Day 158: Kinabatangan

It was a very comfortable, mostly empty 3 hour bus ride to Kinabatangan (Craig loved to repeat the name, getting it wrong almost every time. The correct pronunciation, with pauses between syllables and speeding up as you progress, is Ki-na-ba-tan-gan). We arrived in the small town on the river and loaded our things into a long metal boat while the last few threatening rain drops danced on the saturated earth around us. The effect that crossing the river had on our surroundings was surprising. The town vanished into the forest and mist, while if it wasn't for the dock sticking out into the river you would not have noticed the bungalows stacked neatly in rows along boardwalks peaking out through the trees.

The eight of us that arrived together would be a group for the next 3 days, as we sat through a brief orientation on the schedule of our jungle adventures we were handed welcome drinks before being given 20 mintues to settle in, freshen up, and be back on the boat to go down river. The hot afternoon sun was beautifully contrasted by the wind on our faces as we whizzed along the gentle river. It did not take long before our boatman/guide Arshad cut the engine abruptly, grabbing his binoculars as we drifted closer to shore. Craig spotted a hornbill in a nearby tree, maybe that was what he was looking at. The motor started up again with jolt as the boat spun around and crept up stream slowly, Arshad piloting while looking through the binoculars, 7 of us silently waiting for directions as to where to look while Craig took pictures of a hornbill. 

For a moment there was complete silence as the engine shutoff again before Arshad spoke. 'Orangutan.' Pointing high up and into the distance we could see the large ginger form moving up the tree trunk. While a lot further and less active than our experience in Sepilok, it was wonderful to see an Orangutan in the wild, no feeding necessary. The sighting was also relaxing as it lifted a weight from the rest of our river cruises.

We enjoyed a combination of enjoying the fresh air and beauty of our surroundings, and scanning for signs of life in the ungulating cacophony of verdant forest that hungrily nibbled at the edges of the river. And there was not any shortage of life in Kinabatangan. On the first cruise we saw three species of hornbills, three species of monkey, the aforementioned orangutan, a snake, another monitor lizard, eagles, and kingfishers. The monkeys were the highlights as the large families (except for the Silver Langour) actively jumped between branches in the tree they had designated to be their home for the night. We even saw the goofy looking, often aroused, Proboscis Monkey endemic to Borneo. We were all hoping to see it so our joy of spotting them turned to worry as we quickly continued on our way with assurances from Arshad that we would see them again and with a better view/closer.

Somehow Diane looks heroic while...

Craig looks like a 3 year old
that was allowed to dress
himself.

Another amazing buffet dinner awaited us upon our return, clearly Diane was not only classing up our lives but also our accommodation. Following dinner there was to be a night hike, due to the rain that afternoon and the amount of rain over the last few months, wellingtons were necessary as the mud was at time a foot deep. Craig discovered shortly after finishing his dinner, and nearly stepping on a snake, that the lodge did not have rubber boots larger than a size 10 (43), but with the help of Diane they were able to fashion 'boots' for him out of plastic bags and packing tape. After another 20 minutes of leech proofing it was off into the forest with the thin wavering beam of our headlamps illuminating the path before us. There were many animals that we could have seen, or more accurately, could have seen us, but we didn't see any of the primates or cats that are sometimes spotted. We did see interesting insects, birds, bats, and frogs? Craig missed a few things being at the back of the group helping the couple that insisted they didn't need to bring their own flashlights. It was a very interesting and the boots Diane made him kept Craig clean and dry so he was happy... even after he found the leech on his chest.

Falling asleep to the gentle hum of the fan, little did Craig know that the leech he had befriended that evening was but a baby compared to what awaited him in the morning...

Day 157 & 158: Man of the Forest

We arrived in Sepilok to a blanket of stars above us as we crossed the slippery boardwalk in search of our room. After some confusion we were settled and bid goodnight to Diane. From her room it was a substantial hike in the darkness. Our guide, the caretaker, pointed out two sleeping hornbills along the way.


The next morning we awoke to realize what we'd missed in the dark: the grounds were set in the rainforest alongside the reserve. We walked over a lagoon to get to the restaurant and had views of the forest as we ate. It was a mere five minute walk to the main attraction, the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, thus a short stroll had us arriving with plenty of time to spare before the morning feeding.


The Rehabilitation Centre is a place for rescued orangutans, mainly those found being kept illegally as pets, confiscated at customs, or orphaned babies from poached mothers. Workers care for the young ones, and nourish them, while also teaching them how to climb and hunt for food for themselves. The orphans are gradually taken deeper into the forest, by this point having been paired up (weak climbers with strong ones), and when ready, they are allowed to come and go as they please into the forest. At this point some never return, preferring to live in the forest while others take longer to be weaned off of human assistance.


