But am not so fond of it when said plan melts my credit card.
More on that later.
(this is attempt two at posting this because blogger ate the first try last night)
Finished up with my jungle tour yesterday and made my way to Sandakan after a quick stop at the orangutan sanctuary in Sepilok. The jungle tour included a hot and sweaty and buggy walk through the rainforest and a few more boat cruises. One of the boat rides featured some baby pygmy elephants. No pictures on the phone from the boat rides because of the constant threat of severe rain...So the pictures will have to wait until I get home.
Stopped at the orangutan sanctuary in Sepilok on the way to Sandakan and it did not disappoint. The sanctuary is used to rehabilitate orphaned and captive orangutans with the intent of returning them to the wild after several years. They do scheduled feedings twice a day and the orangutans (and monkeys in the area) have well tuned body clocks.
Overnighted in Sandakan last night and that is about all I need of the place. It is a transit hub for the area and that's about that.
On the bus to Kota Kinabalu today and my travel plans that worked out involve getting a very lucky last minute spot to climb mount Kinabalu over the next two days (starting tomorrow). There is one lodge that all hikers have to use and it usually books up months in advance but I got someone's cancelation. The credit card melting part is that same one lodge charges over $130 for one night in a 60 person dorm room. Then you add in the climbing permit and compulsory guide and this two days of hiking are going to be a little steep.
After Kota Kinabalu and climbing the mountain I will be flying on to Indonesia this weekend.
Couple random notes from the last few days:
*ordered an orange float while at the orangutan sanctuary cafe. Was excited for a glass of orange soda and vanilla ice cream. Did not get what I was expecting. I instead got a glass of orange soda with ice cubes and a scoop of neopolitan ice cream. Huh.
*a woman at the orangutan sanctuary decided to provide a soundtrack for everyone to listen to before and during the feeding. Kind, caring, and/or human like behavior was met with oohs and ahs. Alpha male dominant behavior received 'tsk, sigh, how rude.'
*I did some walking around a rain forest preserve while waiting for the orangutan feeding and near the end I ran into a group of young Malaysians. I'm guessing that this group was some sort of tall white guy fan club or something because about half of them wanted to take cell phone photos with me.
Pictures below of the Kinabatangan river and some orangutans on the feeding platform.
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