Borneo

When I told friends I was going to Borneo they invariably had two questions:

Where?

Why?

Where is part of the Malay Achipelago in Southeast Asia, Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is part of Indonesia.

Why is for the wildlife.  And the mountain, more to come on that.

The Borneo rainforest is one of the oldest in the world and one of the largest of the fast-disappearing rainforests in Southeast Asia.  Due to its island isolation many unique endemic species have evolved. The country is perhaps most famous for the endangered Bornean orangutan.  Add in pygmy elephants, clouded leopards, fruit bats, monkeys, crocodiles and birds, birds, birds.  A wildlife lover's (me) paradise. I really wanted to spot an orangutan but I tamped down my expectations.  I knew that they are an endangered species and I figured we would have to trek deep into the jungle to hope to catch a fleeting glimpse of one.  As for pygmy elephants, I crossed that off the list, so rare as to be almost impossible to see.  But still I held out hope to see Borneo's big five:  orangutan, pygmy elephant, crocodile, proboscis monkey and rhinocerus hornbill, a large bird with an eponymous beak.




Summit view

But before we embarked on our wildlife trek we made our way to Mt. Kinabalu.  The mountain is the highest mountain in Malaysia and we wanted to bag it while we were in country.  At 13,435 feet it is not tall but it is a strenuous climb over steep boulder fields and loose scree.  the upper reaches, on summit day, are often over slick rock in uncertain weather. This is a non-technical climb so no specialized experience is needed, just strong legs, good lungs and perseverance. Only 185 permits are granted each day and it takes two days to summit.  After an overnight at the lodge in Kinabalu National Park at the mountain base we awoke early and prepped for our climb. Day one is a slog from Timpohon Gate at 6,122 feet to Laban Rata guesthouse at 10,300 feet.  We took seven hours to make it to the resthouse. Day two from the resthouse to summit starts at dawn and takes about four hours, allowing time to descend back to Timpohon Gate.  The views from the mountain flanks are spectacular and we enjoyed a gorgeous sunset from the resthouse balcony.








Jungle cleared for palm oil plantation

And then onto the jungle. From Mt. Kinabalu we proceeded east toward Sandakan.  Unfortunately, this part of the trip was depressing.  We drive through dozens of miles of palm oil plantations and miles of jungle being cleared for palm oil plantations. The rainforest is rapidly being destroyed here for the sake of palm oil and the wildlife is being driven out with nowhere to go.

We stopped on the way to explore Gomantong Cave and on the way in, not ten minutes into the jungle we hear a commotion on the canopy and look up to see a male orangutan swinging through the trees.  Success, and we've barely started our trip!  This huge cave, with a roof towering 300 feet overhead is famous as home to 275,000 free-tailed bats that emerge in the evening to feed.  But its real claim to fame is the resident population of white swifts and their valuable edible nests, which are harvested for bird's nest soup.   Locals climb to the roof of the caves, using only rattan ladders and ropes to collect the nests. But the cave also has a stultifying side:  the thousands of bats and swifts generate copious amounts of excrement and the cave floor is meters thick with guano.  Stinking, disgusting guano.  The ammonia smell is overwhelming and the waste attracts thousands--and I mean THOUSANDS of roaches. The cave walls and floors seem to move with the scurrying of herds of large roaches.

Back into the fresh air and onto Sandakan province and our destination in the jungle; Sukau Rainforest Lodge, a National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World. This eco-friendly lodge located on the banks of the Kinabantangan River, is accessible only by boat.  It is isolated and beautiful.  An open-air dining area on the river complements cozy rooms at the lodge. This lodge was used by Sir Richard Attenborough while filming a documentary on Borneo in 2011.

The rest of our time at Sukau is spent taking daily boast trips into the jungle, exploring the inner reaches on the Kinabantangan River and tributaries. These all day excursions let us see a multitude of animals including more orangutans, proboscis monkeys, long-tailed macaques, rhinocerus hornbills, pig-tailed macaques, crocodiles and a variety of bats, monkey and birds.  Truly one of the most wildlife-rich places I've ever been.  The jungle is thick and verdant and smells of rich loam and vegetation.  Forgetting the dismal scenes of palm oil destruction, one can enjoy one of the last truly wild rainforests in the world.

