A final good bye to the schools and plantation

A final good bye to the schools and plantation

It is amazing how fast the time has flown. My final week has been a whirlwind of goodbyes,

The schools gave me a great send off The kindergarten and the older ones had a great time making Happy Humana Hats for the party, we had singing and dancing from the students, statues and a fairly manic version of pass the parcel. The children and staff gave me such a warm and appreciative send off it was hard to leave.

We still had the culmination of my animals/environment project of a camp in the jungle for 10 of the oldest students, following on from our tree planting. Again things didn't quite go as planned but 15 of us finally got there with the requisite amount of boats, tents, food etc.

We had a packed itinerary with Hutan (see tree planting post) of river cruise, up another tributary of the Arctangent, where we saw huge monitor lizards, macaques using the rope brides across the river, very acrobatic, and my favourite proboscis monkeys. We then set up camp, none of the participants had used a tent before so that was a good learning experience, also getting them to cook dinner for all. It was an almost full moon light night but we were still able to see fireflies, unfortunately I slipped during the hunt and twisted my knee yet again.  I still persevered through the night walk through the jungle listening to its 'song' so complex but tranquil too.

The evening was perfectly finished with Milo and marshmallows and the musical accompaniment of the Hutan staff.

The next day it was of across the river to so caves and possibly meeting the Orang-utan research team , unfortunately they were some distance away although we did see the remains of a recently constructed nest so they had been in the area in the last couple of days.  The caves are situated in an area of virgin rain forest and it was a very different experience trekking through this. It is only open to educational and research teams.  I probably shouldn't have done it with my knee but I knew I wouldn't get another opportunity. It was very steep up to he caves and it wasn't felt safe 


for the students to come 
(although they did allow the old croc, me, up there) it is also a sight for swiflet nests which are harvested sustainably ie after the chicks have fledge. This provided an income to support the conservation and researchers in the area.

It was great to see and hear what the students and teachers got out of the experience and we made them environment ambassadors to spread this information to their family and friends. It is hope that a similar trip can be arranged at least once a year for the older students.

And so came the time to leave the plantation. We had had a great BBQ with Mr Chee and his family as his son's scout group were also visiting the forest for the weekend.

The weather is now improving and I was grateful to see something of the Borneo spring in that there were many more flowers and butterflies on my final journey out

Monday Morning Sandakan

Having breakfast by the sulu sea, a beautiful way to start the week although tinged with a little regret as it will be my last. I am treating my self to a little luxury of a nice hotel on the waterfront,  it seems remarkably busy this morning with more genteel tourists than normal.  I think they may be passengers off a cruise ship which had a fire off the Philippines and now towed here.  
My last weekend has been fun and girlie with Simmone's visit. 
 We had  fabulous Kinabatangan river cruise with Linda and Eleanor who have looked after me so well at the rest house. 

Because we had a big rain storm earlier in the week which kept the river level high we were able to to up the smaller Menananggol tributary and get a real feel of the backwaters and its myriad vegetation.

After a blissful evening of red wine and chocolate an early start to Sepilok and the orangutans.  I was so busy trying to get my camera to work (still no screen view so excuse the interesting angles and focus) I didn't notice a young mum and babe rushing to breakfast and none too pleased at the crowds of visitors in her way, she was within 1m of me, but of course no picture:-(.  I was surprised at how small she was but it confirm that I did see one on my first visit to the rain forest centre.

We also visited here but a little disappointed that half the canopy walkway was closed but did climb the hornbill tower all 25+m and guess what? We saw hornbills.  It was also good to see it in the sunshine.

Back to Sandakan and shopping, 2  hours of massage, almost as blissful as red wine and chocolate.  We missed out on our clubbing date due to late diner and lack of stamina, actually too chilled from the massage I think!

Simone had another early start as she had a date with a fisherman to collect some particularly large and well wrapped tiger prawns to take back to KL

And so our girlie weekend was over.  Thank you Simone for ar great time hope you got back safely with the prawns.

I had a lovely treat from Mr Chee of proper tea at the English Tea House, which is located in the former governors residence.  We had smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off, cream scones beautiful tiny tarts and cakes and real milk for the tea.  yet more bliss, thank you Mr Chee.

School Holidays

I decided to try to climb Mt Kinabalu even though I hadn't booked accommodation and it was school holidays.

 So I was disappointed that all mountain beds were taken and although permits for a one day climb was available I didn't think I needed the pain of raising through 4100m in 24 hours. So I hired a guide to see how far I could get. Wow was I glad I didn't try for the top, they don't go for contouring here it is just straight up and up and up.

I did manage a view of the top before 8am but them the cloud was down and so I knew I wouldn't miss the view, which are apparently amazing on a clear day all the way to Kota Kinabalu and beyond.

