Mulu: Legit Adventure (Sarawak, Borneo)

Gunung Mulu National Park in Malaysian Borneo ended up being one of the highlights of my trip so far (96 days and counting . . . ). The main tourist draws are the many caves, including the 2nd largest cave in the world, Deer Cave. It used to be the largest cave until a far larger one was discovered in Vietnam recently (in Phong Nha, where I am currently writing this!). 

I began my journey by flying from Miri into Mulu, which was a very short 30 or 40  minute flight with MASWings airlines, which I was very impressed with. The Mulu airport was the smallest I’ve been to yet and definitely housed in the most gorgeous location.

I had already booked my accommodation outside of the park at D Cave Homestay, which was half way between the airport and the park (a 10 minute walk from the airport). This ended up being a great choice! Shortly after arriving, the owner informed me that they were going to be having a celebration with some local Iban people as a pre-party for the coming harvest festival. What luck!

I spent my afternoon at the park getting my tours confirmed and then took a relaxing stroll through the Botany walk, pausing occasionally to sit and enjoy the rainforest. It is truly the most varied and lush rainforest I have seen!

Lucky enough, I reached the homestay right before a several-hour-long downpour of rain started. I enjoyed from the comfort of my bed as I read my book. 

As night came upon us, the rest of the other travelers, now soaking wet, showed up and got ready for the party. It started a little late because of the rain, but when everyone arrived on their motorbikes, the prayer and then feast of many traditional foods commenced. There was a soup, some different rice and noodle dishes, fern, and some chicken. This is when I learned that I am allergic to fern. I’m not allergic to any other food in this world . . . just fern. Weird. It makes my mouth go numb instantly. As long as I stop eating it, my mouth goes back to normal in five minutes. This was re-verified two other times since.

After dinner, it was time for drinking and karaoke; the ultimate mixer. 

At this point, all of the visitors, (Iban, Malay, and Chinese) were huddled in a corner away from us foreigners, reminding one of Jr. High school dances where the boys and girls are separately huddled away from one other awkwardly. Indeed, the beer as well as the outspoken Chinese hotel manager helped us bond, and by the end of the night we were trading card games such as blackjack, doing shots, and belting out terrible 90s ballads together. 

The next day, surprisingly not hungover, I met up with my tour guide, Donny for the Garden of Eden Valley tour, which I had heard about from someone else in Kuching. It ended up being an unforgettable experience. This tour takes you first to visit Langs Cave, described by the website as: “In this smaller cave the bats are easier to see, small white cave prawns hide in pools of water and shimmering near the roof are strands of web spun by the thread worm larvae waiting for a passing meal.”

Then we entered Deer Cave, the second largest in the world, and where over 3 million bats live! It used to be far far longer, but the roof in the middle caved in long ago and created “Eden Valley” where a lush jungle and river formed. Once in the cave, we turned on our headlamps and followed the tourist path for a bit and then left it to start climbing down, up, over, around, and through all of the rocks and formations, as well as wade through the river. In my converse all stars, it was incredibly slippery. It is a miracle I didn’t slip and kill myself at least 8 times over. 

Once we reached the other side of the cave, we had to remove unnecessary clothing and bags and hold them above our head, as the water reached just under our chins! 

It was then time to enter the forest, where we were warned there were lots of leeches. AHHHH leeches are so gross. Yes, there is little danger with them, but you gotta understand that my biggest fear is parasites. Also, I wasn’t prepared with leech socks, so I got to walk up front with Donny and the person behind me kept an eye on my legs. She found the one leech that had jumped onto me and was inch-worming itself up my leg. Love that woman.

We reached a tiered waterfall, where we sat and had lunch

And then we climbed in the waterfalls and swam in the pools. It was idyllic! It was one of many moments I’ve had in the last three months where I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be doing what I am doing where I am doing it. It makes all the sacrifices and risks I took worth it! 

