Borneo was an extra add on to my trip after Bali. When I planned my trip last year it was always in the back of my head to visit Encarna and Greg in Miri, Sarawak and if going to Borneo of course I should also see wild Orang-Utans in the more northern part, Sabah. I spent the first ten days with Encarna and Greg who gave me what they call the 'Miri Experience'. I didn't know what to expect in a Malaysian town that has the reputation of being kind of boring and I won't get into details but let me say this much that I participated in about six parties in ten days, the first one being the expats yearly 'Play Back Show' where I got to know everybody by their stage name. I promised not to post pictures so please enjoy the daily sunset from their back yard instead. The Play Back Show was a lot of fun, 'say no more'!
To see the wild life I flew from Miri to Sandakan in Sabah. I went on a three day trip up the muddy Kinabatangan River which winds it way for more than 500 km. It is one of the places where one has a high chance of seeing wild life as Orang-Utans, Proboscis monkeys, Macaque monkeys, pygmy elephants, crocodiles, hornbills, water monitor lizards and more. I saw them all and it is amazing how a wild animal just catches your attention in a different way than when locked up behind bars in a Zoo.
The Proboscis Monkey is a funny looking animal. You can recognize the dominant male in a group by its long nose and large belly, which is longer and bigger than the other males. The Malay name for Proboscis Monkey I forgot, but I know it means ' Dutchmen' - not a very flattering compliment to the early colonizers of Borneo.
Pygmy elephants are smaller as the name indicates. On one of our cruises up and down the wide, muddy brown river, we spotted a group of three adults and a baby, the baby being no bigger than a Shetland pony. The elephants are difficult to find so it must have been my lucky day.
Just as I was lucky to see a large Water Monitor Lizard. And a crocodile! They are abundant in the river but you hardly see them since they are very sensitive animals and usually dive into the muddy water when they hear the engine of the boat. Seeing ones makes you even more sure why you don't want to go for a swim..
Three days on the river cruise were very intense. Eyes were wide open all the time - listen, look, listen, look - or we would miss out on these fantastic creatures. They are abundant along Kinabatangan River, however their habitat is becoming smaller and smaller every day due to humans cutting the jungle and making palm oil tree plantations instead. Most of the wild life is indeed endangered.
After the river I flew back to Kota Kinabalu on the East coast of Sabah and met Encarna and Greg who came up for the weekend with their children Sammy and Maya to enjoy the lively town and the white beaches. I loved to walk around on the local market and watch people. The women wear head scarfs in all kinds of colors beautifully decorated with a bling bling, gold or silver pin.
My originally planned trip around the world came to an end with a stop over in Hong Kong. From wild life in Borneo to the jungle of the city. But what a city! Especially at night when all the buildings and bill boards are lit, it becomes a 'Symphony of Light'. That is also what the evening spectacle is called when at 8 pm each night a laser show makes the high rise buildings of Hong Kong Island come alive.
So is this the end? Well, no! Nothing is ever the end. Just transitions. My adventure continues a few weeks more. After a couple of days in The Netherlands where summer has arrived before spring, I fly to Orlando to attend The 2nd Annual Conference of Functional Neurology. I have had enough time off from my wonderful profession and I am looking forward to learn some more, to meet my colleagues and to get the newest research. However.... when in the USA I might as well enjoy my freedom just a little bit longer. The next 5 weeks I am going to drive up the East coast before I fly back to Europe from New York. But that doesn't mean the adventures are over either. I actually think they are truly just to begin when I must decide on where to settle. Will it eventually be Denmark? Time will tell..
