Sandakan and Sepilok - Monkey madness!

And lo we doth arrive in Sabah, Borneo. The weather was pretty grim the whole way across the sea and there were some big dirty clouds hanging over the island. After we came down through the clouds we had a fairly depressing site - mile after mile of palm plantation. Since the 1950's a lot of Sabah's virgin rainforest has been chopped down to make way for very lucrative palm plantations to make palm oil. Next time you use soap, eat a cake, drive a hybrid car, butter your toast, or do pretty much anything, you'll be using palm oil. It's not a bad crop, it's just that it's not much good to any of the amazing wildlife that calls Borneo home and now a lot of them are being pushed towards extinction.... So shame on you!

A baby 'tan and his breakfast

A friendly blood sucking leech - RIP

We're here to see one famous resident in particular: the Orang-utan. There's about 20,000 left in total in Borneo (it's a big island) and not very many in Sabah at all. Thankfully there is the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary which trains former pet or orphaned Orangutan's to learn to live in the jungle again. Going to Sepilok was something we were both very excited about, but more about that later.

First though, we took a couple of days out in the town of Sandakan. There's not much to say about Sandakan, other than it's hot, pointless, has one nice hotel (which we stayed in) and a lovely old English Tea house left over from old colonial days. We hiked up to the tea house, sat down to some lovely Sabah tea and fresh scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam (no doubt contributing some more to the Orangutans demise) and took in the panoramic view.

A mugshot of the Macaque who tried to mug us

But there'd be no more civility and tea and scones for a few days. Soon we were off to our Sepilok jungle lodge in some of the only remaining virgin rainforest in Sabah. A bit too well rested and over enthusiastic, we decided to take off on a half hour jungle hike, me in flip flops and Lisa in shorts, to get the measure of this rainforest stuff. God the heat was punishing. Then the leeches. Within 20 yards of the edge of the forest, Lisa had already brushed two off her legs and I'd discovered one about to sink his teeth into my chest. Right, back to camp.

Thankfully, our little camp had a small shallow pool so we hid in there for hours and chatted to our new friend Cheryl (Corkie!). The next morning we were off to see the Orangutans get fed, so there was some excitement.

Big male plays the sugarcane pipes

Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary is a remarkable place. They've managed to hold onto a large swathe of forest to release rehabilitated Orangutans into. Before the 'Tan's get released they go through some really clever training, teaching them to build nests (Orangutans are the only primate to do so, dontcha-know) and to find food. Then they're on their own. As a (slightly controversial) way of raising funds to do this, they have a platform in the middle of the forest where they lay out fruit twice daily. Tourists are allowed to come along to watch and see if any of the released Orangutans come back for some free dinner.

We arrived early and regretted it cos the heat was intense. The feeding was at 10am and at 9.59 exactly first one, then two... then seven Orangutans came swinging along ropes provided for them. They were about 8 metres from us, and to see so many semi-wild Orangutans coming out of the forest was a wonderful sight, no matter how sweaty we were. Watching them hang from the ropes languidly and chomping on fruit was a real treat.

Hanging around - Orangutan style

Then a troupe of about 30 little cheeky Macaques poured out of the forest and nearly stole the show, bickering among each other and trying to steal food from the Orangutans platform. The Orangutans didn't seem fussed. On our way back out of the forest we got ambushed by three or these little Macaque gits. They're all cute and nice at a distance, but get brave mighty quick and I had a face off with one male who was trying to get at our bags and generally harassing us. He was about a tenth of my size and I even had bigger teeth, still I scurried out of there as soon as I had a clear path. I think they secretly know that it's not considered good human behaviour to punch a small monkey. Plus he probably had rabies.

It's not all hard work in the jungle

After more soaking in our little pool back at our camp, we went back for the 3pm feeding. Again the Orangutans were bang on time. This time only three of them and no Macaques. A lot of tourists come along to these feedings, I'd say about 100 of us were there for the afternoon feeding. But because of the heat most head off pretty soon. This time we waited around and pretty soon there was only about 5 humans and one Orangutan called Britt (the regulars have their name and pictures up at the sanctuary, she was obvious due to her one wonky eye) staring at each other. Britt flopped about, picked her nose and looked thoroughly comfortable, we were all captivated. Just the jungle noises, the colours, the heat, the giant trees all around and then the world's second largest ape sitting just opposite from us, being herself. It was excellent, really really excellent.

Lisa confronts a group of muggers

Until I found a leech had taken a couple of pints of blood out of me and we decided that the jungle probably isn't the best place for pale and pudgy westerners. Which is funny, cos tomorrow we're heading for 3 days down the Kalimantan River into the absolute wilds, for a little jungle stay at Uncle Tan's Forest Retreat.

Lisa says goodbye at Sepilok Forrest Edge

More tea Vicar?

Now, where did I leave my keys?

She can have her cake, AND eat it

Two Orangutans get on with dinner in the distance

Wonkey eyed Britt enjoys a 'nana