South East Asia Experience

Although I was feeling dizzy looking at the seemingly unlimited stretch of palm oil mountains in the back of his truck when the head of the NGO Organization raced through the winding roads from Sakau with his Toyota truck, we did arrive in Ranau in record time. I found a new guesthouse in this quiet town and watched the Olympic Opening ceremony in the tiny television at the restaurant while enjoying my noodle soup late at night.

The next morning, after failing to negotiate a decent price for the minibus (because the bus driver thought I am Japanese) and waiting for it to get full, I arrived at Kinabalu National Park around 10. The quota for climbing Mt Kinabalu is 198 each day and I was lucky to register and climb on the same day after someone cancel and a bed in the lodge was found for the night.

My guide was a young friendly muslim. We walked 4.5 km from the headquarter office to the main gate before I got a chance to have my breakfast, the lunch bag included in the package. The first few kilometer was gently sloped and I was able to catch up with most other hikers. The last km proved to be a bit more challenging with increasing steepness. I took my time and finally arrived at the rest house restaurant at 3100m (6km) where buffet were served to crowds of hungry climbers. We checked into our lodge and slept early, hoping for a good start early next morning for sunrise.

I slept only for two hours. It might be my anxiety or constant footsteps from people going into the toilet opposite our room. Nevertheless, I unwillingly got dressed in layers of thermals and start climbing with my guide at 2:30am. Going up hundred of stone steps in the cold night is not the most pleasant thing for the legs, but with hikers in front and behind me, I was not about to give up although the climb got rougher by the minutes. We used ropes to pull ourselves up the rock surface in the last km. Since I did not pack any gloves, by this time, my fingers were so cold that they were about to break off from my hands. It was at this point that I truly appreciate the encouragement from my guide who took my hands into his, warm them up and almost pulled me through the steep last 200m to the submit (4095m, 8.7 km).

The view was magnificent at the submit of Mt Kinabalu. Although clouds had dimmed the sunrise, the surrounding peaks and rock surfaces are truly memorizing. It almost looks like the surface of another planet. Everyone took their opportunities for photos. I was overjoyed and really glad that the ascent was over.

After almost 30 minute at the submit, I finally start descending. The smooth rock surfaces prove to be quite easy to go down compared to going up. The peaks now reflected the early sun ray and demands more respect. We arrived at the rest house after almost two hours of descent and had a very much deserved breakfast. Then continued to go down another 6 km back to the main gate during when I had some wonderful conversation with my guide about everything from Muslim to pop culture.

Suddenly the rain started coming down when we are almost back at the headquarter, it is a rain forest after all. My knees and feet needed rest, not wetness. I said goodbye to my wonderful guide. Without him, I would probably still be climbing and cursing somewhere on the trail. It must be the magic of Mt Kinabalu and friendliness of my guide that had made this climb possible.

I braved the rain and waited for the bus outside the entrance of the national park to Kota Kinabalu.

Crossing the border from Tarakan in East Kilimantan, Indonesia to Tawau, Malaysia by speedboat only took a few hours, but the scenery on the road sides are dramatically different. Here in Sabah, palm oil plantations cover not just small hills but mountains stretched as far as the eye can see. I took another bus from Tawau to Lahad Datu, a town closest to a few wildlife reserves in this area.

Understandably, most tour packages in this region are not catered to single traveller that show up without reservation. After inquiring about some 2 day 1 night tour into these wildlife reserves and getting ridiculously expensive quotes from two different travel agencies, I decided to try my luck at a research office. To my surprise, I was allowed by a very nice manager at the local Department of Forestry to camp next the river at the Taliwas Conservation area which used to be logged 30 years ago, about 45 minute from Lahad Datu.

For the next two days, I trekked with a ranger in the secondary forest nearby and spotted a wild male orangutan making a nest high on the tree, bite by the fighty fire ants, saw the rare marble cat in our night safari drive and helped to plant trees. I've befriended the hospitable manager's family who invited me for dinners and played with his young son, Aedan.

From Lahad Datu, I took a bus that dropped me off at a junction and another shared taxi with a few plantation workers on a dusty roads to the village of Sukau, a beautiful village along Sungai Kinabatagan. Due to the abundance of palm oil plantation in this area, most wildlife nowadays are trapped in a very narrow stretch of secondary forest by this mighty river in East Sabah. In recent years, the acidic level of the river was risen dramatically by fertilizer from nearby mountains and mountains of plantation and the water level was risen by abandoned logs on the river bottom. Fortunately, local conservation teams and NGOs are working hard to save the last piece of land by replanting native trees and protecting the remaining wildlife population.

From the moment I watched the Borneo Elephant show on Animal Planet, I was determined to come to this part of the world to further understand this unique specie. I decided to try my luck, again, by talking to a local NGOs headed by a french couple doing research on orangutans and was introduced to a master student who is working on these elephants. For the couple days, a dedicated research student took me to track for her collared female, Belina, and her family in the forest. I exchanged my notes with her on animal behavior and had a wonderful time with her conservation team. Her valuable information allowed me to have a much deeper understanding on the conflict between human and elephants, for my own studies. My dream had come true.