Unfortunately it took too much climbing to get to a point where you can safely take a good picture with a non-waterproof phone to see how truly awesome this waterfall is, but that one will have to do. After the waterfall, we hiked back through the way we came and were dropped off outside of Deer Cave to wait for the great bat exodus at nightfall. I knew it would be impressive, but I had NO IDEA how impressive it would be. 

We were lucky that since it had rained the night before, the bats hadn’t left the cave. This pretty much insured that they would be starving and we would be seeing the bats exit, since they don’t normally exit every night.  

They swarm right outside the entrance until they gather a crowd, and then in a long swirling line, they fly out into the sky:

One of the streams of bats took so long to exit, that a guide said it was the longest he'd ever seen. It was about ten minutes of thousands of bats circling like a corkscrew through the sky!!

The next day, I went on a tour to see the Clearwater and Wind caves, which involved a boat ride and visiting a Penan village.

Then I took an afternoon canopy walk. Unfortunately I didn’t see much wildlife since the other people in my group were practically screaming the entire time, but I enjoyed walking so high up in the air and taking in the scenery.

The next day I slept in and had a long, lazy morning. When I reached the park, I had lunch in the canteen. That’s when Donny (my guide from the first two days) and Stan (a Penan guide and blowpipe hunter I met that first night) came over and invited me to a barbecue they were having with other locals that night! We made arrangements for Stan to pick me up that night, and then I left for a short hike to Paku Waterfall. 

This is when I learned how paranoid I am in the rainforest. I was so nervous about green vipers attacking me that I literally hiked with an umbrella open above my head most of the way! Green vipers, if you don’t know, hang up in the trees over pathways, and if you don’t see them in time, they will fly down and bite you! So while you are worried about stepping in the right places, catching leeches before they go anywhere you wouldn’t like so much, and watching for other ground-dwelling dangers or even things of interest, you also have to worry about what’s going on above your head. It was just too stressful for me! 

I reached the waterfall safely, ate some snacks, and swam in the cool water until my body reached normal temperature. Then I climbed up into the neighboring treehouse, laid on a bench, stared up into the forest canopy, and let the slight breeze lull me to sleep. 

That night as I was getting ready, the rain started pouring down again. I started getting concerned that the party would be cancelled, but right on time, a motorbike pulled up to my homestay, and there was Stan in a huge poncho, all smiles. The owners of my homestay were outside with me, and greeted Stan, asking him where we were going, etc, which made me feel even more comfortable about going. I should mention that the owner of my homestay is also the head of security at the park and knows all of the guides very well. 

Stan offered me his poncho, and once I had it on and covering my face, I got on the back of his bike and we took off. It was entirely terrifying to be blindly speeding down the road in the pouring rain, but all I could do was trust and try to enjoy it. This was another one of those moments I’ve had many times on the trip where I realize I could die, but that it would be okay because I truly feel I’ve lived a great life so far and I really wouldn’t change a whole lot. That’s a good feeling. I want to continue to live in such a way that I can always feel that way honestly. 

After Stan took me out to dinner and drinks, we met up with the rest of the guides in the park, where a bonfire and barbecue were going strong. There was even a guy with a guitar! We sat around and ate chicken feet (a first for me!) and singing pop songs. One of the girls was obsessed with any rockstar or moviestar as long as they were male and a had a six-pack. She asked me who my favorite actor was, and I said “Daniel Day-Lewis”.  She furrowed her brow and asked: “Does he have a six-pack?” Uhhhh . . .

That’s Stan with the guitar.

Before I was allowed to go home, I had to learn a traditional malay dance and perform it for them. I doubt I was very graceful. Then there was some kind of line dance they taught me, but I lost interest in that pretty fast. 

I had a total blast with these guys and I’m so thankful for how friendly and welcoming they were. 

Once again, I felt incredibly lucky and in awe of how great people are all over the world. I met a lot of really great people at the homestay; a couple from the Gold Coast that work in the national park there, an English travel writer for Rough Guides, a very old German man on his way to brave Papua New Guinea, an Australian in his 60s who has been periodically traveling for long periods only using hitch-hiking, a young German girl and Moroccan boy sharing a quiet and timid new love, and a lovely super-model-looking Belgian couple. 