The Centre puts out food twice a day in order to supplement the diets for those still struggling to forage independently. They claim to provide 'boring' food so that the apes are encouraged to find their own, but it sure looked like a variety of juicy treats to us! The orangutans are free to come and go as they please, so seeing one is not guaranteed.


We took in the pre-visit video, an amateur production with overly dramatic voice overs. The shots of people walking still had the audio full of harsh wind sounds, when there was no reason for any audio from the clip. And the lasting effect of the video was that we were less happy with how the infant orphans were treated. They appeared to be caged in 'prison cells' more than be provided with stimulating homes.

Thankfully through the video, we were on our way with hoards of other visitors along the boardwalk to the feeding area.


It didn't take long for Erin to spot an orangutan sitting in a tree far above the viewing platform. Then moments later, a rustling in the bushes nearby revealed an employee carring a woven basket full of fruit, with a small orangutan following behind him. He carried it to the platform above, and dumped the treats out. Knowing that the Centre is trying to wean the orangutans off dependence on humans, we were confused why the worker stayed sitting there for a half an hour, and why he insisted on hand feeding some of the orangutans.





Despite this, and the noise the crowd made, it was spectacular to see the apes come swinging in, land with ease on the wood, grab a handfull of bananas, and settle into a ballerina pose on the ropes to eat. They'd hold the bundle with their toes, while bringing them one at a time to their mouths to eat. Their flexibility and grace was astounding.



A murmur went through the crowd as the far-off rope started to bounce. We knew another orangutan was coming. With a collective gasp, a huge male broke through the foliage and lumbered its way to the platform. The keeper calmly handed it a bunch of bananas and it climbed to a position of power above the young one that stayed behind.

We all laughed when long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques scurried over to try to feed, too. They would comically rush forward when it seemed the apes weren't looking to snatch a banana or two, then would scramble up the vines. But surprisingly, the orangutans didn't seem to mind.

Slowly, the tour groups left, then one by one the orangutans swung out of view, and we were left in the drizzling rain. We headed out for lunch and a swim at our scenic pool, then returned for the 3:00 feeding. We arrived well before the start time, but already there was a crowd with cameras out and trained on the platform. A mother, who had grown up as an orphan at the Centre, was sitting patiently with her little baby. It was a beautiful sight.

The second feeding had less people, but there were a few families who made up for it in noise. The orangutans didn't seem to mind much, though, and we watched the large male from the morning come and feed next to the female and baby. Diane and Erin were enthralled, watching, when a woman barked, "Pay Attention!" to the crowd. A huge, male macaque came thundering along the railing of the walkway everyone was leaning on. It swept through the trees and was on the platform in moments.



When we were escorted out by the employee on the viewing platform at the end of the viewing, we took our time leaving the forest. Our slow pace was rewarded when Diane spotted a Maroon Langur monkey peering at us through the trees.



We got soaked that night on our walk to dinner, but it was a satisfying day all the same. We went to bed on the decision to visit the Rainforest Discovery Centre the next morning before our departure, instead of paying to view another feeding. Little did we know, we would awaken to our own orangutan viewing right in our lodge's restaurant! It was neat to the see the orangutan even closer, but sad that most guests didn't seem to get the difference between the Rehabiliation Centre and any human feeding them. Diane got the pleasure of watching the small orangutan rip apart a coconut and eat its flesh. A reminder that these enchantingly graceful creatures can pull a human's arm off with ease.




Our morning walk through the canopy was quite pleasant; the peaceful silence of nature was a nice change, but didn't offer us any wildlife sightings. We were pleased to have had the amazing opportunity to see orangutans so closely and so active in Sepilok, but were even more excited for the river adventure awaiting us in Kinabatangan.

Bonus: Half Way/Leg 3 Video

Download Google Drive Version for better quality?

Special thanks to the Cloud Cult for hopefully not taking legal action to have us remove the video featuring their amazing song from the album Light Chasers.

Day 156: Kicked Off the Island

We opted for the late boat transfer back so we could enjoy the morning in our paradisical surroundings. We really wanted to hike to the other side of the island to swim at the beach the Survivor tribes were stationed on. So in thick layers of humidity, we covered ourselves in bug spray, grabbed our walking sticks, and hit the trail. It posed its own challenges to us: ducking under and climbing over fallen logs, route-finding in overgrown areas, and wading through shin-deep muddy water. We had only one true scare when Erin noticed a snake against one of the trees we were climbing over, but it thankfully turned out to be dead.

