Jungle camps, and snorkelling on Sipadan
Trip Start
Aug 26, 2004
1
4
Trip End
Sep 30, 2004
Where I stayed
Poring Hot Springs
Loong Hotel
Sydney,
New South Wales,
Australia
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Back at the shelter, we talked and had tomato soup, and wasted most of the time we could have been resting, so packed our bags and started down about 10.30, just as it started to rain
We had kept our thermals on, and were glad of this, as the rain got progressively harder. The 0.5 km marker posts seemed a long way apart, and at one point MP hurried on ahead to find a loo, and quickly, but painfully covered a full km without stopping. His left knee was protesting, so he led with it most of the way down, until the right knee started to object.
By the time we got to the last 2 km, it was coming down in buckets, running down the legs, into the boots, and we squelched our way to the bottom. Fortunately there were no leeches - probably too wet for them. The last 200 m was uphill on a boardwalk, a pleasant relief from downhill.
There was a fair sized crowd waiting at the check-point, and we took off our wet gear, and were settling down to wait, and maybe buy food when our guide told us the bus was waiting
01. Poring Springs canopy walk
. We tipped the guide RM10 for looking after us, and he seemed surprised to get it. We shed our wet gear in the bus, and broached the transport subject with Len and Leanne, who were also going to Poring Hot Springs. We left lots of puddles in the office getting our gear and valuables, and a staff member seemed to be following us around with a mop. L&L's guide found us a flash looking minibus to do the hot springs run for RM 60, and we climbed in ringing wet on the new plush seats, asking the driver not to turn on the air con.At Poring Hot Springs, four of us (Len & Leanne as well) book into a dorm, the only accommodation readily available. Off to check out the hot springs, which are piped into tiled "baths". Don't look that inviting, take forever to fill up, once you've solved the problem of no plugs (given advice on this by the locals), but at least they're hot, and very soothing to weary bodies.
This is as far as our typed diary goes, as once again, we've been let down by palm pilot technology, and lose everything (including operating system) on the palm pilot. However as seasoned "losers", we've backed up almost all of diary on an SD card, so don't lose what we've done, just have to continue writing by hand till we get home, and can hot-sync with our computer!!!
Thursday 16th Sept Poring Hot Springs
Out and about looking for some more-private accommodation. Find Poring Lodge just up the hill, and take a room. Pretty basic, but has a verandah, and is suspended out of the hillside, with good view over the valley. Decide to go on the Canopy Walkway. Turns out to be quite a hike UP the hill to the Walkway (not thinking too quickly this morning, and hadn't really considered that if we were going to walk in the canopy, had to be pretty high to start with
02. Rafflesia flower
! ). Didn't suffer too much pain at all, and decided that, in fact, this was exactly what we needed to stop our legs stiffening up. Decide that we may as well go the whole hog (especially as once we leave the National Park we may not get in without paying again), so go for quite a long walk, ending up at the Tropical Garden.Walking back up the hill to our new room, when accosted by a couple of kids, who offer, for 10 RM each, to show us a rafflesia flower. On previous occasions we've missed seeing one for various reasons, so decide to support the local economy, and head off with them, along a muddy track in the nearby jungle. Flower is definitely the "real thing", but not as big as we expected, nor as smelly. The rafflesia is the world's largest flower, and can be up to a metre in diameter. It's a parasitic plant that grows hidden within the stems of jungle vines until it bursts into bloom. The blooms only last for a few days. Our guidebook says they are only found in Borneo and Sumatra, however the Thai's would dispute this, as they have them in Khao Sok National Park.
We were supposed to be meeting a group for dinner in the local restaurant, but Dianne gets an offer of a one-hour massage for 45 RM, and can't resist, so Murray goes on his own, and Dianne eats later.