I took a local bus from Jerantut to Kuala Tahan next morning. Ironically, the roads to Taman Negara, Malaysia's National Park, were lined with palm oil plantations. Oil is squeezed from the palm fruits and used for energy and many other products. Palm oil plantation owners are millionaires in the eyes of most local people.

After checking in a private chalet, I crossed river Tembeling and stopped by the Department of Wildlife to register my stay. Then started to walk on the well-indicated trails to the popular attraction of the park, the Canopy Walkway. The park also built hides where people can stay over and watch animals at night. Walking on the canopy, I cannot help but compare it with the ziplines and treehouses high in the jungle from the Gibbon Experience in northern Laos.

It took me almost 40 minutes to hike up Bukit Teresik (354m) where magnificent views of the jungle can be seen on the summit and 15 minutes to get the self-timer function of my new Canon G9 working. I laid down for a power nap and absorbed every bit of sound from the jungle residents. Once back down, another hour of trekking through mud and dense jungle took me to Limpon Simpon, an area where water was so clear that an utter welcomed me by showing off his swimming skill from far. Back to the resort, a family of wild hog ventured out for dinner.

My night activity was river safari. Using a torch, my guide, spotted deers, owls and utters, in the dark canopy lighted up by a few fireflies here and there. 'Tigers had been spotted', he said, 'when they come out to the river for a drink, but very very rarely.'

Next morning, I visited Gua Telinga, a very narrow cave with a huge bat populations. Crawling with our hands and legs in bat dungs, we got up close and personal with these very cute mammals. Luckily, there were no snakes around.

On our way back to the boat, we passed by an aborigine village, called Orang Asli, in Malay. These are subsistent people living in the jungle for hundreds of years. Although government nowaday give land and provide education to the children, many of them still lead a very simple life, except accepting income from the tourists. Back to Kuala Tahan, trying desperately to avoid the strong sun, I learned to play Camroon, the national game with wooden pegs played with fingers, with the local guides, until my fingers hurt.

I woke up early to drizzles, anticipating the 2 day trekking on the Keniam Trail in the north of Taman Negara. My group includes people from America, France, Australia, Belgium and of course Holland. The trail was not difficult but very muddy. We slipped and slided our way through in many parts. Leeches took the opportunities for a buffet of tourists' fresh blood donation. Never sweat so much in my life, I was constantly soaked over the 5 hours trek (8 km)on the first day, until a highly anticipated wash in a small stream close to a large cave where we stayed overnight. Needless to say, most of us were exhausted and choked down the delicious chicken curry, mackerel soup and rice prepared by our guides. I slept away in Bob Marley's music, dreaming about seeing wild elephants that night since there were lots of elephant dungs at the entrance of the cave.

Suddenly, pots and pans were falling on the ground. In the middle of the night, a civet cat sneaked into our cave noisily and finished our leftover rice in the pot. The thief were not shy at all. He kept eating on its 'stage' with spotlight shining on him, then slowing walked away after 5 minute pretending nothing had ever happened although everyone was woken up by his noisy intrusion.

Waking up in natural cave was refreshening, although my back need a little adjusting afterward. We had toasts with jams and coconut butter, milo and nescafe for breakfast and headed out for another day of trekking in the jungle. The trail today involved more ups and downs but was equally muddy. We carefully jumped through old tree roots, dense vegetations, fallen tree trucks and shallow streams. After another 8 km, we are all relieved at the sight of our destination and the sound of our pickup boat. All I want was a cold shower.

From Kuala Lumpar, I took a bus at Titiwasa Bus Station to Temerloh, a small town in Pehang province, to visit the famous Kuala Gandal Elephant Sanctuary in Lanchang. This centre relocates and rehabilitates wild elephants all over South East Asia when the elephants raid farmer crops in previously forested land. Forced to separate from their families and land, some relocations create tremendous stress on the elephants which causes death. The lucky ones are placed on the northern side of the Malaysia National Park, Taman Negara, and reunited with their families. The young or injured are brought to the centre for treatment and rehabilitation.

I must have picked the busiest day of the year because there were busloads of school children and tourist crowds all anxious to see and ride these magnificent animals. All the elephants look quite relaxed and well-trained when dealing with people. Some of them are very picky at the kind of fruits visitors offer them. The highlight of my visit was the bathing of the baby elephants. The two were so at ease with playing in the water with visitors that for a moment it might seem to temporarily ease the painful memories of family separation for these youngsters.

I also visited the Deerland Zoo, a nearby small zoo that housed various animals, such as macquets, sun bear, pocupine, flying squirrels etc. Although the zoo allows touch and close contact with all these animals, I cannot help but think how much money the owner is making by putting a fence or cage around these once wild and free animals.

