Category Archives: Borneo

Kinabalu: The One That Got Away

March 11, 2014 champagne&backpacks Leave a comment

Kota Kinabalu (“KK”), like much of Borneo, surprised us with its modernity. It’s a remarkably developed city for one I’d not heard of before, exemplified by the hospital (and that is something for which we were immensely grateful). We actually even saw commercials on television for the hospital we stayed at, and another promoting Malaysia as a destination for medical tourism. Lest you get the wrong impression, it still feels and smells like a seafront developing nation city in many parts, too.

The city of KK was supposed to be a short stopover for us in transit to and from Mount Kinabalu (at Kinabalu National Park). We spent our first night in town doing little, as we were to get on the road for our big hike. We did little more than hit up the 7-11 for water and other supplies.

::we’ll be back one day::

The drive out to Kinabalu National Park takes about two hours, and I was pleased to discover that there are kitschy roadside attractions in Malaysia, just like back home. We stopped for the obligatory photo ops at the Upside Down House, well worth the 5 MYR entrance fee (for the outside and bathroom parts only, it’s 18 MYR for the whole shebang) if you ask me. Highly recommended for those with kids and those kids at heart. As you get closer to the mountain the roads of course get windier, but we were still blown away by how modern and developed everything was. And by the glorious views of the mountain for much of the drive.

As most of you know by now, we were unable to climb the mountain, due to a pesky interruption thanks to meningitis (you can read about the ordeal here if this is news to you). We have high hopes to come back another time though. We were mentally prepared (as prepared as you can be) to conquer this massive peak, the highest in Borneo and one of the highest in Southeast Asia.

::mount kinabalu::

It is a serious hike that usually entails ascending from ~6,150’ to a mountain lodge at ~10,800’, spending the night there and waking around 2 am in hopes of watching the sunrise from the peak at ~13,500’. The upper portion of the trail is very steep and requires climbers hold on to a rope. Less than a month ago, a German girl tragically died after falling from the summit.

The first documented ascent of the mountain was in 1851 by Hugh Low, a British colonial administrator. The locals found the mountain a frightening place and believed the summit was home to the spirits of their ancestors. That is why every climbing party used to sacrifice a chicken at the peak. This is no longer necessary as an annual ceremony now fulfills this requirement for all of us. A couple other interesting facts: there is an annual race to the top and back, last year the top three men were Kenyan (obviously) and the winner finished in less than 2.5 hours (!!!!); and the mountain has the world’s highest via ferrata, called Mountain Torq.

While we can’t vouch for the accommodation mid-way up the mountain or the view at the top (yet), it looks like a stunning hike and one we very much look forward to conquering in the future, meningitis free.

::world’s tiniest orchid?::

Liwagu Suites, one of the hotels near the start of the hike, was great. We received service so wonderful we felt like celebrities. The pre-hike day lunch was so absurd in portion sizes and quality that we ache longingly to know what it must taste like post-hike. The staff were exceedingly accommodating, and especially when I was in need of medical care.

Upstairs at Liwagu there is an educational display with preserved bugs and animals from the area. Borneo sure does have some creepy crawlers, and I’m pretty glad we missed out on seeing those. Silver lining! 😉 We did see some very cool moths (and butterflies?) after dark.

::perhaps it’s for the best we missed out? those bugs are serious::

::nana nana nana nana bat moth::

::must be some of the world’s biggest beetles::

We returned to KK after our stay at Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria to continue recuperating before heading off to the Philippines, and this time Jenni was able to join Alan at the impressive market on the waterfront, as well as check out a handful of restaurants around town. While the food was good, beware the rats. We saw what was quite possibly the world’s largest rat at that market, and mid-dinner at a popular Indian restaurant we saw a honker of a rat come scurrying out from under a neighboring table.

Practical Info

KK is the capital and largest city in the state of Sabah. It is quite developed with large buildings, shopping malls and of course world-class medical facilities! And traffic. Lots of it at rush hour, which seems to take place in the morning, at lunch and in the afternoon. I am amazed at how much development is taking place here. There are new high rise residential towers going up and major construction much of the way out towards Rasa Ria…think industrial parks and malls and towers. Some sort of rapid transit system is probably on its way.

It doesn’t seem like there are so many tourist attractions in the city, but if you visit Sabah (which has the greatest share of Malaysian Borneo’s top attractions) you will most likely come through here. There are several offshore islands (per Wiki: “Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park comprises a group of 5 islands located between 3 to 8 km off Kota Kinabalu”) you can visit for a day or overnight. On a street one block off the water and just north of Le Meridien, there is a nightly market with costume jewelry, sunglasses, apparel, etc.

In terms of Mount Kinabalu, everything was arranged by our tour company but here is how I think it works. You can do it as a day hike, but there are only four (?) permits available per day for this. I think all hikers need to hire a local guide. You could also drive up to the park in the morning, hike up to the mountain lodge (Laban Rata) for the night and summit and return the next day. But I think they try to discourage this so the concessionaire can make more money?? So it seems the most widely available option is to drive up to the park, spend the night at one of the properties near park headquarters, have breakfast around there and then hike up to Laban Rata, have a buffet dinner there, wake around 2 am when you can get some toast and coffee etc. before the summit attempt, watch the sunrise on the summit, hike back down to Laban Rata for a full breakfast, and finally descend back to park headquarters.

Many people visit the park with no intention of climbing the mountain. The air is much cooler and there is abundant flora and fauna. I think it’s very rare to see most of the fauna that lives in the park, but birding is popular. There are many easy walking trails around the park headquarters and a botanical garden with limited hours.

Our arrangements were to include all our meals from arrival at the park through lunch after descending the mountain. I’m not sure if this is standard. There are some little stores at the park selling drinks and snacks and clothing you might need (rain coat, gloves, hat, head lamps, walking poles, etc.).

Note that you probably want good gloves because much of the top requires holding on to a rope, and it might be wet and will be cold. So the under gloves we packed might not have been sufficient, but fortunately the hotel gave us a bag with thicker gloves and other items. I would recommend bringing some form of water purification. There are conflicting reports on the safety of drinking the water available on the mountain trail, but I don’t drink untreated mountain water in the US and I wouldn’t do it here. Also, you need to show your passport for the hike.

We did not get a chance to do any of this, but near the park there are places you might be able to see the rafflesia (the world’s biggest flower, it can be a meter in diameter and weigh 12kg), and the self-explanatory Poring Hot Springs.

Transportation: There is an international airport (Air Asia flies here) with connections to several destinations. There are three direct flights each week to Palawan in the Philippines. The drive to Kinabalu National Park takes about two hours.

Accommodation: Our first night in KK we stayed at the Promenade Hotel. We were upgraded to a suite that was quite nice. The hotel does not get great reviews and the breakfast buffet did feel a touch dingy, but the location is good and we didn’t really see enough to judge. We had planned to stay at the Jesselton but it was full.

Our night before being admitted to the hospital and then the nights after Rasa Ria we stayed at Le Meridien. The first time we had a big room with full ocean view which was very nice as we could see the offshore islands and watch the sunset. The second time we had a smaller room and partial ocean view, still quite nice. There is a nice pool and gym. The WiFi leaves a lot to be desired, though we complained so they actually put a router in our room and that helped a lot. Hey, we need good bandwidth to file our reports from the road!

Both hotels we stayed at are on the waterfront, and this seems like a good place to be. I’d probably choose Le Meridien’s location from what I’ve seen as it’s straight across from a great market (more on this below) and I think closer to the waterfront development with bars and restaurants popular among expats. There is a Hyatt on the waterfront a few blocks north that might be a slightly more peaceful location.

For Mount Kinabalu, we stayed at Liwagu Suites, which is part of Sutera Sanctuary Lodges. I think they hold the concession from the park so they operate multiple properties near park headquarters plus the main mountain lodge. Our suite at Liwagu was very spacious and quite nice, with a living area downstairs plus sleeping loft with additional half bath. Less expensive accommodation is available, including more hostel-like quarters.

The lodge on the mountain is called Laban Rata. I believe there are a few private rooms that are hard to book so chances are you’ll stay in the dorm. They have everything you need for sleeping so no need to bring a sleeping bag.

I don’t know much about it, but there is also a place called Mesilau Nature Resort. I think this is in a slightly different area than the other base lodges and you begin the hike on a different trail before joining up with the main trail well below Laban Rata.

Food and Drinks: There is a lot of seafood and Indian food in KK. And probably near anything you might want given how large and modern the city is. The market across from Le Meridien has a section with Malaysian rice and noodle dishes plus endless purveyors of grilled chicken and “you point, we cook” seafood. I tried chicken ass. It wasn’t that much better than it sounds. But this market is vibrant and fun and smoky. And when I was there alone the night we returned from the mountain, this little kid walked by and rubbed my red arm hair. Then he whispered to his friend, pointed at me, and came back and did it again.

