Kuching and Bako National Park

Richard and I flew out of Mulu Park and down to the city of Kuching. Now remember, Kuching is the capital city of Sarawak, the other state in Borneo. The town here was similar to Kota Kinabulu, but a little smaller, a little cuter, a little more trendy. There was a long boardwalk along the Sungai Sarawak River that was very popular with families and couples alike. Street vendors sold cheap drinks and food along the way, and there were nice views of the buildings along the river. We took a twilight hour walk through the back streets, discovering the Chinese District and its many small temples, a large Mosque, and statues of cats...everywhere. Apparently Kuching means "cat" in Malay, so its mascot was in every corner!

The next morning we took a trip out to Bako National Park, 27 sq. km on the peninsula on the southern tip of Sarawak. We first took a taxi to the ferry dock, and then took a 30 minute boat ride to the park's entrance. It was so nice to be in a boat again and to smell the sea air! I didn't realize how much I missed it! Once we were in the park, we registered with HQ, and got a trail map. We first did a 300m climb up to a view point, but honestly, the view of the beach was pretty small since they'd let the trees grow around 3/4 of the deck. Next we wandered back towards the dock and there were two Malays who asked if we wanted to charter a boat to the other side of the island, which would take us past the famous "Sea Stacks." Of course we joined them, and I got to enjoy my second boat ride! Following the coastline, we circled the peninsula, and we could see several small beaches, mostly uninhabited, and then the sea stacks, which are sand formations that have been etched by wind and water. The famous image of Bako Park is the formation that looks like a Cobra. It was really incredible to see what nature can do, and also to realize that in a few years time, it may cease to be there.

The boat man was kind enough to drop Richard and I at a nearby beach that had a trail we could follow back to HQ. We took the opportunity for a nice swim. Bako was so humid and hot, even more so that Mulu and definitely more than up north in Kinabulu. There was another couple there who warned us about the Macaque Monkeys...they had already been caught unzipping the girl's bag in search of goodies! We put our bags in the center of the beach, with the rationalization that the monkeys would be wary of being in such an open space, and it worked. We could swim in peace! After about an hour, I dragged myself from the water, all pruney and a little sunburned, and started the hike back.

The hike took us up a cliff for a nice view of the beach below us. We idled for a moment, enjoying the view and catching our breath, before starting across a sand dune type ecosystem, before making our way back through the jungle. As we neared the end of the trail, the path changed into a boardwalk that stretched over the beach. It was extreme low tide and you could see the mangroves very clearly. Then we realized that creatures were among them...yes, we finally saw the incredible Proboscis Monkey! Such a funny looking creature. There was a whole pack of them, marching along the sand and heading to the mangrove trees to feed. I really enjoyed sitting in a pagoda and watching them pluck leaf after leaf, and staring at their bulbous noses. The Proboscis is endemic to Borneo (both Malaysia and Indonesia) and is also endangered, due to its loss of habitat and feeding ground. Bako is one of the only places you can see them, and we were luck enough to see a whole troop waltzing across the sand, completely ignoring us and gorging on leaves.

Eventually we made our way back to HQ to get a drink and wait for our boat to pick us up. Cheeky Macaque Monkeys were rampant around the canteen, and there were some interesting characters. A Mama and her baby sat on the walkway railing, growling at people who tried to walk by (even though it was the only way past!) and a googly eyed guy too. One girl had a plastic bag and the monkeys attacked! There was nothing in it to interest them however, so they searched for more prey, and found it in a few Chinese boys with a bag of chips close by.

We returned to Kuching that evening and we went to a trendy restaurant called Bla Bla Bla. Great name, huh? Delicious salmon and duck were quickly ingested! Mmm. The next day Richard left to go back to the Philippines and I was left to my own devices. I chose to go to Semenggoh Orangutan Wildlife Center, a place that rehabilitates sick or orphaned orangutans and releases them back into the wild. However, because the orangutans natural habitat is shrinking, they can't always find food. That's where the center comes in. Feeding time occurs at 9am and 3pm. The park rangers go out to the platforms with an assortment of fruit, mostly bananas, and if the orangutans want to come down and get it, they can. There are 26 animals in the park, and the number of them that comes down for feeding time is highly variable. If its fruiting season, perhaps none come. Others come once every few weeks, and some come all the time. The wilder the orangutan, the less they come back.

I was extremely lucky, as there were several orangutans waiting for the fruit to arrive. We walked out to the viewing area and waited for them to descend. Because I wasn't sure if they would stay there or run away, I used my zoom a lot and took a while to get a good picture. Much to my dismay, my camera died 10 minutes into the allotted hour! And of course, that's when the O's started to hit ground level, including a mother and her baby, who sat just 10 feet away from us! The Alpha male also arrived, and I guess he only shows up every few weeks. He stayed for almost 20 minutes too, and all I had was my eyes to watch! Guess that must be what it was like in the old days, hm? At least I didn't have to stress about getting the perfect shot like the rest of the 200 people were doing. Never heard so much clicking in my life. The O's would swing on the trees above us, swing across rope courses put between the trees, or walk on the ground very close to the crowd. There was a large park staff who constantly shifted the crowds to make sure no one got closer than 10 feet. Honestly, I wouldn't want to be - they've got long arms and big teeth! After an hour, we had to leave the park to let the O's do their thing, and I returned to Kuching.

For dinner, I went to a local market with another girl from the hostel and I ordered another whole fish to myself! I have learned the way to have the best food - when they ask me how I want the fish cooked, I just tell them "Cook it the best way you know how. Just not too spicy." And both times I've done that, it's come back grilled, with a different sauce, and absolutely delicious both times. I think if they try to bend it to my instructions, it just goes wrong. Let them do what they do best!

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