Fri 17th Sept Poring Hot Springs- Uncle Tan's Jungle Camp, Kinabatangan River
We've booked, over the internet, a 3-day, 2-night trip to Uncle Tan's backpacker Jungle Camp
03. Arriving at Uncle Tan's jungle camp
. It is on the Kinabatangan River, Sabah's longest river which is 560 kms long. Logging and clearing for plantations have devastated the upper reaches of the river, but a narrow corridor of rainforest clings to the northern riverbank from the Sandakan-Lahad Datu road downstream to the mangrove-fringed estuary. This is one of the best places in all of Southeast Asia to observe wildlifeHadn't bothered organising transportation the night before, so were just going to turn up and hope for best. However, when we booked out at 8.45, Clinton (a knock-about Aussie) and a Filipino dolly bird were already in a Toyota UNSER, so we joined them and shared the cost. Then had a very fast five-hour drive on good road, mainly along the ridge, with palm oil plantations as far as you could see in any direction. Conversation with Clinton kept us amused on the trip. He was a bit of a rough diamond, with tattoos all down his arms. He had his own business in Australia as a carpenter, and worked hard, and earned a very good living. He and a couple of mates had gone to Vietnam for a drinking/good time holiday, but he'd decided, on the spur of the moment, to have a look at Borneo - mainly at the war museum at Sandakan. During the ride, he decided he'd get out with us, and come to the jungle camp if possible. The other passenger was a real "princess", born to rule type, who spent her whole time looking at her many shopping bags, and listening to her music. She had to go back to the Philippines to renew her visa
04. That's our room - second on left
. We had our own opinion as to why she was so affluent.We're not sure where we have to get out - all we know is that it is at Mile 16 (from Sandakan), where Uncle Tan has his office. Luckily Dianne sees a small sign at the last minute, so we hop out. Clinton books his trip, but has to make a quick trip to Sandakan to get money as they won't accept credit cards. We have a good smorgasbord lunch there, and meet the rest of the people on our trip. They include Dean and Charlotte (the Canadians we first met in Brunei), Rob (the English bloke who shared our guide on the climb), and Alex, a well-travelled Belgian. There's a fairly set route for travelling around here, so you continually meet up with the same people, which is quite nice.
Long haul back the way we've just come, to the turn-off to the main road south (which goes to Lahad Datu), and through the police post we'd seen on the way over. Lots of oil palms the whole way. Stop at Kinabatangan River where we pick up the boats to take us to the camp. Starts to rain, so put coats on bags and us. Down river under big bridge in two boats. Narrow strip of jungle along river, oil palms behind. See long-tail macaques, proboscis monkeys, hornbills on river. Long haul on a mud track to camp, which really tests our wheels. Nearly have to get out straps. MP carries his by handle a fair bit of the way. Camp better than expected (mainly because it had been just about rebuilt fairly recently after very bad flooding)
05. Macaques
. There were two lines of elevated huts with a lino floor. The mattresses had been suspended on the mosquito net frame to air. Four double mattresses to each hut. We get our own hut, and spread out to take up space, and discourage others from joining us. Have an orientation meeting, then meal of local veges and rice and chicken wings. Out on river after tea. See owls, kingfishers, three small crocodiles, edible frogs, macaques in trees over the river. Another walk in dark on muddy track. Lots of noises in night. Long, elevated walkway to loos in middle of the night. Mosquito nets work OK.Saturday 18th Sept Uncle Tan's Jungle Camp
Coffee, then out to boats for the early morning game ride in boats. More kingfishers, giant egrets, macaques, proboscis monkeys and silver leaf monkeys. Back for breakfast, and out at 10am for game walk along track to river. See liana vines that hold water, nasty poison-spiked tree, mini-frogs, and a tiny bat that is nesting in curled ginger-plant leaf. See deep elephant footprints in mud ("you should have been here last month, they've now gone further down the river"- however, we heard later that the elephants did return the next week, which was quite scary as they were in the camp). See a lone young male orang-utan (no real cheek pouches) in a big fig tree hanging over the river. He yells at us, makes faces, throws branches, and craps on us. We finally back away and leave him, and he comes down the tree nearly to the ground
06. Our wild orangutan
. Glad we're not too close. In the afternoon lay around in the hammocks etc, waiting for some relief from the debilitating heat. Some of the younger ones play volleyball, which is pretty taxing in the heat. Go for a night walk - see sleeping birds, big scorpion, which guide puts on his arm and hands, mini-frogs, cricket frog. Dianne stays up late to wait for the civet cat that apparently comes into the dining area when the lights are off, and all the noisy people have disappeared. He just comes in, and she gets a quick photo, but Lan, the guide, decides this is the time he'll make a noisy exit for bed, and scares him off.Sunday 19th Sept Uncle Tan's - Sepilok
