Swamp

During our time in Semporna we stayed at the Scuba Junkie backpackers lodge.

Out the back of the lodge there is a well-shaded swamp. One of the staff at Scuba Junkie told me that Komodo dragons lived in there - hundreds of them. I was amazed at this piece of information, and then the staff member pointed at one of the dragons - it wasn't a Komodo dragon, but rather a water monitor lizard. Water monitor's are large in size but far less deadly than Komodo dragons.

Later, when Steph and I were looking down at the swamp through our window we spotted other animals there. We saw egrets, a pair of bitterns, some other kinds of water fowl, and also a kingfisher. Sadly, the swamp appeared to be overcrowded with all of these animals - their original homes having been destroyed, they were pushed into living in this tiny pocket of vegetation in a city otherwise surrounded by palm-oil plantations. In what seemed to me to be a final insult, the water was also completely filled with human/plastic waste.

The swamp.

A bittern, possibly Schrenk's Bittern, Ixobrychus Eurhythmus.

Water monitor, Varanus salvator macromaculatus, lurking in the darkness.

Cattle Egret, Bubulcus Ibis, looking over the water.

A bittern or heron. Species unknown (to me).

Sample of the rubbish that fills the swamp.

Scuba

December 8 and we start our PADI certified open water diving training. We meet our guide, Richie. Richie's chilled-out manner, Northern England accent and long wavy hair sort of reminds me of George Harrison. Originally it is just Steph and I, then later another girl, Leanne from Melbourne, joins us. The first day is spent in the class room watching instruction videos with corny american narrators and that look like they were shot on videotape in the 80's and later transferred to DVD/VCD. We do some quizzes and then a final exam. 

The next day we do our first underwater exercises. These are usually done in a pool, but luckily (or, in Steph's mind, scarily) we get to do these in the shallow waters off the small island of Sibuan. Here we learn to set up our dive equipment and go through some routine safety tests, like transferring and clearing regulators and masks. Probably the most challenging of these tests is taking off our masks underwater, waiting for thirty seconds, then putting them back on and clearing them of water by pressing the tops and blowing forcefully through the nose. It is now that Richie's relaxed ways really help out - he calms Steph and guides her through a moment of panic when she removes her mask.

(Steph's note: The fear of water rushing up your nose while you are 12 meters underwater should be considered as a rational, life saving fear. Somehow neither Michael nor Leanne seemed to mind this utterly disturbing feeling, so I looked like a bit of an underwater weirdo when I grabbed hold of Richie and tried to bolt for the surface). 

Sibuan.

On day three we head for the island of Mabul, where Steph and I will be spending the next two nights. After some more training exercises we do our first proper dives.  Our last dive of the day is cut a little short because Steph and I use up too much of our air in a compass exercise gone awry -  I end up sharing Richie's air, using his secondary regulator. Sharing air with a man underwater is a unique and strangely intimate experience. In the afternoon we sign some documents - we have passed all of the tests and are now licensed scuba divers! 

Day four we do three more dives off Mabul with a new instructor, Jack. We see an incredible array of fish and corals. We also see giant Green Sea Turtles and Broad-club Cuttlefish. None of them appear to be very bothered by our presence. By this time I feel I'm getting better at controlling my breathing and buoyancy. Everything slows down underwater. It is very peaceful and the sensation I imagine must be something close to that of a bird in flight. 

Mabul.

Our final day of diving is off the island of Sipadan. Sipadan is the jewel in the crown of the islands off Semporna. It is considered one of the best dive sites in the world. In an effort to protect the island, all lodgings have been closed there and visitors are restricted to a maximum of one hundred and twenty per day. In the morning there is a storm and the water is very choppy. I get seasick and throw up from the side of the boat right before our first dive. I feel fine once underwater (I'm told that I can vomit into the regulator if I need to - happily, I don't). On this day we took a camera with us. We have written down the names of some of the things we saw, however we are not so sure of others. If you know the names, please post comments below. 

