22nd July - Sandakan - heading for Kinabatangan River - Turtle Islands revisited - Agnes Keith

Tuesday 22^nd July

5 degrees 50.473N

118 degrees 07.424E

This anchorage is much the same as last time, a few days ago.  It turned out to be very satisfactory in that we did not drift, in big stormy winds, and – even more miraculous – there was no crapola on the chain or the anchor when we pulled it up.  The other boats had a whole lot of foul stuff entangled.

We are back in Sandakan, getting ready to go up the Kinabatangan River – a big adventure!  This should take about eight days; I have no idea where there will be internet connection.  Surely not??  We are going into deepest darkest Borneo!!  About half of the rally boats have already left for the river but we will be with a respectable contingent, plus army/navy/police/coastguard escort.  So all will be well!

Catherine has kindly downloaded her photos thus far onto this computer.  There are LOTS of photos of food, in the market…

We are very grateful for her interest in food…We are benefitting greatly, with wonderful dinners.  Last night John cooked large steaks of Spanish mackerel, with BBQ-ed eggplant, and Catherine made a mango salsa.  And tonight there is a whole chicken, which is poaching in a spicy broth as we speak…

Our trip to the Turtle Islands was, eventually, very successful.  Pete and Catherine exercised great diplomatic skills and we were permitted to join the resident guests for a Turtle Viewing Experience last night.  We had to be there at 7pm and…our darling mother turtle didn’t; make an appearance till after 10pm.  Some of us (75%...) of us dozed intermittently on the hard wooden benches, while the other 25% made friends with Hilary, one of the rangers.

Hilary took a great shine to Pete.  He led his procession of 36 island visitors speedily across the sand dunes in the dark, and as soon as we got to the turtle watching spot, he began his presentation with, “Are you here, Peter?”  When we moved to the hatchery…“Are you here, Peter?”  And as we watched the release of the dear little turtles about to make their brave ocean voyage - “Are you here, Peter?”  Pete invited him to come out to 2XS this morning, and we very much enjoyed his brief but enthusiastic visit.  He comes from a remote village and is a member of the Murut tribe, until recently, fearsome warriors and headhunters.

When Hilary came on board he was mightily impressed.   A house! he exulted, looking at our table, full of…THINGS with which Pete is constructing/erecting a fan for John and Catherine’s bedroom…

(And yes we did see a large mother turtle, laying her eggs in the deep pit she had dug.  She was totally focused on her task and paid no attention to us.  It was as if she were in a trance.  We loved her!)

I have been reading about the tribal people of Sabah, in Agnes Keith’s wonderful book, The Land Below the Wind.  (1939, well worth seeking out.)  One of the many places kind Chee took us to was the Agnes Keith House right next to our lovely English Tea House.

It is, sadly, not the original, which was bombed to smithereens in the war, but it is a faithful reproduction.  It must have been amazing there, up on the hill, with a large and eccentric retinue of staff, orangutans, gibbons, tarsiers, one musang,*  and a pair of darling otters which absolutely refused to swim, or to have anything to do with water.

*What is a musang??  Fortunately Agnes illustrated her book with delightful pen and ink drawings so now I know…