Wednesday, Mar 7th, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Greetings!

The tallest mountain in Malaysia is in the middle of the thickest jungle, and after a two-hour drive up steep roads in a large bus - you'll find the Kinabalu National Park.    We sped there quickly this morning in order to fit in the long canopy walk amidst some huge trees, and a visit to their orchid garden and butterfly reserve.

This travel group is beginning to work as a real team to accomplish the most adventurous day-trips possible, and still have a lot of fun.  We're beginning to know each other's luggage, food needs, and shopping preferences.  Of course, we're still asking about favorite trips and memorable guides.

 Our guide for this trip, Pam Schewe, does an excellent job of den-mothering us when altered schedules, unexpected surprises, and mother nature just throw us a curve.  We follow her everywhere, and she's proven she'll get us through safely.

A late dinner on the waterfront just out from our hotel, and we returned to pack for tomorrow's 6;30am flight to an orangutan reserve.  We'll be there for a couple of days, and then fly back here.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Wednesday, Mar 7th, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Tuesday, Mar 6th, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Greetings!

On the way out of Brunei, we visited their Museum of Technology and drove to the gates of the Royal Palace.  But the best part of the day was the Subway-like tuna sandwiches on wheat bread and slushes we had for lunch.  I know I've been a bit hard on this part of the trip, and it has nothing to do with the Bruneian people.  We've had nothing but great experiences with the locals, and do admire their cheerfulness and hard work meeting our requests.

But I just can't shake the feeling that they deserve a greater share of the wealth of the country.

As we peered through the front gate of the Royal Palace (at 1,788 rooms, 371 bathrooms, and seven floors, it's the largest residence in the world), we were told that the Sultan opens it up for three days a year to his people for a tour and catered lunch.

A short flight to Kota Kinabalu, Sabay to begin the jungle portions of the adventure.

To see the few more photos taken today, click on Tuesday, Mar 6th, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Monday, Bandar Siri Begawan, Brunei

Greetings!

Brunei is a two-hour drive from Miri, but a world away in culture.  It's a country owned by an individual family.

The 29th Sultan of Brunei is loved by those we speak with locally, but they seem a bit frightened of saying otherwise.   It's clear that he has provided benefits to those who work for him (everyone), and retirees.  These include free education, health care, housing, infrastructure (nice roads), and large mosques. 

What isn't clear is the degree to which his imposition of Sharia law has made life intolerable for women, gays, drug-users, and anyone wanting to speak poorly of him.  There are articles in western media detailing the bad-boy activities of he and his brother (and you thought Trump was bad), but there are certainly advantages to having a government of one. 

The kids are well-fed, and there don't seem to be any homeless on the streets (it's illegal).  Westerners are not allowed to talk about the religion, or the Sultan.  There doesn't seem to be much effort to recruit tourists outside of more muslims. 

It's a novelty country, and more power to him.  Though I don't see how he could have any more, actually.


To see all of the photos taken today, click on Monday, Mar 5th, Bandar Siri Begawan, Brunei.

Sunday, Mar 4th, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia

Greetings!

When I first became interested in the origins of man, the common theory was that all homosapiens (us) moved out of Africa about 60,000 year ago.  Then, finds in Central and Far East Asia, dated to 70-120,000 years, questioned the theory.  The current theory, confirmed recently with an examination of 5,000 teeth from even earlier skulls found all over the world, is that our earliest ancestors and our direct relatives all came from Africa in two main movements.

One took place between 2 million and 500,000 years ago.  This one involved mostly homoerectus and its cousins, and they ended up almost everywhere.  The second started about 200,000 years ago, and really accelerated at the 60,000 year mark - and involved homosapiens.  The early-leavers in the second group made it to Europe, Russia and China.  Those late-leavers in the second group made it all the way to Australia and Melanesia, using a landbridge through the Wallace line, which didn't submerge until about 8,000 years ago.

Along the way, they left the ancestors of the young woman (Deep Skull) whose 40,000 year old skull was found in Niah Cave in Northeastern Sarawak- where we went today.  It was a grueling bus to boat to trail six-hour hike (four of it inside a series of caves with flashlights and slippery footings).   Pat smartly bailed an hour into it (her knee is hurting).  I went on, slipped three times, and came back dripping wet with sweat. 

But it was the kind of adventure we all love, testing the limits of our patience and endurance, and allowing us to experience the environments in which our long ago ancestors lived.  Stone tools, bones, and cave paintings are what we crave to see in their natural environment.  No natural history museums for us, take me to where they lived.

