Discover The Baltics: Riga, Latvia

Yesterday, the first of two days in Riga started with a walking tour so we could orientate ourselves. We learnt that Latvia is the middle-sized of the three Baltic States. The whole country has a population of 2 million, of which 1 million are squeezed into Riga (similar population size to the Birmingham City Area). In twenty-five years, they have lost 300,000 people (about the same as the population of Shropshire). Its language, Latvian, is more closely related to Lithuanian, although it shares more history with Estonia. The population largely consists of 45% Russian and 55% Latvian. Tourism makes up 60% of its industries along with pharmaceuticals, textiles, Air Baltic, wood and agriculture. Its flag is red, white and red, and it has 500 miles of coastline along the Baltic Sea.

We saw a lot of points of interest on the tour, but I shall only mention some of the key highlights here. City Hall Square has a building named 'Blackheads House'; the house is decorated with several features such as the Blackheaded man – from where it gets its name; statues of George and the Dragon, King Arthur and mythical gods plus an Astronomical Clock. Riga Town Hall can also be found here. The Bremen Town Musicians Statue consists of animals from Brothers Grimm standing on top of each other. Rub each one and your wish will come true in a year (donkey), month (dog), week (cat) and day (rooster). Suffice to say I couldn't reach the rooster, so nothing was happening that day!

We saw the small and large Guild Halls. Opposite them is the 'Cat House', so-called because of the statues of cats on the roof. Cats were considered important as they kept rats down, so the statues were symbols of protection. The story goes that the owner of the house was a Latvian Merchant. When he was refused entry to the Guild for not being German, he turned the cats' tail ends towards the Guild Halls; the cats' tails are upright!

Riga Cathedral (Dome) and Dome Square are located in the very centre of the Old Town, and Dome Square is also the largest. Seven streets flow into it like seven arteries. The square has a marked point where you can stand and see all three golden cockerels on top of Old Town's churches. The 'Three Brothers' are the oldest residential stone buildings in the city and represent different stages in the architectural development of Riga, from medieval to baroque. From there, our tour took us past St. James's Cathedral and the Parliament building, the Swedish Gate, Jacob's Barracks and Powder Tower (where the Cat House could be seen again) and onward into the Art Nouveaux Quarter.

The lunch stop was at the 'Flying Frog' for a seafood tagliatelle or chicken pasta dish followed by ice cream with fruit and caramel sauce or green tea mint chocolate cake, accompanied by mocktails.

The Jewish Community side of the Esplanade is dedicated to the Nazi and Soviet occupations and the reigns of terror. The exhibits display the atrocities committed and the systematic attempted destruction of the nation's sovereignty. The Freedom Monument, on the other hand, honours soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence and symbolizes freedom, independence, and sovereignty. At 42.7 metres high, it is made up of 13 sculptural groups on four levels, which depict Latvian history and culture.

We ate at the Rock Cafe. Fried potato cakes with smoked salmon and dill sauce for me and beef with gnocchi for Andy. We rounded the night off with a drink in the bar with some of our fellow travellers.

Today in Riga didn't actually start in Riga but at the largest seaside and spa resort in the Baltics; Jurmala. The wooden art nouveaux buildings were used by Soviet Generals and officials during the occupation; the area was forbidden to locals to stop any escaping, and the beach was raked regularly to spot footprints. Today, this is a very expensive area to buy a property. We had a stroll through the main street and I had a paddle in the very cold Baltic Sea, but it wasn't really beach weather, so we headed back to Riga again.

Back in Riga, we went straight to the Central Markets and wandered round all the fish, vegetable, meat, spices and bread stalls, before ending up in the food court for lunch. Some of the options included Chinese style chicken garlic noodles, fried potatoes with meat in tomato sauce with cheese, a buckwheat and mushroom veggie dish or salad.

Our next stop was the National Library of Latvia, where you could buy a drink and cake. We attempted to get a view from the roof where it is said to be is the only free amazing viewpoint of Riga but you could only do that with a tour guide, so we had to content ourselves with a reasonable view from 6^th floor.

This prompted us to head for the Radisson Blu Hotel Skyline Bar, which we did via Castle Square with Riga Castle, now used for government work and a souvenir shop with the option of an alcohol tasting of their national liquor 'Balsam' in various flavours including original, blackcurrant and cherry plus rum and vodka. This had warmed us up nicely for the Skybar on the 26^th floor, with panoramic views across the city and it's cocktails. One sampled the 'Lover's Clock', a cocktail comprising cabernet sauvignon Merlot and blackcurrant balsam; rather like a mulled wine (but not hot). When in Rome... or Riga in this case!