The very stormy boat ride to Sipadan. 

Our diving team. 

Steph underwater dancing. 

Just one species of the beautiful coral beneath. 

A parrot fish brightening up the dark sandy floor. 

Michael replacing the regulator that Steph pulled out several times accidentally. 

Lovely yellow fishies.

An Angel Fish swimming below. 

A school of beautiful Banner Fish. 

Oriental Sweetlips circling in the current.

Two Bumphead Parrotfish playing near our feet. 

Steph bravely swimming upside down. 

Two Crescent Tail Bigeyes.

A school of colourful Dart Fish. 

An Angel Fish kissing the coral. 

Michael taking of his mask with ease. (Showing off!!)

Our first Green Turtle of the day. 

A Batfish obscuring the bottom left.

A sunbathed Green Turtle. 

Swimming below us. 

Swimming above us. 

A coral hideout for fish. 

Our first White tipped Reef Shark.

Swimming safely below. 

OK? OK!

Sabah Travels

KIRAM'S VILLAGE

After our descent from Mt. Kinabalu, Steph and I stayed the night at nearby Kiram's Village in Mesilau, Kundasang. It turned out that leaving Kinabalu National Park was going to be pretty tricky, involving bartering for a taxi or mini-bus, so I called the owner of Kiram's Village, Mr. Jamalul Kiram Datuk. He kindly arranged for his brother-in-law to pick us up. 

Kiram's Village is a small cluster of houses that Mr. Datuk (Jamal) and his wife set up a few years ago, originally as a country getaway for their family and friends. It sits near the base of the mountain. Steph and I stayed in the Broccoli lodge (all of the lodges are named after fruits and vegetatables). 

The Broccoli lodge (Mt Kinabalu hides behind the clouds).

Later that night we ate down at the village café, an improvised general eating area with laminated menus and all. Here we enjoyed some great vegetable nasi goreng, and met Jamal. We told him where we were from and where we were going. We spoke for hours. Jamal was full of stories about everything.  He told us that he had been a banker with one of Malaysia's major banks, had retired early and started working on his dream village. He offered to take us into the Renau the next morning, where Steph and I would then get a bus to Sandakan. 

The next morning, following an 'American Breakfast' of baked beans and fried eggs on toast, Jamal and his wife drove Steph and I to Renau - but not before giving us a guided tour of the local golf course and other Mesilau landmarks. 

SANDAKAN

We were dropped off at Ranau at 11:30am. We hopped onto the next bus to Sandakan at around 12pm. There was some native forest leaving Renau, but the rest of the way the land was covered by palm-oil plantations. 

From Renau to Sanadakan, hours of the same view: palm-oil plantations.

The bus broke down at 5:30pm. We waited nearly two hours for a replacement bus to come that would take us the remaining 50km or so to Sandakan. As we pulled out onto the road in the replacement bus we saw the supposedly  broken bus drive off in front of us. 

Waiting for another bus. 

We arrived in Sandakan at 8pm. We caught the first offered taxi into town and lazily took up lodgings at the first backpackers we saw, called Sanadakan Backpackers. This place was too expensive for what it was, which wasn't much. The following night we stayed at the Mayfair Hotel. The Mayfair is Lonely Planet's 'pick' of cheap lodgings in Sandakan. It was cheap and clean, and the room had a flat screen TV and a sterile hospital vibe. We stayed there for three nights. 

Inside Room 203 of the Mayfair Hotel

Apart from a trek outside of town to the post office and city library, we stayed pretty close to the hotel. We ate some great meals at the local Indian restaurants. Scaling the 70cm high gutters on the streets of Sandakan provided a challenge for Steph's mountain-sore legs. It rained for most our time in the city. We spent the days there resting and paying lots of ringget to use the hotel's upstairs computer, while trying to avoid the owner, Mr. Lum, who Lonely Plant descibes as "gruff but helpful". He was gruff.  

