Rainforest Discovery Center, Sun Bears and Orangutans

I agree that the following probably each deserve their own entry. The reason I am regrouping them is because of their proximity to each other in Sepilok. I would tend to advise to try and do them together. You can get there a number of way, but if you want to take public transport, you should take bus 14 (at least that was the one I took when I went). It will cost you RM5.
 

Rainforest Discovery Center

My day started with the Rainforest Discovery Center, where you get to learn all sorts of things about rainforests and the birds that inhabit them. There was even a treetop walk, which I really enjoyed. This place really allows you to get up close and personal with your surroundings. You could walk there for quite a while. There is a small lake, a garden and the Giant of Sepilok, which is one big tree. Although, with a name like that I had expected even bigger. Titan sized. I suspect these expectations were more a result of my imagination than anything, or of watching too much Lord of the Ring, with its treeants.

Since birds are a big part of the experience, I would tend to recommend bringing binoculars. In fact, whether you walk around here or you head out to the river cruise in the jungle, I would go as far as to say that binoculars are a must. I wish I had known this beforehand.

For planning purposes, the entry fee for non-Malaysian adults is RM10 and the center is opened from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Sun Bear Conservation Center

(I could resist taking a picture with Siew Te Wong)

I watched with amazement these little creatures play in trees. They truly are climbers. They would have put to shame some monkeys! Then, I saw a familiar face in the crowd and had the chance to meet with Siew Te Wong, the world expert on sun bears and the founder of the center. He was walking the grounds like any other employee. From talking to him, I was horrified at learning that these bears are not only endangered because of shrinking habitat, they actually get shot as pests by locals or are raised as pets. I'm not sure if I really should have been surprised, from what I have seen so far, wildlife is not high on the priority list in South East Asia.

Sun bears are the smallest amongst bears and the less studied of them. They have a patch of color on their chest to which the specie owes its name. Their muzzle are short and lighter in color, and on a completely different note you never would imagine how long their tongues are! Just wait till they stick it out. I wonder if this an evolutionary advantage given their voracious appetite for honey...

When I visited the site, I asked if any of the bears would be ready for release in the wild anytime soon. The answer was no. I'm not sure if it's because of a lack of habitat to release them to or if it's that the bears are really not ready.

(With patience, which the lady below lacked, I did manage a shot!)

A very nasty older American lady happened to be there at the same time as I. She harassed the scientist all because she deemed the bears to be too far for decent pictures. He tried to explain to her that this was done on purpose so that the bears don't get used to humans and have a better chance of being reintroduced in the wild. The lady just kept going and insisted she should have her money back. I am not sure how he managed to keep his cool, since she kept this up for a good half an hour. These are the types of tourists that make me cringe. Anyway.

(You can also see these fellas, but don't get close. They do tend to be aggressive)

I spent a great deal of time here before heading on to the orangutans center, in time for the 15:30 feeding.

Click here to learn more about these delightfully cute and sadly endangered creatures! Or even better, visit the Sun Bear Conservation Center's website. Go ahead, you know you want to click it!

We were able to watch an introduction movie, Beartrek, before heading in to the site. You can find the trailer to this movie here and another video explaining in more depth the project, here.

For planning purposes, entry fee non-Malaysian adults is RM30 and the center is opened from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center

There are two feedings, one at 10:00 AM and one at 3:00 PM. Your ticket gives you access to the two feedings. It seems this was my lucky day, the afternoon feeding didn't have nearly as much tourists as anticipated and the feeding platforms were quite populated by orangutans. I must have seen a total of 8 orangutans, from the small scraggly one (who eats quite a bit) to the largest one.

It was funny, one even tried to get away with three bunches of bananas. Her hands and feet were so full that she barely could maneuver the ropes to get off the platform.

It was really nice to be able to get a glimpse of these critically endangered animals. Orangutans are native to Indonesia and Malaysia and belong to the great apes family (along with gorillas, chimpanzees - Jane Goodall anyone? I was fascinated by her work as a kid. - and, yes, humans). They can now only be found in the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo. They are considered among the most intelligent of the primates, a characteristic shown by their use of sophisticated tools and their construction of elaborated sleeping nests every nights high in the trees. As you walk the site, if you look up you can see some of the abandoned nests.

To learn more about orangutans, visit the Orangutans Foundation International's website. For planning purposes, entry fee for non-Malaysian adults is RM30 and you have to pay RM10 to be able to use your camera.The center is opened 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM every day.