My last morning, I checked in at the airport for my flight to Brunei about 14 minutes before take-off . . . And it was totally fine. That’s how awesome Mulu is. I’ve been invited to return to go off into the rainforest on a 5 day hike to a remote Penan village where Stan and his australian friends are going to study the medicinal plants used by the Penan people. It sounds amazing, but given my pansy track record in the rain forests, I’m not sure I can cut THAT much adventure. We’ll see . . .

Climbing Your Roots (Sarawak, Borneo)

Borneo . . . Since a child, this large island, shared by Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia has always seemed wild and mysterious to me. Headhunters thrived in the deep and treacherous rainforest until only quite recently. There are still rumors of headhunting, including within an autobiography of a young Dayak woman I read before I went to Borneo (Riska), but most locals are adamant this practice has long been deserted. 

No, Borneo did not seem very wild to me upon arrival in Kuching, the second largest city in Malaysia, and the capital of Sarawak. I loved Kuching, don’t get me wrong, but Malaysia is indeed quite . . . Modern. The roads are phenomenal and the transit system is pretty darn good, at least long-distance transit. Most people speak english, and things are pretty safe, clean, and organized. 

It isn’t entirely difficult to enter the wild and have a true adventure if you really want to go for it. I had a few opportunities, and found myself to be quite the coward when it comes to the rainforest, particularly when traversing it alone. However, I will save those embarrassing details for my Mulu post.

I arrived in Kuching with a cold, thanks to the adorable Possindu, so I took it easy for the first several days. I was able to enjoy a nice day and evening out with some friends from the hostel; Mat from Germany, and Laura & Shane from the States (Shane is from Portland!). Mat and I started the afternoon by going to Semenggoh to see the Orangutans at the orphanage/recovery center. 

I’m not a crazy animal lover but I was blown away by how these creatures move! They go along the vines and ropes like pinwheels, using each extremity! 

The little one was so cute when he walked on the ground. He’d walk a few steps and then do a somersault and repeat until he got where he was going (or when his older brother tackled him!). This one below seems to be the oldest and largest one. 

One of the orangutans came up to the shelter where the tourists were, and the rangers immediately jumped into action to keep everyone at a distance. They can be dangerous, particularly if you have food or anything that looks like a stick and especially if you look them in the eye (whoops . . . )

She walked over to a sign and tore it down, laid on her back and slowly tore it up, played with it, eating the paper or waving it around and hamming it up for our cameras.

Arriving back in Kuching, we decided to get some food. This was an awkward situation. We sat down in one of those cafeteria-like establishments where there are tons of different food vendors. We ordered some wonton soup and then he asked if we wanted drinks, so we ordered Cokes. When he handed us the Cokes, he wanted us to pay for them right then and there, but NOT pay for the food right away. It didn’t make any sense to me until I realized he had gotten them from another vendor.
Food in general was quite cheap (hard pressed to spend more than 3 or 4 dollars on full meal and a soda). I would say that it is INCREDIBLY difficult to get enough protein in SE Asia, particularly as a traveler without her own kitchen. I am suffering from this physically and mentally more and more as time goes on. All of the carbohydrate is beginning to really drag me down, but more on that later.

 

. . . After eating, we decided to wander around the waterfront. It’s a nice area, without people hassling you or trying to scam you and even some nice street performers. We stopped at a cafe and tried a “Teh C Special” which is a layered tea type of drink.

That evening the four of us went out for dinner and drinks and had a great time. Shane and I hit it off like gangbusters and I am sad we weren’t able to spend more time together because I’m pretty sure we’d be besties if time had allowed. I love when that happens!

Kuching is an interesting place. Like everywhere else in Malaysia, it is a mix of many cultures and languages. The people are mostly Chinese, Malay, and the indigenous peoples.
Kuching literally means “Cat” in Malay, so there are lots of cat statues everywhere, including a CAT MUSEUM!! I never made it out to the museum, but I heard it is a must-see for cat lovers.