We had dinner at 'Brevings' in a side street just off Dome Square; half beef and half venison burgers, to soak up the alcohol. The meal was about E12 each, so pretty reasonable.

Discover The Baltics: Tallinn to Tartu, then onwards to Riga (Latvia)

 

Yesterday morning, we left Tallinn and headed to Tartu. After a 1-hour drive, we arrived at Lahemaa National Park, where we had a tour of an old manor house at Palmse and old fishermen's huts in Altja. Here I also dipped my toes into the Baltic Sea, which was rather like dipping your toes into an ice bath.

Lunch was at a cafeteria and consisted of chicken schnitzel, roast potatoes and coleslaw, followed by a magnum caramel ice cream. Despite the name (and the temperature of the sea), they were having unseasonably warm weather.

Another two-hour drive bought us to Tartu, Estonia's second-largest city. On arrival, we were taken on a guided walking tour. Starting at Victory Bridge, we were taken round various key highlights of the town. These included the bronze pig at the Market Hall, the Leaning House (so-called because well it was leaning), the Town Hall Square with it's 'Kissing Students' Statue' then past the University of Tartu up to Toome Hill. Toome Hill had several points of interest. It is the site of the Old Observatory (Tartu Meridian), the Old Maternity Hospital, the Angel & Devil's Bridges and a ruin of a Cathedral as well as several monuments. Most interesting of all was standing on the roof of the Gunpowder Cellar, now in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest single storey pub in the world. So, naturally, one couldn't turn down the opportunity to actually go into the said pub to sample food and a tiny beer. The beer in question was 'Red House Beer' which was sweet but strong. I had salmon chowder in a bread bowl accompanied by their take on garlic bread.

There ended our taster of Estonia. Today, we crossed the border in Latvia around 10am at Valga/Valka on our way to Riga.

Our first stop was the old town of Cesis situated on the Gauja River. Our walk round the town included the hunched monk and the KGB Office. Tradition has it that you should rub the hunched monk's lantern to see the future and rub the knob of his walking stick for good luck. Well, when in Cesis! Then, we had a very good tour of a medieval castle, known as The Fortress of Livonia, a partly preserved fortification which had been knocked down and rebuilt in various forms.

After lunch in another cafeteria of salmon, mash and veg, we were taken on a guided walk of Gauja National Park and visited Turaida Castle. There was a monument to the 'Rose of Turaida' (Latvia's equivalent of Romeo and Juliet) and a garden of folk song. We also visited the lucky Gutmanis Cave, where reputedly bathing in the spring brings long life – I dipped my feet in for luck. Besides, they were hot in my boots and the spring waters were cooling.

Finally, it was onto Riga and in the evening we had dinner at 'Savour'. I opted for the traditional lightly salted herring with potatoes and cream cheese, whereas Andy tried the traditional sausage with sauerkraut and potatoes.

Discover The Baltics: Estonia and Tallinn - Guided Walking Tour, Pharmacy, Mini Beers and History

 The official day two of the tour started with a guided walking tour of the Old Town. We learnt that Estonia has a population of 1.4 million (only slightly more than the population of the Birmingham city area, at 1.15 million). Estonia's language is most closely related to Finnish, but it shares a similar history with Latvia. Its flag is blue, black and white.

Our tour took in the Viru Gates, Katarina Kaik, Vene (Russian) Street, the Town Hall Square, Town Hall Pharmacy, Saiakang (or Bread) Passage, a coffee stop at a Marzipan Shop/café before heading up to Castle Square and Alesander Nevsky Cathedral via Pikk Jalg again. Once there, we saw more than we had the previous day – we were shown the Dome Church (St. Mary the Virgin), the Finnish Embassy, the yellow Government House and other viewpoints. The Finnish Embassy had a very narrow frontage, but we were told was very wide and long behind; this was from the days when there was a tax on frontages. We descended back into the Lower Town via The Short Leg (Luhike Jalg) to St Nicholas Church, then past the 'Cat's Well' to the Town Hall Square. We all stood on the Compass Stone and made a wish, as per the tradition here.

