Thursday, July 8, 2010
The bat exodus at Mulu - a short video clip
We made a number of short videos in Sarawak, but were unable to upload them to the web due to the low bandwidth.
I started recording this video halfway through the major bat exodus at the Deer Cave in Gunung Mulu National Park:
I started recording this video halfway through the major bat exodus at the Deer Cave in Gunung Mulu National Park:
Monday, July 5, 2010
Last Day in Sarawak
Today is the last day of the trip in effect. Tomorrow we fly out to NZ and while we plan to spend a few hours between flights seeing a little more of Singapore, this holiday is really over. We've spent today contributing to the Sarawak economy in the craft and souvenir shops and visiting the Sarawak Museum and a little aquarium behind the museum, as well as 'Chinatown' and the Main Bazaar.
Kuching is the only place in Borneo with colonial era architecture and most of it is close to the museum, including the old part of the museum itself and nearby Fort Margherita. The colonial era buildings are quite elegant. The museum is small but very well done. It shows lots of the tribal history of Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah and has sections devoted to the various invaders and traders that have operated around here over the last 2000 years - Chinese, Arabs, Dutch traders and British opportunists.
There were sections devoted to Sarawak shipping and watercraft including the 'tambangs' which are the traditional craft (water taxis) that we can see operating from the hotel window.We have done one trip on a tambang. The design of these are unchanged since the 1880s and some 300 of these still operate on the Sungei Sarawak. I have read arguments that the ancestors of Polynesians set out from here into the South Pacific and I find the correlation between many things such as canoes, body art and wood carving to be persuasive.
The stuffed birds and animals in the museum looked a bit sad. These were probably the nearest we are going to get to seeing the rhinoceros hornbill which is the symbol of Sarawak. It features prominently in tribal art and is used in the logo of the Sarawak Tourism department. You see it in various forms everywhere.
The aquarium was small but fascinating, mostly devoted to the fresh water fish of Borneo - an amazing range of fish including some huge cat-fish populate the rivers around here. All of these places were free to visit as well.
A large section, sponsored by those eco-warriors Shell Oil, was devoted to the modern oil industry in Sarawak. I would have liked to spend longer at that one, but shopping beckoned.
We read in yesterday's paper that the Interhash was the largest gathering of foreigners ever held in Sarawak. I have seen a number of newspaper articles suggesting that tourism in Sarawak is under-promoted and is a big economic opportunity for Sarawak. Certainly we have barely scratched the surface in two weeks here.
With the trip all but over, the standout highlight is simple - Mulu caves and the rainforest there. Amazing place. We never even saw the Royal Mulu Resort where most people stay. We'd been unable to get a place there so we resorted to the National Park HQ accommodation, and I am very glad we did. It was a very special place right in the forest. With hindsight we should have stayed at least 4 days at Mulu instead of two.
Another highlight was the day trip to Bako National Park. This would also have been a good place to stay in order to see the best of the wildlife, with National park HQ accommodation and a simple cafe available.
The beach resort at Sematan was pleasant enough, but not having a car was a severe limitation. The resort promo could have stated that a car is really necessary. We did get out to the local fishing village on bicycles which was fun and the boat trip to the last village before Indonesia and the turtle sanctuary at Talang Talang Besar was also a highlight.
After travelling in other Asian countries, the standard of driving in Sarawak came as a bit of a shock. It is actually very good - at least the idiots on the road around Kuching seem no crazier than in NZ, except they do not stop for pedestrians. As I said, just like home.
The trip has varied between pleasant and fantastic; Sarawak is a bit of a backwater I think, but in a good way. It is clear here that you need a lot of time to make the most of the place - you could easily spend a month exploring Sarawak. The obvious thing that we did not do was an up-river trip into the interior to visit a long-house settlement or similar. I had thought originally of visiting Sarawak and Sabah, but that would have been too much. Sabah will have to be another time if at all.
Our last bit of Sarawak tourism will be to take a 'tampang' across the river and check out the 'Istana' building and some of the activities that seem to be going on over the other side. And there is a roti joint in the Main Bazaar which I am impelled to investigate. - Harold
Kuching is the only place in Borneo with colonial era architecture and most of it is close to the museum, including the old part of the museum itself and nearby Fort Margherita. The colonial era buildings are quite elegant. The museum is small but very well done. It shows lots of the tribal history of Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah and has sections devoted to the various invaders and traders that have operated around here over the last 2000 years - Chinese, Arabs, Dutch traders and British opportunists.
