BORNEO (12/14): Orangutan Drama & The Looming Illness in Kuala Lumpur

Our flight was called which explained the interruption of the last entry which I started in the Sandakan Departure Lounge. By the time I got back to my hotel, I wasn't mentally prepared to finish the entry for the day. Now, however, I will attempt to pick up where I left off.

So, the four of us set off for the airport at 07:15. Our flight for Sandakan left at 08:30 aboard a Malaysian Airlines BAe 1-11. This model is propellor-driven and is an 'over-lander'. We arrived at Sandakan just before 09:30 and were transferred by private bus to Borneo's biggest and most expensive Chinese Temple; the structure was amazing, glimmering with red and gold. Statues of dragons and lions adorned the place together with several Buddha-like structures in a neat line, posed in prayer. Outside, the temple offered an impressive view of Sandakan 300m above sea level. Shortly afterwards, we were driven to Sandakan Town where we were given forty minutes to do as we pleased. Bob and I headed for the fish market where live fish are caught and sold daily. The variety of fish on sale was astounding: catfish, shark, octopus, squid, prawns, tuna, shrimp. There were so many types of fish I couldn't even recognise. As buyers came and went, they often left with live fish in their bags which was unusual to witness.

The forty minutes to do as we pleased came and went and we waited outside the Hawaii Hotel in Main Street. From there, we were transported to the local stilt village. Here, thousands of people reside in homes built on water. Their method of living is far from conventional as far as western standards go. The homes are, however, very picturesque. The most grisly detail of living in this way is that all human waste is dumped into the sea below which gives rise to an unimaginable stench. The residents seem happy, children clamouring on their porches to shake our hands!

I certainly will miss the warm welcomes here. The children are adorable and while parents are always on their guard, they are happy for you to entertain their young ones. After a fifteen minute tour of the village, we returned to Sandakan for lunch at the Hotel Sandakan. The lunch was like any other, leaving a lot to be desired. Rice, sweet and sour fish, followed by pineapple and watermelon. One thing I won't miss is the lack of variety in food. I think the Malaysians are very narrow minded in terms of food they offer to British visitors. Even at the Pan Pacific, a five star international hotel, food is generally disappointing. Breakfasts, however, are another story!

At the Hotel Sandakan, I met Olive, a charming, petite receptionist. She's nineteen, has just split up with her boyfriend and, in her forthrightness, said that she liked me! If only British girls were this direct and spent less time playing the games they like to play. We exchanged email addresses and I was surprised that thirty minutes had passed since our conversation began. Finally, our transfer to Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary arrived. We arrived just after 15:00, excited by the prospect of seeing the elusive 'wild man of Borneo'. We proceeded along the Orangutan Trail, looking in all directions, hoping for a glimpse of the hairy man. Eventually, we reached Feeding Platform A where three orangutans were waiting patiently for their daily ration of food.

It is now 11:51am and it's been been twenty minutes since my flight for Kuala Lumpur took off from Kota Kinabalu. I had a last minute panic at the airport. Apparently, they wouldn't let me through the airport because I hadn't been through immigration. I explained that I wasn't immigrating, that I was bound for Kuala Lumpur and therefore wasn't leaving Malaysia. Apparently, the regulations are different for Borneo and the Peninsular. Due to the number of Sultanates and the many different - often trivial - laws, everyone must proceed through Immigration between the East and the West of Malaysia. With just fifteen minutes till take off, I ran the half-mile or so to the Immigration Office. There, I waited in a queue of about ten people, anxious to be seen as quickly as possible. One by one, the queue dwindled. My boarding pass was promptly stamped and I made a dash for Gate 2. Within minutes of boarding, the plane taxied to take off. Seconds after take off, the views were fantastic on what was no doubt the clearest day in a week. We flew over the Pan Pacific, the nearby island of Mamutik and saw hundreds of sandbars rising above the ocean.

Back to our trip to the Orangutan Sanctuary. The three orangutans played, teasing each other by pulling each others hair. At times, they just hung by their hands, looking out at the thirty-odd visitors of the day. Often, an orangutan would stick its tongue out, amusing the crowd. At 15:30, two park rangers equipped with food, approached the feeding platform. By now, four more orangutans had ventured out of the forest.

The purpose of the Orangutan Sanctuary is to rear abandoned baby orangutans so that they are able to return to the wild later in life. Sepilok is one of just four such sanctuaries in the world and currently has 20 free-roaming orangutans in its enclosed reserve. It's amazing how human these apes were. It is believed that they are our most direct relations in the animal kingdom; after a male orangutan relieved himself in front of the crowd, I couldn't have agreed more. He stood at the platform, towards the crowd, took what looked like a human penis into his hands and urinated. So often, when visiting the zoo, it is difficult to differentiate between the sexes. In this show of male pride, the orangutan gave us a direct lesson in primate anatomy and biology!!!