The rest of the day was free time, so our first stop was the Town Hall Pharmacy, where we could have a proper look around. It is one of the oldest continuously running pharmacies in Europe. As long ago as 1422 patients could buy burnt bees, dried bats and bits of snake and hedgehog to cure their ills, whilst those that were fit could drink a glass of spiced wine to help them stay that way. Part of the shop is also a museum with old medical instruments and "medicinal ingredients" such as the bat, snake and hedgehog.

Lunch was beer and burger flights at the "Mini Burger Factory"; here three different mini burgers were paired with three different mini (200cl) beers: pale, medium and dark. It was very nice and while the burgers were mini, it was an incredibly filling lunch for only E8 each.

From there, it was a short hop, skip and a jump to the Estonia History Museum in the medieval Guild Hall built 1407-1410. The permanent exhibition entitled "Spirit of Survival – 11,000 years of Estonian History" was to cover 11,000 years of Estonia's history, which it did in a fashion, but we were both disappointed as it didn't seem very in-depth or chronological, repeating some things and skipping on others.

So, it was onto the very dark historical KGB Prison Cells Museum. This former house of horrors was the KGB HQ, hidden behind the unsuspecting facade of Pagari 1, making this a symbol of former Soviet oppression in Estonia. In the basement, suspected enemies of the state were prisoned in tiny (and I mean tiny) cells, sometimes apparently up to 18 people at a time and interrogated/tortured before being executed or sent to Siberian Labour Camps. More than 75,000 Estonians (about 20% of the population) were either murdered, imprisoned or deported between June 17^th 1940 and as recently as August 20^th 1991, less than thirty years ago. It was interesting but absolutely terrifying.

Needing some fresh air after that brush with history, we headed for the harbour, passing Fat Margaret's Tower (Paks Margareta). This was originally constructed in the 14^th Century as a tower of the great coastal gate. With 5m thick walls and a 82m diameter, it was used to provide a formidable defence against invaders from the sea. It was very close to the harbour, but with silting, the harbour is now further away and mainly home to ferry terminals. We did stop for a well needed cuppa in 'The Seven Seas' Café. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at the 'Kalen' chocolate shop to buy some Estonian chocolate (well, it was rude not to!).

Our dinner that evening was at 'Kulose Notsu Korts', an Estonia country restaurant. I had moose and wild mushroom stew with vegetables while Andy had roast pork, sauerkraut and potatoes, both washed down with honey beer.

Discover The Baltics: Estonia and Tallinn - walking and viewpoints

 

Today was the official start day of the tour. Finding our way back past the "Hell Hunt" pub, we followed 'Pikk' (street) until we reached the Great Guild Hall. Here we ventured through the "Borsi Passage", aka The Path of History; the history of Estonia is written on slabs along the street with key dates and events of Tallinn's history.

From there it was a steep climb up 'Pikk Jalg' also known as The Long Leg Gate; this was originally built to allow a direct connection between Toompea Hill and the harbour. It was suitable for riders and horse-drawn carts. Toompea Hill was home to the gentry that lorded over the countryside. The gate was governed by the Lower Town, the other part of Old Town, which was a separate political entity with rights as an autonomous town.

Having climbed 'Pikk Jalg', we found ourselves on Castle Square (Lossi Plats), the birthplace of Tallinn, where knights built a fortress in 1229 called Toompea Castle, now the seat of the Estonian Government. Also located here is the Alesander Nevsky Cathedral, the 19^th Century symbol of the Tsar's power in Estonia.

Wandering round, we passed The Short Leg Gate, which was (and still is) pedestrian-only access between Toompea and the Lower Town. This gate was run by Baltic Germans. Ethnic Estonians were considered to be second-class citizens, but many peasants escaped from the surrounding area to the city, where they at least became free.

We stopped at various viewpoints before dropping down to walk round the Old Town Walls above Schnell Park, following the path to Linda's Hill Park on the embankment of the former Swedish Bastion; this is where commoration events of the victims of mass repressions of Soviet power are organised and there is a memorial to the Declaration of State Sovereignty (20^th August 1991).

We continued onto the Hill of the Harju Gates on the embankment of the former Inger Bastion – in 1889, Charles Leroux started his flight on a hot air balloon from here. Descending the "Mayor's Staircase", steps decorated with eight ornamented vases, we reached "Freedom (or Liberty) Square" where the victory column of the War of Independence stands.

