EDA February 2006.indd - Emirates Diving Association

darters glide through acrimson sky. Sunbeams hitthe trees with glimpsesof silver leaf monkeysemerging for their firstday of the new year. Afterreturning for breakfast, deleeching,a nap and naturewalk, we venture off forthe sunset safari. Proboscismale monkeys - or, as weaffectionately named them,promiscuous monkeys- sail through the treesand momentarily pauseon a branch. We catch aglimpse of their phallic-likenoses and compare themto the more beautifulski slope-like noses ofthe females. The type ofnose desirable in MichaelJackson’s cosmetic surgeryclinic.A wildlife ranger passingon another boat signals toour guide and we race tospot a herd of wild pigmyelephants. Hiding in thecrops of the local farmers,we creep though the grasslike David Attenborough and sneak up to catch a glimpse ofthese wonderful creatures, which stand a little under 1.8 metrestall. A Malaysian Truly Asian Discovery Channel moment.Hyped with jungle fever, we set out for the night safari to seealligators. After a long, pitch-black, moonless journey, we spotin the beam of a flashlight a few owls, a man-sized iguanaand a nocturnal jungle mouse. Disappointed that we had notcompleted our Big 5 at this stage, we return only to find analligator’s eyes peering from the waters within metres of thelodge boat jetty.Early the next day we depart Sakau and head for Sepilok by landvia limestone bat caves. Wondering why there were no touriststo be seen, it became obvious as we entered the caves. Theputrid stench of bat urine with hundreds of cockroaches liningthe cave walls was like visiting Dante’s hell, or at least the set ofa Black Sabbath music video.After screaming and squirming on the journey back from hell,we were blessed with a rare sighting of a male orang-utan. Itwas the first time our driver Tommy had spotted one in the wildafter 10 years in the eco-tourism business. Tommy had oncedriven timber logging trucks for a living.It was disheartening to drive through endless landscapes ofnew plantation palms knowing that they had replaced ancientrainforests. The once crystal clear rivers were now a murkybrown due to muddy run off that is not absorbed by a forestfloor. Remnants of the logging industry could be seen on theriver edge. In the past, this river had been a sea of logs awaitingtransportation and transformation. People on the other side ofthe world know little ofthe biodiversity destroyedto make the timber floorboards and high-endfurniture they are sittingon. A biodiversity thatonce sustained a healthypopulation of Borneoorang-utans. Now aprotected endangeredspecies, the orang-utanand some of the remainingforests in Sabah are understringent conservationlaws.No longer can we playignorant to the existenceof exotic timbers thatonce surrounded us.We must becomeenvironmentally awareconsumers. No longershould we believe thatthere are enough hippieschaining themselves totrees to stop logging.We can all do our bit topromote eco-tourism andhelp create more jobs forpeople such as Tommy,who was left strandedwhen the logging stopped. Taking a more proactive role, wecould be voicing concern for Malaysia and other areas of theworld, such as the Amazon rainforest, which is following a similartragic predicament.In case you don’t get to see orang-utans in the wild, part of thetourist circuit is to stop at the Sepilok oran-utang rehabilitationcentre. The centre was set up to aid stranded orang-utans foundin the plantations, lost without food or found held as pets andmistreated by local people. The programme restores the healthof these orphans and encourages them to return to the wild byonly partly supplementing their diet.The daily feeding time in the jungle gives us the opportunityto witness a few famillies of all generations crawl along a ropeto a platform of bananas. In this instance, the sun comes outafter hours of rain and steam arises from the platform, outliningthe silhouette of their orange hair standing on end. Motherspose with babies in yoga-like positions. Teenage boys race eachother to get to the end of the rope first while grandfather lookson shaking his head. Considered to be 96% human with theirintelligent eyes, body language and relationship bonds, it is easyto see why we are obsessed with photographing them.Another one of Sabah’s most photographed moments isreaching the summit of Mount Kinabalu, the tallest mountain inSouth East Asia. Unfortunately, we were unprepared to climbits granite cliffs and withstand its freezing temperatures. Someof us watched jealously with Mount Kinabalu blues as other fitwalkers headed off for the adventure. The four-kilometre hikein the mountains above the clouds of the Masilau nature resortwas a rewarding enough challenge for us.On the serious hiker’s circuit, wearisome travellers treatthemselves to a spa and massage at the natural Poring hotsulphur springs. A primitive set up compared to the luxury ofDubai day spas, but nevertheless, a much-welcome treat afterbeing trapped in a mammoth tropical downpour while walkingthe wobbly 40-metre-high tree-top canopy bridge. Upon ourdescent, the stairs had turned into a teaming cascade of muddywater. With boots filled with water, rain ponchos and drenchedclothes, we emerged like contestants of ‘Survivor’, the reality TVshow.As a kid I saw Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower, in a NationalGeographic magazine. An endangered species unique toBorneo, we were lucky enough to encounter one in full bloomnear Poring. It was the first time I felt like I could be nowhereelse in the world. Most of the time travelling through the variedterrains of Sabah, we were reminded of many other regions ofthe world. The alpine terrain felt like we could be trekking in theSwiss Alps. The boat safari reminiscent of Amazon forests, andthe rich marine life resembled some of the top dive sites in theMaldives or Australia. You get the sense that Malaysia’s diversenatural terrain has a little piece of every part of the world in it,as does its international capital city.KL stands proud as a modern international metropolis with astrong sense of heritage. It is a city that stands for multiculturalismand religious tolerance. A city that has grown and will continue togrow at a sustainable rate with the right balance of infrastructureand green spaces. A city where expats and visitors can experiencefine grain urbanity against the backdrop of towering architecturalwonders. Streets are lined with Spanish Tapas, Vietnamese,Chinese, Indian, and French al fresco dining. A city where youcan shop all day amongst fascinating gem shops, tropical modernhome wares and Malay designer boutique fashions. All that withthe added bonus of foot massage dens being open until 3 amto soothe tired shopping feet. You get the sense that it is a citythat can inspire and evolve, grow and breathe. KL, a city that is amicro-cosmos of its country. A treasure chest that can be visitedand revisited, revealing hidden gems every time you return.20 EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION, FEBRUARY 2006 FEBRUARY 2006, EMIRATES DIVING ASSOCIATION 21