Miri and the Niah Caves

Miri

After yesterday’s travel day today took the usual format of visiting the sights of the town I am staying in. There’s not too much to Miri for a tourist. As you walk around you find that there are a fair few big houses here as a result of the money that has flowed into the town after oil was found here early in the 20th century.

It doesn’t have the colonial heart of Georgetown or Kuching, though to be fair that is partly because the allies bombed the be-jesus out of it in 1945 toward the end of WWII to hasten the departure of those dastardly Japanese; they had taken the place and the oilfields back in 1941.

After a lovely breakfast of coffee and fruit, including a big helping of the heavenly tasting and beautifully purple dragon fruit, I walked the 3kms or so to the Taoist temple in the north of the town, but with signage being really poor here I probably did double that zigging and zagging to locate it. Being English of course that meant I was wandering about the place at midday, on a day that turned out to have the most direct un-hazy sunshine of my trip. I ended up with a pink nose, a splash of colour on the forehead and a horrendously red strip across my neck, where my rucksack had pulled my shirt down. It was going to hurt.

The Taoist temple was a nice, simple single roomed building, nothing approaching the extravagant scale of Kek Lok Si, but it was splashed brightly with primary colours as ever. Miri being a transit place for tourists rather than a destination meant that I was the only visitor there. After cooling off for a while in the shade I walked east toward the base of the low hills which fringe the city and popped into the Boulevard Shopping Mall, which like all malls out here are colder than my fridge. After a quick stroll around I had myself a lovely further cooling frappacino. Not sure what it was, but it was cold and frothy ‘fruit’ flavour - it didn’t have coffee in it, I thought they were coffee drinks. Still on a learning curve.

I left the Boulevard suitably frigid and walked down the road in the direction of Canada Hill (defrosting on the way), literally the road, as pavements are an occasional ghostly apparition that quickly disappear either into deep drains, or just stop and become part of the road. Where present they tend to include obstacles such as gaping holes where sewers have collapsed or manholes have not been installed, the pavement is used for random parking, locals working or sitting, even walls jutting out across them. In short, useless as a pavement, so you have to walk on the road and keep an eye out for anyone that is driving toward you without due care. They don’t expect you on the road either (not many people walk anywhere here I guess) and when it comes to crossing them, just think Frogger if you remember back to the 1980s computer game.

Seeing an un-signposted (surprise) road leading up the hill I thought this could be the road to the museum, then again it curled off left and may have gone in exactly the opposite direction. I took the risk and it turned out to be the right road, thankfully for it was a 1 in 10 and in the afternoon heat took some effort. The museum was nice enough and very modern, but it was very much educational about oil formation and the industry and didn’t have enough, for me anyway, on the actual history of oil here in Miri and Borneo. In summary, it took longer to climb the hill to get to it than it did to walk around it. Again, only three visitors in addition to me, despite an enormous car park.

Strolling down was a very pleasant affair with bird songs all around me of warblers and such like. After a quick walk around another shopping mall at the base of the hill it was time to head into town for a well-earned pint of Guinness at the BARcelona (sic) and a chance to use the free wi-fi.

At 6.20pm the sky turned all shades of pink, which quickly turned to darkness and at the same time the swiftlets flew noisily overhead heralding the oncoming night and the imminent return of some torrential rain.

Tomorrow it is back into the country with a trip to the famous Niah Caves.

Niah Caves

I had arranged a car to the famous (honest, they are) Niah Caves with the wonderfully helpful Mrs Lee from the Dillenia the previous day. After being the first to book, another four people had put themselves up for the trip too, so two cars set forth at about 9 o’clock, with one couple from Holland in one car, which left me sharing a car with an unduly quiet young couple from NZ/Norway. I tried conversation with them but the effort yielded indifferent results, so I gave up with them. They looked tired with life.

The walk to the caves was a straight return trip along a wooden boardwalk, with no option of a circular walk. But this was to prove brilliant for me, in terms of what I would see. There wasn’t much climbing in terms of height gain, until near the caves and then again within them. That said it was hot and strenuous.

