Two days off for the weekend! Our lie in consisted of staying in bed till 7.30! The other two had gone off to doing the outings at Semengogh and the fairy caves. The girls had gone to Kuching to get their Wifi fix. Mel and I sat for a few hours, feeding our bodies with coffee and exchanging life stories, while our bodies groaned with aches and pains.
But before long the coffee took effect and we decided to definetly not work but instead go on a meander through the forest to another waterfall. Leisurely some might say! Incorrect. We stormed ahead and quickly got lost by the campsite still within the centre. A local school had been camping and a few of the students insisted on taking our picture. They were giggling at us, whether it was in pity or what it am not sure but they seemed fascinated by these weird white girls lost and confused.
Luckily they managed to grasp our predicament and sent us in the right direction. We now had coloured trees to guide us but it wasn't all plane sailing. About 45 minutes in there were odd noises above us, we spotted a orangutan nest but could not see anything. It was eerie and the light was grey not tropical as it had been. The air was cool and the noises continued. We picked up the pace only to come to a small river which we had to cross. We made it over and the atmosphere changed back to nice jungle.
From this point in we were climbing over trees and veering off track, clearly this was an unused path. Eventually after the last hill climb we reached our destination. It wasn't half as spectacular as the other one but we had done it on our own without a guide. If you have ever jungle walked you will know this is quite an achievement. We stripped to our bikinis and had a paddle before resuming the tanning position. It was a perfect opening in the canopy to catch a few rays.
We started to get a bit warm so packed up and headed back. Again at the eerie bit we freaked out and basically jogged till we were out the other side. We got home in just under an hour and had some leftovers for lunch. We were both exhausted so we had a snooze and caught up on our diaries/blogs.
Although I didn't know it yet today would be the day I hit the wall. Today broke me in more ways than one. It started off fine, the rain had stopped finally after nearly 24hours of constant downpour. When I say downpour I mean torrential, loud, deafing rain that soaks everything even if your not actually out in it.
I had quarentine with our two new house guests but I knew I was on gibbons already. They all seemed pretty calm today, all was going well till I got to the second from last cage. Projectile shit. Now all the gibbons were a bit loose today, they had had lots of treats yesterday but this was a whole other level. All four walls, the bars, and floors were covered. I got Kerry to take a sample before I cleaned as this gibbon has had a funny tummy for a few days now. Then I set to work. These cages are small at the best of times, menouvering around then with ropes and logs, trying not to get grabbed is hard enough and you end up soaked from back splash. But this was not even funny!
After completion I was soaked, but decided to finish the floor outside their cages that I had started to scrub the other day. It was looking rather wonderful if I may say so myself. I still finished before all the others so Kerry handed me a saw and sent me off to the jungle to collect branches.
Me and a sharp object without supervision I hear you say. No no, I didn't cut myself I just managed to let go of a branch to quick and it hit me in the face, I then had half a tree dragging behind me and I walked into a sign post, scratching me knee! I got back to quarentine and split the tree into 5 one for each of the cages and double for the one that houses a pair. I smothered them in jam and set to work creating each it's own little jungle.
By the time I finished I was covered in jam, my knee was turning blue and then Edie came round the corner having had a log dropped on her foot! Lunch was in order.
As if I had literally lost all of my sanity I opted for the farm AGAIN! And this is where my body gave up, and my brain pretty much agreed. The sun was out in force and maintaining the level of work we had been outputting previously was quickly diminishing. At 4pm Mel and I were done! We got a lift back to the centre, I burnt dinner and then we decided to play a few games of scrabble with the other two newbies from up the road.
I even made it to 9.30pm but I was broken!
It was bears again today, my body was feeling less enthusiastic than my brain, but I motivated the pair of us with hash browns and eggs. It was raining outside so Mel wore her poncho and I got the waterproof trousers and coat out, we battled up and made the short walk to work. Some of the others were less well prepared and were soaked upon arrival.