Just down the waterfront is a collection of bars and restaurants. We had delicious pizzas at Gusto (30-35 MYR each) and tasty north Indian cuisine at Kohinoor (entrees 20-30 MYR, I requested my butter chicken spicy and it sure was). There is an Aussie place, a hot dog place, Starbucks, plenty of Guinness around, etc. Our driver said Bed nightclub is popular among expats. Lunch at Malaysian chain Secret Recipe was fairly inexpensive and fine.

Coffee and kaya toast at Borneo 1945 Museum Kopitiam (at Borneo Backpackers hostel) was pretty good. It seems to be a bit of a traveler/backpacker hangout spot and has free WiFi.

February 25 – March 3 and March 7-11, 2014

Asia, Borneo, Malaysia, Shangri-La Rasa Ria

Recovering in Rasa Ria

March 7, 2014 champagne&backpacks 1 Comment

Leaving the hospital in Kota Kinablau was intimidating. There’s nothing like a bout of meningitis in Borneo to knock you off your game for a while. So we figured the best thing to do would be to stay local, travel minimally for a while and go somewhere supremely relaxing where we could unwind, recuperate and recover. And Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria ended up being the perfect spot to do just that.

Located only about an hour outside of the surprisingly large city of Kota Kinabalu, Rasa Ria is a little slice of paradise set on a cove of the South China Sea. The Shangri-La brand is well known, and it didn’t disappoint. I don’t know if this was the doing of Audley’s local agent or the fact that I showed up sporting my hospital bracelet and bandages on the IV holes in my hands, but the hotel upgraded us to the Ocean Wing. This is the fancy side, and it comes with such perks as a fabulous and large room with a spacious lanai containing a day bed and giant soaking tub; chocolates, fruits and snacks provided daily in the room; a separate pool just for Ocean Wing guests; and a separate breakfast spread that includes a build-your-own-mimosa bar.

::check out that tub::

::perfection::

::two monkeys::

We practiced baby-mooning, Alan enjoying the specialty cocktails, and me sticking to the mocktails (for the most part anyway, I had to try that mimosa bar by the end!). While I took it easy, Alan partook in some activities at the resort: tennis (where he experienced for the first time a macaque walking along the top of the back fence while he played!), the gym, and winning the putting competition. We even played a little game of croquet together. But mostly our recovery involved a lot of reading, a lot of napping, a lot of floating in the pool.

::lots of reading::

::A with his winner’s necklace::

::sigh::

::yes, this is a good way to recover from meningitis::

We felt incredibly fortunate to be able to recuperate here, and it was a much needed period of relaxation and restoration for both of us.

::they just kept getting better::

Practical Info

The resort is only about an hour from Kota Kinabalu (a taxi costs 90 MYR) but feels worlds away. The property is enormous, with multiple buildings, an 18-hole golf course and 400 acres of tropical forest. The beach is deep and gorgeous, but for some reason people didn’t seem to swim in the ocean or even hang out on the beach as much as near the pools.

The Garden Wing is closer to some of the activities but the Ocean Wing is so near that it doesn’t really matter. The hotel is expanding the Ocean Wing so you do hear and see construction in what is otherwise paradise. Their website says it is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2014. WiFi worked great.

Nearby is the Nexus Resort, which I think is a similar concept that is less nice and less expensive.

Food and Beverage: There are five dining areas plus a couple bars. Coast restaurant is the most upscale (with a dress code at night) and where the Ocean Wing guests have breakfast (which was excellent). Our dinner there was good but not amazing, though I did satisfy my craving for a steak. The Coffee Terrace has an a la carte menu plus a buffet with various theme nights. We ate there for the Western (mainly Mexican) and Mediterranean nights. The buffet costs 106++ MYR. Then there is an Indian a la carte restaurant, a Japanese teppanyaki spot with a few menu sets, and a Malaysian-oriented buffet that is sort of a fancy resort version of a hawker center. And there is 24-hour room service.

There is a nice bar in the main lobby with live jazz music nightly. The highlight on the F&B front and maybe just overall is the 4:30-7:30 pm happy hour at the beachfront Sampan Bar. They have a neat, cultural lighting ceremony at sunset and a guitar/upright bass trio doing acoustic versions of Western classics. Of course the main attraction is watching the sunset. We had four straight glorious evenings watching that ball of fire plunge into the South China Sea.

::lighting ceremony::

We enjoyed lunch at the Ocean Wing pool most days, and the staff walk around with ice water, cold towels and these delicious black glutinous rice ice cream bars.

Activities and Wildlife: We were here to relax and did not partake in most of the activities, but there are several on offer (mostly at additional cost). There is an orangutan center and I’m not sure how it works, but I’m sure we would have participated had we not already visited Semenggoh. There are day and night boat trips to see floating villages and fireflies in the mangroves. You can rent a jet ski or borrow a kayak for free.

I think you could visit Kinabalu National Park and they may be able to coordinate hiking there. The golf course looked pretty nice. On Thursday (every week?) there was a good deal for the guest/manager competition where it cost 185 MYR for nine holes including all the rental equipment you might need.

There is one hard tennis court in very good condition. You can borrow a racquet and used balls for free, though I should have just stumped up the cash for a new can! You can pay a bunch to hit with the coach, but instead I asked and they connected me with Alvin on the staff free of charge and he was very good.

In a tree in the middle of the property we saw a few big red and green macaws plus their resident hornbill. On the drive in, we saw a huge monitor lizard in the water at the golf course. We walked back a couple days later but didn’t spot any others.

::resident hornbill::

March 3-7, 2014 (Monday-Friday)

Asia, Borneo, Hospital, Malaysia

And Then…Meningitis

March 3, 2014 champagne&backpacks 15 Comments

Sometimes things happen that require a change of plans. Like getting meningitis in Borneo.

Jenni first started feeling sick our last night in Kuching (Sunday), after we returned from a fantastic trip staying at an Iban longhouse. Her symptoms were not immediately apparent. I recall her saying “I don’t know, I just don’t feel well.” This soon became a severe headache and fever with chills plus fatigue and mild nausea. The next morning we woke at the crack of dawn for a flight to Miri and a drive into Brunei. Jenni spent the rest of the day resting in the hotel room, and by dinner she was tired but otherwise pretty much fine.

On Tuesday, we were out and about in Brunei and that evening we flew to Kota Kinabalu. The next morning we drove a couple hours up to Kinabalu Park, where we planned to spend the night near park headquarters before beginning our Mount Kinabalu hike on Thursday morning. When we arrived, Jenni was tired and spent the afternoon relaxing on the day bed. Many tears were shed, but that’s because she was watching The Notebook on HBO.

As we went to bed, it seemed like the hike was nearly sure to happen. But that night Jenni’s fever spiked again, accompanied by horrible chills and a crushing headache. In the morning, she said she could not make the hike but that I should go for it. After all, we had come to Sabah only to climb this mountain and we were both thrilled at the prospect. It is a serious hike that usually entails ascending from ~6,150’ to a mountain lodge at ~10,800’, spending the night there and waking around 2 am in hopes of watching the sunrise from the peak at ~13,500’. The upper portion of the trail is very steep and requires climbers hold on to a rope. Less than a month ago, a German girl tragically died after falling from the summit. We will cover the mountain in more depth in a separate post, since we learned a bit about it despite missing the hike.

I had a couple hours still to decide whether or not to begin the hike. Given I would have been away from Jenni for about 30 hours and communication would have been difficult if not impossible, it seemed the right choice was to bail on the hike. Of course had we known then the severity of the situation, it would never have been a question. We had started to suspect Jenni might have malaria, but we still wondered if she was just experiencing something akin to the flu.

We spoke again with my dad who pointed out to us lay folk that it is one thing to suffer severe headaches, spiking fevers and some nausea. It is quite another when there is a complete absence of any upper respiratory symptoms, no diarrhea and at that point no vomiting. Despite that we have been very conservative (spendthrift even?!) in taking malarone our entire trip, her symptoms sounded quite similar to malaria. And so on Thursday morning we decided to leave the mountain and head straight to KPJ Sabah Specialist Hospital (fka Sabah Medical Centre) back in the city of Kota Kinabalu.

