Borneo!!

Borneo!

Who could pass up a chance to visit Borneo? Just the sound of it. So I was thrilled to get that trip, especially since it included the orang utans.

We pulled into the harbor of Georgetown on Penang Island, one of the Malaysian states. We didn’t actually dock, due I think to depth issues, but used tenders (small boats to ferry passengers between the ship and the dock). We used the lifeboats, so around 70 people at a time could go one way or another. Generally worked well, except right at the end of our stay.

I didn’t see any of Georgetown except to and from the airport. We left immediately our first day in, and returned late the last day. Our Borneo excursion involved 6 flights in 4 days, and could have been a logistical nightmare. Fortunately one of our counselors (Mental Health Professionals), Marvel, was trip leader so dealt with all the issues. We flew into Kuala Lumpur first. Do you remember the last time you had a real meal, and a good one, on a plane? Try Malaysia Air! Oh my – this airline could be one of the world’s top 10, particularly as they are trying to keep up with their competition including Singapore Air. Check it out.

So a little secret about Malaysia (pronounced by the locals as Ma – lay – SEE – uh) is that it is chocolate heaven. The airport in KL (as we took to calling it) had these massive chocolate stores with chocolate from all over the world – Cadbury, which actually rules the world, Nestle (which OWNS the world), Godiva, and many others. Not only did I stock up, but I got pictures as well. In fact, all 3 airports we were in had extensive selections of chocolate.

We flew from Penang to Kota Kinabalu, or the City at Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. Geography lesson – most of Malaysia is Peninsular Malaysia at the tip of Thailand. There are two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo, Sabah and Sarawak, with Brunei (as in the Sultan Of) stuck in the middle. The rest of Borneo is Indonesia. We had our first evening in - wait for it – KK, as we called it. Do you see a trend emerging? It was a slightly odd little hotel, the Berjaya Palace, next to a giant mall full of electronics. So we trotted over to the mall for lack of anything else to do that night. Looking at clothing in the mall was my first indication that I am not Asian size. I really never noticed (!). However, I was able to pick up a shirt in the men’s department that I will wear for my dinner with Archbishop Tutu.

Back at the hotel we ran into a woman in the elevator, apologized (ha ha), and had a conversation. She noticed us as our little hotel did not attract many tourists or Americans. So that’s how we met Nan from SOS Rhinos. She was a US vet specializing in rhino reproduction for Save Our Sumatran Rhinos! There are only about 600 left in the wild. HOW FASCINATING! I was grilling her about what she was doing, hanging on every word. Of course Marvel :-) the MHP made some comment about my interest in her versus her work, to which I replied that animals always trump people in my world (even members of the church, get it? OK) – I must keep this a family publication.

So we were out the door at 5:30 am to fly to Sandakan on the other side of Sabah. I sat next to some Aussies on the plane; turns out they live a few kilometers from the Australia Zoo, Steve Irwin’s (the Crocodile Hunter) place. They also know Lauren Jackson from the Seattle Storm. So we were friends. Those of you who know me know the likelihood of me striking up a conversation with strangers on a plane. I mention this because I then saw these folks all day long at every stop we made! They also enquired if I was Canadian – that’s the worldwide ploy to give us a graceful out.

We went first to the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. Orangs are often orphaned or captured for pets, and this centre, mainly run by the Brits, transitions them back into the wild. So if you ever get a gift of an orang utan from me, adopted in your name, you’ll understand. Orang Utan means Man of the Forest. Utan is man. We can go with Orange Man as well, I suppose. We walked into the jungle about a half mile to a feeding platform where the orangs can come for food to supplement their foraging. I was as hot as I’ve ever been, I think – it was over 90 in both temp and humidity – I was standing still and streaming sweat. But we were riveted by the orangs swinging in for some bananas. There were also a lot of macaques around as well. I got lots of photos. Watching the two groups of primates interact was fun as well. Saw the Aussies.