We had the bears finished in record time so we had some hessian sacks to clean ready for some enrichment. Not the most exciting job but the rain helped us out. We all wanted to get to lunch today as the newbies had arrived. First though it was time to see Rosey, Edie (one of the girls in the other house and a fellow English) had mentioned that Rosey was grumpy again today. She was right I went over to her as she was chucking her poo at anyone who walked passed. Luckily I escaped this treatment but she wasn't a happy gibbon, she didn't want strokes today she just wanted to throw things. I left her too it.
We returned home to find people had moved in but no sign of them, we checked out their bags and discovered their names. I made lunch and we resumed the position on the balcony ready for their arrival. I am not sure I would have wanted to show up with us too on the porch. We are both very similar and I have been told in my past I can have a bitchy judgemental look sometimes. Oops
Michelle and Birgit arrived shortly after we finished lunch. Michelle is an Ozzy and Birgit is from Germany. They are both pretty quiet but I can imagine it's more daunting than when we arrived knowing people are hear already.
The afternoon was spent at the farm again. We were doing so well with yet another path then it all went wrong. As it was raining the water was flowing full force down the farm. The previous occupants had got the drainage ditches the wrong way. We built two dams but the water was just two strong so we decided to start on redoing the ditches. Something we planned to start next week. Another credit to Dad here, all the times we made damns when I was a child have paid off, Mel's dad also did the same thing so we were little beavers and have now earned the new nickname of Hoe Beavers. A step up in the world from a common hoe some might say.
Luckily we had worn our gum boots (formerly wellies but I have adopted the Ozzie term as they out number us here) we were up to our knees in water, I was covered head to tow in mud splatters but we dug a full trench and the achievement at seeing the water cascade the correct way finished our working day off a treat. I have no idea what Michelle and Birgit thought when we returned home but we all ended the evening chattering away over dinner.
It was odd waking up today without the three of us running about in our normal routine, perfectly coordinating ourselves like we did, preparing breakfast and making each other's water bottles. Mel had started to call Beau and I Mum and Dad even though we are both younger, but we always made sure she had everything she required for her day. I decided to do fried eggs on toast this morning, we had a long day at the farm ahead and needed our energy.
We walked to the farm as normal, it takes about 10 minutes and is normally cooler than the afternoon. Everyone was working on the farm today, but Mel and I stuck together, we work so well together it would be silly not too. Also it is becoming clear some of the others have had enough or are merely not fit enough or can't stand the heat, it's definitely taking its toll on all of us.
We set to work on another path, it's really taking shape now not the random field we arrived too. Some of the others set to work on a concrete slab for a compost heap, including Hayley who was passing through on her travels for the 8th time. It's clear once you have the bug for this place you either join the team or keep coming back. Path building is back breaking work at the best of times, hoeing the ground, wheel barrow after wheel barrow of sand and gravel, then you add no shade and soaring temperatures. I had sweat coming out of places I didn't even know sweat could. It's exhausting but so satisfying when you complete a path.
We walked back for lunch of egg fried rice take two, getting the hang of this burner now, it has two settings, extremely hot and very hot. Permenant supervision is required so we have installed a chair so Mel can keep me company. My body was dying so I had a quick nap.
After I awoke we returned to the farm for round two, some of the others had defected to work at the centre but Christy, Hayley, Mel and I soldered on, completing two more paths. Upon our return to the centre I got a chance to spend some time with Rosey while the others cleaned the tools, she was happier today and seemed pleased to see me, I bought some raisins from the shop,the other day so I gave her half the packet.
We were broken and barely made it to 8pm before we almost fell into our beds. However, we did get a chance to get with the girls and Richard and Bron to place our bets on the newbies, age, sex, nationality, eating and drinking preferences. I cannot tell you how exciting this was and then we got our new rota. It was like Christmas. There isn't a lot to do in the evenings here, and your normally too exhausted to even read.
Today is the three week mark for me, and the last day of TSL. My morning consisted of Orangs again, with lots of giggles as George one of the big males decided to steal the hose. It took three of us to wrestle it back, only to have it stolen by Om. They are so unbelievably clever and strong, it's times like this you realise why everyone is safer when they are enclosed. It makes it easier to deal with not being able to touch them. One of the babies however was looking a bit pale and sad this morning, Richard thinks he may have a temperature so we called the vet out (who is also a volenteer from Taiwan) Mid morning we got to see the baby out again, he is getting fatter by the day and much more confident.