Passing the site of the Harju Gates, where some of the original tower can be seen under a glass casing on the street and the rest of the site is marked out in different colour brickwork on the street, we headed to a vaulted basement off Rulltli to have lunch in "Porgu". Antipasti consisting of smoked ham, pickled herring, salami, marinated mushrooms, bell peppers stuffed with cream cheese, dried tomatoes, pickled gherkins and croutons was served with their version of garlic bread; the ultimate Estonian beer/bar snack. Black rye bread with garlic on is toasted and then served with garlic butter on the side. We accompanied this with a sample of a honey beer for me and IPA for Andy.

To finish our walk, we visited the 'Cat's Well' mentioned previously and via the Town Hall Square down St Catherine's Passage, a small alleyway adjacent to the remains of St. Catherine's Friary, used by locals during busy tourist times. On the way we saw the medieval marketplace, the Town Hall dating from 1404, 'Old Thomas' the weather vane and a circular stone in the centre of Tallinn from which the tops of Tallinn's five most famous spires can be seen, before following the Old City Walls back to the hotel.

We met up with the group (there were twenty of us) and the guide for the briefing meeting and introductions before heading out for dinner at a fun but obviously touristy (and therefore expensive) medieval-themed restaurant called "Peppersack" located in a 15^th Century merchant's house. Towards the end of the meal was a theatrical sword flight. The food was nice: I had a steak which was beautifully cooked melt-in-the-mouth, but there wasn't much of it, and it was pricey to boot. We popped back to the "Hell Hunt" for a nightcap.

Discover The Baltics: Estonia and Tallinn - cats, birds (cockerels), sheep and the "Hell Hunt"

 

The Baltics or Baltic States are geopolitical terms used to group the three Northern European sovereign states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania located on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.

To be honest, I had few preconceptions of these countries. When I was growing up, I remember them being behind the Iron Curtain, and it's only fairly recently in historical terms that they gained their independence. So, it was out of curiosity perhaps that this was our chosen trip.

On arrival from the UK, we found ourselves in a small but refreshingly pleasant airport. Our tour was starting in Estonia, the smallest of the three countries with an area of 45,227km2, 4000 miles of coastline and included 2,222 islands in the Baltic Sea.

We met our first couple of the trip, who'd had the same idea as us to arrive a day early. We were transferred to the hotel, which was quite luxurious from first appearances. Our room was reasonably big with a nice ensuite but unfortunately, as we were gasping for a cuppa by now, had no tea or coffee making facilities.

We went for a wander round Tallinn, Estonia's capital and largest city, with a population of 420,000. The Old Town, framed by old city walls, was only a stone's throw from the hotel. We entered through the main gates up to the Town Hall Square, then located the "Hell Hunt" pub (means 'Gentle Wolf') which had been recommended to us. The old town of cobbled streets and narrow alleyways retained a very medieval feel to it, but with a modern twist.

There was a connection here with cats, birds (cockerels) and sheep which we wanted to find out more about. Plus, it was known for its amber. We did learn that the cats' thing was probably due to the story of the 'Cat's Well'.

The wheel well on the corner of Dunkri was one of the main sources of water for the Tallinners. According to local legend, an evil spirit was believed to reside in the well and needed animal sacrifices so that the well wouldn't run dry. Some sheep and cattle carcasses were thrown down the well, but the main victims were stray cats who were tossed, sometimes live, down the well. The practice became so common that it became known as 'Cat's Well'. The town wells never ran dry, but the water quality wouldn't have been the best either. Today the water is much safer and the cats of the Old Town no longer live in fear!

Dating back to the 13^th Century, the Old Town with its winding, cobbled streets, half-hidden lanes, courtyards, spired churches and old merchant homes of the medieval capital is the main draw here. The initial walkabout had given us a plan for the official first day of the tour, which was mostly free time to explore here.

It was getting chilly, so we went back to the hotel to change into warmer clothing before heading off to the "Hell Hunt" for tea. Having been up some fifteen hours by this stage and not having had a proper meal, we were both in need of some sustenance.

The "Hell Hunt" pub had its own craft beers, which we sampled (well, it was rude not to). I had a big bowl of crispy potatoes with mince and cheese followed by an Irish coffee, the latter which tasted more like a drop of coffee in a glass of whiskey. Andy had pike perch fillet with fried potatoes and some green stuff, possibly mashed asparagus, plus apple pie for dessert. We took a long wander back through the Old Town via Tammsaare Park to the hotel for a good night's sleep!