RM30.00 RM15.00 Use of Cameras, camcorders, camera phones etc will be charged RM10.00 - See more at: http://www.sabahtourism.com/destination/sepilok-orang-utan-sanctuary#sthash.t0sH4Bkf.dpuf

Kinabalang Cruise

I woke up my first morning in Sandakan with people at my hostel preparing to leave for the Kinabatangan Jungle Cruise. Like this, at the last minute, I was convinced to join them. This turned out to be quite a good decision, I just wished I had stayed 3 days/2 nights instead of 2 days/1 night!

(A nice view with that breakfast?)

Our group was composed of a French girl, two Germans, one guy from Hong Kong, two Japanese girls and three Americans who were working in Seoul. They were really good company and I was happy I joined them. We chatted for quite a while at night around a drink before heading to bed.

(Sunrise on the river)

Our first venture on the water proved to be quite fruitful as we managed to see a wild crocodile carrying off a monitor lizard. It was looking for a place to land to eat in peace. It dove a few times before finally resurfacing. We saw many long-tailed macaques, proboscis monkeys as well as hornbills. Actually, we saw so many proboscis monkeys that I didn't feel the need to head to the rehabilitation center.

Proboscis monkeys are the funniest creatures with their long nose and big round bellies. However, it is really sad to think that the reason we saw so many of them is that the forest all around this river is being cut down. This loss of habitat has made them an endangered species. They are now protected by law.

Probscis monkeys are endemic to Borneo. Only the male has their signature long nose, which can exceed 10 cm and hang lower than their mouth. The dominant male has the biggest nose. Both males and females have the signature pot bellies.


I  don't have a picture up close, so do yourself a favor and google them. They are the cutest thing.

(Proboscis monkeys preparing for the night, sadly they were a bit far for photography)

Next, during the night cruise we saw many birds, among which tiny kingfishers. Our guides were truly amazing at spotting them. Sadly for me, my camera decided it only wanted to work half the time.

(King Fisher at night, Photo Credit : Morimichi Kimura from my group)

(Not sure what these were... Photo Credit: Morimichi Kimura from my group)

My third cruise was not so fructuous, as we really didn't see anything. I wonder how much is attributable to the skills of the guide in spotting animals. The scenery was worth it though, with the morning mist on the river. That's the thing with open jungle and sanctuaries, you never know if you will be able to see what you came to see. It's the price to pay to see the animals in their natural habitat.

(Mist on the river)

This was my last cruise. The reason I say I wished I had stayed longer? My companions who did stay the extra day reported seeing a python and some owls during their night trek and elephants, orangutans and another crocodile during their extra cruise. That was a bad decision I took, I should have put all the chances on my side by allowing more time.

 (Long-Tailed Macaques)

Instead, I decided to head on to the next site. To make the most of my time, I asked to be dropped at the Orangutan Rehabilitation Center and the Sun Bear Conservation Center in Sepilok. As I was too early for the orangutan feedings, I headed to the Sun Bear Sanctuary. Lucky for me, the sanctuary had opened its doors to the public just two months prior.

Mt. Kinabalu

I arrived in Kota Kinabalu one day before my planned climb to give me a good night's rest and a chance to acclimate before taking on Mt. Kinabalu, a mountain set on the island of Sabah in Borneo which holds the status of World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is the 4th highest mountain in the Malay Archipelago and it is considered the 20th most prominent mountain in the world with an height that was first set at 4,101 meters, but was subsequently revised to 4,095 meters in 1997.

(View from my room before the climb)

Mount Kinabalu is part of Kinabalu National Park, but even this status doesn't guarantee full protection of the surrounding habitats, considering logging permits were granted in 1984. I will come back to the logging issue in a later post. Between 5000 and 6000 species of plants (more than what can be found in North America and Europe combined), 326 species of birds, and more than 100 mammalian species - including orangutans - call home the national park (mountain and surroundings). Many of the plants are endemic, these include 800 species of orchids, over 600 of fern (among which 50 are endemic) and 13 of carnivorous pitcher plants (among which 5 are endemic).

(One specimen of a carnivorous pitcher plant)

After a good night's rest it was time to prepare to tackle the mountain. I dropped my heavy bag at the park's HQ (it costs RM 10 per piece) and carried only the necessary gear in my smaller daypack. While ascending the mountain, my guide told me this mountain was the highest mountain in South East Asia, you should know however that this fact is disputed - it's all a matter of what you consider to be part of South East Asia.

(Starting point of the climb)

Talking about my guide. To climb Mount Kinabalu, you will be accompanied by a guide as is mandated by the regulations of the park. This guide is only there to escort you up the mountain, mine did not speak English and had no knowledge of first aid.

