Dream, Create, Inspire

Well, made it to Flores Island. Getting there from Sandakan in Borneo was ok, besides a 4 hr delayed flight from the Bali Airport stop over. I could have slept in a few more hours had I known that. A very small plane fron Labuan Bajo to Ende 

My driver Doddie picked me up and we began the long journey. I had really no idea how winding the roads were going to be.

First stop was at a traditional village. Had to wear traditional wear to enter. 

We stopped at a coffee farm and tasted some delicious coffees … arabic and robust 🫘

Was very impressed with this coffee farm as it is a family business and they also do community service with english classes and trash pick ups. The kids were so cute I just had to sing with them.

Quite the taste test and my stomach felt it on the winding road to the village Moni, my rest for the night. By evening though my stomach had settled.  After dinner I heard music coming from the café next door so I walked over to hear a great band “De Stone”. They played reggae and other tyoes of music with most of it being in English. From “Leaving on a Jet Plane” to my favorite “On the Edge of the Ocean” by Stick Figure. Finally by the last 2 dances people began dancing.

It was great. I loved it. Then I sat and talked with the band. Fun guys and met their aunties who brought me to their house to look at her shawls. I bought some small scarves as I don’t have much room in my carry on. They asked me to stay one more night but cannot cuz my driver has an itinerary.
The next morning left for  Bajawa. Stop at the volcano Mount Kelimutu (meaning boiling lake) and hiking to see the 3 lakes in the crater.

Quite impressive. The colors in the lake change depending on the weather, the ash and minerals. The local people believe that the mountain is sacred and that the lakes are a gateway to the afterlife.  A resting place for departed souls.

We stopped for lunch at the the Blue Stone Beach. A beautiful beach with blue stones

After that went to see the wonderful sunset with the view of another volcano, Mountain Inerie, translated to Beautiful Mother. A beautiful mountain indeed.

Next day was traditional villages, waterfall and hot springs. The traditional villages are interesting.  They still are inhabited and people still follow tradtions. It is a patriarchal society. Women care for children and home while men work farming or other labor type work. The women carry the lineage and the wealth. 

The waterfall was great.  A  little trek but with the help of these guys it was fine.

Stopped for lunch at Heaven’s Door. What a clever name for a resturant in a beautiful location.

Then we drove on to the hot springs where I stayed in for acouple of hours.

The only problem we had is that there are only a few gas stations in every town and the lines are 3 hours or more (like 50 to 80 cars in line).  It is a horrible situation for the drivers, which is most everyone. They need more gas supply and more stations. Some say it is controlled by mafia.

I trust my guide to plan for me and even recommend hotels. He has yet to disappoint me. He was highly recommend on chatGPT and his reviews were good. He drives kinda crazy, but yet with precision and expertise.  The roads are narrow and blind curves are all around.  I trust him very much and feel safe with him.  I chose this route, because I wanted to see the island and to get from town to town and to see the sites is not easy. So hirering a driver seemed the best solution. I have no regrets, but gotta tell you the drives were long.

After about a 4 hr drive to Ruteng stopping along the way at a homemade distillery  with alcohol made from palm sugar.

From Ruteng we went to Hobbit Cave where tiny remains were found in 2003. They were small in stature like average of 3 ft 6 inches weighing about 66 to 86 lbs. They named them Homo Floresiensis estimated to be living abiut 60,000 to 100,000 years ago.  Scientists theorize that they became extinct at the hands of Homo Sapiens. The high school aged guides were so sweet and helpful with me.

Making our way to Labuan Bajo the next day and stopping at Spider Web Rice Fields. An ingenious and interesting way to designate planting divisions.

After a 5 hour drive through winding roads we finally made it to Labuan Bajo.  The springboard to go the Kimodo Island.  It was a 5 day overland tour and so glad I did it. Saw so much and learned alot.

Doddie suggested I stay at Sylvia Hotel Resort. It is about 2/3 miles out of town and has a private beach. It was great, but unlike where I usually like to stay. I like to stay in walkable places close to town. There was nothing walkable about this hotel, but the ambiance and beach were wonderful. The Komodo tour picked me up and returned me here so it was easy transport.

The Komodo Island tour was fabulous. First we went to Padar Island, an uninhabited volcano that has a unreal  lookout. Course you have to walk about 900 steps or so to get there, but so worth it.

Then after that little hike we went to what is calked Pink Beach. Really is pink sand. Made from red coral and other red organisms. It is beautiful.