::Sabah Medical Centre:: — ::Jenni’s first walk post-meningitis at Sabah Medical Centre::

By this time, Jenni was feeling worse and worse. A doctor examined her in the E.R. and they drew blood for general analysis plus to test for malaria, dengue fever and typhoid. The results came back negative, but we learned that false negatives are not unheard of, and even more so if the patient is taking malaria prophylaxis and blood is drawn while the fever has come down. (By the way, this isn’t medical advice and if you’re a doctor and disagree with what I’m saying, then you’re probably right! I’m only conveying what I was told and what our experience was like 🙂 )

The medical staff sent us home with instructions to return in the morning for further blood work. Jenni spent the rest of the day near incapacitated, and as we had finally bought a thermometer from the hospital I was able to check her temperature: just shy of 103. By this time we were growing very concerned because Jenni’s condition seemed to be worsening and as yet we had no diagnosis. Friday morning was the nadir.

We returned to the hospital and she immediately had to lie down. The E.R. doctor from the previous day had said he’d just begin treating her for malaria today even if the results again were negative. She was in so much pain and barely communicating, and I was terrified. Was it cerebral malaria? It started to feel to me like seconds and minutes became critical. I became quite pushy and the E.R. doctor called down one of his colleagues. At the same time they put Jenni on an IV because she was not eating or drinking anything.

I was on the phone constantly with my father, and at one point walked away from Jenni’s bed so she wouldn’t hear me cry. I knew she needed me to be calm and in control, and if she knew how upset and scared I was that would only exacerbate her own fear and could only make matters worse. Our new doctor administered some antibiotics and agreed she might have malaria or perhaps it was meningitis. Jenni was admitted to the hospital and within a few hours we saw the neurologist.

Her second and third malaria tests (the second taken immediately upon arriving at the hospital Friday morning, a third blood test drawn a couple hours later when her fever spiked again) also came back negative.

Next came Jenni’s first MRI, followed a few hours later by her first (and hopefully only) lumbar puncture, aka spinal tap. Here again I will pretend to possess some medical knowledge. Meningitis cannot be detected in the blood, but rather it requires an analysis of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). And since it’s not that easy to put a temporary hole in someone’s head, the doctor gets the CSF sample from the base of the spinal column. Or something like that. By now Jenni was far from well but certainly better than she had been that morning or the previous day.

After several more agonizing hours, we got the results of the spinal tap and the neurologist told us that Jenni had viral meningitis. Not usually cause for celebration, but since we at last had a diagnosis and it was not malaria and did not seem to be bacterial meningitis, we were quite relieved. At least I was. We found out the next day that Jenni didn’t realize viral is the less serious type of meningitis. She thought she had the type that could be fatal, and she cried tears of joy when her father mentioned otherwise.

She ended up spending three nights in the hospital, getting poked by a lot of needles and with several drugs administered…antibiotics, antiviral, pain medicine, nausea medicine to counter the nausea caused by the meningitis and the pain medicine, etc. Luckily the other bed in the room was empty so I did not have to sleep on the floor.

I knew Jenni needed to rest and not think too hard, so I suggested we try to download a movie to watch. Jenni asked if I thought watching the Bachelor would be OK. I’m no doctor, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but since meningitis is an acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain, it seems logical that shrinking the brain might be advantageous.

Once we knew what was wrong and Jenni started to feel better, we had the chance to begin reflecting on the experience. What struck us first and foremost is how lucky we were that it happened here. While it’s hard to say you’re lucky when you get meningitis, we felt that Singapore is the only place we’ve been the past three months where it’s easy to imagine the situation could have been better. More on this below, but we were working with a tour company for the only time on the trip thus far and they were most helpful, the hospital facilities were modern and clean, and the care Jenni received seemed excellent. I’ve been to many hospitals in the U.S., and this was at least as nice as several of those. We also heard this hospital has the only certified neurologist in Sabah, a rather fortuitous fact.

In addition to a crash course in tropical diseases and meningitis, we learned a few other lessons. Be pushy. Do not sit back and assume someone else has everything under control. While it might have worked out the same either way, I believe that constant inquiry and double-checking and pressing led to greater and more prompt focus on taking care of Jenni. Having travel insurance can be a good thing. We never have in the past, but for this trip we do. So we hope to suffer minimal financial loss. Have a doctor in your life that you can call on any time. More on that below, but it made a really scary and difficult situation slightly more tolerable. We have bought SIM cards in most but not all countries. Having one here was a lifesaver (figuratively, at least).

Many of you have asked about our travel plans in light of this ordeal. Our flight to Manila on March 1 was obviously out of the question, given that Jenni was lying in the hospital with an IV in her arm that day. We had made all the arrangements to snorkel with whale sharks in Donsol and then trek in northern Luzon before heading to Palawan. Those former destinations we will have to skip for now.

To say that Jenni has been a trooper through this is a massive understatement. It would have been reasonable, if not expected, for her to want to head back home and reevaluate the situation and our plans. Instead, she has shaken off the emotional impact and we’re ready to get back at it.

We feel very fortunate that Jenni was able to recuperate at the Shangri-La Rasa Ria, a terrific beach resort less than an hour from the city. Next week we will fly to Palawan and with any luck Jenni will be 100% recovered and ready to proceed with our planned Nepal trek in April.

::these sunsets are definitely aiding in her recovery::

I think a “special thanks” section would be in order here, and this is by no means an exhaustive list. We appreciate all the love and support of our family and friends My father has been my first call for any medical issue for my entire life. Not only because he’s my father, but because he is brilliant. Unfortunately, this means he had to field calls from drunken frat boys at odd hours of the night during my Tufts years.

He was in communication with us throughout, starting well before we reached the hospital. In fact, we first appreciated Jenni’s condition could be serious when he said that it didn’t sound like nothing. For those of you who know Ron, his personality and incredible knowledge conspire to make him shrug off most problems. Well, he does’t really shrug them off, he just seems unimpressed. Like, “oh, it sounds like X. If doing Y hurts, don’t do Y. I predict a full recovery.” He knows just about everything, but supplemented that with research of his own since he’s not an infectious disease doctor and certainly not a tropical specialist. He guided us from afar, including in the middle of the night and at times speaking on the phone with the attending physician. There is simply no way to overstate the value of a doctor 100% focused on your interests and with a competence level way off the charts. When Jenni was starting to recover, she said something to the effect of “your dad is a freak of nature. I am so happy we have him.” Me too.

We booked our Borneo trip through Hannah G. at Audley. Their team and local agents/partners in Kota Kinabalu and up at Mount Kinabalu were exceptionally helpful and thoughtful. We were staying at Kinabalu National Park when we decided medical attention was in order. The staff at the lodge there were so accommodating (the whole time, not just in sickness), we thought we might be getting punked. Audley’s local agents are the ones who recommended the KPJ hospital. When our plan to spend the night on the mountain was superseded by a night in Kota Kinabalu, they put us up at Le Meridien which was first class. The team was in touch constantly, and one of the guys on the ground even visited us at our hotel and later at the hospital. I would call out the names of these local agents since they certainly deserve it, but if you want to know just get in touch with Audley. We had done virtually all our travel independently until Borneo, and boy were we glad that Audley and their team were there to help us.

While we suspected malaria and before we understood the quality of care at KPJ, I reached out to Swimmy and Matt K. in case we decided we should rush to Singapore. Both assured me I could count on their full support and would not have to touch down blind. Much love.

When it became clear that our onward travel plans (immediately to the Philippines) required alteration, I started making calls and sending emails. Expedia’s customer service was very good, as was agoda’s. Leo at Uncharted Philippines continued to “wow.” The Philippines is not such an easy place to figure out travel plans for a first-time visitor. The options seem endless and many destinations are difficult to reach. I had extensive email and phone conversations with Leo while planning our trip. I cannot say enough good things about his responsiveness and even more so his diligence. He is one of the only people I’ve ever worked with who answers all my questions and then answers the four other questions that I should have asked. His attention to detail is impeccable. We had booked a couple awesome sounding treks and he provided some other travel services. Five days before the arrangements were scheduled to begin (i.e. well beyond the 15-day advance notice requirement), I emailed Leo on a Saturday morning explaining the situation. I offered to provide a medical certificate but did not yet have it. He replied four hours later, by which time his refund of our payment in full (other than out of pocket expenses he’d already incurred and charges for planning services previously delivered) had already hit PayPal.

Last and certainly not least, the doctors and staff at KPJ were wonderful. We really couldn’t have been more pleased with the facility nor the quality of care, especially considering this is still a developing country. By the time Jenni was discharged, we were sad to say goodbye!

It is times like these when it’s hard to describe the soul-warming effect of great friends and family. I tear up just writing this because it means so much to me.