 

I found a great coffee shop when I was searching for a place to duck out of the rain:

There was also a Crossfit in Kuching at Phoenix Gym. I went two times and found it to be too crowded for me, but sufficient for a few drop-ins. The first WOD we did was a partner WOD that included deadlifts, which I had never done with a partner before. Now, I’ve been told my deadlift form is actually pretty darn good, even when fatigued. After doing it and thinking about it afterwards, I think partner deadlifts are a bad idea unless both are not only the same height but also the same relative strength. My partner was too short, so I never got to the top of the lift, and our style and timing was never right. It was sloppy, and you don’t want to do heavy deadlifts sloppy!! 

It still felt REALLY good to be throwing a bar around again after 4 or 5 weeks away. I love lifting! 

The real adventure was getting there and back on a bike. It was pretty far from the downtown area. I rented a bicycle from my hostel to be economical, since a taxi ride would’ve been 25 ringgit each way (8 dollars). Riding down major roads I was unfamiliar with was pretty dangerous actually, but I found the Malaysian drivers to be a lot more aware of cyclists and motorbikes than my experience in the States. 

My handlebars also almost fell off at one point. That was fun. The gym receptionists hooked me up with a local bike shop that fixed it for me for free before my ride back.

Bako National Park was beautiful. You take an hour-long bus from Kuching and then a short boat ride to the park where they drop you off at the beach where you must wade in the rest of the way.

This wasn’t much of a problem (and I rather enjoyed it) until I was wading out to the boat to leave the park and ended up with a minor but quite painful jellyfish sting.

I am sad to say that most of the longer trails at Bako are closed for at least another year for maintenance, which I can understand after hiking on their plank walks which are pretty sketchy to be honest . . . 

However I would love to come back and do those longer trails and camp out on the beaches! You can still stay overnight in the park for only a few dollars to either camp or a bit more to stay in a dorm (or you can pay 30-50 bucks a night for your own cabin). 

I took a long sweaty hike through the rainforest (the trail varied between climbing on and up roots or walking on long plank-walks over swampy-muddy-madness)

To an overlook . . .

And a beautiful beach:

Where I ate lunch, swam, and relaxed in the sun.

I had the beach mostly to myself!

I hiked back and checked in to my dorm. I shared the room with a girl from Ireland (Galway), the UK, and a guy from the bay area! We had dinner together in the canteen. The bed and room were pretty good, along with the shower facilities. 

I enjoyed watching the family of wild boar rummage about in the front yard at dusk. 

After returning to Kuching, I needed to plan for the next week or so. I wanted to do some more self-guided hiking, so I decided to stay in another national park on my way to Mulu National Park.
Instead of taking the 16 hour bus to Miri, I took a 5 hour ferry from Kuching to Sibu (I love boats!) but the scenery was quite boring actually.

Then after indulging ($20) in a hotel stay overnight in Sibu (there aren’t really any hostels to speak of there), I took a bus towards Miri (7.5 hours) where I asked to be let out a little early at the entrance to Lambir Hills National Park, which is said to be one of the most varied and undisturbed rainforests in the world. There is a big research facility there. I just wanted to hike and swim in some of the waterfalls. I stayed in a cabin w/ bathroom, a fridge, and fan all to myself for just $24 for two nights. 

I was planning on hiking the summit, which would’ve been a very long day of hiking, but in the morning I felt a kind of foreboding, so I just hiked to Dinding Falls. Even though it was shorter, it was more difficult than I anticipated. It always is with the additional obstacles of the humidity and heat. You can run out of water pretty easily if you aren’t careful. I brought 3 liters of water and this was just sufficient for the Dinding Falls hike!! 

There were lots of steep ups and downs and mud and climbing (including climbing over and along huge fallen trees). It was hard, but so worth the hike once I arrived.

 Bako and Lambir Hills were a great warm up to what I would experience next in Mulu National Park, by far the most beautiful rainforest I have seen yet . . .