Then off to Komodo Island to see the dragons. We were told maybe see one, but no guarantee. After walking a bit one huge komodo dragon was by the tree. We took pictures then saw another sleeping by a nearby tree.

They camouflage themselves waiting for their prey. They only eat once a month so they are not hungry now we are told.

Then we walked by an adolescent and then a baby. I didn’t know that they build a mound to lay their eggs in. They lay about 20 eggs, but only about 20 percent surrvive.  They can even be eaten by their mother. They fend for themselves once hatched and scurry to the trees where they live till old enough to survive on the ground.

Then we went snorkeling for manta rays and, of course saw one huge manta. Then off to more swimming at the sand bar and for our last snorkeling we went  to turtle beach.

Many turtles there as well as other colorful reef fish. Overall great tour with fantastic guides who took care of me. Company recommended by Doddie and is called Dtur.

My last day here hanging around the resort. The beach is almost empty and it’s great! Would have loved a spa or massage though. Guess the lovely beach and 2 pools have to be enough. It was a great choice for me to relax.

It was a wonderful visit to Flores Island. I will never forget it and am so grateful to Doddie, my driver and guide.  I wouldn’t mind coming back to visit some day. Great memories…

3 mornings of tree maintenence and 3 days of river sightings have proven eventful. We’ve maintained 350 trees so Mark says. I am not so sure of that, but we also have 2 other local guys working with us too.

We prune the trees to keep them growing tall and we cut down encroaching plants that would halter the tree’s growth. These machetes are really sharp. It could be dangerous. I am trying not to chop my toes!

The weekend is here so we are going to the Gomantong caves. They are limestone caves where swiflet birds build their nests made out of their own saliva. Millions of bats live there as well along with cockroaches and long legged centipedes (who eat the cockroaches.)  This cave is where they get bird’s nest soup from. The cave is tremendously large and the bottom is covered in mounds of poop (guano) from all the birds and bats.

It smells horrible and you must be careful not to slip or fall. Those that have the unique opportunity to work in this cave to retrieve the nest after the eggs have hatched must be strong, agile and trained to know how to do this specialized task. They also must have a tolerence for the smell. Bird nest soup is a Chinese delicacy and fetches a very high price. The Malaysian government has it regulated and does it in a sustainable way.  They only retrieve nests 2 seasons a year. Later on our walk we passed by some buildings that are built for swiflets to nest in.

They reproduce the cave environment and if done correctly the swiflets will nest there.  The owners collect and sell the birds’ nests. This is all government run so they must follow strict procedures and rules. If done well, it can be a win win situation for all involved. Well for us, we’ve not eaten birds nest soup, but other local delicacies.
Eating at local houses has been wonderful. The food is tasty, delicious and prepared with love.

When not eating at local houses we eat cafeteria style in the Greenview Lodge. The food is prepared by a Hilton trained chief and the food is delicious. He said he leans towards more a Chinese style of cooking. Lots of sweet and sour and teriyaki sauce. There is always rice, bokchoy and cabbage.  

There is always a wonderful pound cake made out of local fruits and a tapioca like dish made from the sago plant root (like tapioca) They use alot of coconut milk and turmeric in their cooking. Really quite delicious.

Every afternoon we went for river boat cruises to locate wildlife. We are seeing soo many species. Super impressed. Only didn’t see the pygmy elephants. Guess they were elsewhere during this time. I did see them at the sanctuary in nearby Sepilok in Sandakan. 

We have been planting trees for the past 2 days. It is hard work. First we dig a hole using a pole digger. Takes alittle technique for use so that you don’t have to strain that much.  I haven’t learned it.

We are planting sustainable trees that are hand picked to make sure the wildlife can benefit ftom them. The baby trees are planted with care.  Hopefully, with the right maintenence, they will grow to someday nest orang utans. We can only hope. Data on the trees is also kept. We had to list the names of the trees planted and where. Still can’t recall their names … all foreign to me. I learned, but forgot the names already and if you know me, then you know this is not my forte. I am not a gardener.  I don’t have a green thumb, unlike my parents and grandparents and my son … I didn’t get the skill or the passion. So this is a real accomplishment for me. It is out of my comfort zone and I knew it when I signed up to volunteer. I have to say though that it hasn’t been as hard as I thought it would be. Of course we only work like 2 and a half hours in the early mornings. Then we go back and rest. Then have lunch and go for boat rides in the late afternoons.  On some days we do nature walks or have cultural events.  It is all pretty well planned out.