Part of the Sarawak National Museum, Kuching
The Old Courthouse, Kuching
There were sections devoted to Sarawak shipping and watercraft including the 'tambangs' which are the traditional craft (water taxis) that we can see operating from the hotel window.We have done one trip on a tambang. The design of these are unchanged since the 1880s and some 300 of these still operate on the Sungei Sarawak. I have read arguments that the ancestors of Polynesians set out from here into the South Pacific and I find the correlation between many things such as canoes, body art and wood carving to be persuasive.
A tambang (river taxi)
The stuffed birds and animals in the museum looked a bit sad. These were probably the nearest we are going to get to seeing the rhinoceros hornbill which is the symbol of Sarawak. It features prominently in tribal art and is used in the logo of the Sarawak Tourism department. You see it in various forms everywhere.
The aquarium was small but fascinating, mostly devoted to the fresh water fish of Borneo - an amazing range of fish including some huge cat-fish populate the rivers around here. All of these places were free to visit as well.
A large section, sponsored by those eco-warriors Shell Oil, was devoted to the modern oil industry in Sarawak. I would have liked to spend longer at that one, but shopping beckoned.
We read in yesterday's paper that the Interhash was the largest gathering of foreigners ever held in Sarawak. I have seen a number of newspaper articles suggesting that tourism in Sarawak is under-promoted and is a big economic opportunity for Sarawak. Certainly we have barely scratched the surface in two weeks here.
With the trip all but over, the standout highlight is simple - Mulu caves and the rainforest there. Amazing place. We never even saw the Royal Mulu Resort where most people stay. We'd been unable to get a place there so we resorted to the National Park HQ accommodation, and I am very glad we did. It was a very special place right in the forest. With hindsight we should have stayed at least 4 days at Mulu instead of two.
Another highlight was the day trip to Bako National Park. This would also have been a good place to stay in order to see the best of the wildlife, with National park HQ accommodation and a simple cafe available.
The beach resort at Sematan was pleasant enough, but not having a car was a severe limitation. The resort promo could have stated that a car is really necessary. We did get out to the local fishing village on bicycles which was fun and the boat trip to the last village before Indonesia and the turtle sanctuary at Talang Talang Besar was also a highlight.
After travelling in other Asian countries, the standard of driving in Sarawak came as a bit of a shock. It is actually very good - at least the idiots on the road around Kuching seem no crazier than in NZ, except they do not stop for pedestrians. As I said, just like home.
The trip has varied between pleasant and fantastic; Sarawak is a bit of a backwater I think, but in a good way. It is clear here that you need a lot of time to make the most of the place - you could easily spend a month exploring Sarawak. The obvious thing that we did not do was an up-river trip into the interior to visit a long-house settlement or similar. I had thought originally of visiting Sarawak and Sabah, but that would have been too much. Sabah will have to be another time if at all.
Our last bit of Sarawak tourism will be to take a 'tampang' across the river and check out the 'Istana' building and some of the activities that seem to be going on over the other side. And there is a roti joint in the Main Bazaar which I am impelled to investigate. - Harold
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Morning market
We visited the Kuching Saturday night/Sunday morning market just before sunrise. I have never seen, nor smelled such a large variety/volume of fish and seafood before. We spotted young sharks and catfish among the choices. Some fish seemed undersized to my untrained eye and I suspect some may even be endangered. If not, they soon will be!
In the market mayhem, we came across three small meowing kittens stowed away in a plastic crate. I wondered whether they were desperate to sample the fish they could smell.
You have to watch your step everywhere here in Sarawak - also in the market. We stepped on fish guts and scales and puddles containing unknown liquid substances. That's besides the litter strewn all over the place. In hindsight, I should have worn boots instead of open sandals!
We came across chickens(?) in an advanced state of rigor mortis.
....and a tail with skin and hair attached sans its animal. (Come to think of it, it may have belonged to an ox.)
The tail is on the left in the picture above. Oxtail soup anyone?
The fruit and vegetables looked a lot more appealing.
The market includes regular flea market stalls selling handcrafts, souvenirs, handbags, clothing, jewellery, etc. Meals are also on offer. These stalls were still opening up for business when we left.
In the market mayhem, we came across three small meowing kittens stowed away in a plastic crate. I wondered whether they were desperate to sample the fish they could smell.
You have to watch your step everywhere here in Sarawak - also in the market. We stepped on fish guts and scales and puddles containing unknown liquid substances. That's besides the litter strewn all over the place. In hindsight, I should have worn boots instead of open sandals!
We came across chickens(?) in an advanced state of rigor mortis.
....and a tail with skin and hair attached sans its animal. (Come to think of it, it may have belonged to an ox.)
The tail is on the left in the picture above. Oxtail soup anyone?
The fruit and vegetables looked a lot more appealing.