After about twenty minutes of being amazed by the playfulness of the apes, I proceed along the trail, towards the gift shop. Rory had gone ahead of me to escape the humidity of the forest. Borneo Bill and Bob the Vet wanted to stay a while longer. So, I was walking along the trail when I noticed an orangutan walking up the trail towards me. At first, I was stunned, but her endearing face enticed me. As she approached me, another group walked back along the trail behind her. She was surrounded. A child offered a leaf and the orangutan accepted it, shaking the childs hand. What a sight!

The ape motioned for the child to sit down beside her. He did so, quite bravely I reckon; Orangutans are notorious for their surprising, unpredictable strength. Another child, I think from the same family, sat down beside the ape. By this time, the tension I experienced had flown away. The sight before me was truly inspiring, an ape inviting the company of young humans. This scene before me obviously made me drop my guard because nothing could have prepared me for what was about to happen.

Overwhelmed by the hand-shaking and the children sitting with the orangutan, I removed my ruck sack, put the bag on the floor and reached for my camera from within. I put both hands on the camera, aimed the camera and took a picture. At that very moment, the ape grabbed my bag and fled high into the trees. I found it amusing at first. Item by item, it emptied the contents of the bag. It drank some of my Factor 35 sun cream, ate my malaria and throat tablets. I'm surprised it hadn't passed out from the combination of what it had consumed. Suddenly, it removed a small, red book from the bag. My passport! The ape tried to consume this, but they are lazy animals and she threw it to one side. Did my picture disappoint? Did I really look that bad?! It was at this point that I remembered that my airline tickets and hearing aids were in the rucksack too. I let out a long, desperate "nooooooo!" Would it listen? Nup!

19:50, SMT

So, the plane has landed in Kuala Lumpur and I've already had a well needed sleep in my room at the Park Plaza Hotel. I'm feeling very weak at the moment and my appetite is non-existent. My thoughts are that I must endeavour to enjoy these last two days. I think I'm suffering from a mix of accumulated exhaustion and mental worry attributable to the loss of my hearing aids. Aah, that reminds me to continue with the last entry.

The orangutan wasn't going to listen to my demands for it to return my rightful possessions. It threw my diary down from the rooftops which, if you've bothered to read this far, you can tell I have spent considerable time and energy preparing. It then removed my airline tickets and waved them in the air. I suppose all I could do was pray. She dropped the tickets and they floated to the ground. Momentarily, Janet the orangutan, disappeared from view. By this time, Ahmad, one of the park rangers, had arrived on the scene. He said there was nothing we could do but wait. He arrogantly pointed out that my carelessness had caused the situation to arise anyway! Charming, eh? I looked up and noticed she was chewing something. I was in despair, surrounded by people who were amused, but at the same time concerned. By now, I couldn't have cared less what Janet was trying to eat; I was just pleased to get my passport, tickets and money back. She could have my hearing aids, the bitch! This seemingly genteel, loveable ape had the power to cause chaos and I was powerless to stop it. Having had her fun, Janet dropped the bag, pointed at me and let out a cheeky laugh! God, how so annoyingly human! I reported the incident to reception for insurance purposes, but in the meantime, I would have to struggle without the sense of sound. I pondered on whether or not I would go to Kuala Lumpur, whether I should just go straight home. Part of me wanted to go home, yet part of within me wouldn't accept defeat, reasoned that it was just two more days.

When we got back to the hotel at 19:30, I sent a fax home to let them know what had happened so that arrangements could be made on my return to deal with my hearing and employment matters. Mum replied, demanding that I came home. I reassured her that if there were any real problems, I would be on the first plane home. I went to bed at 22:50, having packed my case for todays flight to Kuala Lumpur. It was a restless night, ravaged by the sensitive stomach I had had for the past two days. I've taken some mixes to help settle it to no avail. I have since become weaker, but I'm here now and it's little over one more day till my flight home.

As I write thissitting in the seat in the corner of my hotel room. To my right is a large window, overlooking , I'm much of Kuala Lumpur city. It is now dark outside and the city is well lit. About half a mile away stands the Kuala Lumpur Towerobservation deck which stands 421 metres above sea level. I would like to go there before my , an departurefeeling so weak that I'm going to play it by ear. I barely have enough energy to write what I'm , but I'm writing in this diaryIt's now 20:30 and I think I'm going to hit the sack. I'm not feeling too well. I've drunk plenty of water and taken some aspirin and hope that tomorrow morning I will feel much better.