I am impressed with this program. Mark, the leader, has done an exceptional job with this conservation program.  He incorporates the local people by providing them with income, jobs and resources.  Mark keeps their traditions alive.  In this way he is bringing the concept of sustainability into existence, not just with the forest but to everything and to those around him. We could all learn from him and that concept. The only way the world will survive is if we work together to sustain and uphold each other and the nature around us. We’ve destroyed so much already.  We must start to rejuvenate each other and the world around us in order for future generations to prosper and live their best.

Wow,  I do love Sandakan in Sabah. The jungle life is great. Peaceful and quiet. All you hear are the birds chirping in the lush trees. This is the place to meditate before I start work tomorrow.

Left Sandakan for the work location in a village called Sukau about 2 hour drive away. Very quiet along the Kinabatangan river.  The indigenous people here are called the Orang Sungei meaning the river people.  The community is actually making money from tourism. The group I am volunteering with is called Ape (Animal Projects through Environmental education).  They employ local people and use local accommodations and resources.

For the first week we will be maintaining trees which have been planted. Mark, our leader, explained that planting trees is just the start. Maintenence is most important because without it the trees wouldn’t survive. So we machete the grass near them, prune the branches and take off the creepy crawlers that will suffocate them. 

Mark, our leader and guide is very knowledgeable. He is a walking encyclopedia. Lots of information and I have learned a lot from him. He’s done many talks at conferences in regards to Orangutan and wildlife environment. I think we are lucky to have him working alongside us.

We work for 3 hrs in the morning then rest, have lunch then after another rest we travel down the river spotting what we can. It is not real hard, but the heat is something else.  It is about 86 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit with like 69% humidity and no wind. Feels much hotter than Hawaii.

The reason for planting trees is to replenish the forested land due to logging and the removal of the original forest with palm oil plantations. The Orang Utans (the Malay way of spelling – Orang meaning people and Utan meaning forest – the People of the Forest) need trees to live in. They need to eat the fruit from other trees not only palm trees. So we are planting a variety of trees to produce needed nutrition for many species not just orang utans. There are also proboscis, pig tailed and long tailed monkeys just to name a few. Every night the orang utan builds a nest to sleep in just for one night.  For the next night they build a new nest, imagine that! They break the branches and nest in the most supportive part of the tree. Only one gorilla and her baby, if she has, per nest.

There is a lack of trees due to palm oil plantation and former lumber misuse. This area of Sukau is located within what is called the “Corridor  of Life” and is protected from further forestry and palm oil plantations.  Palm oil does bring Malaysia revenue so in that way it is a good thing. Instead of boycotting palm oil we should look for sustainable certified companies. Mark told of an Application that can tell you if a product is using certified sustainable procedures. It is called PalmOil Scan. I encourage everyone to try it out. It gives ratings of companies and products that use palm oil.

The organization Ape and others like it are working to reforest the land and make it sustainable for orang utans and other species who live in the forest while also working to educate the public.

Humans have taken away too much of their land and replaced it with profitable Palm oil plantations. It is hard for the orang utans to build their nests in palm trees and it is hard to travel from one tree to another when palm trees lack sufficient branches.   Malaysia is now trying to limit commercial use and have designated some areas as protected. This area is one of those. It is quite amazing to see conservation in action.

As I leave Kuala Lumpur I have mixed feelings.  The Malaysian people are very gracious and caring. The neighboring Ipoh was especially nice. I enjoyed everything about Ipoh  but the haze. In Kuala Lumpur I did not care for the busy traffic, bustling streets and thundering rain storms (there were thundering rain storms in Ipoh as well). The sites were awesome, but too many just trying to get that Instagram shot. Grab was tremendously easy to use and very affordable.

Would I come back again?  Yes, maybe for a short while and to transit to another location like Ipoh or Penang.
Let’s see how I like Sabah. Malaysia is quite the progressive country with the shopping malls, commuter systems and modern stores. The people speak positive of their government and people seem well taken care of.
You don’t see too many single older Malaysian women by themselves. I had one Grab woman driver. She is a single mother with a 16 year old daughter in her 50’s. She drives Grab to support them both. Her husband died of heart attack when she was 2 months pregnant. She says Grab takes 20% of the ride fare and so she makes little.  No one will hire her as an older woman.  Needless to say I gave her a very generous tip.  From then on I tipped the drivers. They do such a good job and the rides are so cheap. Anxious to see what awaits me in  Sabah Borneo.

