that snakes kill

We fly onwards out of Malaysia in a couple of hours for our next international leg and with Air Asia it makes it fairly easy to get anywhere.  Watch this space.  Things never stay the same for long!

En route home