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(sorry folks, it's my longest blog yet, as it's been a busy couple of weeks - once again, you have been warned - enjoy.)

"Borneo to be Wild (sorry)"

Simon Wadsworth
2006-09-04 17:28:08

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done a grand job so far, rehabilitating over 360 'Man of the Forests' who have lost their homes to the ever-expanding palm-oil plantations.

Mesmerised we continued to the camp whereby the 1st thing I read about it was the following: "the jungle is a green hell to some, but a lost paradise to many...the camp is not exactly the Hilton. Toilets may be underwater - this can be inconvenient." Inconvenient?...right. It was actually not that bad; the 'camp' was full of character run by some quality Malaysians, with great food, a strange square pool table with pucks instead of balls, and huts on stilts filled with mattresses and mosquito nets (a vtal life/death requirement). The camp is right in the heart of the jungle miles from anywhere, and I'm surprised the drivers don't get lost through the endless maze of rivers and flooded forest.

Of course, the main reason to come here is to see wildlife on the Sungai Kinabatangan river, Sabah's longest and one of the best places in all of SE Asia to do so. On the 1 hour boat journey in alone we were amazingly lucky enough to see Proboscis Monkeys, Long-Tailed MaCaques, an Orang-Utan, some Giant Otters, a Wild Hairy Pig, an owl, a flock of Great Hornbill and 2 species of Kingfisher. Wow! And it got tons better with plenty of opportunity to see wildlife on 2 morning boat trips, a night boat safari, a day jungle walk and a scary night jungle walk waist-deep through swampy water, with torches, getting closer to scorpions, frogs and an array of very large, very hairy or just very weird spiders. Unfortunately, it's the wrong season for elephants and most big cats, which was disappointing, but I can hardly grumble. You should count your blessings that I have lost my camera cable, for I have taken nearly 50 closeup shots. Before leaving, we also saw, among others, some Estuarine Crocodiles (3m), Wild Boar, a Giant Squirrel and a Pygmy Squirrel, Red and Silver-Leafed Monkeys, Pig-Tailed MaCaques, 4 species of Kingfisher, 2 species of Eagle and a weird insect called a 'Cotton Bug' which I urge you to Google an image of, as it's the strangest creature I've ever seen. I could speak for ages about the wildlife and how great the place was, but I've gone on for far too long in this blog, and any of you left reading would probably just fall asleep.

So where does that leave me? I caught an 11-seater minivan filled with 17 people and a chicken to Semporna, passing the turnoff to Danum Valley Conservation Area. This I only mention for the interest of one Miss Heather Janson who should recognse the Danum name since we did a presentation on it last year. As for Semporna, it is home of one of the world's best dive sites, Palau Sipidan, so I will be giving diving another go. If I don't, I fear a big telling-off from Will. Well done for reading this far - now get some exercise! Missing you all, Simon x