Saturday 14th June
Yesterday was a
big Borneo Adventure Day.
We drove along the
coast road for nearly 100ks, in a slightly dodgy car, which Pete rented from a
formidable, dynamic woman called Thorny Rose, who spends her days on a big
black boat in the marina.
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| Owen and Jessica |
Texans Owen and
Jessica, from SV Malaika, came with us.
Owen sat in the front to be navigator – navigating does NOT improve
Pete’s and my relationship… Pete didn’t seem to mind at all that Owen navigated
us very cleverly back along a completely different road, with lots of roadworks
and slow buses, and cars overtaking over double white lines, but I think he
would have minded very much if I had been the one to get us onto the wrong
road.
That left Jessica
and me in the back seats which were so very uncomfortable we both got out at
each stop with audible groans. But never
mind; it was worth it!
We finally got to
the Niah national park and crossed the river in a little boat (1 ringgit per
person.) We were very glad not to have
to swim…
I loved the
hand-made signs in the park. What about
all of these forbidden things – no carving I LOVE YOU onto the rocks or trees, no shooting, chopping, littering, fires…
The first part of
the cave experience was a brisk Run Through the Jungle. There was a sturdy boardwalk all the way, thank
heavens – no slushing through swampy undergrowth.
It was quite a
long way but absolute heaven, walking under the beautiful tall shady trees.
So wonderful, to
be able to do a bit of pleasurable exercise without sweltering. (At least for the first few hours...)
There were
handrails most of the way but…
These glorious
creatures loved the handrails. And I
rather think that this bright colour means DANGER
DANGER! Do NOT put your hand on this
handy handrail!
 |
| And...they are mating, multiplying! |
The Great Cave,
where we entered, is immense. 250 metres
wide with a 60 metre high cave mouth.
Inside the cave system are lots of rickety little bamboo constructions,
way up high. These are for the birds
nest collectors, who scramble up up UP into the dim upper regions of the cave.
After the
beautiful jungle, the cave was a deep dark contrast. Wonderful, and fascinating. We walked up stairs and down stairs and up
stairs and down stairs and up stairs and down stairs through tunnels, vast
caverns, occasional brightly lit chambers where chinks of light came through
the massive limestone walls.
Eventually we came
to yet another cave, with (slightly dim…) paintings. Not long ago they found a skull in the Great
Cave which was 40,000 years old.
This
reversed all previous thinking about the homo sapiens inhabitation of the
island. There are archeological digs,
randomly fenced off, as are the paintings, with barbed wire. Jessica and I decided it would be amongst the
worst of all digs to work on. Nice and
shady in the caves but…of the guano! I
think we all took days off our lives, breathing in that smell.
 |
| I couldn't see them very well either...but they are indubitably old - not 40,000, but old. |
Once we had
peered, thoughtfully, at the paintings, and I had had a nice little chat to two
earnest young Polish backpackers, it was time to go back. Up up up….down down down… And then back along the
jungle track. Jessica goes everywhere with
a pedometer strapped to her waist and she said we had walked (Climbed! Descended!
Trudged!) eight miles (approx.. 12 kilometres.)
In the beginning we were reasonably cool. By the time we got back to the car we were
all sodden and exhausted and very smelly,of guano, predominantly. But happy with
our wonderful day in Teman Negara Niah.
Today we have meetings,
briefings, Immigration etc, in the Park City Everly Hotel. Only a short bike ride from the marina and –
it has free WiFi! I might skip the
meetings and sit in the café under a fan, sipping watermelon juice and playing
with my computer…
In the meantime, some of my family are in Townsville...
And some of Pete's family are in Alaska! Global Tasmanians...
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