We made friends with two stray dogs. Bob and Bobby, as named by Jon. Jon was having a field day(s) with all the animals. He single handedly named the following animals during the trip.
The Rare Malaysian Sparrow a.k.a. The greater Malaysian sparrow.
Jon's Malaysian Fowl
Jon's Blue and Black Butterfly
The Greater Malaysian Skink.
We protested. What about the lessers?
Bob and Bobby were both quiet and of medium size. Bob let us pet him and scratch behind his ears. Bobby had better things to do and politely left when we approached him with blandishments and baby talk.
Breakfast was good. All the toast you can eat along with slabs of butter, jam and tea/coffee. The jam was very unusual, being banana jam. It tasted great! The lady who ran the lodge was amused at our interest in the jam and gave us the recipe but all I can remember of it was that it involved pulped bananas, pineapple juice and masses of sugar boiled for 5 hours. She also showed us the jungle fern. It looked quite normal, nor did it smell out of the ordinary. We decided to keep an eye out for the fern on our journey, but at the same time we decided it probably was the mode of cooking which gave it its mouthwatering flavour.
At 9:00 we left for the Orang Utan rehabilitation center. They do loads of good stuff I gathered. Bring up baby Orang Utans, heal the sick ones as well as take care of many other animals including two Sumatran rhinos and some rather evil looking crocs. It was oran utan feeding time at 10:00 so we wound our way to the feeding area. The rehab place for the mobile oran utans is a patch of jungle. I don't know if it was fenced or not. There is a wooden board walking running from one end to a long way inside, in the middle of which is a large platform which looks on to feeding platforms a way off. The viewing platform was clear of trees but this made it unbearably sunny. There was several tourists already there by 9:20 and you could feel the heat from their overheated bodies. Ugh.
Orangutans approaching the feeding platform (Photo courtesy of Veron, who stayed in the hot sun taking their pictures whilst we fled to the shade)From the orangutan center we rushed back to pack our stuff coz the van was coming to pick us up and take us to the no-plumbing place at 12:30. We hopped on along with two others who must have been staying there just like us. Lunch was served at the no plumbing place otherwise known as Uncle Tan's ops base in Gum Gum. We had to hang about till 2:30 for the bus. The following pictures are from this interval.
The very affectionate kittycat at Ops base
Attitudes of Despondency (photograph by Rohana, the wretch who caught us candid)The minivans got there at around 2:45. our luggage was loaded along with mattresses and supplies on to the first few. After that we loaded ourselves. We were told that the journey was an hour and a bit by road and then depending on if it was raining, either half an hour by boat, or an hour and a half by boat. Even as he said this, the storm clouds gathered up and poured.
The van had no air conditioning and because of the rain it was not possible to open a window without someone getting very wet, it was raining that hard. The inside was stuffy hot and humid. We couldn't take it any longer and the windows were opened slightly and the cold wet drops hurled themselves at us. Who cared, we could breathe! The rain eventually became sporadic as we passed through wet and dry patches. On both sides palm oil plantations stretched away to the horizon and the sky rolled in heavy grey. The road was rough and bouncy, someone tall would have definitely gotten a few bumps on their head. We were all rather short. Half an hour or so into the ride, the rain stopped completely and the windows were pushed open completely. My hair was whipped about my face furiously but the air was so cold and fresh, I felt high spirited, full blooded, restless and alive! The heat subsided and as we were all a little full from lunch, everyone slowly fell asleep inspite of the jolting and the wind.
We arrived at the ferry terminal to find a small village by the river and a few boats moored to a wooden jetty. Directly across us were some heavily forested hills and the road crossed to our right in a heavy iron bridge.
The bags were loaded with the supplies on one boat which hung heavily in the water. We slipped on life jackets and were herded into other boats. We were off, we were off, we were off!!! Adventure, wild waters, the untamed Kinabatangan! It was all before us. We were off into an area where my cell phone (and several others) had no reception. Goodbye civilisation. It would be waiting for us when we returned.