On December 7 we caught the morning bus from Sandakan to Semporna. This time the bus did not break down. The trip took around six hours. On both sides of the road we got to see 320km of uninterrupted palm-oil plantations stretching out over the hills and far away. A truly breathtaking view. 

We arrived in Semporna at 2pm and checked in with Scuba Junkie. The next day we started our scuba diving training with them. 

Mountain of Kinabalu

MICHAEL:

On the 30th of December we left KK for Mt. Kinabalu, in Kinabalu National Park. We said good-bye to the Stay-In Lodge, which had already become a  kind of home to us. The staff at the Stay-In were quick to dismiss my transport plans to get Steph and I to the mountain, which involved travelling on three to four different buses, and suggested instead that we charter a mini-bus from across the road that would take us straight to the park.

We crossed the Jalan KK Bypass and entered a large car park where a crowd of drivers began shouting offers at us. An old man wearing a bright blue shirt emerged from somewhere and told us he was leaving right away and that he would take us to Kandasang (the town where we were staying for the night before the climb) for 15 ringgit. Two hours later we were at the Kinabalu Pine Resort, which exuded a powerful tourist vibe (we later learnt that the resort was the only one of it's kind on the hills of Kandasang, an area frequently subject to landslides - it's construction was made possible through the hotel owner's government contacts and on the condition that the hotel payed for the retaining wall on the other side of the road).

STEPH:

With very little training back in Melbourne (a few runs up and down the RMIT uni steps and walking around the block with a backpack full of science magazines), I felt as ready as I would ever be to climb the mountain. At our lavish accommodation, we packed our day packs to take with us up the climb. We had planned well with thermals and head torches for the night climb, insect repellents and a bulging bag of scroggin (trail mix full of 'Nips', Borneo's version of m&m's and toffee coated peanuts) for energy. We went to sleep excited, ready for the next day.

MICHAEL:

Looking out at the surrounding hills from the deck of our cabin at the KPR, Steph and I tried to figure out which of them was Mt. Kinabalu. The tallest one we could see looked not much bigger than Mt. Ainslie (a Canberran mountain). The next morning the clouds had cleared and the mountain showed itself. It looked liked like a giant tsunami ready to break. It was hard to believe as we stared up at it and waited for it to fall on us that in a couple of hours we would be climbing Mt. Kinabalu.

After a weird and pretty disgusting breakfast of rice porridge mixed with cold hard boiled egg, fried fish (that Steph avoided) and black bean paste, stewed fruit and nuts (our Malaysian phrase book calls this meal Nasi Lemak, and describes it as 'utterly, utterly delicious'... it utterly wasn't, but maybe that's just the Pine Resort's fault) we were picked up in a mini-van and taken to the Kinabalu National Park.

At KNP headquarters we bought our climb passes and payed for our guide. Our guide's name was Nordin, and his calve muscles were of an impressive size - he later told me he had been climbing the mountain twice a week for fifteen years. Steph, Nordin and I then hopped into another mini-van that took us to the gate at the base of the mountain. Here we set off on the Timpohon Trail, which later becomes the Summit Trail. Leaving at 8am, we were the first climbing group of the day.

STEPH:

As we started the slow decent (yes, they let you walk downhill for a few meters first), I kept remembering what everyone had told me as advice: don't rush, just take it one step at a time. I had repeated this to myself for the few days before the climb as preparation, so I am unsure why I rushed right in and tried to keep up with Michael for the first few hundred meters. I reached the 300 meter mark (out of 9km), and was about to be sick. I was barely past the starting gate and I was considering going back down. I spent ten minutes crouched down in a ball looking at Michael, then looking at Nordin and hoping like crazy that one of them would tell me that we were almost there. Neither of them did, Nordin did however say one thing - SLOW DOWN. He convinced me to let Michael go ahead and he walked with me, one step at a time. With a walking pole in one hand and an apple in the other (to calm my stomach down), I started to feel better again.