Alan covered this trying experience in a moving and honest way, but it’s important to acknowledge his incredible support and contribution throughout this ordeal. I’ve had a history of being a slight hypochondriac, so when I was told by multiple doctors that my symptoms could indicate any one of several tropical diseases (raise your hand if you’re familiar with chikungunya) and/or meningitis (none of which I know very much about), you could say I was panicked. (Prior to this experience my knowledge of “lumbar puncture” was limited to “isn’t there a movie called This is Spinal Tap? And didn’t I read somewhere that a spinal tap is one of the most painful medical procedures out there? (turns out, it’s not, but it’s still pretty damn scary when a doctor in a foreign country tells you he needs to insert a needle into your spine)). To be sick is one thing. To be undiagnosed and later diagnosed with a disease you’ve only heard of in the context of college students dying, all while in a foreign country whose health care system you know next to squat about? This is a situation in which you need moral support. Alan was my rock throughout the entire experience. He fought for my access to the best care I could receive, he wore his bravest face even when he was scared himself, fielded phone calls from my parents back stateside who were understandably terrified and helpless feeling, bought every cracker available in the convenience store when I couldn’t stomach hospital food and got a craving for saltines, and he tirelessly took care of me and all the headaches this disease caused, making phone calls, canceling flights and hotel reservations, obtaining test results and letters from the doctors, reaching out to insurance companies, and so on and so on. I am so thankful to call him my husband and my partner. I’ve teared up several times since this ordeal, at how lucky I am in a number of respects, many of which Alan outlined above, but especially for his love and support.

Asia, Borneo, Brunei

Two Royal Sightings in Brunei

February 25, 2014 champagne&backpacks 1 Comment

Brunei is a tiny nation of about 400,000, located on the north coast of Borneo and surrounded by Malaysia. It has been a sultanate since the 14^th century, and at its peak controlled much of Borneo and part of the Philippines. Brunei gained full independence from the UK in 1984. Coincidentally, we arrived the day after its 30^th anniversary celebrations and on the Monday official holiday.

Brunei has been ruled since 1967 by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. He has pretty much absolute authority. And boatloads of money owing to Brunei’s extensive oil and natural gas resources. In addition to his title of Sultan, he is the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Finance, and probably anything else that might matter. Our driver said the Sultan is generally beloved by the population, but I think some are less than thrilled he is implementing a Shari’ah penal code in phases beginning in April 2014. Instituting a penal code that includes hand-chopping as a legitimate punishment is rarely seen as progress. I spent a lot of time googling how this happens (e.g., do they do it surgically? Just chop it? Do they stitch it up after?), and making absolute certain to use my VPN whilst doing said research, given the warnings popping up on the hotel’s WiFi network that the government may monitor usage. The nation is predominantly Muslim, but there is a church and a few Chinese temples.

::cheap cheap::

::the hotel had arrows pointing towards Mecca for Muslim prayer::

A few other random observations of Brunei: they are really into their flag. Tons and tons of flags everywhere. You also see basically no motorbikes here, perhaps because gas is so cheap, a gas-guzzling vehicle is not as difficult to afford. Lastly, there are no cigarettes sold in the country (legally at least) and you can’t smoke in public.

Brunei doesn’t have a whole lot of stuff on offer, aside from an opportunity to get your voyeur on ogling the details of the lives of the royal family. And the obsession is full on Britney-during-the-head-shaving-saga, Bieber-fever, Hasselhoff-in-Germany type obsession. I suppose it makes sense, that in a nation of only 400,000 people the most interesting man in the, well, nation strikes a fascination of the people that would fill Brunei’s version of People magazine from cover to cover. I can’t lie, I got bit by the paparazzi bug and found myself wanting more and more of the juicy details on these guys.

We visited only the capital and largest city, Bandar Seri Begawan, and explored the city’s main highlights in a half-day guided tour. There was a mix-up and the guide was really a driver not a guide, so we didn’t get edumacated quite as much as we’d hoped. We visited the two famous mosques: the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque and the Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque. The former was closed when we first attempted a visit and so we had to circle back later, and wouldn’t you know it, there was a function (I believe our driver claimed it was a Koran reading contest, I had no idea that was a thing) at the Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque and so we weren’t allowed in at this one, either.

::Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque::

::Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque::

It is a very beautiful building though, and we got a little paparazzi glamour and excitement when we heard a member of the royal family was on his way. We camped out by the entrance in anticipation since we’d heard the Sultan himself loves to shake hands with visiting tourists. Unfortunately, it was only one of the princes: the non-crown Prince Abdul Malik. But it was still really cool to see his secret service style brigade of cop cars line up and salute his arrival. We were fascinated to learn that despite being one of the richest people in the world, the Sultan opts to drive himself everywhere, and even flies his own jets when he travels by air. I don’t know, I think I’d want to take advantage of that private 747 lounge if it were me.

::waiting for the prince::

::we’ll never be royals::

We also visited the Sultan’s palace, which is apparently the biggest palace in the world, containing 1,788 rooms including 257 bathrooms. You can’t see much from outside the gates, and we were sad to learn that we were not in town on the three days it’s opened to the public (for Hari Raya at the end of Ramadan). Our more immediate timing was just off as we passed the Crown Prince flying by in one of his baller cars (I think it was a McLaren but can’t be sure) on his way to the palace a few minutes after we left. Too bad, but that technically counts as two royal sightings on our one day in Brunei. The Crown Prince, by the way, has somewhat of a reputation as a bad boy and rumor has it that this is the reason his father has yet to hand over the throne to this grown ass kid. For a country instituting Shari’ah law it’s curious that one or more of the royal princes are known for partying and gambling with their rich and fancy friends over in Londontown. Something tells us they aren’t going to be punished for these alcohol-related sins.

::view of the palace from the water::

::Brunei’s flag::

The royal display of wealth is something relatively new. The former sultan’s palace is maybe 1/100^th the size of the current Sultan’s Guiness record holding abode.

You can get a little more of a voyeuristic look into the Sultan’s and royal family’s lives by visiting the Royal Regalia Museum. We really enjoyed wandering around here, checking out the accoutrements and chariots used in royal ceremonies like the Sultan’s silver jubilee. What’s maybe the most fascinating is the insane collection of gifts given by visiting dignitaries. I can only imagine what the gifts he keeps in his palace are like. We also learned that the Sultan is into sports. Don’t say anything, but his golf game needs work based on the picture showing the total breakdown of his left elbow on the backswing.

::sultan’s chariot::

Lastly, we visited the world’s largest water village (Kampong Ayer). It’s an entire city built on the water, with overwater homes, schools, police and fire stations, even a mosque. Though we still don’t quite understand why, given that people do not eat the fish from this water and there appears to be plenty of land. Our guide was not so adept at explaining this. Some of the homes were quite modern; the one we visited had two flat screens and a karaoke setup that was just absurd. That said, a number of the homes are quite rustic, and their waste management consists of dropping it into the water below. But photos of the Sultan hang on the walls, and picture books of the royal family sit on the coffee tables. It struck us as a bit mysterious how the Sultan could be so popular when his wealth is so over-the-top and flaunted, yet the resources don’t appear to be generously distributed to the people or the weathered feeling city. Although Brunei is very wealthy on a GDP per capita basis, it doesn’t feel as wealthy or modern as we expected. It is nothing remotely like Dubai, where Ferraris and five-star hotels run rampant. We are speaking with very imperfect knowledge, but maybe this is because the Sultan has all the money here whereas Dubai is really a trading and financial hub with a large tourism industry. That said, citizens do reap the benefit of very cheap petrol – roughly US$1.50 per gallon.

::fancy lil water house::

::over water mosque::

Aside from our half-day tour we did relatively little, largely because Jenni was exhausted from what turned out to be meningitis. But let’s be honest, it’s not like we missed a whole lot. Alan did make it out for a bit to peruse Tamu Kianggeh, a small, riverside market with fruits, vegetables and lots of dried fish. The eating stalls did not call his name. He did grab the nasi katok, $1 chicken and rice meals that are available throughout the city. We skipped the Gadong night market due to Jenni’s physical condition and the fact that we were a bit night market-ed out at this point, but we’d heard good things. We opted in lieu for the Radisson’s buffet dinner. Jenni couldn’t have been feeling all that sick because as she stood in front of about ten dessert options Alan overheard her murmuring quietly to herself, “alright, we might as well get started here,” completely deadpan, like there’s a lot to do here so procrastinating won’t help. We had a great laugh when he called her out on it.

::tamu kianggeh market::

::nasi katok::

We had read that given its petroleum wealth, Brunei has had an easier time preserving its above ground treasures and thus still has much intact rainforest. Our brief stay did not allow exploration, but we saw a monkey sitting beside the highway on the drive in, and I believe one may find the awesomely hilarious proboscis monkeys elsewhere in Brunei.