We were supposed to return to the airport at that time to go back to KK, but they had put us on the wrong flight, not leaving till 9 pm. So it fell to the tour guide to make up an entire experience until our flight departed. It actually turned out great, as we first visited a big Buddhist/Tao temple up on a mountain then went to the Sabah Hotel for lunch. Saw the Aussies again. We then went to the house of some Brit woman author prominent in Borneo – didn’t really catch all that as I napped on the bus. I think the Aussies were there too.

We then went to a memorial for one of the original Death Marches of WWII. We are familiar with the one at Bataan, but the ones in Borneo predated that and involved Brit and Aussie soldiers – only 6 men survived out of nearly 500 who began the march into the interior of Borneo. There are so many little bits of history to be found everywhere. Men’s inhumanities, and I use the language deliberately.

There was also a cat there and I petted it. I am starting to get a reputation for finding and petting the cats and dogs at each place. Of course, the doc says stay away, and of course I dutifully report to him after each port that I petted a cat or petted a dog. Or two. Hey, most times you can really tell if a cat or dog is going to bite your face off. So far so good, still got my face and other appendages. No rabies. But saw the Aussies.

We went to a local market with giant mountains of dried shrimp and other fish, a huge fresh fish market, lots of produce and other things. Not much English spoken, this was the real deal. Saw another cat with a leg deformity chomping on fish heads. I figure he could have a worse life. One of the things we see a lot is miniature bananas – I bought a bunch for the bus for about a dollar. They are very sweet, as sometimes smaller fruits concentrate the sweetness and flavor more.

Dinner at the Indian King Seafood Restaurant was fabulous! Mayo prawns, baked snapper with cilantro, fried calamari, lemon chicken; we mixed up a condiment of fresh chilis, garlic, and kumquat juice to hot it up. Yum yum. Fresh papaya for dessert. We watched the moon rise over the ocean from our patio. In Borneo. What could be better?

So back to the airport, saw the Aussies. Saw them one last time as buses to the respective hotels pulled out. The next day was full again as we went to Mount Kinabalu, a 13,000+ mountain, the tallest in SE Asia. We went up high enough for some welcome cool temperatures. We then proceeded to our canopy walk in which we climbed a ways up a mountain to walk on suspended bridges. Well, on the way we crossed a stream on a suspended bridge, about 3-4 feet wide, piece of cake! However……up in the canopy of trees, this bridge was 8 INCHES wide, a single board held up by a web of ropes 100 feet in the air. Oh my. And of course one of my secrets is that I have a touch of acrophobia (Sheilagh can tell you about me driving the Going To The Sun road in Glacier Park). I stuck by the previously mentioned Mental Health Professional just in case. It was a bit of a challenge – stick to the middle of the board, get a rhythm as you walk and advance your grip, and KEEP GOING. I survived, most do, and I have pictures. We got to finish that experience by doing a short hike (FINALLY!! a good walk) into the jungle and visiting a pool and waterfall for a swim. Perfect.

We ended the day by stopping at a village market in the village our guide was from. I tried the durian – “stinky fruit,” the one that smells like rot but tastes great. Well…..the smell was no big deal but I did not care for the taste. In fact it made me somewhat ill. But I tried it, and since, I have had candies flavored with durian, no big deal. We loaded up on snacks, a tapioca flatbread, mini strawberries (not usually a strawberry fan, but after that durian…..) and such, and feasted on our way back. The next day was a travel day. I had a little stomach upset, maybe that damn durian, but just as likely the sodas of which I had way more than usual. The lesson is that if you are buying anyway, just make it water!! I have not bought so much bottled water in my entire life, and in fact have a collection of water bottles from all sorts of countries.

Beautiful people in Malaysia, a great airline, chocolate everywhere. Lots of modern architecture sometimes mixed with the Asian influence. What’s not to like? I’ll have to return and visit KL (actually leave the airport) as well as spend more time in Borneo. Who’s with me?