MICHAEL:

As we ascended the scenery and temperature changed. Beginning in dipterocarp forest (lowland rain forest) we then slowly made our way up through montane rain forest (or, cloud forest), which finally faded into some scattered smaller trees and shrubs. Along the trail we stopped at pondoks (shelters) for generous ten minute rests. At the pondoks we encountered mountain squirrels and mountain rats (these 'rats' looked more like tree shrews. Were they tree shrews?) that scurried among the bushes, waiting for food scraps.

STEPH:

I paced myself between rest stops, where we stayed for what felt like a second. I took each set of steps as a  new challenge and tried not to think of the hundreds of steps that lay ahead. It was only once an Italian couple from the climb the day before congratulated me for being the 'first lady climber' they had seen during their descent that I started to feel like I could make it to the top. The idea of being the first female for the day was too good an opportunity to miss, so I keep going.

MICHAEL:

It was hard not to stop every two metres and just stare and wonder at the shear volume and variety of life forms on display. Ferns blanketed the forest floor, vines encased huge figs and oaks, fungi burst from moss growing on fallen branches, along with flowers and other saplings. Endemic species of thrushes and warblers flew across the path. I saw a water pipe nearly taken over by moss and vine leaves. I knew none of these species names. In fact, my knowledge of the local botany only extended  as far the famous pitcher plant, or 'monkey (gibbon) cup'. Even then, I didn't know that there have been over forty species of these plants (genus Nepenthes) described in Borneo alone. The species I saw was Nepenthes Villosa.

STEPH:

It started to rain quite heavily at one point and a climber from the day before was brought down carried by four of the porters on a stretcher balanced on one of each of their shoulders. We found out later that the escorted climber had twisted her ankle on the climb down and would need to pay 300 MYR (approximately $100 AUD) per kilo of her weight to be carried down by the porters. The idea of twisting my ankle suddenly became more serious.

With 1km to go the terrain started to steepen. The stairs turned into boulders and each climber started using their hands to pull themselves up the uneven rock. I knew we were close, but I was tired and wanted to slow down. It was only when I heard two girls voices from behind me that I remembered what the Italian couple had said to me - I could still be the first female to the top.

With only a hundred or so meters to go the two Malaysian girls passed me, my heart sank a little, until I noticed one of them pull out a camera to take a picture. This was my chance, I had a one minute advantage to make it to the top before them. With the very little strength I had left I scuttled up to the top to met Michael. I was the first female to Laban Rata, and I was exhausted! 

MICHAEL: 

By 1pm we reached Laban Rata - the prescribed lodges for anybody climbing to the summit. The lodges house 100-200 people per night. Steph and I shared our room with two girls, Linda (from Sweden) and Kirsty (from England), a pair of backpackers who had met in KK and decided to do the climb together.

STEPH:

As we sat around with the other climbers sharing stories I started to feel sick again. At such a high altitude it is common to feel headaches and nausea come on quickly, though we were sure this would not effect us as we had taken altitude tablets especially for the climb. I decided to rest all the same. I woke feeling a little better, ate a little rice and water spinach and when it reached 8pm we all set off for bed.

MICHAEL:

I got very little sleep that night before being woken up at 2am to make the final 2km climb to the summit. I ate a small bowl of porridge and then stepped out into the night and switched on my headlight and began following the slow line of climbers winding up the mountain.

STEPH:

We had prepared for the night climb by wearing all of our layers, which seemed essential in the cool night air. However, a few hundred meters up the first set of stairs I started to feel faint and frantically started to peel off the layers one by one. By the top of the stairs I was in one layer only and my body was finally starting to cool down. 

MICHAEL:

This last section of the climb starts in forest but after 500m or so the vegetation disappears and the rest of the way is made up of sloping granite. Ropes are provided for the last 1.5km of the climb, as the granite is both steep and slippery.