The market includes regular flea market stalls selling handcrafts, souvenirs, handbags, clothing, jewellery, etc. Meals are also on offer. These stalls were still opening up for business when we left.
Interhash
I participated in my very first (Inter)hash 'run' yesterday. People from all walks of life and from 60 different countries are participating. First impression: "Organised chaos". Nobody seemed to know what was going on. In our quest to find the right bus, I stepped off the road and into an open drain obscured by grass. Best to stay off lawns here in Kuching. You never know what may be - or not be - underneath.
All the runs were set somewhere outside Kuching. I chose to do a short 4.7 km 'run'. I am a novice, after all. Our run was set near Kampung (village) Apar. We followed a track through thick forest across rolling country. We crossed small creeks over make-shift bamboo bridges and waded through a swamp. In places we had to get down on all fours to go uphill, or slide on our bottoms down slippery slopes. I uprooted a young tree while trying to get up a steep bank. I drank half my water supply and poured the remainder over my head. (It ain't half hot in the forest!) I finished my 'run'/ walk in good time - drenched and covered in mud. It felt good.
The social aspect of the Hash reminds me of the student Rag festivals I attended once upon a time in SA. This time, however, the average age of the participants is around 50+. Not that age is a limiting factor in this crowd.
Anything can happen, I discovered when making eye contact with a brown eye as our Hash bus overtook another. "Any tits?", enquired an intoxicated Hasher in a seat somewhere opposite mine.
"Individually intelligent, collectively a pack of morons" Harold surmises.
All the runs were set somewhere outside Kuching. I chose to do a short 4.7 km 'run'. I am a novice, after all. Our run was set near Kampung (village) Apar. We followed a track through thick forest across rolling country. We crossed small creeks over make-shift bamboo bridges and waded through a swamp. In places we had to get down on all fours to go uphill, or slide on our bottoms down slippery slopes. I uprooted a young tree while trying to get up a steep bank. I drank half my water supply and poured the remainder over my head. (It ain't half hot in the forest!) I finished my 'run'/ walk in good time - drenched and covered in mud. It felt good.
The social aspect of the Hash reminds me of the student Rag festivals I attended once upon a time in SA. This time, however, the average age of the participants is around 50+. Not that age is a limiting factor in this crowd.
Anything can happen, I discovered when making eye contact with a brown eye as our Hash bus overtook another. "Any tits?", enquired an intoxicated Hasher in a seat somewhere opposite mine.
"Individually intelligent, collectively a pack of morons" Harold surmises.
_________________________________________________
Some Interhash pics below taken by Harold on one of the runs
Saturday, July 3, 2010
The orang utans of Semenggoh
Semenggoh is a reserve near Kuching where orphaned or rescued orang utans had been taught how to survive in the wild. We visited the reserve this afternoon.
Mothers protecting their young while feeding.
Nobody loves me.. A lonely male.
Practising to climb trees while watching the people below.
Mothers protecting their young while feeding.
Nobody loves me.. A lonely male.
Practising to climb trees while watching the people below.
Bako National Park
Thursday was an organised tour to Bako National Park. It is a bit of mangrove coast East of Kuching - about an hour by van and boat. This was a place where you really need to stay a night to see the wildlife. However, we did get to see a few of the proboscis monkeys that this Park is famous for (at a distance).
In addition we saw two pit vipers, a green crested lizard, a glimpse of the world's smallest tree frog and a lot of mangrove life - colourful crabs, mudskippers, butterflies.
A bunch of long-tailed macaques were taking a close interest in our lunch and had to be scared off a few times.
Bako was a great place and definitely worth a longer trip. The jungle walks were hot and sweaty - we have still not acclimatised to those. The only thing we did not like was the vast amount of litter strewn all over the mangroves at low tide, apparently washed away from villages in the area.
In addition we saw two pit vipers, a green crested lizard, a glimpse of the world's smallest tree frog and a lot of mangrove life - colourful crabs, mudskippers, butterflies.
A bunch of long-tailed macaques were taking a close interest in our lunch and had to be scared off a few times.
Bako was a great place and definitely worth a longer trip. The jungle walks were hot and sweaty - we have still not acclimatised to those. The only thing we did not like was the vast amount of litter strewn all over the mangroves at low tide, apparently washed away from villages in the area.
Friday, July 2, 2010
We've gone troppo...
Latest update - I've been captured by a native Iban tribe and crowned their queen because I'm taller than any of them. From this day onward I'll be known as Alettiban, the great white queen of the rainforest.
The first thing I did was to appoint a court musician. Here he is seen playing a sape (a string instrument) to keep me entertained.