Having finished early I got to spend a lot of time with Rosey, she was in a grump with Kerry today for some reason but fine with me although there are some fresh marks where she has been pulling her fur out, something must have upset her, or maybe it's because I didn't see her over the weekend, although I would like to think not.
Lunch was quiet I think we all realised our super group was dropping a team member today. We have been the best little threesome and we do everything together. But it was now time for Beau to head back to Oz. Mel and I decided to go with him and the others who's time was up, that way we could say our goodbyes, pop to the tattoo place (all will become clear) and do a spot of shopping as we were running low on food.
After our goodbyes Kerry took us to the roti shop to cheer us up, we even had a can of coke :) once Mel and I returned home the house felt empty. So we did the only thing we knew would make us feel better, we cleaned. Nearly two hours later, we had swapped rooms, made up the now spare room for the new people, rearranged to kitchen and the lounge, swept, mopped and scrubbed. We treated ourselves to a beer, the girls popped over one by one to check on us and then we called it a night in our nice clean room :)
After spending the last two days with a second elbow due to a bite I woke this morning to a second knee. I have been lucky with the quantity of bites but my reactions although not itchy include lots of swelling. It was back to work with the bears today. Sinead is an old bear recently surrendered to Matang from Semegogh, she arrived with no hair but it is slowly growing back. We got the chance to release her into the outdoor enclosure only the second time since she arrived. It's amazing to see a bear that probably hasn't seen grass in her 18years, sniffing about the enclosure. A real privalige. After the usual husbandry we got to make some packages for them in hessian sacks, leaves, peanut butter, porridge and jam. I cut the morning session off early to go and see Rosey. She was a bit grumpy today and didn't like the food she had been given so was busy launching it out the cage, I would give it back she would take a bite then throw it at the floor. I decided to go round the other side, take a seat to give her rub. As I was doing so an English couple walked past and commented on what a lovely job I have, I didn't have the heart to tell them it was temporary, and I really felt so lucky to be doing what I am especially my time with Rosey. What an honour.At lunch I made my first batch of egg fried rice, it wasn't overly successful as I burnt the rice but it was edible and I was starving. In the afternoon I opted to work on the farm building some new paths, Mel and I smashed through them in our normal way and soon we were joined by Beau. TSL were on a roll. Once we were finished everyone else got a lift back home, TSL walked, we needed beer and the shop was on the way, plus it is a nice wind down before getting home.We decided to try the steak again tonight, it was a disaster, the meat just is a bit shit out here. FACT! Beau however, made an awesome pudding from ice cream, chocolate and cookies. You guessed it farm had killed us all so we headed to bed.
Breakfast this morning was highly entertaining the girls had a few stories and without naming anyone someone found their underwear on the way to breakfast, brilliant! You will be pleased to know said person is getting ridiculed by myself ;) TSL then made our way up to the upper pool which is up a rather large hill but the view is pretty awesome and it has a bar :) Mel and I ventured into the pool first and left Beau listening to his podcast giggling away to himself. The sun was roasting and even sun cream didn't prevent the burning feeling.
But before we could get too excited the heavens opened so we decided it was time for lunch of roti bread and a game of thunder bolt. After a successful game we exchanged for a cuddly toy now our TSL mascot. We took him back to the pool to show off to the girls :) Mel decided she had had enough sun so Beau and I headed to the pool to catch some more rays. I got a chance to Skype Michelle poolside, it was great to see her again even if she was really ill. After this another Skype with mum then we were collected for our return to Matang. Surprisingly we were all ready to go back, it's quite a lot to take in when you have lived so basically, and I know I was ready for a free mind again without the influx of social media.
Upon our arrival home it wasn't long till we all retired to bed. Problem was I was used to clean hotel sheets now, the ones at the house were smelly :(