Give the early-morning cruise a miss and walk down to oxbow lake. See some birds but miss the large monitor lizard and the otter that live there. Haul bags back to boat. Clinton makes last minute decision to get bus to Semporna with Dean and Charlotte. We decide that, although we've already seen the orangutans, we don't want to miss Sepilok. We now realise we should have gone to Sepilok BEFORE coming to the jungle camp, as we'll have to go all the way back, and then return on this same road. We're dropped off at Sepilok Jungle Resort, after having lunch with Suzanne at Uncle Tan's office. Resort and grounds look great, but room is pretty budget - aging timber-finished room, but hot water works, and food is reasonable. We walk to No
07.Tiny bat that was sleeping in ginger-plant leaf
. 9 bus stop, buy some rambutans from a lady set up nearby, then wait for the bus. About to give up, and walk to orang-utan park to check it out for tomorrow. Talking to a Scandinavian couple when bus turns up. We go all the way into Sandakan to the waterfront. Take picture, find bank, use internet, then get the batu 16 bus back. Let off at the turnoff, then walk the 2.5 kms back to the resort in the dark. Not easy to find. Have tea and beers with Alex (we met him at Uncle Tan's) and a couple of English girls and an Australian girl. Bed about 11pm.Mon 20th Sept Sepilok
About 9am, walk to park, through the resort's lovely grounds after free breakfast. Have a long walk on boardwalk over low ridges to large viewing area with several platforms along a moat. Ropes between big trees lead in three ways, with feeding platform on the right about 10 metres from closest visitor platform. Not many people there. When we arrive there is an extremely cute baby orang-utan hanging on to the rope with two legs and one arm, and he's sucking his thumb. Another baby is hiding behind the tree, and just poking his head out to have a look. By the time the feeding starts, about six medium-sized ones have arrived. They sit on the platform with the handlers, and eat sugarcane, bananas and rambutans. Now lots of visitors, but still possible to keep our front-row viewing position. Take lots of photos. Walk back to visitors' centre the same way
08. Scorpion that our guide was very friendly with
. See a video about relocations and rehabilitation, then leave as park closes in middle of the day. Catch #14 bus to turnoff to Sandakan War Memorial. Have a stinking hot walk to park, where there is an interesting display and history. Sandakan was the site of a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp during WWII, and in September 1944 there were 1800 Australian and 600 British troops interned here. Towards the end of the war, rations were very meagre, and the prisoners were weakened. They then decided to move the prisoners inland 250 kms. Conditions on the marches were abysmal. Those that didn't die on the march, died once they arrived in Ranau, where they had to carry 20kg sacks of rice over hilly country to Paginatan, 40 kms away. We know how debilitating the heat is even when you're in good health, and not doing much! The only survivors from the 2400 at Sandakan were six Australians who escaped. More Australians died here than during the building of the infamous Burma Railway.Back to main road, where we get another non-No.14 bus (that means another long walk from main road!). Hitch a lift as far as the forestry offices at Stop No. 6, and walk rest of way to the Visitor's Centre for a second look ( the centre is closed in the middle of the day). This time there is a total of about ten orangutans. Once the main crowd leaves, and there are just a few of us, a mother and baby come down to eat. We organised a permit to walk further into the jungle, but it was getting close to closing time, so had to hurry
09. Night visit from the civet cat
. Don't see any fauna, but nice forest - not real canopy rainforest. Have another meal at the resort, and an early night.Tuesday 21st Sept Sepilok - Semporna
Weaken and get RM30 shuttle from hotel to bus station. Get there about 9am, and underway about 10am. At 10.15 am drive past the same bus station after a loop, and past the Sepilok turn-off we left nearly two hours ago, at 10.45am. Our mini-bas seems to go in spurts. Not sure what problem is, but start to make good time once we pass the Police road block. Have a toilet stop just past the big bridge, then on into Lahad Datu, via the hospital (we assume for the pregnant passenger, but not so). Raining hard, but lets up when we arrive. Big town, with a big stilt village on river to west of town. Stop at the Semporna mini-bas stop, and straight into a nearly-full one, and off to Semporna for RM12 each. This is a much faster trip. Still lots of oil palms, but some mountains with rainforest. Getting to about 60 kms from Semporna when we take a sudden left into the trees. Behind a truck and zig-zag through the palm groves for ten minutes before emerging on another wide tar road, not far from the Semporna/Tawau road split. Now, what was that for? Were we avoiding a police check, hoping to pick up some passengers (in the palm groves?), saving half a km? Another one of life's little mysteries!
