To the bat cave!

To the bat cave!

Today we are off to Sakua on the banks of the river Kinabatangan but first we drive to the war Memorial in Sandakan.  I was not particularly looking forward to this but it turned out to be extremely interesting and in fact very moving.  I had heard of the Death Marches of 1943 but didn't know much about them.  During WW2 the British and Anzac troops were sent to Borneo to defend it from the Japanese who fooled the British into thinking they were about to attack from the sea and then sneaked up on them from the land side.  Several thousand were captured and treated with appalling brutality, forcing them to build an aerodrome. When it became obvious that they were going to lose the war, the Japanese forced over 2000 men to walk over 260 kilometres in heat and rain, carrying provisions over mountainous rainforest terrain with very little food or water. Only 6 men, all Australian, survived.  There were some harrowing accounts of the march in these men's own words.

The Death March Memorial

Lynn in the memorial garden.  I was shocked at her lack of respect.

Then we continued for 2 hours by coach through the central area of North Borneo.  One of the main reasons why the Orang-utans are in danger of extinction is that their natural habitat is being destroyed by man tearing down the rainforest and planting palms for palm oil.  It is now the main source of income for the people of this area even though it is ecologically a disaster, as the plantations stretch as far as the eye can see.  You can understand why the peasants are so keen - there is no other way they can earn money and there is no state aid for poor people.

After 2 hours we reach the Gomantong Cave where we are going to see bats and the place where birds' nests are collected to make soup.

At the info centre

Cynthia leads us to the cave entrance

  The Cave itself is very high and has natural light coming through at the roof level in 2 places but is otherwise very dark.   It is full of bat droppings but what is prized are the swifts' nests the local people harvest twice a year when the eggs have hatched and the chicks gone.  Black nests fetch about 2000 ringgits a kilo, white nests 3000 to 6000 rinngits and a nest with a red blotch  on it could cost anything over 6000 rinngits.  According to Cynthia, birds' nest soup doesn't have any flavour at all even thought the nests are made from the saliva of the swifts. There are also swarms of cockroaches clinging to the walls of the cave and it stinks.  

Here I am inspecting the ropes and ladders from a bat's perspective.

Outside it decides to rain and is bucketing down so we shelter in the nest harvesters''hut and inspect the ropes and rope ladders they use in their work. 

We also have our photo taken acting out the words " To the bat cave". Couldn't resist. 

 

 On the walk back to the coach, something makes Lynn's day.  We spot some leeches on a bush next to the path.  They are smaller than I expected and arch up and down on the surface of the leaf, obviously feeling for prey. 

We walk very very carefully back after that.  About 10 minutes into the journey, one of our party,Paul, lets out a yelp and looks up his trouser leg and behold, one of the little blighters is having its lunch on his leg.

Soon after, the coach pulls off the road down a track and we can see the river where several boats are waiting to transfer us to the  Proboscis Monkey Lodge.

This is the jetty where we disembarked and walked up to the lodge.

 It is a simple hotel in traditional style and we have a lunch of spicy noodles and chips with a chicken, I think, stew.   After a quick unpack of by now very creased clothes, we set off at 4pm for a river ride.

The boat ride

  It is incredibly quiet and peaceful on the river and we glide past tall trees with many species of birds in the canopy.  Our guide, Fendi, can spot a crested serpent eagle in a tree which to us looks like a small black blob.  But through binoculars, it is an exotic creature.  We see oriental datars, various hornbills, egrets, crested serpent eagles and then we spot some macaque monkeys in a tree. I am made up.  

We turn down a narrower channel and see several water monitors lazing on branches nearby.  

But the best is a troupe of about 12 proboscis monkeys.  They sit scratching, turning this way and that and the big male leaps from tree to tree, branch to branch.  We can see their faces but can't seem to get a photo of a male in profile so that we could admire his nose.  The females also have a proboscis but it's not so impressive.

Finally, we spot the proboscis and the long white tail.

  It is very hot and every now and then there is a sudden but torrential downpour for 5 minutes.  Despite having waterproofs, we are soaked to the underwear and steam rises attractively from us.

Dinner is again simple with a mix of local and Western food finished off with an opaque melon jelly and baby bananas.  Sadly Tiger beer is the only alcoholic drink they serve and it's fairly expensive.  We have chatted to everyone in the party and are on good terms with all except a miserable couple who seem permanently grumpy but who have been to 72 countries and no doubly complained in every one.  We are done in by the tropical climate and retire at nine as we have to be ready for our boat ride at 6.30am tomorrow.  Not much sleep is had however.  I can hear birds calling and Lynn insists that there is someone at the door.  Also you could swear that someone is walking about on the lodge roof.  Perhaps it's the monkeys. Cynthia told us not to leave any clothing to dry on the veranda as the monkeys would probably snatch it and we would see them tomorrow swaggering about in our smalls.