Day 8 - Travels with Mr Aji

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We started day 8 in the usual lazy manner, headed down for breakfast and whiled the time away waiting for Mr Aji to pick us up from the lodge. Daniel went on the 'net and attempted to update the blog: I read. Anyhoo, 11 arrived and Mr Aji was almost with us. He arrived in his Toyota Landcruiser with 'jungle inspired interior' and all we could do for a moment was stand an marvel at this little man, with a funny chuckle, insane hair and a (soon to be vehemently expressed) love for the animals of Borneo. We set off and went to collect the other couple who were doing the tour with us, Charles and Inger from Holland (yes, again, Holland). They were a lovely pair and Charles was very, and I mean very, excited about the jungle. He wanted to see snakes, which Inger was very afraid of. Opposites attract after all eh?

We carried on down Route 22, towards Sukau, a journey of about 2 hours with a short stop for lunch where Mr Aji told us about his love for the jungle and how he's been studying the habitats and lives of the monekys there, in particular the Probiscus Monkey, or big nosed monkey. He had been studying them in detail for over 2 years and knew more about them than I think it's possible for any other single individual to know.

We got to the B+B in Sukau. A large wooden hut next to a small family home on the bank of the Kinabatangan River. Nothing fancy, but enough for 2 nights, even if there was no air-con in the room. We dropped off our things in the room, loaded up on the deet and suncream and straight away headed off on our first boat cruise.

It was very hot on the boat, but it was delightful heading down river, made all the more memorable by Mr Aji speaking Monkey from the offstet. Within about 2 minutes we had seen a family of Probiscus monkeys and Mr Aji was excitedly calling out to them. We watched them for a minute before continuing down the river to investigate the other jungle creatures.

We saw a couple of crocodiles, hidden just under the water with their eyes poking out. One of them was a teenie, tiny baby croc. We saw more monkeys, both probiscus and macaques, in the trees in their family groups. We saw some hornbills, but only the oriental pied variety sadly. We even saw a white bellied fish eagle and a snake bird that had gone for a swim and caught a catfish. But the highlight of Mr Aji's day was... wild chickens (more accurately known as crested firebacks). He got very excited and, running down the boat, almost jumping off to take photos, chuckling all the while. We thought he was taking the mick when he said, "very rare," but when we got back and checked the books, they actually are pretty rare!

After 3 hours, more monkeys and glaring at some noisy tourists crammed into other boats (some bloody lucky kids around, I tell you), we returned to dry land... well, as dry as it can be in 80% and above humidity.

We ate dinner. Well we ate what we could get after some of the other residents of the B+B had, quite inconsiderately, troughed it all before began loudly shouting at each other around the building and banging the doors. I avoided the moths that were closing in on the lights as the sun vanished behind the hills, Inger worried over the bats that were circling the eating space on the veranda. Charles and Daniel however were loving watching them gorging on the insects buzzing around the lights.

I was bushed and wanted to read and get some shut eye for the next day. Daniel wanted to see more wildlife so went on a night boat cruise with Charles and Mr Aji. They saw a grizly looking frog; some kingfishers (storkbilled, blue crested) and owls (buffy fish); a kingfisher almost getting eaten by a mangrove snake (annoyingly disturbed by another boat load of tourists who, according to Daniel, saw fit not to take the flashes off their cameras - something which vexed both he and Mr Aji); more crocs; giant fruit bats and some sleeping monkeys.

He arrived back at 10pm and proceeded, in an attempt to not wake me, fell asleep with his lenses in... clever boy.

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