After an all-too-brief stay at Sukau we travel downriver to the city of Sandakan and stopped along the way to visit the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center and the nearby Malaysian Sun Bear Rehabilitation Center.  Both facilities are nonprofits that care for and rehab wild animals for their release back into the wild.  Most of the animals are orphans resulting from poaching or jungle destruction.  The facilities nurse the animals back to health and, if possible, the individual animals are returned to enjoy life in the wild.  It was a somewhat sobering reminder of what is happening to the wildlife in Borneo.

We decompressed in the energetic city of Sandarkan with a couple of city walkabouts and w visit to the teeming city market before catching a flight home.

Nepal: Khumbu Trek

Mt. Everest and Lhotse

Hiking to Everest Base Camp seems to be the bucket list item for many but as we've discovered over the years, bucket list destinations are not always what we seek.  We've been caught too many times is crowds, queues and tourist traps to still believe that the holy grail of Arches National Park or Stonehenge or the Isle of Capri is somewhere that we have to go.  There are many just as spectacular sites that do not demand the cost of crowds and aggravation.

So it was with Nepal.  We decided early on that we wanted a solitary experience away from the madding crowd. We have followed this tactic in the past, notably with a decision to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro via the remote and low-travelled Rongai route which gave us seven days of almost solitary climbing.



Macaque monkey at Swayambunath temple in Kathmandu

As we discovered during our trek, this was a fortuitous decision.  That wasn't apparent when we landed in Kathmandu, a bustling, crowded city of traffic jams, pollution and dust and dirt everywhere.  Kathmandu is both wonderful and terrible.  The people are friendly, the food is exotically delicious, the sights and sounds are overwhelming. But not what we came for and after two days of acclimatization we are off to the jump off point for our trek, the village of Lukla.

Prayer wheels, walk on left, spin clockwise for good luck

New Years Eve in Kathmandu

Steps up to Swayambunath temple.

Oxen on the trail.

Buddhist monks at Khumjung temple.





Yak train

 

Lukla is a tiny village in the foothills of the Himalayas, a ninety minute plane ride from Kathmandu--if you can get a plane in.  The notoriously unpredictable weather in the mountains means that about fifty percent of Kathmandu-to-Lukla flights are cancelled due to bad weather.  Which is how we ended up stranded and waiting for clear weather in the Kathmandu airport until we could stand it no more and saw one day of our trek slipping away.  We chartered two helicopters to fly us, our gear and guides into Lukla.  Helicopters are a viable alternative if the weather is not too bad since they can maneuver below the cloud cover if it's not completely socked in.  So we're in a bucking helicopter, skimming below the clouds with monstrous mountains looming in the windshield.  Fingers crossed that the pilot sees it also before we splatter into its flank.



Our ride into Lukla

Lukla airport

Tenzing-Hillary airport in Lukla sits at 9334 feet, is only 1700 feet long and rises abruptly 1000 feet from the valley below to immediately in front of the landing strip.  The back of the landing strip ends terminally at a vertical mountainside.  It is the most dangerous airport in the world with regular and frequent fatal accidents.  No go arounds here; the pilot gets it right the first time and doesn't get another shot at it.  So it's a great relief to come out of the clouds, spot the landing strip and come into a safe if bumpy landing.

After overnight in Lukla we start our Khumbu trek.  So why the Khumbu trek?  As I said, we opted out of the base camp trek after reading too many accounts of crowds and disappointing scenery.  Khumbu is known for its relative isolation and remoteness and lack of trekkers.  And spectacular scenery for the duration of the trek.

We were not disappointed.  Our first stop was the historical trading center of Namche Bazaar.  This village sits at 11,000 feet and is still an active trading center for locals as well as the starting point for all treks onto Mt. Everest and the Himalayan highlands.  It is a busy center of locals bartering and selling vegetables, meat, clothing and other essentials and trekkers prepping for their onward efforts in the mountains.  We caught our first sight of Mt. Everest and Lhotse that day.  It was an iconic sight with wisps of clouds blowing downwind from gales at the peak. Unforgettable.