Practical Info

The Brunei Dollar is interchangeable with the Singapore Dollar, and the current exchange rate is about 1 USD = 1.27 BND. We use “$” to indicate Brunei Dollars.

Transportation: We flew from Kuching to Miri (the second largest city in Sarawak, big on petroleum, palm oil and timber) where we had a driver for the ~2.5 hour trip to Bandar Seri Begawan. We departed on a Royal Brunei Airlines flight to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. They are doing construction on the Brunei airport; presumably it will soon be much better than the current version which is weak. We were told the departure tax is $12, but it is only $5 if you are flying to Kota Kinabalu and I think maybe anywhere in Malaysia or Singapore.

Note that we arrived to Brunei on Monday February 24, a national holiday. The line of cars waiting to cross from Brunei into Malaysia that morning was insanely long. Our driver estimated perhaps three hours. Had our flight into Miri arrived in the afternoon instead of the morning, we might have been waiting behind all those cars when they returned to Brunei after shopping.

In the very unlikely event you are headed from Miri into Brunei and need supplies, there is a huge complex near Miri called eMart that roughly approximates Costco.

Accommodation: We stayed at the Radisson Hotel downtown. It is quite nice and the WiFi works well, just beware the government may be monitoring you. Oh wait, they are in the US anyway. There is a pool and fitness center. The Empire Hotel is a bit outside the city, and our driver says it is the nicest resort in the country. It has a golf course and is located on the beach.

Food: Nasi katok is Brunei’s signature “fast food,” basically a packet of rice, sambal and chicken or beef sold for $1. “Katok” means knock in Malay, and the origin of this dish is said to be the olden days when there were no 24 hour restaurants so a hungry soul had to knock on the door of a food seller and get him out of bed. I tried this dish at the chain Nasi Kotak Mama. The sauce is sweet, there is no spicy option. You pick your piece of fried chicken out of a container. I didn’t realize I chose neck. But after eating chicken feet the last two days, I guess balance was in order.

The Gadong night market is said to have ample food options, and there are food stalls nearer our hotel that I think offer “pick your seafood and how you want it cooked” dining. We opted for the $25 buffet at the Radisson, and it was not bad at all.

After visiting Kampong Ayer we had lunch at Kaizen Sushi at the jetty. This is a proper Japanese restaurant, the kind of spot where business meals happen. The menu is incredibly extensive and it was great, and reasonably priced all things considered.

Activities: The Istana Nurul Iman, the official residence of the Sultan and the largest palace in the world. Visit during Hari Raya for a chance to go inside. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque and Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque. Kampong Ayer is the floating village. The Royal Regalia Museum was worthwhile. The Brunei Museum was largely closed during our visit but might be nice when open. The Gadong night market. Ulu Temburong National Park.

February 24-25, 2014 (Monday-Tuesday)

Asia, Borneo, Iban Longhouse, Malaysia

Oooooo-Ha’ing with the Iban

February 23, 2014 champagne&backpacks 1 Comment

First of all, just know that despite the fact that when we look at the photos from this trip we are filled with a burning desire to know whether the glass Jenni is holding in each picture is carrying meningitis, we still consider this one of the absolute highlights of our entire trip.

The Iban are a Borneo tribe, a branch of the Dayak people. They are renowned for their headhunting practices and had a fearsome reputation in days past as a tribe successful in war and territorial expansion.

The Iban typically live in longhouses, which (not surprisingly) are long, rectangular buildings housing several families. They are somewhat akin to attached apartments, with separate rooms in the back fronted by a large common room spanning the length of the house, and a large verandah outside where residents dry crops and laundry. The indoor common area is typically used for welcoming guests and communal ceremonies. Of course historically they were quite rustic and many still are today, including the one we stayed at, though even this one had running water and toilets in an outhouse, and televisions in the rooms.

::pepper drying::

::verandah::

::communal room::

We were surprised to learn that for the most part this is not communal living. Each family tends its own crops and eats its own harvest. The original purpose of the longhouse was to provide safety in numbers. Nowadays the allure of the city is too strong for many of the younger generation, and this legendary way of life may not be around so much longer.

To get to the longhouse, we took a longboat up the Lemanak River. These boats are narrow and quite long, like really long canoes. Luckily ours had a motor so the ride wasn’t too long, but our hosts still had to use a bamboo pole to punt the boat forward as we passed through shallow, rocky patches. Lady is jacked, my friends. These rides were surprisingly pleasant. The water is brownish and not terribly inviting, but the scenery is spectacular, the river flanked on either side by massive jungle trees and vines.

Once we arrived at the longhouse we took a quick tour of the property, visiting the house pigs and chickens (which we came to hate when the roosters crowed ALL. NIGHT. LONG.). The Iban grow dry rice (directly on the hillside, without terracing), pepper and a handful of other crops nearby, mostly for personal use, but they also sell their pepper once a month.

::beautiful red dragon flies::

Alan joined the kids for a quick dip at bathtime. While they do have running water now, the laundry is washed, the people are bathed and the teeth are brushed in this murky river.

Once everyone was cleaned up, the real fun began. We joined Eric and Paul (our indescribably phenomenal guide and driver) and our hosts in the kitchen of one family’s living area while Eric and Paul finished cooking up our feast. And our boatman brought out the langkau at this point. Oh, the langkau. So much langkau. Langkau is a drink, which, per Wikipedia, “contains a higher alcohol content because it is actually made of tuak which has been distilled over fire to boil off the alcohol from the tuak, cooled down and collected into containers.” It’s hot as Hades in this little room to begin with, and with the oven going it got sweaty real fast. The men are hanging out shirtless, and the shotglass starts making its way around the room. The Iban believe in black magic and spirits, so they won’t drink something that you won’t drink yourself, and so when they drink the langkau, the person serving first pours himself a shot, lets out a hearty “oooooooh-ha!” cheers before taking it, then pours a shot (using the same glass) for his guest, and makes his way around the room offering everyone a round out of that same glass. (We checked with Eric afterwards and nobody at the longhouse has fallen ill, but doesn’t this just sound exactly like how your parents warned that you would get meningitis in college!?). Let’s just say the “ooooooh-ha’s” got progressively louder and louder as that shotglass made the rounds. We bought a bottle for the group (at the spectacular price of 6 MYR a bottle, how could you not? Perhaps that’s why we bought two over the course of the night). There was another couple staying at the longhouse and cooking in the next room with a different family, and we may or may not have gotten into an “ooooooh-ha” off. Iban drinking contests are the best drinking contests.

::oooooh-ha!::

Our boatman, Bundong, the ripped 57 year old with ab ridges (what!? I don’t know many 20 year olds with abs like that!), was big on the langkau. Relentless with those shots. And his big grin is infectious as he pours himself a shot and says “I first.”

::shots shots shots shots shots shots::

All that langkau had us working up an appetite, an appetite so great that Alan tried his first taste of chicken feet. We learned that the Iban look forward to these visits from tourists, despite that many of them cannot communicate with us verbally, because they get to hang out, drinking langkau and eating their favorite chicken feet soup. Eric and Paul are serious cooks, too. We thoroughly enjoyed the spread they prepared for us, and we were particularly blown away by the fried bitter gourd. I take back what I said in Penang, that shit is great.

::chicken feet::

Paul, our driver, was perhaps the most hilarious throughout the night. I don’t think he wore anything but a towel once we arrived at the longhouse (I don’t blame him, it’s insanely hot in there). The women wear sarongs. They are Christian mixed with animist and not socially conservative in terms of dress, which Alan loved because he didn’t have to wear a shirt all night, either. When Paul brought out some bananas for dessert and offered them with a “ba-na-na-na” to the tune of Beethoven’s Fifth, we all collapsed into laughter. Both Paul and Eric were so appreciative of us because it allowed them the opportunity to spend this time with the Iban, and we can totally understand why. Still, it was over the top when Paul sat there insisting that he is there to serve us and fanned us to offer some relief from the heat.

After dinner we all gathered in the common room to watch a few of our hosts perform their traditional dance. The rhythm of the beat was exotic and entertaining, and we adored watching the few guys and gals in costume move to the tunes.

Eric blew us away though, closing the performance with an impressive dance he crushed and then wowing us by lifting the mortar that weighs maybe 10 kilos with his teeth!!

We were invited to join for the dancing, and when you’ve had that much langkau it’s easy to get up there and take part, though we left the oral mortar lifting to the pro.