Firstly, the caves. The main cave is preceded by a long narrow cave, which may be better described as an overhang, known as Trader’s Cave. This is where the families of the workers who collected the swiftlets bird’s nests from the main cave lived and traded their valuable product. The remnants of their homes remain simply as the foundation and structural supports, which comprise of narrow ironwood timbers. These are straight, square cut and almost metallic looking and the ironwood name is certainly apt.

A few hundred metres through the jungle and it is on to the main cave, the scale of which is jaw dropping. The buildings at the front of the cave (see photo) give a sense of it, but being British I could have done with a double decker bus or a football pitch in there to get an obvious yardstick for the scale. After closing said jaw, the next thing you do is gawp at the slender poles dangling unsteadily from the roof of the cathedral like space. To think that anyone volunteers for climbing and shinning up these fragile looking ‘ladders’ to stupendous heights just to collect bird nests is enough to slacken that jaw once more. Cue much shaking of head and wonderment. At the same time it also makes you think that who could ever think that a soup made of bird spit would be a good thing, let alone a delicacy. Okay, those pesky Chinese.

The walk through the cave takes several sustained minutes of hard slog up the wooden steps and over the lip of some large rocks, which then gives way to night. At this point if you have forgotten your torch you can turn back and go home, or hold out for a group to hold on to, for it really is pitch black. I had my torch though. It is a fair way through the cave and you can hear the swiftlets and see occasional bats, where they roost away from the roof high overhead.

Exiting the cave takes you back into wooden boardwalk territory, but this one is very shaky and missing some timbers. It looks like it was constructed with untreated wood sometime before Alec Guinness was building bridges for the Japanese. In short, worrying to a lad a few stone heavier than the average Bornean (or even two of them).

After gingerly progressing over the boards it is up some more steps and on into the Painted Caves. This series of caves includes prehistoric cave painting of the type you will have seen on TV or in Nat Geo over the years, and are really clear to see despite the un-needed barbed wire up against the images (behind a fenced area). The paintings are all red brown in colour, probably made with haematite, and portray the kind of things you expect from the pre TV era – animals, hunting, men, women, and death. No football, gigs and beer then? At the far end of these caves is an in-situ skeleton of a young lady, previous skeletons found in the cave, which have all been removed, were all male. For some reason all the males were orientated in the opposite direction to the girl (head out toward forest).

After a scoot around these caves and another water break (we really are made of water) it was time to off-ski back toward the waiting motor, and while the caves were impressive and memorable the jungle was to prove at least a match. As well as catching numerous brightly coloured birds (which I can’t pretend to be able to identify) and copious varieties and numbers of butterflies I saw massive bright red millipedes taking to the boards, and beautiful dragonflies (okay, maybe damselflies – I will need to check with an ecologist in the know). Then around half way back I heard some crashing ahead of me followed by silence as the animals waited for me to pass. I had time, and I waited, and was rewarded after a lot of time and shifting about with the sight of a group of Silver Leaf Monkeys, which had made a swift get away from me by climbing further up into the canopy on the trees which perched on the side of the cliff. Their calls to each other were distinctive.

I spent some time here following their progress and listening for the occasional crashing crescendos as they traversed the Cliffside canopy, and then I walked on with a smile on my face as it was the first time I had definitely seen the Silver Leaf. Further along I came across my most startling sight of my trips in the jungle when I heard some rustling in the leaf litter and a slight splash in the stream parallel to the path. I assumed it was a larger than usual lizard that had dislodged something into the water, but as I searched the leaf litter below for sign of movement I saw what had fallen into the water. It was a 2m long python. It was swimming away from me, but that fact that it was a) a snake and b) a bloody big one, gave me goose bumps and I wish someone had been with me to witness it, for it was pretty incredible. I was gutted when I realised I had changed the lens on camera to my Angkor Wat damaged wide angle lens from the zoom I had on earlier, for I could not get a good (or in focus) picture. Ho hum, I will not forget it though.

Another a few hundred metres down the track and I couldn’t believe I found another group of Silver Leafs. It really was my lucky day. At the end of the walk I spoke to one of the Rangers, who said I had been very lucky both with respect to the monkeys and the snake. He said he had never seen a python here, and said he didn’t want to as he didn’t like snakes. A wise man, but there was me thinking that they liked all that outdoor natural stuff.