While climbing this mountain, I saw both slightly elderly people and kids. I found going up to be of average difficulty. Now some will tell you they went up like a breeze and some will say it was the most arduous trek they ever set upon. My point is, you can't really tell how you will react to it until you actually start. The workers go up this mountain carrying beds and other things on their backs while... smoking. Yep. This being said, preparing for it would be a smart move. I didn't... I decided to climb this pretty much as a last minute thing. Borneo was not on my list of countries to visit at the very beginning of my journey. I didn't kown much about it.

(Little fellas who tried to sneak away with my lunch!)

The climb is divided in two parts. The first part brings you to the rest area where you will eat and try to sleep. This part is quite awe striking when you see the mist rolling on the flanks below you and you realize these are actually clouds. You have just walked through clouds. Yep. You are that awesome!

Now, as for settling in the cabin, I tried having a shower to wash the sweat that was freezing on me. I forced myself under the cold water, knowing that it was a necessary evil if I wanted to be able to get warm afterward. Not only was there no hot water, but there was no heating. So you should also know that the cold will most likely prevent you from being able to shut your eyes at night. I was freezing and had started having a fever and a runny nose. As I laid in my bunk in every layer of clothes I could find, I literally prayed this would be gone by morning as I didn't know how if I could go further in this condition. Also, some Chinese were drinking and playing games all night in our cabin. At one point I did wish I could have joined them as it was not likely I would get to sleep anyway.

(First stop)

1h45 in the morning came quickly enough and it was time to finish the ascent. I got up, had  my first breakfast and waited for my guide. On went the headlamp and up we went in the dark. Thankfully, since I was quite fast, I made it to Low's Peak (which is the highest peak) before most and I had the peak almost to myself for a while. You should know that when other climbers do get to the top they will not hesitate to push you aside to get their pictures taken with the token sign. The problem is that the peak is quite steep and rocky, it's not exactly the place to push (you only realize how steep it is when the sun actually goes up).

(Low's Peak at around 4 am, you can see I'm freezing)

When I went, it was too cloudy and there wasn't really a sunrise to watch. This being said, the jagged edges of the mountain were quite a sight on their own. The cold (temperature of -1*C),  the thin air, the altitude sickness and the pushy tourist made me go down quicker than I had planned. How did I experience altitude sickness? I had constant nausea during the climb, but I pushed through it. I wouldn't recommend it, as supposedly you can die from altitude sickness. Thankfully, it did alleviate and it got warmer as I hiked down toward the via ferrata starting point. I started feeling much better rather quickly.

(Via Ferrata)

I decided to do the longest via ferrata at 1,6 km and I didn't regret it. It is the highest in the world, but not the hardest. If you can climb the mountain, you can do the via ferrata. That is, if you are not afraid of heights. If you are, you will really hate the suspended and Tibetan bridges.

(Tibetan Bridge)

I had my second breakfast (I love saying that, makes me feel like a hobbit!), a quick nap and then made my way down the mountain. The rain combined with descending the 3,000 or so uneven steps had me quite miserable. I was counting in my head at the end of the descent - I always count when it gets really hard, it's like it brings my mind elsewhere. Coming down is a whole different business than going up. The last two kilometers, my knees were having such a hard time and had started to swell.

(Low's Peak, which reminds me of Mount Doom. 

The picture isn't so great as I was shivering quite a bit - 

a stabilizing lens can only do so much.)

By the end, I was wet and cold. I had my lunch, but nothing seemed warm enough for me. I sat with two guys from Hong Kong I had met during the climb. They pulled out disposable heating pads, joking they didn't know how good they were since they came from China. I was so happy for even localized heat.

Then I sat down at the bus stop to wait for the bus that would take me to Sandakan. The hours passed and no bus came. As I was waiting for the bus, a Malay family asked me if they have a picture taken with me - like I was some sort of superstar because I was a Westerner. Once they were gone, I kept waiting for my bus. Finally, someone said that perhaps since it was a national holiday, no bus would be coming at all. You can guess this had me freaking out quite a bit as it was starting to get dark. Finally, a few hours later, when I was about to give up, a bus did come. I was on my way to the next part of my visit, to see jungles.

Well, this is it for today. If you wish to attempt the climb, I would suggest contacting one of the many providers who will get you your permit and will pick you up from the airport. Also, here is a quick list of what you should think of bringing:

• Waterproof backpack
• Trekking or running shoe with good grip
• Warm clothing (Long sleeves shirt/Hiking pants/Long Johns)
• Waterproof jacket/wind breaker (would be more comfortable than a disposable raincoat)
• Extra clothing and socks (to change into if you get wet)
• Small towel
• Gloves and winter hat
• Head torch
• Personal toiletries
• Refillable water bottle (1 litre would be enough as there are plenty of refilling stations)
• High energy (I brought 2 chocolate bars and one small bag of roasted nuts, that lasted me the two days)
• Medication such as headache tablets or altitude sickness tablets (I had both headaches and altitude sickness)
• Toilet paper roll
• Sun block lotion
• First aid essentials like plasters and compression wraps
• Insect repellent
• Camera with water proof bag
• Slippers
• Plastic bags

Looking Back - Philippines

The Philippines turned out to be quite difficult for me, despite all the help I got from distant relatives.

