Trip Report - May 21
Greetings from Malaysia

Let's see...last I left off, I believe I was headed for the hills -- Nepal, that is. Andrew and I met up in Kathmandu and ran off to the jungle together for a couple of days: a well-organized jungle lodge experience, actually, complete with elephant rides (riding in the back was a unique experience, both for the lack of emissions control and the sudden-overhang experience when the elephant went uphill...amazing how such a large butt can just disappear from beneath you when the beast tilts upward!), rhino sightings (including a rambunctious baby running around in the long grass just a few meters from us), lots of birds, a sloth bear and a rare-for-the-area bison sighting, some deer...and because the lodge has their own elephants, we got to help with the daily elephant bathing in the river. How cool was that?!

We then headed into the hills (hills, cough cough) for 19 days of walking up and over a snowy Thorung La pass (17,700 feet) -- fueled by lots of potatoes, cabbage, rice, and lentils. Andrew and I both enjoyed the first half of the trek the most -- fewer tourists, more rustic lodging, a three-day side trip to Tilicho Lake in a snow storm, visiting a rural school and some great mountain monasteries, climbing the pass itself (and sneaking off on our own for a side trip up a ridge near the High Camp) -- though I must admit that the sunrise view from Poon Hill (halfway down the return route in the world's deepest valley) was pretty spectacular!

We both encountered digestive adventures on the way back out, but were recovered enough by the time we hit Kathmandu to tour the local Durbar Square(s) and head for an overnight in Nagarkot in the hopes of a sunrise view of both the Annapurnas and Everest. Of course, it rained and fogged us in so we could barely see our own hilltop, much less Everest, but it was still a fun trip!

Then began my first true travel nightmare...six endless days of every missed connection possible, one 24-hour layover after another, ongoing plan rearrangements, weather problems. Eegad.

I finally got myself to Sipadan Island in Malaysia and spent four days recovering in lazy beach luxury, watching baby turtles scuttle into the ocean like tiny wind-up toys, eating delicious food, and enjoying some of the most magnificent diving in the world. I saw more sea turtles, reef sharks, and diverse sea life in a single dive than most places deliver in a week!

I then headed up to Sepilok's Orangutan Rahabilitation Center, which has great information on local endangered species. They have walking trails and an orangutan feeding platform tourists can crowd around with their cameras -- but even better than the platform was the fact that the orangutans (juveniles, mothers with their babies) moved right through the crowds to get to there! I found myself mere inches from a wild orangutan on several different occasions, hoping they didn't find my camera too interesting to resist borrowing.

Moved on from there to spend a humid night in the jungle, puttering along the river in a rapidly-leaking flat-bottom boat to see caves full of swallows nests and bats, and trees full of proboscus monkeys and a variety of birds, including eagles, egrets, and hornbills. I spent the night high up in a treehouse and was awakened at 2 a.m. by the moon glowing through a break in the leaves above my shelter. Unfortunately, I wasn't awakened in time by the squirrel(?) that ate through my backpack -- I think it wanted to shampoo its hair, because that seems to be what it was going after!

The next day I stitched up the gaping hole in my pack and headed to Mount Kinabalu (a mere 4095 meters, but still billed as the highest mountain in Southeast Asia), where I explored the park's "mountain garden" -- orchids, pitcher plants -- and met up with a Canadian/English couple who turned out to be great hiking companions. The next day, we walked up to the overnight lodge, managing to reach there well before the 2 p.m. daily downpour, and left for the summit at 3 a.m. the following morning, reaching it in time for a spectacular sunrise.

We headed back down and caught a minivan back to Kota Kinabalu, where we parted ways -- them for Australia, and me for some wreck diving in Labuan. Great soft coral and interesting sea creatures. We penetrated one of the wrecks several times, which was a fascinating and mysterious experience. Strange being inside a ship that's sitting upright on the bottom of the ocean, covered with marine life. Surreal.

Now I'm gathering my things for a short foray to Bali (more diving?) before meeting Andrew in England for a visit with his family (and maybe some hiking and climbing?). I can't believe how time is
flying by!

<Previous - Next>
or choose below:

January 10 - Hola from Ecuador!
Costa Rica, Ecuador

January 30 - Moving on from Chile
Peru, Chile

February 20 - Greetings from Laos
Thailand, Laos

March 18 - Adventures in Cambodia & Thailand
Cambodia, southern Thailand

April 3 - A whirlwind tour of Rajasthan, India
India

May 21 - Greetings from Malaysia
Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia

June 24 - Salaam from Egypt!
Bali, England, Egypt

August 29 - The Final Installment
Turkey, Spain, Italy

For a quick overview of the trip, check out travel highlights.
Or learn about my vivid slideshow & storytelling presentation.

Looking for more stories? Visit this handy list of articles.

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