After the dance we gave our gifts to the chief. It’s customary and expected to bring small gifts for each of the 12 families as an offer of appreciation for their hospitality. We had picked up little boxes of tea and salt for each family at a shop on the way (not terribly exciting, but Eric advised that it’s something they would actually use. Still, had we come directly from the US it would have been nice to bring something more personal). They put the gifts in even piles on the floor and someone from each family gathers the loot. It reminded me of sorting the goodies and comparing your take to your brother’s after a night of trick-or-treating as a kid.

The drinking continued after the dancing, and well into the night. It was such a fun party, and we didn’t feel like outsiders at all. We were even brought in on the inside jokes, like their use of the word “nee-koh-dee,” which translates to “whatever,” and which everyone says with an almost Clueless tone to it and never fails to get people laughing. We became a little obsessed with the riddle games on Eric’s phone, and the guys even got massages from crazy Paul. Alan’s drunken munchies amused the crowd when he devoured half a loaf of cake late night. When it was finally time to hit the sack, Eric even tucked us in our mosquito nets ☺. We slept in the common room on mattresses they laid out. It was not the most restful night of sleep we’ve ever had, those roosters were like a caricature of farm life.

::me and the girls::

Eric and Paul made us another small feast for breakfast, which helped negate the effects of all that langkau 😉 . We tried our hand at the blowpipe after eating, and Jenni nailed a dead-center bullseye on her first try. Beginner’s luck for sure.

::blowpipe::

After a quick walk through the woods where we saw a rubber tree and some traditional animal traps, we hopped back on the longboat to go downriver for a picnic barbecue lunch on a rocky beach. Eric, Paul, Bundong and his wife cooked up yet another veritable feast for us. They cooked the chicken and a handful of other dishes wrapped in banana leafs and stuffed in bamboo shoots, which are then filled with some water and placed over the fire. Delicious. Bundong was back at it and the guys killed another bottle of langkau before continuing down and back to the van. Look at the joy on his face when he’s pouring those shots. Man loves his langkau.

Our time with the Iban was extraordinarily fun, an absolutely amazing experience that we will forever cherish.

On the drive up to the river, we had stopped in Serian, a crossroads and trading post where we checked out a native market with lots of fruits and vegetables, giant bins of catfish and other seafood, and some more exotic treats like soft shell turtle and even a huge python hacked into pieces and the lifeless body of another terrifying snake (we couldn’t snap photos of these as they’re illegal, but it didn’t stop the vendors from showing off their wares to us tourists). Alan was also tempted by the larger than life bacon slices on offer. While Eric was doing the shopping for our meals at the longhouse, we couldn’t help ourselves and had to sample some eats at the prepared food stations, the highlight by far being the “Mexican hats,” a superbly healthy mixture of deep-fried flour and brown sugar at the even sweeter price of three for one ringgit (about 30 cents US).

We also stopped along the road to see some even more impressive species of pitcher plants. Look at the size of those things! They are carnivorous plants with fascinating trapping mechanisms to catch their prey. We briefly explored Liew’s pepper farm and learned a bit about the pepper farming process, a common crop in Sarawak. On the drive back we also stopped to see some palm oil trees. Apparently these palm trees are farmed for their oil in these parts, and the plantations are known to attract king cobras who covet the rats eating the fallen fruits.

After our stay at the real longhouse, we drove a short way then took a boat to stay at a longhouse styled resort, the Hilton Batang Ai Longhouse Resort. The resort sits on the shore of a lake created when they dammed a river and flooded the area back in the 80’s. The hotel has a nice lobby and grounds, which is great in the evening for sunset cocktails (and watching the fruit bats) and birds chirping in the morning. The rooms could use a facelift, very 80’s/90’s jungle chic. And the longhouse design is neat and makes the buildings blend in nicely, but it also means your room is cut off from a view of the lake. The staff were super friendly and the service was great, but we probably wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to stay here. That said, the pool area is pretty nice, and we enjoyed a swim as a relief from the pressing humidity and played a (pitiful) game of Scrabble poolside. Still recovering from that langkau perhaps.

The resort also has a short jungle walk with a treetop canopy, which we explored with Eric. The tree-top walk is not ideal for those with a fear of heights, as it’s literally a series of ladders (narrow!) with two by fours laid atop it and a little bit of netting up the sides (wobbly! rickety!). Jenni was a real trooper to make it across, even Alan agreed it was a little scary :). Had I been able to look outwards, this is the view I would have seen:

On our ride back to Kuching we stopped for lunch at Ranchan, which is a small park with a swimming hole and waterfalls that kids would jump off up to maybe 30 feet. Lovely spot for a family Sunday, Borneo style.

Back in town we finally checked out the Sarawak Museum that had some good displays on fauna and native traditions and history, including some actual skulls from headhunting days and longhouse displays etc.

Practical Info

I believe that only Audley’s local agent sends guests to the particular longhouse we visited. There are other day and overnight trips to longhouses, but we heartily recommend ours. Especially if you can have the Eric and Paul team.

We offered our views on the Hilton above. It was nearly empty as this was still the offseason. There are lots of fruit bats and geckos around. The lake is lovely but you cannot swim in it, I believe for safety concerns but it wasn’t clear whether this is due to a crocodile relative or risk of injuring yourself on the trees that were submerged when the dam was built.

You didn’t hear it from us, but you could buy beers for 5 MYR in advance vs. paying 20++ there. That said, my Batang Ai Sunset cocktail was well worth the 24 MYR, as was my tilapia (many farms in the area) at dinner for 28 MYR. Our room included breakfast, which entailed a ludicrous amount of food. We got bread and pastries then cereal then pancakes then an omelet. Plus coffee and fresh guava juice.

Back in Kuching, the Sarawak Museum is free and open every day but check the hours.

February 21-23, 2014 (Friday-Sunday)

Asia, Borneo, Malaysia, Semenggoh

Borneo’s Hairy Gymnasts

February 21, 2014 champagne&backpacks 4 Comments

On our way out to the Iban longhouse we stopped at the Semenggoh (aka Semenggok) Orangutan Rehabilitation Center to try our luck at seeing some of these awesome creatures in the (semi) wild. Orangutans are another rare primate found in Borneo. You’ll recall from our Bako post that proboscis monkeys are endemic to this island, and orangutans are nearly so. The only other place they may be found in the wild is the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They are the largest tree living mammals in the world, and the alpha males have super wide cheeks with concave faces. Apparently these grow larger when they become the dominant male, crazy!

Semenggoh is Sarawak’s main orangutan rehabilitation center for those people of the forest (literal translation of organgutan) that have been injured, orphaned or previously kept as illegal pets. After initial rehabilitation in smaller centers they are brought here for re-introduction to the wild, while they are still monitored. Thus they are semi-wild, and since there is nothing like a cage or enclosure separating us from them, our introduction came complete with a number of warnings that incited just a touch of fear in addition to the suspense and excitement.

We were told not to carry food or even water bottles with us, and after hearing the stories about some of the bouts of violence from these mean lean hairy machines, I’m very glad we listened. Luckily for us, but sadly still, the most violent orangutan died recently. Hot Mama, as she was called, liked to start ish. But apparently she tried to start something with Ritchie, the alpha male weighing in at around 250 pounds, who took matters into his own hands and left Hot Mama for dead, dismembering three of her limbs in the process.

We lucked out and got to see three orangutans right away. A mama and baby plus another that was either a female or young male. This was a fantastic experience. These are such incredible and acrobatic creatures, swinging around on the ropes and trees. They jump around, do cartwheels upside down on the ropes, and hang from various limbs while they eat. Their flexibility is extraordinary. It’s like watching really hairy muscular people doing the parallel bars at the Olympics.

::cartwheels::

One of the rangers fed them from a platform, handing them bananas and coconuts. It was crazy to see an orangutan carry a coconut away in its foot while it scurried up a tree. I hadn’t realized their feet are basically like additional hands, shaped almost identically and with opposable thumbs/big toes. They’re smart, too, banging the coconuts against the tree to get the juice out.

Orangutans live quite long, up to about 40 years in the wild or into their 50s if in captivity, and we got to see Semenggoh’s first and only grandmother. She and her son were just hanging out in a tree above the parking area. Grandma was so mellow, and she blinked her eyes real slowly like a wise old grandma, not worried about missing anything. After ogling at her for a while, a ranger came by and gave her a turnip, which she shared with her boy orangutan, while everyone oohed and aahed.

::grandmama’s slow blinks::

::monkeying around::

::like mother, like son::

As we were hustling to get back towards the parking lot when we heard Grandma was out, Alan had a near-miss with a Wagler’s pit viper that decided to chill out in the middle of the trail!! Foot mid-way in the air he fortunately spotted it in time and so (thank our lucky stars) there was no trip to the hospital (if only we were so fortunate the rest of our trip!) and our guide Eric was able to stop and warn all the other tourists approaching from both sides.