We made it 3.1 km in (of 4.4), but lost the trail and attempted to work our way to the beach around the rocky shore. We eventually had to give in because the crashing waves ahead of us looked too dangerous for us to continue. We felt a little discouraged heading back, but in the spirit of the island, realized it wouldn't have been complete without a true challenge. We were sadly voted off and banished from Pulau Tiga, but not before another swim in the warm gentle waters.

After a choppy boat ride back to the mainland, and a couple hour's drive to the airport, we were waiting for our flight onwards to Sepilok, with the hope to see orangutans!

Day 155: Survivin' Christmas

On Christmas morning we awoke to the sounds of nature: monkeys moaning from our rooftop, hornbills clattering in the trees, and monitor lizards crunching their way through the dead leaves beneath our stilted hut. We were overwhelmed by the presents we had waiting for us, including stockings to open on our front porch overlooking the jungle. We took our time, and marvelled at simple gifts such as sunscreen, wooden airplanes, and new underwear. It was a generous mix of things needed and fun surprises sent by family and friends.

There was a joyous air in the lodge's open-air cafeteria with Christmas music playing and their tree lit up and decorated. The guests were few, so it still felt like an intimate gathering, and being on a remote island felt like a special Christmas treat.

Craig and Diane decided to go out diving for the morning and they enjoyed some colourful coral and a few tiny lionfish(?) but the visability left something to be desired. Diane as an experienced driver kept an eye out for Craig to make sure he didn't get lost.

In the afternoon, we walked along the shore to reach a sandy spot for swimming. We held new Survivor Challenges such as who could stay on one foot crouched in the surf the longest (Diane), who could crab walk the fastest up the beach (Craig), and who could pick the fastest hermit crab to make it over the finish line (this one was a  little contested because Diane's crab didn't REALLY go over the finish line, but it was the fastest to come out of its shell and actually go anywhere, so she can have it).

The special Christmas BBQ the lodge held!

For sunset, we sat out on the dock and watched the rain storms roll in and out. We discovered how fun the pictures looked with the Christmas lights we'd taken with us, so we spent a good while inventing different designs. Erin was reminded of playing with sparklers like that when she was younger.

         

All in all, it was a very special day, and we were so thankful to have Diane with us to be surrounded by family!

Day 154: Pulau Tiga

Diane arrived just before midnight to make Christmas Eve feel extra special! After a few hours of sleep we were off to Pulau Tiga, the island where the first 'Survivor' series was shot. We went for a quick swim, had lunch, and found some hammocks to relax in before deciding to tackle our first challenge: the mud volcano. The island was formed in 1895 when a mud volcano erupted, a mud volcano being a as far as we could tell, a pool of mud.

A swimming Monitor Lizard we saw on the boat ride over.

Our hike began and the rain followed as we climbed and descended a series of slippery hills to reach our goal. Once there, the rain was coming down with amazing force, but it could not sink us as we floated in the mud. It is difficult to describe the feeling of being incredibly buoyant; if you tried to push someone under you would be lifted out instead.

The rain had not relented, turning our trail into a thundering river. We hiked back barefoot, sinking our toes into the mud to try to help provide some grip as gravity, a lack of friction, and a strong current created an alliance designed to sweep us off our feet. None of us fell victim, and thanks to the rain, we ended our hike cleaner than when we started. Our reward was a lamb dinner overlooking the ocean.

What will happen next on Survivor Christmas?

Days 150-153: Kota Kinabalu

The following few days were filled with time on the computer working mainly on wedding planning. A lot of hours were spent in our hotel room, eyes trained on our respective devices. But we managed to get out and wander the city a couple of times a day, and felt very comfortable there. KK is reasonably 'Western' so Starbucks and two delicious homecooked meals at a darling Hungarian restaurant made us feel less like tourists. Our first night in town we enjoyed a nice dinner at the Harbourfront with Adrian and Erin who we'd come back with from Kudat. Then our third night, we met a couple at a restaurant who we started talking with, then invited to join us for dinner, from England and Ireland. It was a nice change to be so social after some isolating weeks in India.

Craig wandered the market and picked up a few decorations to make Christmas Day feel more special. Erin splurged on a luxuriously long massage by a talented Malay girl who apologetically told her that she was too stiff to be worked on. A jar of Tiger Balm helped remedy the situation, and Erin's hoping to visit her on our return. We each chuckled at the signs by the door stating that "No Immoral Activity" was allowed in the joint, and that you're not to make sounds when you're having your treatment because it disturbs other clients.