11. some sort of lizard
When we're dropped off in Semporno we have no idea exactly where we are. The Japanese-looking bloke who has been sleeping beside us turns out to be a Pom, and has no idea either. Ask enough questions to find we have to head in the direction of SW. Find a waterfront market, and Dianne buys 10 fried banana pieces for RM1, and eat these as we walk. Can see a flash-looking stilt village hotel across the water but don't twig that this is the funky Dragon Inn described in our Lonely Planet, as it looks too upmarket. Find what has to be the causeway. At the front of the flash hotel we're accosted by the up-front spruiker woman for Uncle Chan's, who offers us a discount card for the Dragon Inn. Turns out to it's only valid if you book a trip with Uncle Chan's, so pay full RM66 for a good, if quirky, rustic room with cut palm-trunk walls and roof, board floor, and board floor bathroom and small ante room. Floor and basin drain straight through, but toilet is connected to piping. TV is 2-channel. Pretty impressive for the price. We've decided to go snorkelling at Sipadan Island, which is 36km off the coast. Sipidan is the tip of a limestone pinnacle that rises 600 metres from the seabed. Within 25 metres of the eastern side of the island you can float over a near-vertical "wall". The number of visitors allowed to sleep there is strictly limited to 80-100, and even this is about to stop soon. Consequently everyone has booked for a last stay there, and it is full, so we will have to stay at Mabul Island, and do day trips there. We've enquired about resorts, but when we're quoted US$780 each, decide we'll settle for a backpacker's homestay. We try to find the people who do the homestay on Mabul Island, but they are 1.5 kms away, so decide to phone. Two young, useless girls turn up while we are talking to Dean and Charlotte and the German couple. They don't know much. Dianne has to sort out details on the phone, pay 400 RM up front
12. Sepilok - Where's my mum??
. Have a strange meal with the group at the recommended seafood café on the causeway. Order fish and squid, but they don't have either. Strange, as there is a bustling fish market 200 metres away. Settle for rice and noodles. After, have a scary walk up town to get RM1000 from the ATM, while hoping we're not getting too much attention. A small white car looks suspicious, so we walk on the right side of the road, but have no trouble.Wed 22nd Sept Semporna - Mabul Island
Get our free breakfast. Girls turn up at about 7.15. Pay rest of money, and up to wait for our boat at 7.45. Think for a while we are going on the supplies boat, but ARUN HAYAT 4 turns up and loads us on. Just two tourists (us) but five crew. Slow trip out past the point. Stop to clear plastic bags from the motor, then down South through a long channel, inside a group of islands. Lots of stilt villages, fishing boats, water taxis, outrigger sailing canoes. Past a couple of high islands, then swing out to sea past a sandspit with a few palms and stilt houses. Can see Mabul in distance. Sea is glassy, and we make good time. There is a reef to the North, and a collection of stilt houses well out to sea. Mabul is a low island with a big stilt village on the SW corner, resorts on the NE, NW and W, and a land village, with houses still on stilts, between the NW and W resorts. Our homestay is one of the furthest North in the village
13. Sepilok - we're a bit shy
. An isolated building well out to sea, with about eight rooms, a kitchen, a double toilet out back, and a big verandah and boat landing out front. Pretty comfortable, but very basic. Our room is right at front. Security is locking the room, so we leave our gear and set out in the boat to go South around the point to a public wharf on the west side for our first snorkel, with a guide with face mask and snorkel, but no fins. Having a guide is a novelty - thought he was a tourist for a while. Coral and fish not bad, but current fairly strong, so shift North to another spot. Guide gets fins on here, as he's worked out we're swimming a long way. This swim takes us as far as the Sipadan Water Village resort.. (we'd previously enquired about this village, and were quoted US$780.) Next stop is at the smart resort wharf, where we swim a long way out along the long jetty. Sand with coral outcrops and artificial reef on the dropoff. Quite pretty, some variety, but not big. Lots of pipe fish, spotted mandarin fish(?) - like a Spanish dancer, but definitely a fish. Head back for lunch and a rest. Out later to walk the island, along past the school, Sipadan-Mabul Resort, the point, then the only other resort on the island, Sipadan Water Village that we visited earlier in the boat, then another land village, probably Filipino sea gypsies who have settled here. At this stage we are very hot, so have a quick walk back through the centre of the island (which is not very far at all), get our snorkelling gear, and Dianne in at the public wharf, and swim as far as the resort (sees a big butterfly cod)