We also saw some crocodiles in little cages. Aren’t they scary looking?! Those eyes… And we got our first peek at Borneo’s neat carnivorous pitcher plants.

::pitcher plants::

::crocs::

Practical Info

Semenggoh is only about a half hour drive from Kuching. We arrived for the 9 am feeding. I think there are at least two feeding times most days and your chances of seeing an orangutan are much higher at these times. Because all our Borneo activities were handled by a tour agent, we do not have many details on how to visit. But this information should be widely available online and your hotel in Kuching can probably arrange a visit…or see e.g.: http://borneoadventure.com/tours/semenggoh-orangutans/.

February 21, 2014 (Friday)

Asia, Bako, Borneo, Malaysia

Proboscises, Vipers and Muffin Eating Macaques, Oh My!

February 19, 2014 champagne&backpacks 3 Comments

Our day trip to Borneo’s Bako National Park (also known as the day a macaque ate my muffin) was our first introduction to the spectacular wildlife Borneo has on offer. Our hilarious guide, Eric, informed us in advance that there are six animals we would search for and with a little bit of luck and a lot of Eric’s great wildlife spotting skills we got to see all six! (They are hard to spot on your own, so while it’s possible to visit the park without a guide, we would highly recommend you hire one! Plus they are great resources for information about the flora and fauna.)

::hey guys, whatchya doin??::

The “big six” were pretty spectacular. First, the monkeys! There are three types of monkeys in the park, in ascending order of coolness: macaques (most common, you see these guys all around Asia), silver leaf langurs, and the jackpot: proboscis monkeys.

Proboscis monkeys are peculiar looking animals, readily identifiable by their epic schnozes. They also have long, thin, whitish tails and the alpha males especially have gigantic pot bellies. These facially phallic monkeys are some of the strangest looking creatures we have ever encountered. They are endemic to Borneo and you can bet we were thrilled and in awe to have the chance to observe these guys in the wild for a while. Apologies in advance to the Dutch, but these fellas are also called Dutchmen. Wikipedia says this is because “Indonesians remarked that the Dutch colonizers often had similarly large bellies and noses.” I did not realize that the Dutch were known as such, but you learn something new every day.

They are weirdly human despite their bizarre sniffers. Is it the hands? The eyes? The way they sit when they’re just hanging out?

Ok, and yes, this is a very graphic photo of a proboscis penis, but even though it’s essentially proboscis porn, it was just too funny not to share. We literally have dozens of photos of this guy’s frank and beans. In our defense, it was the first proboscis we saw, and we had no way of knowing whether it would be our last, and photographing from below makes proboscis penis appearances inevitable.

The silver leaf langurs are beautiful, and Eric joked that they are also known as David Beckham monkeys because of their spiky hairdos. They are pretty handsome, so…I don’t think it will ever get old watching monkeys clean each other, too cute.

The coolest thing about these primates is that they are a bright orange color when they are babies. We had the pleasure of seeing one youngin who had just a bit of orange coloring left, but unfortunately he moved around too fast for us to capture a photo. It’s pretty unbelievable though to see photos of the fiery newborns.

::hey guys, whatchya doin??::

The macaques are known around here as pirates. And we can see why. Not five minutes into starting our lunch a macaque appeared out of nowhere, jumped on the table and stole Jenni’s muffin, running up a tree to relish his booty. We realized at this point that Eric wasn’t kidding about carrying a slingshot to protect us from these brazen monkeys. Don’t worry, you don’t actually shoot at them, but just holding up the slingshot is enough to make them run. And when the macaque came back for seconds Jenni held up the slingshot, and he ran cowardly away.

::naughty naughty::

::yeah, i took yo muffin, whatchyou gonna do bout it, huh?::

These bearded pigs were pretty cool, too. I wouldn’t want to piss off one of them.

The most surprising of the big six was the Wagler’s pit viper. I never thought I’d describe a snake as beautiful, but these snakes are absolutely exquisite. They can stay still for days, unless provoked by another animal, the rain, or the need to eat. It makes sense then that the locals joke that if you pick them up and turn them over their stomachs will read “Made in China.” Don’t try it though, these statuesque creatures are venomous and will bite.

The last of the six we found just in the nick of time, as we were getting ready to board the boat and return to town. The flying lemurs are the most difficult to spot. These nocturnal creatures sleep all day so you’ll never see them moving, and to top it off they are masters of camouflage against the trees to which they cling while snoozing. We had to take pictures and zoom in before we even realized this was a mama lemur with a baby in tow!

The rest of the animal sightings were just icing on the cake. We saw tons of fiddler crabs with their lop-sided Popeye-sized claw, and some lovely cerulean colored crabs. We also saw small mudskippers (baby dragon type animals we saw earlier in Penang), and these snake-like sun lizards.

We saw very few birds in the park itself, which was somewhat surprising to us, though we did see some blue kingfishers on the drive in that were quite beautiful.

While the wildlife was clearly the highlight, it’s worth noting that the surrounding environs are quite impressive. The park is accessible only via boat, which picks you up by the Bako fishing village, takes you down the Bako River, and out into the South China Sea before arriving on a wide beach backed by lush rainforest. Don’t expect to swim here though, as the water is brown and muddy, not to mention there are crocodiles and jellyfish.

It is incredibly humid inside the forest. We did a bit of nature walking where we saw lots of jungly plant life. We were surprised how many plants here are spiked. There are more pointed plants here than in the desert! There is also a rare tree called the Bintangor, which is being studied currently as it may be able to cure HIV. Fascinating.

Mangrove trees are sprinkled around the coastline, and we discovered that what appear to be young plants growing around these trees are actually roots of the big mangrove trees that pop up out of the earth so the tree can breathe. Amazing.

Practical Info

Bako National Park is just 37 km from Kuching and occupies a mere 27 square km. But it feels worlds apart and packs a lot into a small space. Many of the animals congregate around the headquarters. There are a handful of relatively short hiking trails and some longer ones. Most trails are out and back with I think one loop trail. We took the Telok Paku trail to a more secluded bay, which is where we saw the viper. We also took the Ulu Assam trail, which ascends to a platform overlooking the main bay. This latter trail is very steep near the top.

Transportation: We booked everything through our tour company, but you need to get to Kampung (village) Bako, which is about a 30-minute drive from Kuching. I believe you register there and hire a motorboat for the 20-minute ride to the park. Depending on the tide, you may have to disembark in shallow water. If you have one, a small towel is handy. As is insect repellant. And your required departure time may be determined somewhat by the tides, as well.

The park is on the mainland but accessible only by boat. On arrival, you check in at the park headquarters.

::just for fun, because this van was so tricked out::

Accommodation: Most people visit for a day, but right by park headquarters you can camp or stay in a “lodge” or a hostel. I believe all accommodation is very rustic. And be prepared to battle the macaques.

Food: We had a boxed lunch prepared for us that we ate at the canteen at park headquarters. I’m pretty sure they sell food and beverages there, and toilets are available.

February 19, 2014 (Wednesday)

Asia, Borneo, Kuching, Malaysia

Welcome to Borneo

February 19, 2014 champagne&backpacks 1 Comment

The island of Borneo holds legendary status among travelers. The name conjures images and thoughts of dense rainforest, mysterious cultures and exotic wildlife. It is the third largest island in the world, after Greenland and New Guinea (Australia, being a continent, doesn’t count). Roughly 70% of the island (mainly the southern portion) consists of the Indonesian province of Kalimantan, with the remainder (mainly the northern portion) being the Malaysian states of Sarawak (in the west, where Kuching, our entry point, is located) and Sabah (in the east), plus the sovereignty of Brunei.

This is the first portion of our trip where we booked everything through a tour company (Audley). Independent travel in Borneo seems quite doable, but we chose to spend less than two weeks on the island and felt it would be a smoother and more enjoyable destination if we had our plans laid out and the benefits of a private guide.

One of the biggest early surprises after doing research and arriving in Kuching is how developed the island is. Kuching has a population of 650,000 and several buildings at least 15 stories tall. For some reason, we kind of pictured Borneo as an undeveloped island with perhaps an airport or two and dirt roads and rivers. I assume there are other landing strips for puddle jumpers, but Air Asia flies its Airbus A-320s to no fewer than eight different airports in Malaysian Borneo alone!

This city has a modern shopping mall with western chains and a Starbucks. And a Maserati parked out front. There is a large convention center outside town. As if to confirm that we are not in the middle of nowhere, walking along the Kuching Waterfront we had our first chance encounter since California: we ran into Sheryl, my friend from Tufts. Crazy small world.