 I'm a person with a relatively big personal bubble and I really hate being touched. The constant crowds, the calling of taxis and other service providers in the street, the pushing, the grabbing... It all slowly eroded my nerves.

After a few encounters with crooks, some I saw coming, some I didn't, I became much more paranoid. Despite my general disposition, in my last few days in the Philippines I started thinking everyone was out to rob me, even the inoffensive laundry lady.

At that point, I became uncomfortable with my own behavior and thoughts. I knew it was time for me to leave the Philippines. I had two options, go home or move on to my next destination and hope it would be better. I chose the second option, knowing I could go home then if my feelings didn't improve.

I think, for now anyway, I am left with bittersweet taste. I am sure this will fade in time to be replaced by the memories of all the wonderful things I have seen and experienced. Because, as you have read in my previous posts, there was a lot of positive and wonderful things that happened to me here. I have seen and done incredible things. I just need the dust to settle for now.

Food of the Philippines

I have realized that I haven't given nearly enough importance to food as I should have. Let me remedy this now. Please note that, sadly, none of the pictures on this page are mine, since I didn't think to actually photography what I ate. Beginner mistake, I know.

I'm also including links to recipes, I have not tried personally these recipes. I have picked them based on their ingredients, if they were close to what I personalty had. Don't hate me too much if you try them and they are not good, just let me know and I will research further.

A note of caution, this will be a rather long post, because I love to eat and try new foods! Well, I love food in general...

Cebu Pacific

Cebu Pacific is a budget airline operating in the Philippines and neighboring countries. I was really put off by them every time I flew with them. The last straw came when I missed my flight from Manila to Cebu. I had gotten there about 5 minutes after the cutoff boarding time (but still quite in advance for a domestic flight). While I was upset at the lack of flexibility, I was ready to admit my mistake and rebook a later plane. The problem was that their rebooking fees were higher than just buying a whole new ticket.

When I complained of this, the answer was "Miss, you are entitled to your opinion." Which, let's admit it, is a more polite way of saying "Screw you, we don't care." This is a very quick retelling of the incident, but the event combined with the overall poor staff made me swear off ever flying with them - even if it meant having to pay more to fly with somebody else (I did pay higher fees on one occasion to avoid them).

I agree that you should expect to get what you pay for with a budget airline. The problem with Cebu Airlines is that you don't even get that. When I buy a budget ticket, I fully expect to not get any food or drinks on the flight. Forget entertainment units or other commodities such as blankets. However, what I do expect is professional staff, this shouldn't change regardless of the airline you choose. Budget airlines shouldn't equate poor staff services. I have rarely seen personnel as rude as I had experienced with Cebu Pacific. I am very good at keeping my cool normally, but in this instance I was just appalled by their behavior.

There are plenty of budgets airlines out there. I'm thinking of Tiger Air, Jet Star and Air Asia, among others. With them you get what you pay for, or rather there are many things you don't get as expected from a budget airlines, but never in all the times I flew with them have their staff been rude to me or even treated me as some sort of lower class citizen.

I would recommend staying clear of Cebu Pacific.

The Jeepney Ride

This was not the first time I took a jeepney, but it was my first time on my own. I was on my way to the Tarsier Sanctuary and I wasn't quite sure when I would have to get off. Jeepneys are a form of public transportation in the Philippines. They resemble a bus in a way, except they're an elongated jeep with two benches.

(Photo credit:  Tropical Vacation Spots)

So, as I sat in this jeepney, people were mostly ignoring me. However, a young man noticed I was often looking out trying to figure out where I had to go. He asked me my destination and then told me he would let me know when it was time to get off. It seems this broke the invisible wall surrounding me and everybody started talking to me all at once.

It's not that they were not curious from the start about that solo traveler venturing in their jeepney, they were simply shy. When the young man offered me help, this opened a door for them and they all went through it. They made sure that I knew the last pick-up time from the jeepney so that I wasn't stranded. If I did somehow miss the last jeepney, I just had to go to this place close by and look for a girl with black curly hair named Christina. If I gave her the other passenger's name, she would help me and put me up for the night (I was fine though, don't worry).

I have seen this often in all sorts of context. It just takes one person to make a move for everyone to follow. This has helped me many times in the past.

If you are interested in the public transportation in the Philippines, you can read an excellent summary here.