14. Don't know what the filthy look's about
. Murray walks with our gear, then we swap over. Dianne has a second swim, then walk all the way around the island. Lots of sea gypsy boats pulled up on shore, where they're drying lots of stingrays, with gut and eye section cut out, on the roof of their boats. Can't believe how many young children they have. Incredibly hard, not to mention dangerous, spending their whole time on these very simple boats, with a number of toddlers on each boat. Apparently they come back to these beaches after fishing for part of the year. Most of the population of the island were originally from the Philippines. Have to cut through the village, which is quite big, as can't walk along the shore. LOTS of small kids here too, some playing at village water pump. Quite a few small shops, selling mainly lollies. Ate at about 7pm, then sat on the verandah and read. The local schoolteacher boards at our place, and sits on verandah with his guitar. Surprised to find electricity on all night.Thursday 23rd Sept Mabul-Sipadan-Mabul
Early start. Wife of one of the crew turns up, all dressed up, and with kids, hoping for lift to town. Very disappointed when found we're going to Sipadan, and not Semporna. Talk about all dressed up, and nowhere to go.
Off to Sipadan by about 8am, with total crew of seven (all men). Suspect that going out in the boat with the tourists is easier than staying at home, and maybe having to do some work
15. Sandakan war memorial
! Nice and flat on the way. Surprised that we pulled ashore on a sandy beach right beside a raised bar at the end of the jetty. The white sand extended out about 10 metres, then very dark water started. Turned out to be the edge of the drop-off - straight down 30 metres initially, then the real drop-off begins. Saw Dean and Charlotte to South, hailed them, then swam north along the drop-off. About 20-metre visibility, heaps of big fish, gorgonian coral, one moray, and turtles everywhere. At one stage we could see seven turtles, either swimming or resting. Further along talked to a snorkelling couple who had just been out to Barracuda Point, and saw heaps, but had a hard swim back. We went as far as we were game, and saw one big barracuda, several sharks, and some really big bumphead wrasses. Large schools of jacks, and mackerel types, but no large school of barracuda. Most of the fish were familiar types, but a lot bigger than you see elsewhere. At the bar there was a big octopus and a giant blue napoleon wrasse, which we photographed from the wharf. Walked around island, not all that flash except at drop-off. In between the houses and buildings the resorts are pretty ordinary. Army presence, two rubber duckies, lighthouse at far corner. Meet Dean and Charlotte at far side. Back for second snorkel. Saw fish along drop-off, see more of coral gardens. Dive down to see what divers are looking at. Our crew have packed lunch -rice, fish, chicken wings, water. Surprised when they take it up on to the flash wharf, and set it out on the tables (we had expected this to be for paying customers of the bar). At the next table are two very hot-looking young army blokes in Army camouflage gear, holding machine guns. Feels a bit funny sitting relaxing at nice resort-type place, in the sun in wet swimmers, being guarded by machine guns! We ask if it would be OK to take a photo, but they say no. In April 2000, gunmen from the Filipino Muslim separatist terrorist group Abu Sayyaff took twenty hostages from this island, and they weren't released till five months later
16. the village on Mabul Island