STEPH:

The beginning of the rope climb is both exciting and daunting. They say you should be happy it is night time when you climb this section, as you are truly scaling a cliff face with nothing but rope to stop your fall far to the ground. I tried not to think about this too much as I pulled my weight up the slippery steep rock.

MICHAEL:

During the final part of the climb I had somehow managed to break away from the two main climbing groups. For at least half an hour I could see no one in front of me and no one behind. The mist and the darkness and the line of white rope that divided the ground in front of me all became like a bad dream.

STEPH: 

Slowly but surely I reached the site of the final climb, Low's Peak. It was at this stage that I heard Michael call out to me. I was tired and proud and keen to get to the top. Once I reached Michael he told me he was happy to stay at the base of Low's Peak. It was so close to the summit, but the shear height we had climbed was enough for us both. We sat down to rest as others made the final haul to the peak.

MICHAEL:

I made it to the top of Mt. Kinabalu, the 'roof' of Borneo (approx 4000m above sea level). I could have climbed the extra 100m or so up Low's Peak, but the prospect of huddling in a crowd of around one hundred people on a small jag of rock held no appeal nor reward for me. I decided to stay a little lower and look at the sun rise from there. The sky changed colour from dark blue to pink. I watched a meteor fall for a long time.

Much has been written about the awe-inspiring beauty of seeing the dawn break over Borneo from the island's highest point. And yes, it was pretty. But the massif is also a desolate place. My experience of being on the top of the mountain was very lonely.

I was the first person to head back down to the lodges.

STEPH: 

As Michael made his quick descent, I realised that the struggle of climbing up the mountain would not compare to the pain of climbing down. With only a rope to hold my weight, and Nordin beside me telling me where I had gone wrong each time I slipped, I slowly made my way back down to Laban Rata. Michael and I were some of the first people back to the accommodation due to our early descent. We loaded up on fruit and orange juice and packed our bags ready for the almighty trek back down. I knew in my heart that it would be hard, I did not however anticipate that walking down the uneven rock and sloping steps would quite possibly be the most strenuous pain my body has ever been in.

Most people reach the bottom of the mountain in half the time it takes them to reach the top. It took me 5 hours to descend, step by step, using holding rails, a walking pole, a guide, rocks, trees and anything else that would stop my knees or ankles from failing completely. At one point, when the rain started to fall heavily and my guide's patience was wearing thin I almost burst into tears. At the very bottom, with a hundred meters to go, the slope that was once descending at the beginning was now a small hill to climb, and a sudden relief from all the down hill strain. I could have almost run that last 100m, instead I just broke into a smile, the pain had past and I had reached the end. The first lady to the top, the last lady to the bottom.

**

The view of Mt. Kinabalu from the Pine Resort.

Our dear guide, Nordin. 

Steph climbing the carved steps of the Timpohon trail early

in the climb.

Duliticola sp. 

The females remain in larval form, and due to their appearance

have earned the name of the Trilobite Beetle

The steps.

Nobody knew who this guy was.

View of the low land rain forest. The mist had just 

started to gather.

Three Nepenthes Villosa.

Close-up on another Nepenthes Villosa further up the trail

Mountain Rat. Or shrew. No one can ever truly know.

Montane rain forest. 

Micro level, rain forest.

The Bornean Mountain Squirrel.

Old mate.

It began raining in the last three km before Laban Rata.

There  are estimated to be over sixty species of amphibian in 

Kinabalu National Park. But which species is this?

Life upon life upon life.

The last part of the winding path up to

Laban Rata. 

A porter carrying up supplies for the climbers.

The wind-blasted trees around Laban Rata.

Steph at the top of Mt. Kinabalu.

Alexandras Peak.

The Bornean dawn breaking.

Our guide scaling the massif. 

Looking at Alexandras Peak from an other perspective.

Michael. Above him the Donkey Ears Peak.

Two guides and Steph standing on the roof of the island

Steph making her way back down to the lodges.