And then the heavens opened, this is supposed to be the driest part of Sabah and I hadn't expected it and ended up crouched over my camera and phone etc, I thought it would pass but was eventually rescued by some passing British Council teachers, thank goodness for the school holidays, but my camera didn't survive, even in in its 'waterproof' case,

     I think it would have needed a diving pouch in that down pour. I can still take pictures but  the screen is dead so it is very interesting to see what I have taken on my computer.  So watch out for some interesting shots

 

 I also managed to experience the change in vegetation and see some orchids and the pitcher plants.

My knees were very grateful I didn't do the whole trip.

I had then planned to go to Kudat towards the tip of Borneo and then fall off the edge to Banggi Island. Public transport is not so easy here, and away from the main routes you are dependant on shared taxis in which you can wait all day to fill or pay for the empty seats to get going.

I didn't managed to get much further than Kota Belud and then get a taxi and boat to a beach to chill for a night or actually two as it was called Manana as it is so difficult to leave.

 

 

 

I again tried to get to Kudat and failed to find transport until I fell into an unofficial taxi only to be unable to contact any accommodation on Banggi so I found a fabulous longhouse retreat close to the actual Tip of Borneo, run by an expat brit. 

   I chose my room carefully

 A really chilled spot, great beach walks, some surfing and snorkelling although the sea was a bit rough for me and I ended up sick again!

I hired a bike for the day to explore the beaches and had fun making sandcastles with the locals, here is mount Kinabalu

There was also a trail through the mangroves which always feel spooky

Sandakan Weekend

Plantation life is both stimulating and peaceful but it is good to get into town for the weekend for a little retail r & r, a beer looking over the bay and necessities of finding the bank etc.

The sun has started to shine at long last so I thought it would be good to find a beach for a swim. Sandakan town doesn't have any beaches so I managed to get to Berhala island in the bay by local ferry, but was I disappointed that water was too dirty for swimming I had been warned. The bay seems to attract all the plastic from all the coastal settlements. 

On landing I headed off along the coast to find my beach idyll but was followed by the local youth hassling for money, food etc. they tried to annoy me singing loudly to hip-hop on their phones so I joined in and they soon stopped, I knew my unique singing ability has some purpose. They eventually left me in peace on my tropical island breach shaded by a mangrove, sitting on a liberated lorry mud flap, almost idyllic except for the rubbish.

 Although the sun shone, and I got burnt again, the water was not inviting so I strolled inland hoping to get closer to the cliffs following goat trials, passing very rudimentary shelters, I didn't like to photograph as people were sleeping away the heat of the day in them, which I guess is their purpose rather than a full time dwelling, located by cultivated patches. I eventually ran out of goat trail and unusually for me sensibly turned back, I had already been warned by the 'youts' that there were jumping animals which bite, I assumed monkeys, but I am more afraid of snakes. I haven't seen any yet but others have. I returned to the village to be greeted as an old friend, or possibly relief that I handy completely lost myself, and to find a ferry back with out the 2 hour wait I had to get there.

The sea food here is amazing I was taken out for a fabulous dinner with Mr Chee, our wonderfully thoughtful host and plantation manager and his family to a restaurant in the SimSim the slit village I passed on my way to Berhala,  There was plenty to choose from still swimming in the tanks,  we had huge prawns, crabs, clams, squid and fish all for about the price of a fish supper at the pub.  He and his wife also took me for delicious dim sum for breakfast, so Simonne, if you are reading, you know what to look forward to

Tree Planting Trip

Tree Planting Trip

A great morning was had by 30 primary school children and staff of MOP A, B & C on a trip to plant trees in conjunction with Hutan which is a Conservation NGO dedicated to the protection of the Sukau area Kinabatanga River only 2 or 3 miles from the plantation. It works as part of the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project. Which is run by the local people of the area and provides support for sustainable local provision of tourist facilities. It was through a chance meeting with the area coordinator which led to this trip and the Hutan giving a fun and lively workshop to all the schools on the benefits of preserving the forest here as a wildlife corridor, sustainable tourism opportunities providing jobs for local people and the effect on global environmental issues.

We set off at 5.30 am in order to have the opportunity to see wild life on the boat trip down to the tree planting site, the Hutan team had prepared the site and placement of the trees and gave a briefing on the process and the benefits to the local eco system and global climate change.

Everyone planted a tree with the appropriate blessing for a successful life. The trees are grown by the local community and are indigenous varieties which will support all forms of local wildlife including birds, monkeys and orangutans. The planting area is maintained and protected from elephants for three years to allow the saplings to become established.

We then set off for ad 2-3km jungle walk where we could experience how the trees will be in 10 to 20 years time; the area is secondary forest in that it was logged up until 1982. It was the first time all of the group children, teachers and drivers had experienced this, even though they have lived here for all or most of their lives. Some of the children do not have passports and so do not leave the plantation very often. Not very different than lifetime residents of the Lake District who haven't seen the top of a mountain.

We returned to the camp site and had quite a leech count, it seems that leech socks as made and sold locally may be the answer. The students were remarkably sang froid about them, much braver than me.