Day 43 - Ketapang Borneo - Sickness, Farming and baby Orangs

Moral and energy was low this morning, a mixture of food poising and exhaustion had taken effect. We battled on and headed to work. The sickest including myself stayed at the farm with easy access to the toilet facilities at the vet clinic. Today's task was to tidy it up, build paths and weed. My muscles felt like no oxygen was going to them and every lift of the spade or wheel barrow took every once of concentration and energy. It did however pay off and looked amazing. 

Lunch was a somber affair, some people choosing to skip it and sleep some forcing food down them only to have it explode out again a short time later. Vicky and I couldn't face the afternoon on the farm or at the island so we went to make enrichment for the Orangs. We collected leaves and then sat in logistics making leaf parcels with honey water and seeds. Then we set to work on hessian sacks which we sewed up and stuffed with leaves, honey water and popcorn.

Kristi returned and we got the privilege of giving them to the babies that had come home from forest school early. As you can imagine I was close to tears with pure happiness. They are all housed in groups together, and are utterly adorable, most being under 5 years old. They are so tiny but much more agile than a human of equivalent age. Due to their location I got bitten to within an inch of my life but it was worth it. Getting to see them attempt to open their presents was fascinating all going about it in their own way. 

We waited for all the others to return and the we headed back home via another fruit market to grab some 'hairy testicles'. I don't really think they need an explanation of how they look. Inside the skin is a lychee type fruit and they taste quite similar. 

The evening was short but hilarious. Sarah and Nigel the vets came over to our house and were entertaining us with many stories, we were laughing so hard a few of us cried including serial laugh cryer Rebecca. 8pm was as late as any of us could make it so we all retired.
                                  

Day 42 - Ketapang Borneo - back to being a common hoe

Today started like yesterday, various errands on the way to the centre. We were split into groups again and I got put with Kristi for the farming. It's the same as Matang but flat, the ditches were in place but far to shallow and close together so we were tasked with doubling up the mounds and increasing the trenches. Due to a lot of rainfall from the storm last night the ditches soon filled up with water, forfilling their purpose. 

It was nice to do a job I was used to in Matang so you can really appreciate the temperature difference. Even though the sun wasn't out the heat drains you so much quicker and you get through so much water. At about midday we headed to lunch, there is no wifi as it was cut off by the storm so lunch went pretty slowly.

We stayed in the same groups for the afternoon but opted for the varnishing again, it's just too hot to voluntarily work in the heat if your given the option of shade. Everything was going fine until Krisit asked for some help moving parts of a metal cage out of the water which had formed again from last nights storm, six of us struggled while the native men just watched us! 

Back to sanding and minding my own business when Vicky alerted us to an Orang in Kevin's avery (he is a Brominy Kite, native to Borneo and the only non orang at the centre). It had escaped from forest school and was seeing if Kevin wanted to play by grabbing it. Kevin doesn't like people close to his Avery and makes it known but the Orang didn't seem to care. Lisa went into rescue Kevin and to retrieve the runaway. A few minutes later she returned with an Orang backpack and off she went to return it to school.

No sooner had she got back and Katrina noticed a baby orang just outside logistics, while Lisa and Nigel (a vet) enticed her down with bananas I grabbed the camera and took a few shots. It is never going to get boring working along side these hairy little ginger people. It was a nice end to the day and just reintegrated why we do this work, for them. 

On the way home we stopped at the fruit market, it was amazing, every fruit and vegetable under the sun. I stocked up in the hope of some bowel movement as it's been a week. The apples I purchased tasted delicious, how they keep it fresh in this heat is a miracle. At home our dinner awaited us and I had a well deserved Mandy which took longer than expected as there was mud in odd places from the hoeing. A beer finished off the evening before a great nights sleep.

Day 41 - Ketapang Borneo - Shopping, Bridges and Varnishing

It took us over an hour to get to the centre today, we had to make various stops on the way to get gum boots, screws, wheel barrows, order some wood. In all the commotion which we seem to cause wherever we go we left a bag of bolts in the shop. Eventually we arrived at the centre and were split into groups. 