The miserable couple took an age to get back, but thankfully fell asleep quickly in the car to save me any more wasted effort. So, all in all a cracking day, as much for the jungle as the magnificent caves.

26th July - Beautiful Bako

Unfortunately another 6am wake up call for this one. But I was looking forward to this one, albeit with a degree of trepidation (for how difficult the walks may be). Another public transport do, and so I headed over to the third of the three bus stations. In actual fact there are not currently any bus stations, and two of them seem to use the same stretch of road to mill about in before leaving a 'few' minutes late. Confusingly the bus companies use the same numbering systems. So there are two or three number 1s, two number 6s etc. Idiots.

Anyway I got to the bus milling point, to find that bus station number three mills in a different area, and after asking several bemused locals I found an area of road with no signage other than road markings with enough room for 1.5 buses. This was the place. Especially if you had half a bus to park. Needless to say come 7am there was no sign of any of the number 6s, and certainly not the one to Bako. But at 7.15 a different and red and shiny new bus, with a number 1 on it turned up. It said Bako. A french family waiting ahead of me looked non-plussed, it was not how it should be (they weren't the same tardy frenchies from the previous day, these were nice timely ones). We want number 6. Anyway after asking the driver does it go to Bako and he affirmed this I got on and the French guys got on too, looking a little nervous. At this point I too got nervous, these guys followed me on, what if it was wrong, what if there was another Bako?! I later saw the map on the wall showing the stops, and it said final stop Bako National Park. While there may be two Bako's there couldn't be two Bako National Parks, could there?

Eventually there were 25 foreign types on the bus comprising Scandinavians, Germans, said French, Australians and even unfortunately some yanks (awesome!). A sprinkling of locals were on too to take them to their daily grind. Poor chaps and chappesses.

An hour or so later and we arrived at the port of Bako; well, small dock anyway. Our first part of the journey was over. It was time to catch a boat the twenty minutes or so out across the South China Sea to the national park headquarters of Bako National Park, home of the Proboscis monkey and pitcher plants et al.......

more to follow next time I can grab a computer....

Kuching, Borneo - Orangutans and the missing Corpse Flower

I have been in Kuching, which is the capital of Sarawak the southern of the two Malaysian states of Borneo (the northern state is Sabah).

Good place, nice vibe, lots to see around and as ever eat.

Saturday 24th July - SEMENGGOH ORANGUTANS

Along with the primary (and primal) jungle one of the big pulls in Borneo are the orangutans. These red haired cousins of ours are fading fast (and not as a result of the regressive red head gene) due to the removal of their habitat, poaching and the like. Also known as same old same old. One of the best places to see them is therefore a rehabilitation centre, where foundlings and injured or imminently endangered orangs are cared for in their natural environment i.e. the jungle, but where they still get fed and looked after when required.

The Semenggoh rehabilitation centre is close to Kuching and while not as famous as the Sepilok centre in Sabah, it has the advantage of being a) cheaper and b) a damn site closer to Kuching.

To do it all you have to decide is whether to use the public transport option or to go on an organised tour. In this case public transport was a cinch and is well recommended (costing the princely of 8 ringitts for the return trip and entrance compared to 65 for an organised tour (the saved 48 ringitts would later pay for 4 bottles of export Guinness at the Latino bar next to the hotel). Job done! (only problem for me was getting up at 6am)

The bus left at 7.20 and arrived an hour later; it would have arrived at 8am spot on opening time if we had not had to wait for a french family outside a hotel, who's daughter had evidently got caught short or was picking her jungle frock.

A quick race a kilometre or so from the park entrance then ensues to take you to the feeding area, where the carers of said red heads put out food at 9am (and 3pm) on large elevated tables within the confines of the forest (but suitable for viewing of course too).

It is a natural environment and these are not pets, so there is said to be no guarantee of seeing any orangutans on your visit, so I was well happy when we got toward the feeding area only to find one of the guys high in the trees over to the right. They are large beasts and make a pretty impressive sight. At 9am we were given a talk on safety and general information on the park and its guests. The number of people had swelled from the ten or so on the public bus to well over sixty once the tours had arrived. They get to park in the car park right above the feeding area, so saving a kilometre walk; and hence missing the trees, flowers, birds and butterflies of the park.

