I'm writing this from Borneo, on the north-east tip of the island in paradise on Earth---Sepilok Forest, Sandakan!Just to put this trip into perspective, let's go back a couple days. My flight from Singapore touched down into M. Borneo late the other night, and as soon as I stepped out of the airport I knew I was in for something special!
I traveled North to Kota Kinabalu just in time for one of the world' most challenging races. People and press were coming from all the corners of the world to race up Mt Kinabalu (one of the highest and toughest climbs in the world). An Italian won it, making it to the summit and back in less than 3 1/2 hours...my trek to the summit would have taken a whole 6 1/2 hours (which was average timing for foreign tourists). I say would have...because of all the traffic of the race and the torrential monsoons, there was no access to the trek for me. No worries, planning on coming back again!
I stayed at a chalet, high up on the mountain and had a beautiful sunset and sunrise over Kinabalu to treat myself to. We were at least 4,000 meters up which made it cold, windy and refreshing considering we were sweltering in lowland jungle all day before.
After Kinabalu was a treacherous 6 hour journey through the heart of Borneo to a jungle camp called Kinabatangan---one day trekking and a boat cruise along the river I spotted wild Boreno pygmy elephants cooling off in the water, pythons, freshwater crocodiles, flocks of storks and horbills, Kingfishers, the famously odd, big nosed Proboscis monkeys, wild orangutans, wild boar and civets on my balcony in the night camp sight. Jungle heaven!!!
Today, in Sandakan I'm in a luxurious resort tucked into the mountains and forest (even more if not just as beautiful as our accommodation at Lisu Lodge in Thailand). I spent the whole better part of today visiting the Orangutan sanctuary here, and learning so much about rehabilitating orang utans and their endangered plight here in Borneo...they rely on volunteers here, anyone interested???
The orangutans have been one of the most amazing sights of this leg of my journey---that and the wild pygmy eles! They were so much smaller, and I realize now this is the very first time I've ever seen a wild and naturally free elephant...a beautiful sight :)
I wish you guys could all be here with me. My days are full of boat trips, trekking, night safaris and jungle, and some of the best Indian and muslim food I've had since India!
No need to worry, I've taken about 100 pictures of monkeys, apes and eles to share when I see you all again soon! Better be going now, early flight to the Kingdom of Brunei tomorrow.
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