Buddhist icon at Khumjung temple.

After another night of a acclimatization we pushed on into the Khumbu region.  For the first half-day out of Namche Bazaar we share the trail with base camp trekkers and it was a long and heavily traveled route.  We were never out of sight of other trekkers and occasionally met with backups at particularly awesome vistas.

Teahouse in Khumjung

So we were happy when we veered off to the west to begin our climb into the Khumbu region.  Khumbu does not attract the huge numbers of trekkers that the base camp route does and for the next six days were saw less than a dozen trekkers.  We were totally immersed in the local culture, interfacing with tea house owners, farmers and kids on their terms.  We walked thru Thame, Khumjung, Jorsalle and many villages too small to merit a name.  We passed porters, yaks, oxen, caught incredible views of towering mountains, slept in ice-cold tea houses, huddled around yak dung fired stoves, ate Dahl baht, entered sacred temples, met buddhist monks, saw a yeti (OK maybe not).

And it seemed like we had the whole region almost to ourselves.  After eight days of trekking we returned to Kathmandu, recuperated and left an incredible region behind to be discovered by other trekkers who have their own idea of a bucket list. Namaste.

Thanks to George Lee for many of the photos!

Antarctica

Cold? For sure.
Bleak? No way.

Argentinian research station

So I was half-right on my assumptions about Antarctica. Yes, unrelentingly cold, windy, icy and with a bit of snow thrown in (believe it or not, snow is a rarity in Antarctica).  But bleak is the not an adjective you use to describe the scenery.  Glowing, illuminated, surreal, captivating--knock yourself out, the colors and terrain are entrancing.  Glistening glaciers, sparkling icebergs and translucent blue waters are everywhere, dominated by the higher end of the color spectrum with any variation of the color blue a writer can conjure.  Cerulean, azure, cobalt, sapphire, turquoise take your pick, they're all there in stunning brilliance.

Antarctica as you would guess is unlike any other place on earth.  It is the coldest, least inhabited, most inhospitable and driest continent.  There are no permanent year-round residents other than a small number of scientists and support staff that stay over through the brutal winter.  Wildlife is less varied in terms of species than any other continent but (at least for now) present in huge numbers.  Penguin colonies of a half-million are present, seals are omnipresent always hunting penguins or crabs and other prey.  Large pods of minke and humpback whales cruise the Southern Ocean, trolling for krill and plankton.

There is a price of admission for all this wildlife and beauty and that is the Drake Passage.  The most viable way to reach the continent is by ship out of Ushuaia, the southernmost town in the Americas. This Argentinian outpost, perched on the edge of the Beagle Channel of the Southern Ocean, is the jumping off point for almost all excursions to Antarctica. And it requires a transit across the Drake Passage, recognized by mariners as the roughest water in the world.  Here the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean meet the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean and these two do not mix well.  Imagine a battle royale between thermoclines, roiling the ocean into massive angry waves.  Add in high winds generated by two clashing weather fronts that often produce winds to 90 knots or more and you have a crazy quilt sea of currents and waves that produces stomach-churning conditions.  The two-day passage that we experienced produced 27 foot waves, 90 knot winds and

enough bumping, dropping, pitching and yawing to reduce even the hardiest to handfuls of Dramamine and commode hugging.  Not a trip for the fainthearted or seasick prone.

But it was well worth the sacrifice.  A week long trip of kayaking, zooming around in Zodiacs, photography, wildlife viewing, hiking and, yes, a polar plunge added up to an exceptional trip.  And you haven't experienced anything until you've walked through an active penguin colony.  Thousands of clumsily endearing penguins squawking and falling, stealing small stones from each other, crapping, vomiting and warding off marauding skuas trying to steal their eggs--it's as chaotic as it sounds.  And the smell is overpowering.  Decaying fish, excrement, vomit; delightful.