The first thing I did was to appoint a court musician. Here he is seen playing a sape (a string instrument) to keep me entertained.
Haroldiban playing his sape. He needs a bit of practice.
Evil spirits descended on Kuching..
The red hat made an appearance at the Red Dress (charity) Run of the 2010 Interhash held in Kuching.
The Borneo Post reports:
"KUCHING: Hashers are full of human spirit, and no unkind weather can thwart their desire to do something for charity.
Yesterday, some 2,000 hashers, all in red, mostly in fancy dresses, from 64 countries proved they were made of tough stuff during the Red Dress Charity Run held in conjunction with the 17th World Inter-Hash 2010 here.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Sarawak Children Cancer Society, Sarawak Heart Foundation and the Sarawak Austistic Association.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan, who is also Tourism and Heritage Minister, had to brave the heavy rain like the hashers when he was called to flag off the run at the Jubilee Recreation Ground.
The event, themed ‘Sarawak Rainforest Interhash 2010’, was a prelude to the 17th World Inter-Hash 2010 which starts today and ends on Sunday.
“The hashers experienced the tropical rain today. But this only goes to show that the hashers can do anything. That is the human spirit which they are displaying. They are not worried about challenges. They are people with sheer determination, in high spirit and wanting to enjoy life. They do not let the external environment stop them from doing anything they want,” noted Dr Chan.
He advised Sarawakians not to be overly concerned with the antics of the hashers because whatever they were doing were all done in the name of fun.
“They are not imposing their will on us, and likewise we should do the same.
They have their culture (or values), we also have ours. They have different ways of doing things. But we can appreciate and we can understand them. But we don’t have to follow,” he said when asked if the hashers’ style of doing things would influence locals.
Most of the hashers wore fancy dresses. Some men wore women outfits while few others sported American Red Indian headgears and Afro hair wigs. Several were even seen sporting fake horn and tails of the imaginary Red Devil."
.
The Borneo Post reports:
"KUCHING: Hashers are full of human spirit, and no unkind weather can thwart their desire to do something for charity.
WET WET RUN: The hashers running in the city centre.
Yesterday, some 2,000 hashers, all in red, mostly in fancy dresses, from 64 countries proved they were made of tough stuff during the Red Dress Charity Run held in conjunction with the 17th World Inter-Hash 2010 here.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Sarawak Children Cancer Society, Sarawak Heart Foundation and the Sarawak Austistic Association.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan, who is also Tourism and Heritage Minister, had to brave the heavy rain like the hashers when he was called to flag off the run at the Jubilee Recreation Ground.
The event, themed ‘Sarawak Rainforest Interhash 2010’, was a prelude to the 17th World Inter-Hash 2010 which starts today and ends on Sunday.
“The hashers experienced the tropical rain today. But this only goes to show that the hashers can do anything. That is the human spirit which they are displaying. They are not worried about challenges. They are people with sheer determination, in high spirit and wanting to enjoy life. They do not let the external environment stop them from doing anything they want,” noted Dr Chan.
He advised Sarawakians not to be overly concerned with the antics of the hashers because whatever they were doing were all done in the name of fun.
“They are not imposing their will on us, and likewise we should do the same.
They have their culture (or values), we also have ours. They have different ways of doing things. But we can appreciate and we can understand them. But we don’t have to follow,” he said when asked if the hashers’ style of doing things would influence locals.
Most of the hashers wore fancy dresses. Some men wore women outfits while few others sported American Red Indian headgears and Afro hair wigs. Several were even seen sporting fake horn and tails of the imaginary Red Devil."
.
Our second day at Sematan
On Tuesday we had arranged a boat trip to visit a local village and do some snorkelling. On turning up it appeared the boat was high and dry as the skipper had misread the tide in the extremely shallow coastal area.
After a few hours wait we headed out to a Malay village a short walk from the Indonesian border. That was an interesting place.
From there we went to a small island - Talang Talang Besar which is a turtle sanctuary. Turtles had laid eggs the night before - but we did not see any turtles. We had a stop for snorkelling in this area - that was a bit disappointing as the coral was covered in silt run-off. Saw some pretty fish tho'.
The infinity pool beckoned when we returned from our boat trip....
Wednesday - heading back to Kuching for the next six nights.
After a few hours wait we headed out to a Malay village a short walk from the Indonesian border. That was an interesting place.
From there we went to a small island - Talang Talang Besar which is a turtle sanctuary. Turtles had laid eggs the night before - but we did not see any turtles. We had a stop for snorkelling in this area - that was a bit disappointing as the coral was covered in silt run-off. Saw some pretty fish tho'.
Wednesday - heading back to Kuching for the next six nights.
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