We were then told to walk to the main feeding area deeper in the jungle some 200m or so and as we walked we saw two more of our fuzzy haired friends high in the canopy heading in the same direction. So it looked promising. At the feeding point there were three massive wooden tables or stages and a little standing area suitable for probably a hundred people. On the stage was a ranger geezer in wellies who made some calls to tell the orangs that it was breakfast, which he had in a bucket at his feet. Twenty fruitless minutes (bar the stuff in the bucket) later we were told to head back to where we had come from as it looked unlikely that they were heading to breakfast at this open air gaff, but that more had turned up where we had started. The two we had seen heading our way had presumably nipped of to a local KFC (there must be a local KFC, they are everywhere in Malaysia).

When we returned to the starting point we found there were five ginger types cavorting in the trees and generally feeding themselves silly on various fruits of the summer. Two of the five were youngsters, occasionally clinging on to their mothers back like novelty rucksacks but they were equally happy climbing off alone into the very top of the canopy.

The animals were amazing to see, their expressions, their nonchalance at the viewing public, their size (both tiny and large) and their fluffiness (especially the teeny weeny one). 1, 2, 3..... ahhhhhh!!!

Sunday 25th July - Gunung Gading National Park - 'the Hunt for the Red Rafflesia'

At various points throughout Kuching there were posters advertising that the Rafflesia, the worlds biggest flower was in bloom at the nearby national park. I decided it was an opportunity not to be missed. The bright red bloom is over a metre across, and at the same time as being quite ugly apparently stinks to high heaven with something akin to rotting flesh (hence a colloquial name of the Corpse flower) to attract the flies and other insects it needs to pollinate. Unfortunately (or fortunately if you live nearby I guess) it only flowers for five days before turning to a black mess.

To cut a long story short (for a change) I arrived on Day 6 of the flowering event of the season and could not even spot the thing with the forest background also being generally black, brown and dark dark green (that damn canopy). You could say I couldn't see the flower for the trees.

That said, it is a nice park and worth a visit whether the damn things are flowering or not. And you can get to swim or soak in the pool beneath a small waterfall near the park entrance (if you are not running around like a headless chicken in the walks above).

Teluk Bahong

Yesterday started sedately enough with a breakfast at the Old Town White Coffee in the New World Park next to the hotel. A breakfast of rice, boiled egg, fried fish and a little curry sauce makes a change from crunchy nut cornflakes.

The New World Park is a modern paved and covered food park with cafes and restaurants on the edge and the central paved and soft landscaped area kept for hawker cooks in a ultra clean area; presumably to attract those Johnny Foreigners too scared to use the more lived in and battle scarred hawker stalls.

Sadly during my stay not one of the stalls was in use, which I think is an illustration of how tourism is down here with the recession still biting. Elsewhere hawkers business is booming; which it always will while the locals eat five times a day.

After taking in my carbs it was time to suck it in and head off to the jungle. Well, the jungle and beach, at Teluk Bahang which is the smallest of Malaysia's National Parks in the north west corner of the island. So off for a 10 minute stroll down to Komtar to pick up the 102 bus (which it turned out inevitably picked up by my hotel).

Arriving at the park I signed in at the office as required and stated I would be going along the eastern path up to the lighthouse at Muka Head. The walk in the guidebook was suggested as 'easy' and followed quite closely to the coast with occasional walking along sandy beaches. It sounded good (and easy).

Five people in front of me included three youngsters from the UK and a Saudi couple, with the lady wearing full Chador and veil. It must be an easy walk; unless it was a North Face chador perhaps? The walk started easy enough along a patterned brick lain path. Two hundred metres down the path and the Saudi's did an about turn and came back. It was still a brick path and flat, so I don't know what spooked them. At the end of the formal path a small covered seated area formed a quick break point to down a cold can of carbonated nothing and readjust my bag and its contents of cameras and water, lots of water. The three brits were there and as they saw my bag commented that perhaps they should have bought some supplies. Duhh, you think?!