The water was silty, the sun was low and the trees grew higher and higher on every side. Several birds were out. We saw a fishing eagle, a oriental hornbill pair, a crested serpent eagle and several troops of monkeys (proboscis and lion tailed macaques). We had heard there were crocodiles so we eagerly scanned the water at first. But there was so much debris floating down that ten crocs could have have been around and not been seen or mistaken for debris. That first time though, I really think it must have been all debris. We were going so fast most times, we couldn't have seen the sly silhouette of a crocodile we came to know later.
The camp and river are separated by two ox-bow lakes. During dryer seasons, the camp is not accessibly by water. The visitors need to get off at the river and trek past the lakes to camp. It had been raining a good bit when we were there so the ox-bow lakes were connected to each other and the river by narrow channels of water. We zigged and zagged through these channels. Trees leaned so heavily over our heads, we had to duck at times. It was a glimpse into the heart of the forest. The first oxbow lake we emerged into had groves of half immersed trees in the water, their crowns sticking out. We later learned they were diptocarps which thrive in surfeit water, blooming green at such times. We negotiated this lake and another channel to the second ox-bow lake. On the shores of Oxbow lake No. 2 lay Uncle Tan's Camp.
Glimpse of Uncle Tan as the boat draws nearer.
We got to camp at 5:30. Inspite of all that I knew about the camp, I think my heart still managed to sink a little when I saw the wooden houses raised high on stilts over mud and the forest practically growing into it. What an idiot I was.
Head guide Lan told us to be "free and easy" till 7:30 when we needed to assemble at the common area and be briefed about our time here. So we looked around. Look below for our camp facilities. Photos were taken over the stay period, but you might as well see them now.
Sleeping quarters, though I dont blame you for thinking it a chicken coop
The three stalls on the left are toilets, the three on the right are shower cubicles
Filter units we take water from. Plumbing is not laid on.
Bathwater.
Living area
At 8:00 we were skimmed off from the "senior tourists" and sat down. Lan went through our itenary and introduced the crew to us. That night we were to go out to spot night life on the kinabatangan. On with the lifejackets, on with the headlamps, and camera flashes ready.
The moon was full tonight. A clammy chill was descending. But how haunting the lake was. Deathly quiet and even our motors seemed to be chugging softly instead of their usual raucous roar. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. A mist was forming at the further end of the lake, we could see it hanging hesitantly, silver spun. Surprisingly, there were very few stars and the sky was inky. We had passed this way in the morning but there is something about the quality of moonlight which transforms everything it touches.
Each boat was manned by two guides. One to handle the boat, the other stood at the prow with the boat lamp shining it into the trees. These guys were amazing. They told us to look out for shining eyes. We saw nothing but time after time they'd signal to each other and the boat would turn towards what they'd found. We found sleeping troops of proboscis monkeys and lion tailed macaques, a civet cat was spotted but it scooted before the rest of us could find it with our city-bred eyes. And of bird, what shall I say of birds. Kingfishers clung to their branches in defiance of cameras flashing a mere few feet away. Night herons perched on branches in the water glared at us evilly through red eyes as boats surrounded them. Bats flew about us. And this mist fell lower. It clung coldly to us as we sped on homewards. At times, I had no eyes for the animals. The landscape was utterly and undescribably lovely.
Our crap cameras have done no justice to it and so I refuse to upload our paltry efforts in this area. Only Rohanna got a good shot of the night, but this is from camp and there is nothing of the elvish beauty of the waterscape.
The van had no air conditioning and because of the rain it was not possible to open a window without someone getting very wet, it was raining that hard. The inside was stuffy hot and humid. We couldn't take it any longer and the windows were opened slightly and the cold wet drops hurled themselves at us. Who cared, we could breathe! The rain eventually became sporadic as we passed through wet and dry patches. On both sides palm oil plantations stretched away to the horizon and the sky rolled in heavy grey. The road was rough and bouncy, someone tall would have definitely gotten a few bumps on their head. We were all rather short. Half an hour or so into the ride, the rain stopped completely and the windows were pushed open completely. My hair was whipped about my face furiously but the air was so cold and fresh, I felt high spirited, full blooded, restless and alive! The heat subsided and as we were all a little full from lunch, everyone slowly fell asleep inspite of the jolting and the wind.
