Monkeys in the Muck

At last report, I was headed into Sanderkan to get my toe looked at. The doctor told me that tbe nail would come off but to let it happen by itself. He then gave me some antibiotics and pain killers and he told me to keep the toe clean. The whole process took about 10 minutes and cost less than US$10.

As brief as the doctor visit was, it was long enough for the tourist information office to close for the day. My inquiries about Turtle Island would have to wait. About all I accomplished in the remainder of the day was to purchase a new pair of sunglasses to replace the pair that disappeared after the mountain. (Cheap sunglasses are readily available virtually anywhere but finding a pair that offers adequate protection for the eyes is often challenging)

The next day, I traveled to Uncle Tan's for at least 2 nights on the wild side. Uncle Tan's Wilderness Camp is little more than a few huts near one bank of the lower Kinabatangan River. The huts aren't much more than tents made out of wood and there is no running water. But it is cheap. The food is good and the guides are excellent.

The real down side is the mud. Gum boots were available but, of course, nothing big enough for my feet. Keeping my bum toe clean was a constant challenge for the first 3 days and then it got worse.

Each morning we went out in boats on the river to look for animals. Game viewing wasn't quite as spectacular as I was lead to believe. Most animals were seen only at very long range. Mostly we say macaques, and occasionally Proboscis monkeys. We did see a wild orangutan one day but even with an effective 420mm lens, I could just barely see that the ape had moved his arm. A photo would just be a waste of film. We caught glimpses of giant and pygmy squirrels but nothing that I could capture on film.

After breakfast, we went on jungle walks. Not much wildlife seen but the guide described the plants well and pointed out interesting insects. This is where I had the most trouble with mud. I don't think I managed to finish any of those walks without getting mud on the toe had haven't to clean it up afterwards.

Near dusk, we paddled along the oxbow lakes, seeing mostly birds but also a few monkeys.

Night safaris on the river were fairly unimpressive. Mostly owls and some daytime animals caught sleeping. Bay crocodile eyes.

Much like Bako, as much wildlife was in the camp as near it. A family of bearded pigs practically lives in camp and a large monitor lizard frequently wanders through. One day, a giant squirrel showed up. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera on me and by the time I did, the squirrel was gone.

On the second night, I staid up to see the Civet Cat who comes through after 10:00pm. I didn't have the camera on me then but I determine that a photo was possible and desirable. It would, however, need to done with a flash something I don't like to do to wildlife.

The next evening, I went on another night walk. Fire ants were pointed out early on. An hour later, I had another, unannounced encounter of a painful sort. I had been wearing sandals virtually all the time. They didn't provide much protection from the mud but neither do my trainers and the sandals are water tolerant and easier to clean. However, I wasn't thinking about ants. By the time I got back to camp, I had experienced one major and one minor attack. Nasty buggers. Their sting is only a bit milder than a honeybee. When we reached camp, it started to rain. The civet did show but between the rain and the lack of light (the generator died earlier in the evening), photography was hopeless.

All night long and the next day, it alternately drizzled, poured, and paused. Most pauses were less than 20 minutes. Mud that had been merely difficult became an impassible sea. I found a pair of gum boots that I could get my feet into albeit not ones big enough to allow comfortable walking. No safaris for me that day though some others did go out in the morning. They got wet.

Long after dusk, the rain finally stopped. The generator was restored to health. The civet cat made its appearance. Focus was difficult in the low light but I managed 3 shots which might be ok. The mud was still there but you can't have everything. It was, however, enough for me. I had seen as much as I thought I could see.

On the way down river, we stopped to observe and photograph a couple of small crocodiles.

Upon arriving in Sanderkan, I cleaned the grime off as best I could, and aught a bus back to KK. I hadn't really planned to do this but the power switch on the Minolta was getting more and more difficult. It started at the end of Mulu, when the camera refused to power off. At Kinabalu, power off was easier but then it took some effort to get it to power on. On the third day at Uncle Tan's, it took nearly 2 hours of fiddling to get it come on. I haven't turned it off since.

I knew I was headed for trouble when I went to Sanderkan for the toe. I checked the local photo shops but none even knew of a repair shop existing, much less had the capability of repairing cameras themselves. I had heard that Tawau was bigger than Sanderkan but no one I talked to knew anything about what sort of photo facilities might be available there. I knew that at least one repair shop existed in Kota Kinabalu so I decided to backtrack immediately and get it over with.

I should have waited. When I visited the shop, I learned that they were closed for Chinese New Year.