. Since then there has been a lot of security around the area. Originally we weren't going to come here because of this, but later changed our minds as we got more information.Another snorkel, then get them to take us in the boat towards Barracuda Point, but they don't take us as far as we wanted. Swim a long way, and work out they are not going to pick us up, as we'd expected, so swim back against the current. Decide we've had enough for the day, and head home. By now it is blowing fairly hard, with whitecaps and following seas. We are going fairly fast, and bury into the back of a couple of waves. Then there is a big one we come off, and bury deep into the next one. There is a bang, the nose stays down, and a lot of water starts squiring out around the edge of the door to the bow compartment. The driver opens the door and water gushes out about 6 inches deep. Driver has a quick look over the bow, says something, and puts the engine in forward to lift the bow. The helpers clear out gear including our wet backpacks and lifejackets, which they hand out to the paying passengers, and start bailing down the stern with a plastic oil can. Most of the water flow eases, and it looks like we won't have to swim for it. We proceed at a reasonable pace, and feel better when we can see the beach at Mabul. The driver points to a row of pop rivets on the dash, indicating that some let go up the bow. We hit hard a couple of times and a few gallons comes in, but we seem in good shape, making it through the channel, and pull up at our wharf
17. Sipadan Water village, Mabul Island
. They don't beach it, so work out the damage can't be too bad. It turns out that the rivets under the aluminium cover strip joining the deck to the hull gave up when we hit the big wave, and the bow opened up like a car ferry. Probably the rope from the U-bolt in the lower bow, which also was looped through the deck cleat, stopped it from opening right back and flooding the whole bow. It looked like we would be OK to go back the next morning, particularly if we left while the sea was still flat in the morning.The verandah is covered with drying sheets, and there are oriental visitors. We hit the sack, and get up later when a dive boat arrives. It is Uncle Chang's boat, dropping in for a visit and dropping off Suzanne, who has done a day's diving at Sipadan with Uncle Chang's, and is staying the night here. There is also a Malaysian-Chinese tourist, who is from Penang, and has been an illegal in New York for two years, in the renovation business. Combining business in Kota Kinabalu with a holiday. Climbed Mt Kinabalu a couple of years ago, but too sick after to continue on down here. Another night of reading, some packing. When the boat is anchored out, and stops bumping the building, we're able to get to sleep. Visited by rat on the louvres, and later in the hall.
Friday 24th September Mabul - Semporna
Get up after Uncle Chang's has picked up Suzanne
18. Our "resort" Mabul Island
. Find that boat is waiting for us to say when we want to go. Decide to do another snorkel and leave at 10am. Walk across the island. Watch a man and group of kids . Man has a stick in one hand, and a string, which is tied to a rat's tail, in the other hand. Can't work out what is going on. Snorkel through the resort's front coral garden, see two big butterfly cod, and pipe fish. Leave gear on end of jetty with two kids looking at us, but gear is OK. Have a good look at the sea gypsy boats, then back through centre of village. Pack and leave by 10am. Women who were dressed up to go to town yesterday must have got another lift, as they don't turn up. One of the young school teachers comes with us. Calm sea, no drama. Rains on run up coast, but fine when we arrive. Book back into Dragon Inn, then out to look at the town. Get fried bananas and mangosteens, and buy a nailbrush and clean up the bags, which are pretty muddy. Looked all over for internet, finally found at the @ sign. Walking out, ran into D & C, and arranged to have dinner back at Dragon Inn. Good chilli prawns and sweet and sour fish and fried squid, quite reasonable cost. Finished off with 3 for 11 RM beers, or 2 for 8RM beers from the sly grog shop run at Uncle Chang's sauna and massage. Masseuse is suspiciously attractive, but Dianne considers (but doesn't go ahead with) a RM30 for one hour session.Saturday 25th Semporna
Quiet day - reading and killing time
19. Sipadan Island
. Eat at Dragon Inn, and out to look at town again. Do some internetting, some washing, eat heaps of mangosteens, and watch our "staff's choice" AV channel on the TV. In typical fashion, the staff choose the movie they want to watch, and crowd around the TV watching it, while the tourist, for whom it is designed, has no say.Sunday 26th September Semporna-Tawau (Sabah)