I was with Vicky, a volenteer that stayed on from last month, Noël and Helen an English girl who lives in Dubai. We were using the wood we carried to the island to build a bridge that would link the banks of the moat so keepers could easily access the island feeding platforms. We used a Wooden pile driver (uggerbugger) to bang the posts into the ground. A simple enough job, but it takes mental strength to keep your energy flowing, the direct sunlight makes you sweat just breathing. We managed four posts before heading for lunch.

After lunch of vegetables, coffee and wifi we were given the option to go back to our morning job or swap. Having crashed after lots of farm work at Matang I reluctantly chose to swap! I don't want to burn out on day two, and with a sore throat forming it seemed like a good idea. Instead I got sanding and varnishing of the wood that had been delivered in the morning. It was in the shade and quite relaxing, Kristi, Rebecca and I chit chatted the afternoon away.

On our journey home we stopped at the super market for snacks before arriving home to an amazing dinner and beer. Some of the facilitators popped over from next door and we had a good giggle, so much I was crying with laughter. Before long fatigue set in and we headed to bed, for another restless night sleep including a middle of the night power cut meaning you sweat in your sleep as the fan stops working :(

Day 40 - Ketapang Borneo - Watermelons and Mandy's

We got up nice and early this morning and had breakfast and coffee before setting off to the centre. We all loaded into the minibus and set off for the 20 minute or so journey to the International Animal Rescue Centre. It is completely different to Matang, partly because the land is owned by the charity and not by Forestry. It's fairly new so looks a lot more organised and fit for purpose. 

We were guided round the centre past the vet clinic, quarantine, baby school and permanent enclosures. It's great to see what can be done when planning is applied. We eventually arrived at the 'Island' which is a piece of land with an artificial moat round it, to deter Orangs from crossing. Hopefully before the end of the month the first Orangs will be realised onto to this.

You need to keep your wits about you here there are around 30 baby Orangs at school each day in the forest and there are often escapes, so we always carry masks in our pockets to apply if we see one. One thing I hadn't counted on was being clocked round the head with a watermelon chunk by one of the big males, much to the amusement of the group. After our walk it was time for lunch back at the keepers house at the entrance to the centre. We managed to get a bit of wifi and some shade. 

Work was the order of the day fort he afternoon session so we all grouped together to move some wood down to the island, making human bridges to get it across the water. Although strenuous it's twice as hard in the blazing sun. The weather is totally different here. Hotter and drier with less rain.

All of us were sunburnt by the end despite being covered up which is non negotiable in this Muslim state, and having applied layers and layers of factor 50 sunscreen. Maybe it's a good thing we can't wear strappy tops and short shorts. It does bode the question of what kind of suntan mark I will have by the time I meet Georgie in KL.

When we got home we all had our first Mandy then headed out to dinner at a restaurant at the end of the road! we are pretty central in Ketapang so there is lots to do. A few people struggled with the spicy food but I found it delicious having a local speciality soup. We returned home and retired to bed, a little broken and burnt.

Day 39 - In Transit - The 8hr boat trip

Although I had been told that today would be worse than yesterday, I sure hoped not. We got up early from our amazing hotel and were driven to the port, leaving the equator and heading south. The guy driving us decided to put Indonesian rave music on full blast which was basically arabic music with a beat, it was cheesy but addictive. We weaved our way through scooter Central and arrived at the port. 

This wasn't a Southampton of this world it was more like a scene from titanic, people everywhere, bags and cargo being launched onto the top of the boat. I wondered where everyone was going to sit as it was a medium sized trawler. Being Beulah we were stared and giggled at, in the nicest possible way. The photo will be of TSL mascot with a local stall holder.

We were showed into the VIP area which consisted of an aircraft type setup with seats and aircon and settled in for the next 8 hours. I read and slept and it was pleasant. Rebecca and I made a short trip outside onto the deck to enjoy the sunshine mid journey.

If I thought the starting port was hectic I had another thing coming, they made a ramp from a piece of wood then slide the bags down it. Each man for themselves spotting your bag, grabbing and then trying to escape the mob of people. We met Lisa and Noel the facilitators and were driven to the house.

It's lovely, tiled floors but no shower, just a Mandy, which is a bath looking thing that you get the water out of and splash over you. To get running water you switch a pump on head to the sink outside. The toilet is a squat one but I am sure I will get used to it soon. An early night followed but failed quickly it's so hard to sleep in this heat, it doesn't drop nearly as much as Matang even though it's more coastal.