We arrived at the ferry terminal to find a small village by the river and a few boats moored to a wooden jetty. Directly across us were some heavily forested hills and the road crossed to our right in a heavy iron bridge.
The bags were loaded with the supplies on one boat which hung heavily in the water. We slipped on life jackets and were herded into other boats. We were off, we were off, we were off!!! Adventure, wild waters, the untamed Kinabatangan! It was all before us. We were off into an area where my cell phone (and several others) had no reception. Goodbye civilisation. It would be waiting for us when we returned.
The water was silty, the sun was low and the trees grew higher and higher on every side. Several birds were out. We saw a fishing eagle, a oriental hornbill pair, a crested serpent eagle and several troops of monkeys (proboscis and lion tailed macaques). We had heard there were crocodiles so we eagerly scanned the water at first. But there was so much debris floating down that ten crocs could have have been around and not been seen or mistaken for debris. That first time though, I really think it must have been all debris. We were going so fast most times, we couldn't have seen the sly silhouette of a crocodile we came to know later.
The camp and river are separated by two ox-bow lakes. During dryer seasons, the camp is not accessibly by water. The visitors need to get off at the river and trek past the lakes to camp. It had been raining a good bit when we were there so the ox-bow lakes were connected to each other and the river by narrow channels of water. We zigged and zagged through these channels. Trees leaned so heavily over our heads, we had to duck at times. It was a glimpse into the heart of the forest. The first oxbow lake we emerged into had groves of half immersed trees in the water, their crowns sticking out. We later learned they were diptocarps which thrive in surfeit water, blooming green at such times. We negotiated this lake and another channel to the second ox-bow lake. On the shores of Oxbow lake No. 2 lay Uncle Tan's Camp.
Glimpse of Uncle Tan as the boat draws nearer.Head guide Lan told us to be "free and easy" till 7:30 when we needed to assemble at the common area and be briefed about our time here. So we looked around. Look below for our camp facilities. Photos were taken over the stay period, but you might as well see them now.
Sleeping quarters, though I dont blame you for thinking it a chicken coop
The three stalls on the left are toilets, the three on the right are shower cubicles
Filter units we take water from. Plumbing is not laid on.
Bathwater.
Living areaThe moon was full tonight. A clammy chill was descending. But how haunting the lake was. Deathly quiet and even our motors seemed to be chugging softly instead of their usual raucous roar. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. A mist was forming at the further end of the lake, we could see it hanging hesitantly, silver spun. Surprisingly, there were very few stars and the sky was inky. We had passed this way in the morning but there is something about the quality of moonlight which transforms everything it touches.
Each boat was manned by two guides. One to handle the boat, the other stood at the prow with the boat lamp shining it into the trees. These guys were amazing. They told us to look out for shining eyes. We saw nothing but time after time they'd signal to each other and the boat would turn towards what they'd found. We found sleeping troops of proboscis monkeys and lion tailed macaques, a civet cat was spotted but it scooted before the rest of us could find it with our city-bred eyes. And of bird, what shall I say of birds. Kingfishers clung to their branches in defiance of cameras flashing a mere few feet away. Night herons perched on branches in the water glared at us evilly through red eyes as boats surrounded them. Bats flew about us. And this mist fell lower. It clung coldly to us as we sped on homewards. At times, I had no eyes for the animals. The landscape was utterly and undescribably lovely.
Our crap cameras have done no justice to it and so I refuse to upload our paltry efforts in this area. Only Rohanna got a good shot of the night, but this is from camp and there is nothing of the elvish beauty of the waterscape.
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