Well, on the road again. This time to Malaysia,  Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan. Working with Orangutans and Pygmy Elephants. Was suppose to go to Rwanda, Madagascar and Mauritius for gorilla trekking and to work with lemurs,  but due to ebola in the Rwanda area earlier this year I had a change of plans. So now going to a different part of the world and working with Orangutans.
Flew through Narita and then to Kuala lumpur in Malaysia. While in the Priority Lounge waiting for my next flight got a message from Robert and Vanelle from Hawaii. They were here too, so met them at their gate to talk for awhile. Always nice to see people I know.
Upon arrival in the early morning at Kuala Lumpur, I took the express rail to the Sentral bus station and then took the train to Ipoh in the afternoon.

All pretty straightforward and easy to do.  Bought train tickets online and my esim from Airalo kicked in and I have money in all the countries denomination already. They didn’t even stamp my passport at the Kuala Lumpur airport. Just screened my passport and the gate opened up.  So easy. Everything was done without any human interaction. Way of the future, I guess.
Ipoh is quite the place. It is very hazy. I was told it is from the burning in Indonesia. Driver told me that it happens ever year in the months of August and Sept. Sure is hot, humid and hazy.

The other night there were thunderstorms with pouring rain. I was eating at the resturant and had to walk carefully back to hotel. I got soaked.

Went to Perak Cave Temple the next morning. It was amazing. I got there before opening and volunteers were cleaning up. I volunteered to help but they gave me tea instead. It was quite impressive.

Can’t believe they made this all inside a cave. I walked up the 450 steps to the top.
Once there though it was so hazy you couldn’t see anything.

Took a Grab to the next temple.   Grab sure is easy and only costs like $3. The next temple was not as impressive but they have a beautiful pool and turtles in the back pond. Two turtles were busy doing the “nasty” while another flipped over on his back. They said he’d perish if he wasn’t unrighted. That tried with sticks to no avail then I remembered my selfie stick. Took it out and the guy was able to turn him over. His partner said we saved a life.  Made me feel real good!

The other temples within walking distance were beautiful. The Taoist temple was closed due the heavy rain last night but the others were open and colors and the visuals were eye-popping. 

Took the grab back to the old town where I am staying. Rested up and at 9 pm walked to the the park for the Malaysia Day celebrations. It was great seeing all ages dance, perform and just have a lot of fun.  Even in the horribly hot, humid weather. No matter what culture dancing and singing is good for the soul.

Left the next morning to catch the train back to Kuala Lumpur, but not after eating some Kaya and toast along with soft boiled egg and white coffee.

Last night I tried the flat noodles like in ramin. It was yummy. So smooth and soft the noodles.

Ipoh is famous for their white coffee roasted with palm oil margarine served with condensed milk. Ypu can get it with low sweet or more sweet. All their food is delicious. Has a Chinese influence as many Chinese migrated here for the tin mining.

After arriving in Kuala Lumpur  I decided to walk around the area. Lots of shopping malls nearby. This area Bukit Bitang is an international district. I did find a Donki store. On my way home a lady came up to me and started following me. I told her to go away but she kept following me to my nearby hotel. I told the security by the door but he did not seem to be too upset by it. I was very upset and asked to speak to the manager. I complained and said I didn’t feel safe. Of course he said this doesn’t happen here and if I changed hotels there would be no refund.  I said I didn’t care about the $ but felt safety was more important. He said for me to rest and promised me it wouldn’t happen again. Don’t know how he can promise that, but spent the night and will see how it goes. I don’t really like the big cities, but I do like to see the sites. I felt safe in Ipoh and am looking forward to Sabah the smaller community areas.
Today went to the Petronas Twin Towers. 88 floors high with a skybridge connecting the 2 towers at the 41st floor. It is quite an amazing feat. The highest twin towers in the world and all occupied by Petronas workers. I never realized Petronas is one of the largest and most successful global energy company in the world.

Hung around Petronas Towers and the shopping center for the day while I waited for my Food Tour. Boy, this place has soo many shopping malls.

Everything from Japanese Shopping Malls to Chinese and in between.

The food tour was fun. There was a couple ftom Florida with us. Wecwete guided by Malik, a local. He took us t o many local Malay places to try the food.

As I finish with Kuala Lumpur I will remember the big city with crowded streets, excessive shopping malls, but I loved the covered and elevated walkways to get between major places, the food and the massive buildings. I think I prefer Ipoh and am anxious to see what awaits in Saba, Borneo.