Day 38 - On the bus - Border Crossing and near death (twice)

We nearly died twice today, possibly more. We all set off from Matang and headed to the bus station where we had breakfast, loaded bags onto the coach and headed off about 10.30. Everything was fine for a few hours, I slept on and off. 

After a few random stops for the driver to have a smoke we arrived at the border, where Malaysian Borneo meets the Indonesian part. We were stamped out of Malaysia, then walked through no mans  land and were checked into Indonesia. It was quite an odd and slightly stressful experience, people bustling about trying to help you and infact just getting in the way. We were herded like sheep back onto the coach and then we hit dirt roads. It couldnt have been more of a contrast to where we had come from. 

I am not talking dirt on Tarmac, I am talking bloody great boulders and holes. We think our roads are bad in the UK, welcome to Indonesia. A 4x4 would struggle on this terrain. Instead we were in a massive coach that was rocking like a ship on choppy waters. Luckily I had taken some travel pills so the sickness was subdued. I even managed to read a whole book on the journey something I haven't been able to do in a moving vehicle for a few years. 

The scenery was completely different, less jungle, dryer and hotter. It was if we had teleported at the border to a different planet. The houses/shacks were basic but colourful, the odd fancy one dotted in amongst them. They didn't have the high fences that Malaysian ones had. Yet most if not all of them had satellite dishes. A real mix of east meets west. There were farms of peppercorns and palm oil on the hills where a presume jungle once was and I saw my first cow! 

Everything up to this point was going well, then drivers were flagging us down. We had a flat tyre. We stopped on the road next to this small village, while we waited for them to pump it up. Locals and people on the coach were photographing the weird white people they thought it was so funny :) 

They worked with expert efficiently considering the circumstances,  a generator appeared from nowhere and before long we were on our way. We briefly stopped at a conveniently placed tyre shop where they changed it over and we were off. Due to our small setback we were now running around an hour behind.

Therefore the driver took it upon himself to drive very fast, overtake everything and take last minute decisions to avoid dogs and bikes and turn corners like a racing driver. It was hair raising stuff. There were oh's and ah's from most of the passengers and nervous giggles from me. We nearly toppled over into a lake avoiding a motorcycle and nearly rear ended car slowing for pot holes. 

When we arrived it was nightfall and I was glad to step onto solid ground. A couple of cars picked us up and drove us to our hotel. This place is full of scooters, they come from everywhere and there are even dedicated bike parks for them all. Bangkok has just been beaten by the sheer quantity. 

The hotel was beautiful, luxury stuck in a maze of shanty buildings and scooters. Really odd. Pizza Hut was our location for dinner and it was delicious.

Day 37 - In Transit - Successful Visa Run and back to Matang

                                                 
This morning was an earlyish start to go to Semengogh. As I have been before me and Kristi dropped them off then headed to the embassy, correctly clothed this time. It was heaving, I thought we would never get seen. But being 'Beulah' or westerner, we got shoved to the front and were seen within minutes. The big boss came out to great us we felt like royalty. 

We left them with our passports and forms and went to retrieve the others. They all had a great time seeing the Orangs. We drove to the first supermarket we went to to when I came here and the look of horror and fascination on their faces mirrored mine when I first saw all the stores. After a short wander we headed to the roti shop. I think this will be something I miss upon my return. 

After a short drive we ended up back at Matang. We would be staying in the longhouse I stayed in when I came last year, but our rooms were not ready so we headed to Tasha and Leos and he took us on the tour of the centre. Although I had done this twice before I wanted to we Leo's take on it. Two and a half hours later we finished and I learnt so much. His knowledge and enthusiastic story telling voice is memorising. 

On ewe settled into our rooms and Kristie left to go back to the facilitators house I rallied the troops and took them to the shop to buy water. We came back to a beautiful dinner cooked by Morren (the lady who lived opposite us down the street). Kristie returned and proceeded to play bug tennis with her TJF (thing, jangle, flip flop) it was hilarious. Shortly after Leo came back to see how we all were. We spent the next few hours talking and again all sat there listening to him speak. 

By about 9, my brain was verso added with new information so I retired to bed, unfortunately for some reason I couldn't sleep and the last time I looked at the clock it was 1am :(