Up and pack. Miss out on our favourite part of breakfast - the fried banana, because it's Sunday, and not many staff on. Get to the mini-bas station dry. Looks like we are going to have a quick start to trip, as van is already almost full. This deteriorates when four starters get out, but get away OK with only ten people, and pick up more on road. Quick trip. Still lots of palm oil plants. We entertain the baby in the seat in front of us. Takes mother while to work out why baby keeps wanting to look back. Pass Tawau airport on way into town. Looks pretty modern, which reassures us. Tawau is a big town, close to the Indonesian border. Stop at minibas station, and have a long walk to our chosen hotel, Loong Hotel. Need directions. Talking to cabdriver, and starting to weaken, when we see sign on top of hotel. Out later for pork and rice. Look at big, good food market, Kalimantan ferries (tempted, but have run out of time), cheap fish in market. Hot walk along seafront. Can see big, modern developments further along
20. Sipidan - Blue Napoleon wrasse (we think)
. Take photo of government building with the name "Wisma Persekutuan Tawau" - obviously Persekutuan doesn't mean what you first think it does! A real contrast between the new unit developments and the traditional stilt villages. Back to hotel. This is where the palm pilot dropped its bundle, and lost everything including its operating system. However, we'd backed up all the diary we'd already done, so Dianne out to find internet to upload our back-up copy to travelpod "just in case", while Murray spends afternoon writing up diary, which is very behind, by hand. This is where our diary finishes, so the rest has to be reconstructed when this is typed up, six months later.Mon 27th Sept Tawau (Sabah)-Kuala Lumpur-Melaka (Peninsular Malaysia)
Finally find the local bus, which goes to Tawau, and hopefully the airport on the way, as well (bit worried it might drop us off at the turnoff, but takes us right to the departure lounge).
Once again, no problems with our Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur, which we booked by internet. Plane is painted in bright blue, red and white, and looks quite like an American flag. Departed at 1pm, and arrived at Kuala Lumpur airport at 3.45pm. The airport is 75km south of the city, and our flight back to Australia is from Singapore, so we decide we'll go to Melaka, rather than backtracking 75km to Kuala Lumpur, particularly as we've already been to KL twice before, and we always seem to miss Melaka
21. the soldier &machine gun is just behind Murray
. Unfortunately don't have any information about how to get to Melaka, and our map doesn't show many small towns. Hop on to what we think is the correct bus, but driver says no, and tells us to wait for next bus, so we do. This driver, a very jovial and friendly Indian man, questions various people, before telling us to hop on. We pay 2RM each, and set off through very flat, scrubby land with no definable features. We wend our way through various small towns, getting on and off the major roads running through the area. Lots of new, good-quality housing. Arrive at a terminus at a light rail station, where we expect to get out with everyone else, but driver tells us to stay on. Employee with clipboard obviously doesn't expect him to be departing either, but he waves her away, and takes off back the way we came. A couple of kms down the road, we overtake a bus, and he pulls in and waves it down. He tells us to get on, and gets on too, and tells the driver where we want to go. He recognises one of the passengers on the bus, and tells him to look after us! Once he's sure we're OK, he hops back on his bus, and heads back the way he'd just came. We look at each other in amazement, saying " I think we've just hijacked a bus". Can't image this happening in a Western country. This bus takes us to the bus station at Seremban, the capital of the state of Negeri Sembilan. This is obviously a transport hub, and there are plenty of buses going everywhere. Unfortunately the next Melaka bus is already fully-booked, so we have to wait for the next one, which gets us into Melaka in the dark
22. Semporna market from our hotel
