Around the world

Well, after seeing wild Orang Utans we are not really shore if we want to go to Sepilog since it is more of a touristy thing, at the end we decide that actually, although many tourists go there, a rehabilitation centre (for injured, house pets, …) is not a zoo, and they try to make people aware of the precarious situation for Orangs. It must be noted that driving trough Sabah’s main roads makes us feel almost sick due to the quantity of oil palm plantations. Basically it is the ONLY thing you see, with sometimes some ridiculously small patches of intact forest. It’s sad, foremost knowing that very little can be done since kernel palm oil is used almost everywhere…

Now, back to the rehabilitation centre, as we entered we meet a guy holding a sign: “silence please”, all excited we thought there was an Orang there, we where mistaken, there where three!!! Soooo cooool, and not even so many people watching. Most people arrived around 3pm when the centre staff feeds the Orangs that decide to show up. Remember it is not a zoo, there are no boundaries, nets, nor cages, just a “playground” in the jungle where they can get easy bananas

As the banana time was getting closer, more Apes arrived, including a huge Alfa male (that had been in rehabilitation 10 years ago) that stayed for almost an hour and a mother with her 2 weeks old baby.

Although they are not totally wild animals it was extremely interesting and touching having the chance to observe our close relatives from so close and for so long without them being scared.

BTW on their websites you can help the centre with an adoption: http://www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk/sepilok-rehabilitation-centre/

Our secret goal was to spot wild orangutans…well mission accomplished! Cruising early morning on the river we even had the chance to see some proboscis monkey, silver-leave monkey, gibbons, and some gorgeous birds while trekking at night time!

Malaysia try to push 5 star resort travellers, which is really sad because lots of things are without reach of backpackers travellers. Danum Valley, Tabin Reserve and further Mont Kinabalu national park are managed by only one company that aims “wealthy” people! Nature and UNESCO world heritage should be “available” for everybody. Furthermore, backpackers allow a lot of local families to work! I really don’t get the governement politic!

For exemple, if you want to go to Tabin, the choices are either the 800RM (250CHF) 1 night 2 days package to the exclusie lodge or 1 day at 350 RM (100CHF) just for transportation and a 20 min walk to the reserve. On top of that, public transports do not exist between Lahad Datu and the reserve which make it difficult to visit it!

Anyway, we shared a taxi we two guys from the hostel. After the short walk we climbed the look out platform with view on the mud pools that are an important sources of minerals for animals wihch means a great spots for viewing wildlife. As usual you need to be lucky! That is part of the deal! we saw a few hornbills, two warrants, monkeys and….a wild boar… .

it was an “only” a 4 hours drive to el chalten (hihaaaa)! there was even a “pee stop” in the middle of nowhere. Just a “panaderia” that we seemed to wake up! For the explanation, the sun rise around 9.30 a.m here so everything you do around this time is really early for the locals. Anyway it was really funny, among the customers..a cow and a guanaco ( it is like a lama/alpaca). At the same time, we discovered that guanacos could be domesticated. They are acting like dogs.

Marco’s note: “Remakably enough, on the panaderia window full of stickers the coolest one was “un cuore bianco-blu”… for the non hockey fans it’s a simbol for the hockey club ambri piotta… I wonder how many sportteams worldwide have their stickers 15000 Km from home ona a remote panaderias window…”
The arrival in el chalten is amazing: perfect weather with no clouds. The Fitz Roy range is majestic so we decided to go walking for a while after finding an hostel for the night. In the bible lonely, it was written that most of the town was closed during the low season but we didn’t expect some kind of total shut down. After an hour walking in this small town, we found one and it looked that we were the only tourist staying for the night!

DIVE VIDEO___

Oh my god we were so excited! diving with sea lions, can you imagine that! It was luckily a beautiful day and it helped us putting our 2 x 6mm wet suit on, which -i translate- means that it was going to be damned cold. And it was…13 ° C! ouahhhhhhhhh ( that’s what we sayed when the water penetrated our wetsuit). Anyway we were so happy to be there, surrounded by hundreds of sea lions. They are just phenomenal under the water, gracious, fast …and soft! like a puppy! their curiosity make them behave like dogs, so that you can touch them. I let you enjoy! (and don’t smile because we are not moving…yes, it was COLD

After a 19 hours bus ride from BA, we are kind of tired (even though the bus are comfi it’s boring, very boring) but the weather is wonderful so we decided to have our late lunch on the beach. it was weird, we thought we were both hallucinating but finally after asking each other, it is ture! those things emerging in front of us are whales! that’s pretty cool, they ( 4 of them ) are playing and jumping in front of us ( and we don’t even have to pay!!).