Sarawak
The emblem of Sarawak is the Hornbill...we never saw one!! However we did see more orang-utans at another rehabilitation centre. Again taking in orphaned and misplaced individuals, this centre is the third we have visited. There are four centres worldwide. I liked Semengoh, for it was here I met “Ricky”. Well not personally, but viewing him from 50m away was an awesome experience. So the ‘Alpha male’ is large and hairy with huge flanges on its face. Seeing these animals in real life has to be experienced to realise the power of the event. He was huge, powerfully dominant just in the way he sat, taking up enormous space physically and metaphorically. No others came near him as he peacefully ate at the platform. Although there were several other individuals playing and eating around in other areas, I could not tell you much about them for I was totally transfixed with this guy! His presence overwhelmed me and spoke of a thousand injustices that these creatures are faced with and yet there he sat so peaceful....like some calm guru.
Mind you looks can be deceiving. It’s a rare event for “Ricky” to come to the platform so before walking into the forest, (the gates are opened at a set time and everyone enters together for the hour) visitors were briefed on his personality. “Do not bring any umbrellas or tripods in...he can mistake them for a gun and attack. If you have a crying child do not come into the area...he dislikes the sound and gets extremely agitated. And finally, number three rule, do not laugh at him. He gets very offended and his behaviour becomes totally unpredictable....”
Our viewing was uneventful. This huge calm beast just wanted a cuddle...hahah! His gorgeous brown eyes as he looked out at the crowd, told a million stories. He totally floored me with his presence.
Bako National Park. Sarawak
About an hour out of Kuching by bus and then half an hour on a small boat is Bako National Park.
We are greeted by proboscis monkeys who sit happily in the trees munching away on leaves. As I’ve said before you cannot keep a straight face and watch these creatures. They are just a delight to see. I have decided that Dr Suess definitely modelled several of his characters on these guys. Their noses and bellies are so funny not to mention their penis and testicles!!!
The area is full of walking trails and my legs are beginning to feel almost normal after climbing Kinabalu so it’s more trekking!
But it is right near our cabin that we see the best wildlife. The macaques are notorious and big signs warn of their kleptomaniac behaviours. At the “canteen” several people lose their breakfast to the fastest monkeys you’ve ever seen, who dive onto the verandah and off again with a pancake in hand, just as you go to sip your coffee! If you’re lucky one of the workers is nearby with a slingshot in hand to threaten them not to come near. So the macaques are very naughty...not so the silver leaf langors.
On our second morning a large family make their way to the trees right in front. They climb down onto the beach and groom each other. They lounge in the trees and munch on leaves. They allow us to get so close and still continue with their business. They are a stunning looking monkey their silver hair catching the sunlight it’s as if they are posing for the cameras...and pose they do!
The walks here are stunning. At the top of the ridge I’m reminded of where I grew up on the Northern Beaches. The rock ledges are very similar to those up at Cromer...where we would explore the bush. Although here, along the side of the track is lined with pitcher plants.
The lower areas are of course palm rich with heathland vegetation dominating the higher areas. We trek down to a deserted beach..onto a waterfall...and back in time to see another family of proboscis happily dining in the trees near our cabin.
My decision to try to walk along the beach past the mangrove and around the headland proves to be a baaaad one. Reece isn’t keen but I convince him for “an Adventure”. It wasn’t the enormous tides that caught us but the fabulous mud in the mangrove. Knee deep..shoe swallowing mud!! Sometimes laughter comes from so deep you can’t stop. So as Reece sunk deeper I laughed uncontrollably...and sank too!
We eventually hauled ourselves out...shoes recovered and my sides hurting from hysteria...more so because of the wonderful seriousness of Reece who found it hard to see the funny side. We had, after all “broken the park rules and gone off track!!” ...
We also do a night trek and see a variety of insects, a pit viper and a flying limur. The wierd shape of these things leave me guessing as to what I’ve actually seen. (Note to ones self...what the f,,, do these things look like!!...do some research)
Although situated on a beach, the water isn’t actually conducive to swimming.... a bit muddy looking after the torrential rain.
The boat trip back proves a bit rough but we are happy that it connects perfectly with a waiting bus for the return trip to Kuching.
Kuching is a delightful small city situated on a river. The White Rajah was an Englishman who was gifted Sarawak. One of his claims to fame was stopping trophy head hunting and three generations later, after the 2nd world war, it was handed back to the British. British colonial architecture has a strong presence as does Chinese influence in food and business.
The food here is often a fusion of tastes and the streets are lined with the most outrageous coloured layer cakes ever! A Kuching specialty, these cakes almost assult the eyes with their multilayers of colour. The flavours range from chocolate and strawberry to cheese and chocolate. Watermelon is Reece’s pick......oooo the colours!
Unbelievable vegie curry and chillie fish for me. The best ever Laksa for Reece draws him back three times.
In Borneo, longhouses are common. A longhouse is a traditional collection of houses all joined together with a common ‘veranda’ linking them all down the middle. It is on this veranda area where daily life takes place, the small rooms off it are mostly for sleeping. Weaving, preparing food etc takes place out here.
We visit a longhouse that houses about 150 people. It’s raised on stilts, and the complete flooring is bamboo. The rooms are small and dark and the walls are lined with a variety of woven baskets and implements. Traditional lifestyles.... and then the satellite dishes add the anachronism.
We venture down a river on Kayaks, through a few villages and generally take in the scenery. We float past some spectacular caves and stunning mountains.
