Chapter Eleven: Borneo, nature is calling

Arrival in Kuching, city of the cats. Lonely planet mentioned it as an international airport, but only 3 suitcases came out of the airplane. Never got my backpack so quickly. I was the only 'white' person on the plane, I felt this is going to be a place where I will not see many tourist compared to Bali. A nice change. I noticed that outside the airport, I needed to look for a cap, nobody was pushy and offered me anything.

Back in Malaysia again, I think I will stay on the Malaysian part of Borneo. That has the most nature and wildlife parks and perhaps I will visit Brunei as well. The cuisine here is excellent again, as in whole south east Asia. Walking on a market and grabbing some homemade rolls stuffed with crab, fish or other delightful things. I know some who would getting crazy with all the nice restaurants over here. In Malaysia they have a special love for flowers, I noticed that in Kuala Lumpur and in Kuching it's the same. Many flower shops in combination with the many eating shops fills the air with a pleasant smell, it supports the relaxed atmosphere in Kuching.

Around Kuching there some parks which you easily can visit by a day trip, almost difficult to choose. It's going to be a combination, seeing oerang utans, tracking through rain forests, exploring caverns...so much to do.

Seeing the oerang utans was funny, just funny apes. Hiking through Bako park was really cool, expect no perfect laid out trails, nope working your way through the trees and climbing limestone hills. The scenery is something new, massive trees, followed by water soaked tracks, followed by orchid flowers, than standing on a clif where the forest touches the sea. That's the great thing of this trip, constant looking for constrasts  and discovering how nature can behave, a couple of days ago I was playing captain jack sparrow on oceans and now I'm humble walking through the longs of the earth. 

Again I meet new people, Vojta a Czech, Natalie from Germany a nice pack of people with the same mindset, w'll hang out in the coming days to explore the other parks.

Talking about contrasts, from a luxurious homestay to a chubby hotel. Especially when I'm hardly in my hotel I don't mind to get some cheaper places, as long as I have a bed and a (cold) shower I'm fine. With the money I save I can extend my trip. I never thought that I would be traveling for more than 4 months, but it will be at least 6.

Questions I need to answer are still not found and became more complicated. I just like following financial markets and I just gave advice to one of my clients after the Trump victory, it's a small world. Fuck, I might decide to move to Asia forever, who knows! 
It's always a challenge to get somewhere, normally i take the bus. You see more of local community and it's way more cheaper than taking constantly a cap. Oke you need to prepare you trip a bit, but you also need to be brave to talk to the locals, but that's the fun part.
The trips to the national parks are mostly accompanied with a boat trip, and it will take you at least 1,5 hour. All in all you don't get bored.

In Kuching I experienced for the first time the wet season. 2 trips were canceled due to severe rain. I was lucky that I rewarded myself with a hotel and hot shower. I don't mind sleeping in a choppy hotel if I only sleep there and travel around. But occasionally I do, recharging the battery. Besides the trips to the parks, i travel a lot. In a period of 3 weeks I'm taking 8 times a plane, short ones of just an hour or 30 minutes and long ones of in total 12 to 14 hours  In many cases i need to take twice a plane to get somewhere. There are no direct flights from Bali to Kuching, i use Kuala Lumpur as a hop,  but between the flights i need to wait a couple of hours.

Arrival in Miri, needed to wake up at 04.30..auw, early flight. I'm going there to see some caves in niah national park, i soon realize that Miri is a mistake, a modern city which has been occupied with people who work in the offshore industry. Fortunately I'm hear only for 2 days, i will fly to mulu national park, which during this time of the year is reachable by plane, boats are unsure, depends now to much on the weather conditions, tides etc.

I was typing the above on my way to Niah. Everything was absolutely worth it, what a fantastic caverns. So unbelievable massive and huge. I reached it after a 4 km hike through dense rainforest, which was pleasure to walk through. You don't see many wildlife, but you must listen to the jungle. Some little creatures make such a sound, that I hardly believed it were frogs, insects, birds, lizards even ants. Than a massive mountain range appears through the green scenery. High it towered above, i could humble stumble some words. Entering the caves gave me a very tiny feeling. I saw several scaffolding, the local people harvesting the bird nests which are a delicate cuisine in China. 

On my in the cave I entered a passage which was pitch black, no light, only my torch. The was slippery of the falling water, guano and birdshit. I never felt fear during this trip, but when i turned off the  light and standing there in absolute darkness i had a creepy feeling. It was most creepy when I turned on the lights again. All in all a very interesting experience, climbing your way through with a little help of a torchlight, which is a must to have.

I definitely will remember this spot, i see so many things and everything is new or things i never saw before. Sometimes i just don't know how to describe it anymore, pictures tell in some cases a thousand words...this is such an occasion.

After a bus ride of 2 hours, chilling on my room, prepare for another flight. Mulu is on the program, and must be even more beautiful than Niah....and I won't be even surprised.