We also got to see the current denizens of the cave.  Bats, millipedes, scorpions, starlets and their prized nests, and hundreds of unique trees and plants in the jungle along the way.  No crocodiles, though, the tide was too low.

Back at the hotel, Pat got a medical massage from one of our fellow travelers whose a nurse with chinese medicinal herbal skills.  I took a shower, and am hoping to avoid leg cramps.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Sunday, Mar 4th, Mirs, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Saturday, Mar 4th, Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia

Greetings!

Today, the rainy season tried for a comeback, and we dodged it in our bus.  Our morning city tour informed us of the architectural and landmark history of Kushing, and also included stops at a chinese temple and a local history museum.  Doris, our local guide, shared both her rich understanding of the chinese culture and the complexities of living in countries which contain multiple racial and religious communities.

After lunch at a large mall on the way to the airport, we boarded a flight to Miri, the second largest city in Sarawak.  We'll stay here for two nights, primarily so we can explore the Niah Cave tomorrow. 

But first, let's talk about good luck, marriage, and freedom of religion in Malaysia.  On the way out of the hotel this morning, we chatted for a few minutes with a Malaysian groom and his best men, and admired the rings and pearls they were carrying to the wedding ceremony.  Joking at his lack of nervousness, he did admit to starting to feel it.  We wished him a good life as he left the hotel. 

In the chinese temple, we learned about the tradition of placing paper figurines behind the tiger to bring good luck to those whose names are written on them.  Offerings and other ceremonial gestures are also performed during the Chinese New Year, which is now occurring. 

Coincidently, we next visited a Christian church, where I crashed the ceremony, headed for the alter, and took a few shots with the official photographer. 

And yesterday, the Sarawak Supreme Court ruled that a Christian woman, who had married and converted to Islam, could not return to her Christian faith upon her divorce.  There is evidently a limit to freedom of religion here.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Saturday, Mar 3rd, Mirs, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Friday, Mar 2nd, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Greetings!

Forty thousand years ago, another group of explorers arrived in an area just south of Mirs (we go there tomorrow).  The Chinese followed 38,500 years later, and the Portuguese about 500 years later.  All were looking for resources, and they found plenty.

In 1839, a British explorer (James Brooke) arrived in Sarawak.  He and his descendants governed the territory (as White Rajahs) until 1946, when it became a British Crown Colony.  In 1963, Britain granted it self-government, and it became one of the founding members of the Federation of Malaysia.  Next door neighbor Indonesia opposed the Federation, and the confrontation between the two nations lasted until 1990.

The state is ethnically diverse, with Iban, Chinese, Malay, Melanau, Bidayuh, and Orang Ulu.  It exports oil, gas, timber, and palm oil, and there are plenty of hornbills, the Rhinoceros Hornbill being the state bird.  We've seen all ethnicities, seas of palm oil trees, but no wild hornbills yet.

Today, we drove out to the village of Annah Rais, a Bidayuh ethnic community about eight miles from the Indonesian border.  on the way, we stopped to see some pepper gardens, which followed a talk on pepper production yesterday at the Sarawak Cultural Center.

We toured the Annah Rais community observing all aspects of how 80 families (1,000+ people) continue to exist on the western slopes of Sarawak province.

After they served us lunch (and home-made rice wine), and hosted a music and dance performance, we took a 90-minute hike through a very difficult jungle trail.  Billed as a 15-minute nature hike, it included long stretches balancing on bamboo over muddy rice paddies, up and down slippery hillside bamboo steps, and across old river bridges of bamboo barely held together.

Tonight is the 15th day of Chinese New Year (Their Valentine's Day), and we walked into Chinatown for dinner after checking out the Golden Bridge across the Kuchn River.

To see all of the photos taken today, Click on Friday, Mar 2nd, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.

Thursday, Mar 1st, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Greetings!

We flew to Kuching this morning, on the third largest island in the world (Borneo), and then drove to a native mountainside Sarawak village.  We took a tour of native homes, and saw demonstrations of local crafts and culture.  Didn't get a tattoo, nor shoot a blowdart, nor step dance between logs., all very possible.  But you can see a couple of videos of the latter two in the extended photos I took. 

In the evening, we walked along the waterfront to our dinner restaurant.  Kuching is a beautiful city, and a wonderful mix of cultures and religions.  Our guides, Pam and Doris, are just great at helping us experience all of what it offers. 

Tomorrow, we're heading up into the mountains between here and Indonesia to learn more about the village cultures, and take a hike through the forest.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Thursday, Mar 1st, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.