The path then split into two with the left side going west toward a beach through thick jungle with more of a climb than my easy walk. The path went passed a meromictic lake, which I must say I was quite intrigued to see. My route right and was clearly lacking brickwork. For the rest of the walk (which eventually was about 3.5km each way) the path was either soil, leaves, roots or where topography demanded there were some wooden steps/walkways and concrete plinths over gaping holes.

Clambering over tree trunks and underneath a couple on hands and knees, whilst managing bag, bottles of water, camera and streaming sweat did not seem easy. But the wildlife made it worthwhile with copious quantities and varieties of vivid blue, yellow and green butterflies throughout the walk, and the nosey and confident cheeky monkeys (well long tailed maccaques) passing within feet overhead or even at my feet. I caught a glimpse of some other mammal on the return trip, but couldnt identify it. I think it was of lemur type. But who knows, I am no David Bellamy.

I didn't get to the lighthouse. I decided that discretion being the better part of valour I would make a return trip from the end of Monkey Beach. At the end of the beach along with a group of maccaques clearing the spoils of a beach party (unless they had been drinking Tiger?) I saw a massive monitor lizard, which had been sunning itself until I came along. It wandered off with its weird gait under a tree to hide (unsuccessfully).

Monkey Beach itself was busy with about sixty people their, of which the three Brits, myself and a couple of Germans had walked the rest were all Saudis in appropriated attire (women in full chador or at least head scarves while the blokes were shorts and t-shirts. I must say seeing the full black gear on with the veil on a beach is an odd scene to me (particularly when the one bit you can normally see is covered by trendy sun glasses), but they all looked happy enough. They also looked less tired than me as the climbed back into their boats. Lazy buggers!

Prince of Wales Island

Well I am a day or so into my stay in Penang (formerly Prince of Wales Island - how many islands have been so named). And of course the capital is Georgetown named after George III. The main roads in the city are named after brits with Light Road, Farquar Road, Dickens Road and the like. Beautiful colonial buildings either original or some reconstructed after the Japanese popped in to say hello in the early 1940s.

The brits let them in without a shot being fired, signalling the end of the our acceptance here and the ultimate independance of the Malay. At least we left them with sit down toilets, left hand driving, railways, three pin plugs, and cheap labour from India and China. And tiffin.

My walk through the town yesterday found me in Little India for lunchtime. Yummmy. Then chicken redang for tea. Great stuff.

Booked flight to Kuching in Sarawak, Borneo for Thursday. Sounds evocative doesn't it. Just need to decide on hotel, another Tune (great bed and shower) or something more local.... Bed and shower hold sway at the moment.

Anyway time to off to the Kek Lok Si temple, which looks incredible a few kms south of here at Air Itam (black water).

Take it eaasy folks.

KL

First in country notes from trip so far. It is Sunday now and having traveled from the UK via Dubai to KL I have had a couple of days here to acclimatise. My day in Dubai was long and unproductive other than going up the biggest building in the world. You only get to floor 124 (there are another 96 above that). Crazy building, but striking and impressive nonetheless. Beneath it is a shopping mall from hell though to kill some time I did manage to pop into a cinema there to catch the 3D Toy Story. Kept dozing off in the dark though!

I am leaving KL today after just a couple of days here. I must say that I do like the place and I will look forward to coming back on my return trip back to blighty. The hotel was fine and is situated by the main bus station, which is reputedly big and mad. But it was shut for refurbishment, so was just big and empty.

It is of course a tad warm, but as they say it's the humidity which gets you. The place is cheap apart from the beer which is a nonesense. Lesson #1 always ask how much the pint is before ordering three. Lesson #2 always carry a credit card.

Haven't done too much out of the ordinary. First night was Petaling Street where the mad market is for copies of watches and Mont Blanc pens and the like. Will wait to my return before splashing out. Had a couple of beers in the Reggae Bar. Next day did a wander around Chinatown and over to the park where I went to the KL bird park, which was pretty impressive. I got attacked by a Milky Stork, which are apparently dying out (5500 left in the wild). Get me a gun and I'll finish the job. To be fair the parents were just looking after a rather knackered looking youngster (so they have been doing their bit for the continued success of the Milkys). After that headed out to the Petronas Towers and the KLCC mall beneath. The towers are beautiful, while the mall is a mall. That said the mall was cold, which was welcome.