From Temerloh, I took a bus to Jerantut, the gateway to Taman Negara, the National Park of Malaysia. Waiting for the night bus to Kuala Tahan, the village at the park entrance, I wandered into a hotel hoping to rest in air-con lobby away from the humidity and heat from the streets. Once inside, I casually asked if there is any guide willing to take me up to Gunung Tahan, the highest mountain in peninsular Malaysia. The Chinese receptionist gave me the phone no. of a local guide. With nothing to do for the next few hours, I decided to try my luck.

To my surprise, the person on the other line was very professional. Within 15 min, he came to see me at the hotel lobby with pamphlets of jungle activities and explained to me that treks up to Gunung Tahan is very rare because it takes more than one week and too expensive for one person. Instead, he offered to show me to his regular job, timber truck driver.

Within a few hours, I was taken in a large timber truck to the logging hut on a clear patch of logged land in the middle of the jungle. The woman workers welcomed me with warm enthusiasm. We talked with broken english and malay until late night and felt asleep. Next morning, I was greeted with a delicious fried maggi noodle with chicken breakfast. After breakfast, they showed me around different logging areas by different owners, mostly Chinese. I spent hours watching the skillful workers carefully loading each truck with timbers, with meticulous precision to ensure safety and chatted with the owners about the timber market.

Apparently, timber drivers are paid relatively well because of the demanding working conditions. Many workers are indians and chinese who spend over 10 years taking timbers out of the precious rain forest. Timbers are logged in the inner jungle, then transported to the 'outer station' for loading. Trucks will take these measured and categoried timber to different factories for cutting. Prices flunctuates often depending on the quality of wood and on market conditions. I said farewell to the logging team, feeling very lucky to be able to see the story on the opposite side of conservation on this side trip.

Malaysia is quite possibly the most diversed city in Malaysia. Since it became independent from Britain 51 years ago in 1957, capital Kuala Lumpar (KL) had transformed from a colonial town to one of the most modern cities in Asia. The majority population of Malay lives relatively peacefully with minority Indians and Chinese, compared to its neighboring countries.

Nowadays, most tourists come to KL to see the architectural gem, the Petronas Towers. With many islamic element built in with its design and superior lighting, it is honestly the most impressive buildings of all the concrete jungles in the world.

The experience in KL was short but delightfully. After the airport shuttle dropped me off in front of my guesthouse on one of the busiest tourist street Bukit Binteng, I briefly strolled around the night market crowded with name brand stores next to mini-markets and street food stools. Wandering aimlessly, the sight of Petronas Towers suddenly caught my eyes. The highest twin towers in the world, Petronas Towers had brought Malaysia's architecture to a new height. The islamic elements in the tower design are not only asthetically beautiful, but architectural exceptional. Almost every angle reveals a different perception in the building's design. Almost every curve symbolizes the achievement of modern Islam. I sat next to the fountain outside the entrance watching passerby carrying bags of top name brand stores in and out of the shopping mall and testing my new Malaysia sim card in my mobile phone for a good while.

The next day, I took a local bus to the famous Batu Cave, the holy sight where tens of thousands of hindu believers gather every January/February with self-torturing ceremonies. When I was about to come out, rain started pouring from all directions, I was left to hang out with the monkey families outside the Dark Cave next door.

Back to the city, I took the Metro Rail subway to a neighborhood called Kampung Baru, inhabited mostly by Malay. Sitting in a small restaurant within this quiet neighborhood watching the Petronas Tower light up for the night, one cannot help but notice the gap between the few rich and the rest of common people in this developing countries. After a quick dinner, I rode the Light Rail to Titiwansa. KL is not a walker friendly town. Wrong direction given by the rail reception resulted in me walking alongside the highway for about 20 minutes, unable to cross to
the park where the Eye of Malaysia is located. Luckily, I was not the only lost soul. I finally hailed a taxi with another couple behind me and got to the park.

Although much smaller than the London Eye, the Malaysia eye is delicately positioned above a lake with nightly laser show. KL's skyscrapers from the eye on a full moon night look both peacefully and magically. After a short stroll in the park, I took a taxi back to Melaki Square, where a Bangledesh festival was going on. This is where the British administrative offices were located and so nowhere else in KL is colonialism so apparent reflected in these buildings.

On my last morning in KL, the guesthouse owner gave me, 'a Honggie' (People from Hong Kong) a lesson on how to pick a good cab driver. I decided to visit the Islamic Museum of Art, a graceful building designed with an entrance resembling the Kaaba in Mecca. The collection was equally impressive, with everything from fabric, utensil, coins, furnitures of different muslim communities in history to in-depth explanation of fancinating arabic calligraphy and mosque design around the world. The visit was well-worth it. My leaving the museum coincedes with the friday praying at the National Mosque and in no time, I was completely engulfed in crowds.