::is this how you pictured Borneo??::

For a city whose name literally translates to “cat” in the local language, you would think that it might appeal more to Jenni, but it somewhat underwhelmed. The cat thing is played up big time with cat statues all around the city (cheesy but cute) and souvenir and trinket shops selling I ❤ Kuching paraphernalia decorated with cats. There is clearly an effort underway to develop Kuching as a tourism hub for Borneo. It has the potential to become more Cancun than Cassis in class. Fingers crossed that this city can manage its growth well and preserve its character while adding facilities and benefitting locals.

::kitty kitty Kuching::

Kuching is not a bad place at all. It is pleasant enough and a fine place to spend a day or two to explore or while in transit. The city is a bit weathered and our expectations were lofty. I think we envisioned a quaint, colonial-style riverfront village and that it is not. Perhaps though if we’d showed up here fresh from Los Angeles, and hadn’t just spent two and a half months gallivanting around other highlights of Asia we’d be more enticed by the Asian flair and the temples and all that. Are we becoming jaded!?

::government building not so shabby eh?::

::India Lane::

We definitely did enjoy the relief from Singapore prices and had a handful of tasty meals, including some fantastic laksa and teh tarik, a traditional spicy Malay noodle dish and tea drink, respectively. Walks along the Waterfront in the evenings were quite pleasant, with a handful of young musicians providing a soundtrack to the families and lovers walking about. I really enjoyed my visit with Eric (while Jenni was sick) to the non-touristy Premier 101 Food Centre our last night in town. Tsingtao and chicken feet for the soul.

::Eric converted this guy into a chicken feet fan::

::top shop::

::top spot::

::teh tarik::

::pork satay and tea::

::laksa!::

Our hotel was also a highlight, as it was the first place we stopped in Asia that had a bathtub. And not just any bathtub, a big lovely tub with a sliding door that opened to the balcony. Living large at The Ranee in Kuching.

::reading nook at The Ranee::

Granted we are on a tropical island now, but it’s also the first place on our trip that we visited at the edge of its high season, and so we weren’t terribly surprised to experience our first rain on the trip since leaving the U.S. But an impressive downpour and thunderstorm it was! And very well-timed as it did not interfere with any of our scheduled activities.

There is much to see and do in Malaysian Borneo, and a comprehensive description is well beyond the scope of our blog. But we will mention a couple places we skipped, in part because one area was a most difficult decision. Some of the best places to see wildlife and I think the undisputed best places for tropical paradise islands in Borneo are in eastern Sabah. This includes the Kinabatangan River and Tabin Wildlife Reserve, and world-famous SCUBA diving destinations like Sipadan and Mabul. Unfortunately, there have been terrorist incidents on the offshore islands, with the most recent kidnap/murder occurring in November 2013. The US State Department advises against travel to eastern Sabah. We read the travel advice of the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, too. Each is cautious on the coastal regions, though only the US recommends avoiding such a large geography. Australia’s website warns: “There are recent indications that extremists may be in the advanced stages of planning to kidnap foreigners from locations in this vicinity.”

Most seasoned travelers will tell you that the US State Department is alarmist, and often we agree. Every single person we asked (meaning Borneo residents and those in the travel industry operating on Borneo) said they would not worry about the travel warnings, or at least would only worry with respect to the offshore islands but not the slightly inland destinations of eastern Sabah. People said they feel entirely safe there. We take more comfort in such statements when the primary concern is petty or violent crime, as opposed to terrorism. There is no right answer, but that is the decision we made. Plus, we are hopeful that the risk will diminish over time (especially with the recent Philippines peace accord) and now we have a great reason to return.

Another top attraction we are skipping is the Gunung Mulu National Park. This area in eastern Sarawak (close to Brunei) is famous for its karst formations and enormous caves, including the largest known natural chamber in the world. We hope to return to visit this area, too.

Practical Info

Kuching is the largest city on the island of Borneo, with a population around 650,000. It is the typical base for exploration of Sarawak. It sits on the Sarawak River, a little south of the ocean. Tourist activity seems concentrated on the Kuching Waterfront. There is a lot of commercial activity on Jalan Padungan with food, hardware stores, bars, restaurants, etc.

There is a cluster of three banks with ATMs next to the Riverside Majestic hotel, across the street from a 24-hour McDonald’s.

We purchased a DiGi SIM card, and it was less smooth than in some other places. Nobody could give us a clear answer on rates to call the US. It seems to work fine. We found lots of shops selling SIM cards on Jalan Padungan. You can top up DiGi cards at 7-11, and you can also purchase U Mobile cards there.

Transportation: Kuching has an international airport about 15-20 minutes from downtown. There is a Starbucks and a Coffee Bean. Air Asia flies here, and there are direct flights from several Asian cities. Since we are using a tour company for Borneo, we did not arrange our own transport from/to the airport nor to Bako National Park, etc. I would imagine it is not too difficult. You can walk around most of the downtown area.

Accommodation: We stayed at The Ranee Boutique Suites located across from the Kuching Waterfront. The room is large and well-decorated, with a sitting area and big, modern bath with separate tub. The location is excellent. The included breakfast leaves a bit to be desired. There is a large Hilton and other high-rise hotels on the eastern end of the Waterfront. I think you would want to stay around the Waterfront, but the central city area seems small enough that it probably doesn’t matter too much.

Food and Drink: Lunch at James Brooke Cafe on the Waterfront was great. 10 MYR for a large, delicious bowl of Sarawak Laksa. We were a little disappointed by Top Spot food court, a collection of seafood and other stands atop a parking garage. It is very popular with locals and tourists. We ate at Ling Loong seafood, and my snapper was neither grilled nor filleted as requested and at 26 MYR the value is questionable. Though in fairness I inquired at a food stall in town that seemed entirely local and was quoted a higher price per kilo. We dined at The Junk, a supremely atmospheric restaurant with good food and mediocre service. Pizza, risotto, a glass of house red and a pint of Guinness cost 113 MYR. We had lunch at Little Lebanon by the Sarawak Tourism Complex, across from India Street. The food was pretty good and they have hookahs, which they also call Hubbly-Bubbly. There is another location on the Kuching Waterfront.

There are many vendors selling popcorn, chicken kebab, laksa and more along the Waterfront. Waffle stands are all over and smell amazing. There are a couple popular stalls selling pork satay (0.60 MYR each, minimum five, limited hours) across from Hiang Thian Siang Ti Temple (aka Shang Ti Temple) and next to Backpacker’s Stay. We saw some Chinese noodle shops, dim sum spots and pork leg rice places on Jalan Padungan. Near India Street and the Electra House shopping center are food stalls with laksa, mee goreng, bao etc. for ~4 MYR per plate.

Premier 101 Food Centre is a mainly Hokkien hawker market located 10-15 minutes outside downtown. There are hardly any other tourists, and perhaps 20-30 vendor stalls. The spot at one end of the alley serves BBQ chicken feet (among other items) with a great, spicy dry rub (4 MYR). I tried kolo mee (3 MYR) and kong pia (1 MYR each) and each was tasty. Char siu bao (2 MYR) was also good. The highlight was the apam balik, a very thin and crispy pancake that had ground peanuts and butter and was superb.

There are loaf-shaped cakes (Jenni deemed these “Tetris cakes”) sold around town, especially along Main Bazaar. I hear Secret Recipe is the spot for cheesecake.

Zeus Sports Bar looks like a place you could catch EPL games. 21 Bistro had a more sophisticated menu. Jambu and the Dyak are higher end restaurants that come recommended.

Activities: Walk along the Kuching Waterfront, which offers views across to the Astana palace (the official residence of the state Governor) and impressive State Assembly Building. We did not visit any of the Chinese or Hindu temples and skipped a museum or two, but we managed to squeeze in a quick visit to the very good Sarawak Museum. It has informative displays on fauna, longhouses and headhunting (among more), and it is open every day with free admission. Walk along India Street, Gambier Road and the Indian Mosque Lane that connects the two. It didn’t seem like the India mosque was too exciting, but we weren’t dressed appropriately to enter so couldn’t tell for sure. You can cross the river and we read there are some villages and an orchid garden. There is a weekend market that I believe is now located outside the city.

Day trips are perhaps the premier activity of Kuching. We visited Bako National Park, and it was awesome. We stopped at the Semenggoh Orangutan Sanctuary on our way to overnight at an Iban longhouse, but many visit the Sanctuary on a day trip that includes a nearer Iban longhouse. You can also visit the Sarawak Cultural Village near Damai Beach.

February 18-21 + 23, 2014 (Tuesday-Friday + Sunday)