We cruised from to a different island or land mass each day aboard the Ocean Adventurer, an ice-hardened 101-meter long ship that accommodates 128 passengers. The ship is comfortable if not luxurious with cozy cabins and a first class dining room with three delicious squares a day. Our daily routine was up at seven for breakfast followed by a short briefing and then a shore excursion; either Zodiac cruising, kayaking or a landing to explore a local penguin colony, scientific base or historical landmark.  Back to the ship for lunch and then another afternoon excursion.  Back to the ship again for dinner and an evening program--photography, geology, history, birding.  Late to bed, early to rise, repeat.

I didn't mention the birds.  They were everywhere; skuas, Antarctic terns, sheathbills, petrels, albatross all in incredible numbers.  They followed our ship everyday, gliding gently off the stern or aside the rails.  Dusky dolphins and Peale's dolphins rode the bow wave, cavorting and surfing alongside.

Everything is so different, so strange that you feel totally disconnected from the rest of the world. There is no frame of reference, no saying this reminds me of...   Because it doesn't remind you of anything, it's all too new, too unique.

Too soon, it was time to go back to the world.  Once again we pay the price of the Drake Passage but our Russian captain sees a storm passing through on radar and slow boats back across, following the storm in on relatively calm seas until we spy Cape Horn and the end of our voyage.

It was, by all accounts, perfect.  It was my seventh continent and although each is unique and wonderful, Antarctica was my favorite.

Thanks to George Lee for many photos!

Whale Sharks and Jungle Trekking in Belize

OK, swimming with whale sharks was not the only reason we went to Belize.  We wanted to see the Yucatan jungle, visit some Mayan ruins, do some birding, explore caves and canoe a couple of rivers.  But the sharks were my primary goal.
 

So we loaded up and headed to the Yucatan peninsula to begin our quest.  We decided to combine time on the water with a trek through the Belizean jungle--a good decision.  We hooked up with Adventure Life, an outfitter we have used in the past for treks with great results, and flew into Belize City where we caught a ride to  Pook's Hill Lodge, deep in the western jungle near the capital city of Belmopan.

 

After a quick stop along the way at the Belize zoo, we arrived at Pook's Hill, our home for the next four days.  Nestled deep in the isolated hills and surrounded by lush jungle, it was a charming and restful home base for our week's excursions.  After setting in, we met the staff and Vicki, the gracious owner of Pook's Hill.  As it turned out, after the first night, we were the only guests for the duration and had the attention of the staff entirely to ourselves.

 

And grand attention it was!  Excellent food, knowledgeable guides and intact jungle trails at our beck and call.  Local guides took us on daily hikes in the morning and evening, searching our local flora and fauna.  I added 49 new birds species in our walks.  We also took advantage of local adventures including a visit to the ancient Mayan ruins of Xunantunich, a canoe trip on the Rio Macal, a visit to a butterfly farm, a hike (swim) into Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave, a canoe trip on Barton Creek and a stop at Blue Hole National Park.  Hard to say which one was our favorite but the ATM Cave trip was incredible--this is a wild cave tour, definitely not for the casual tourist.  Swimming and squeezing through narrow passages, all in darkness with only headlamps for light.  But the payoff is worth it, the cave is liberally littered with ancient artifacts, bowls, tools and human skeletons and skulls (it was a religious sacrificial site).

 

After our week of jungle adventures we moved onto the beaches of Placencia, a small and relatively undeveloped village on a peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico.  Robert's Lodge was our base for the remainder of the trip.  Located directly on the Gulf, it was a pleasant dream land for our whale shark trek. 

 

We loaded up for our trip out to Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve.  I had intended to scuba dive but after talking with Linda at Pook's Hill she convinced me that snorkeling would be just as productive.  I was glad I opted for snorkeling.  Our dive outfit (Seahorse Dive Shop in Placencia)  had snorkelers on one boat and divers on two others.   As it turned out, we (snorkelers) saw and swam with three whale sharks.  The two dive boats saw one and none respectively.  It was a wonderful experience, the thrill of a lifetime to swim with such magnificent creatures.  I will let the videos speak for themselves.