The food here is lovely, various and is everywhere. Penang is reputedly even better.....

Yesterday I went to the National Museum after picking up my train ticket to Penang (7 hour trip up north for the princely sum of 7 quid). The museum was excellent with some good exhibits and up to date technology too. Then it was back to the mall at the Petronas to buy a sim card for my phone (so I dont get stung on calls like I did in the Balkans) and a charger for my iPod (so I can survive 7 hours on the train!). Hoping that is all my necessities bought now.

Found a restraunt/bar called Albion in the Golden Triangle area. It was new so not in the guide book (take note Tony) and it turned out to be c0-owned by a scouser. Good to see them getting about. Then went to the Ceylon Bar where I got stung for some rather expensive drinks. Talking of drinks, you do have to look around and most places charge a fortune even during happy hours. Most ubiquitous stuff is Carlsberg, though there are some stouts about - as well as Guinness there is Connors (?) and Carlserg Royal Stout, the latter was a nice find and I will keep my eye out for more of the same.

Just booked my hotel in Penang this morning (a Tune Hotel, if you know them - if not worth looking up). Got a bit panicky when I looked on Trip Advisor and only found one hotel with a room tonight (a five star 100 quid + a night). But perseverance paid off.

Anyway time for some food (if I can find any) and to stock up on drinks for the 7 hour trip. Trust all is well with you guys!

Malaysia Trip - Travel Day 1

So it is here; I leave for KL this evening.  Started my packing about midnight last night, and have everything close at hand to finish this morning while watching Jeremy Kyle (kidding, honest).

Yesterday I gave my (not so) little niece a new laptop.  Which 14 hours later I believe is not yet broken, but lets see if it is still working on my return ;-)  Then went for a couple of pints of Mocne Piwo with uncle Ken at the Walton Vale Wetherspoons.  Surprisingly for the Raven the beer was absolutely spot on; dare say that I won't be getting to try any interesting or nice beers whilst away, but I will keep my eyes open.

Nothing like last minute but I collect my money from the bank this afternoon before getting the train to Manchestaaaar airport.  Or to put it another way, I love it when a plan comes together.

I have nearly a whole day in Dubai tomorrow and not sure what I will get up to other than gawping at the worlds tallest and most ridiculous building and buying some SD cards for the many photos to come.  I suppose I could also use the time effectively for planning my trip a little more precisely.

Trip Planning

After last weekends Waterloo Beer Festival I received the Indonesia Lonely Planet after deciding to drop Vietnam once more off my travel agenda from this visit.  Now I am just 48 hours or so away from my flight to Kuala Lumpur.  

Umm, after a few rather cursory looks at the LP I now realise I should have started planning this weeks ago.  So many options.  At the moment it is looking like roughly a fortnight each in:

• mainland penninsular Malaysia (KL, Singapore, Georgetown, Cameron Highlands);
• Sarawak and Sabah in Borneo; and
• Sumatra in Indonesia.

So a mix of jungle, cities, islands, orang-utans, volcanoes, etc.

Packing

I know where my passport is, so packing should be relatively stress free.  Not sure whether to do my packing tomorrow or leave it to Tuesday.  After all only need passport, cards, bit of cash, some medicines, my LPs, cameras, phone, iPod and some reading material.  Maybe a couple of shirts and troos I suppose and definitely some waterproofs.

First Blog

I finished work in April and Ihave been on a few trips so far this year (Amsterdam, Krakow, Prague, the Balkans) but I have yet to start recording them properly. That said, there are plenty of photos up on Face Book.

I will have to decide what is the best way of presenting my 'year off'. So many options what with Facebook, Myspace, my own website and this blog site. I think that the blog site may be of use for my parents though as I cant see them getting on to Facebook, and it is also easy to update while on travels (unlike my own website). We shall see.....

Just got back from Glasto last week, which was absolutely brilliant. 4 years on the trot and I have enjoyed every one. My first dry one though (weather wise) and it required lots of cold cider!!