. Pass through a lot of very ordinary suburbs, and starting to worry about where to get off. Eventually get to the old section of the town, and recognise some landmarks from our map. Find a room at the Traveller's lodge, which has a maze of rooms, and a very nice rooftop garden. Keep getting lost trying to find way back to our room, as the place is a real rabbit-warren. Out for a quick meal, and sit upstairs in the rooftop garden, talking to a conservative Australian family travelling with their grownup children. They tell us their son is an artist, married to a Chinese Malaysian stockbroker, and living in Johor Bahru. He is not allowed to work, but has been doing some exhibitions at the local shopping centres, and looking after their young baby. When we meet him, he is covered in tattoos. Turns out he is a tattooist, and this is the art he has been exhibiting! To bed exhausted after a very long day.Tuesday 28th Sept Melaka
Spend the day seeing the sights of Melaka. By the 15th century this port city on the Straits of Melaka, half-way between China and India, and with easy access to the spice islands of Indonesia, had become the greatest trading port in Southeast Asia, attracting waves of conquering Europeans, each adding their own cultural overlay (Chinese, Islamic and European). Walk past the Proclamation of Independence Memorial, a grand building topped by Mogul-inspired domes, which, ironically, was once the Melaka Club, a bastion of colonialism; the Muzium Budaya, which is housed in a British villa dating from 1911; and then to the Porta de Santiago, once the main gate - and all that remains - of the 1512 Portuguese fortress A'Famosa
23. our brightly painted Air Asia plane
. Then climb the steps to the top of the hill, and St Paul's Church, originally built in 1521. Back down the other side of the hill to Town Square, which has a number of old buildings around it, including the Stadthuys, which is a massive pink/red building built between 1641 and 1660, and is believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East. We now head across the Melaka River to Chinatown, where most of the old architecture remains. Chinese, Dutch and British influences can been seen, with intricate tiles and plasterwork, carved lintels, cornices and other architectural flourishes. Walk up and down for quite a while, then stop for a well-earned rest at a chicken and rice shop. As usual, it's very hot and muggy. Back at the river, we see some VERY large monitor lizards swimming, so spend quite a while watching them. Walk along the river to the Maritime Museum, which is housed in a huge re-creation of the Flora de la Mar, a Portuguese ship. The exhibits have detailed descriptions of Melaka's history, which we find very interesting. It also has charts dating back to Portuguese times. Wend our weary way back to our room for a rest. Dianne goes for a walk later, and comes across a pet shop with some incredible stock, which would be illegal anywhere else, and probably here as well.Feeling very weary, but there is a notice in the hostel saying there is some festival in Chinatown tonight, so make the trek over there, but there's nothing obvious, except for a long line of tourists being shown around in very colourful rickshaws
24. Background shows new housing in Melaka
. Despite this being Chinatown, there are practically no restaurants open, so we end up walking to the Little India area. Finally decide on Capitol Satay, which is famous for its satays (peculiar to this area), which you dip into a boiling satay sauce with spices in it, which is cooked at your table. Not a great culinary success, but definitely interesting. Back to room after another long, tiring, hot day. Wednesday 29th Sept Melaka- Singapore
In the morning, get Express bus the 224kms to Johor Bahru, then local bus to Singapore. Pouring rain when we arrive. As we have to get up early in the morning, decide to stay near Little India, at Mayo Inn, where we stayed on our previous trip, as it is easier to get to the airport via MRT (Mass Rapid Transport). Out for some lunch, and to check out Sim Lin Square (Rochor Canal Rd) which is an enormous building (at least seven storeys), which just sell computer and electrical goods. Buy a blood-pressure machine. Have dinner at an Indian restaurant with John and Caroline.
Thursday 30th Sept Singapore - Sydney
Up early and out to airport for our 10am. Gulf Air flight. Arrive back in Sydney at 8pm after an uneventful flight.
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