Kuala Lumpur

Our journey home started with a short hop on a rather bouncy plane (there was a lot of turbulence, I was watching the film ‘Interstellar’ and it felt like I was getting the 4D experience!) to Kuala Lumpur.

We stayed at the rather salubrious 5-star Shangri-La Hotel (got a deal when we booked in Feb) which is the exact opposite to everything else about our trip – opulent and palatial, but a nice treat when you can hardly walk from the mountain hike.

Bearing with the pain, we had a wander around the local vicinity. The hotel was very close to the Petronas Twin Towers, in the food court of which we ended up for dinner. It was extremely busy with locals and families so we thought this was a safe bet! After almost two weeks of rice and noodles we opted for some Malaysian fast food – burgers & chips (not MD or BK, a Malaysian joint, I hasten to add) and perused the shopping mall that is the part of the tower complex.

Back at the hotel we tested out their Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna to see whether that would ease the aches and pains from the mountain climb (we both looked like we’d aged about 40 years, the way we were walking). Sleeping was not a problem that evening!

Breakfast was a smorgasbord of continental, cooked English, Malaysian, Japanese, cereals, fruit, juices, Indian and Chinese; there was even a white and a dark chocolate fountain for your fruit!!! A massage was booked as the legs were so painful from the hike and there was chance to relax out by the pool until the time came. The ‘Rescue Release’ massage was described as customised firm massage treatment to focus on relieving muscle tension and stress where you need it most. Deep tissue massages in every sore place on my legs more like; the masseuse even found sore places I didn’t know I had! It did help ease the pain to a dull throb and enabled me to walk more human-like again though.

The Petronas Twin Towers are 452m tall with 88 floors and tower over the Kuala Lumpur skyline. A trip up them involved firstly travelling in a lift at 5-6m/sec to the 41^st floor, 170m above the ground; here you can walk across the Skybridge, the double-deck bridge between the two towers. This vantage point provides great views of the city. After 10 mins, you are whisked up to the 86^th floor, 370m above the ground to the observation deck, where views across Greater Kuala Lumpur can be seen, as could the thick layer of smog that hung over the city like a blanket. 20 mins allowed time to see the views as well as some exhibits that were present on the deck. Then it was back down again to conveniently emerge into the gift shop. All in all the process took about ¾ hour.

Kuala Lumpur Tower (abbreviated as KL Tower), a member of the World Federation of Great Towers, has an indoor observation deck at 276m above the ground and an outdoor Sky Deck, at 421m above the ground. Given that the theme of the latter half of this trip seemed to involve high altitude, it seemed apt to finish the trip with a visit to this. It is also located in 'Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve' (aka KL Forest Eco Park), a small patch of (virgin) tropical rainforest sited in the heart of Kuala Lumpur that still (allegedly) preserves many species and features of the original rainforest that covered Kuala Lumpur at one time. It is s one of the oldest permanent forest reserves in the country and covers an area of approximately 11 hectares. After admiring the night skyline from the two decks, we had our penultimate (non-noodle/rice) meal before leaving.

After an early smorgasbord breakfast the next morning, we left for Kuala Lumpur International Airport for our trip home. The final touch was a visit to the 'KLIA Jungle Boardwalk', an accessible trail to a minute piece of natural rainforest at the centre core of the satellite building in the middle of the terminal.

So, another trip has ended and planning starts for next year.

Until the next time, Selamat tinggal .

Borneo 2017: Aki Nabalu

Kinabalu National Park was Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000. It supports a wide range of fauna and flora, some endemic just to the park. Some of the wildlife that can be readily seen are: the Mountain Ground Squirrel, Laughing Thrushes, Kinabalu Friendly Warbler and the Mountain Blackeye (bird).

Located about 40mins drive (43km) from Park Headquarters is ‘Poring Hot Springs’ (Poring from bamboo). Hot sulphurous water has been channelled into pools and tubs and is extremely popular for locals. It was a special bank holiday weekend and it felt like most of Kota Kinabalu were at the springs with us. The complex has changing rooms, toilets and you can even book private tubs. It’s a pity that these are not open after the mountain walk as it would be an ideal way to provide relief from the hike. Additionally there is a Butterfly Garden and a Canopy walkway. Not for the faint hearted, the series of walkways are suspended up to 40m above the jungle floor, little more than suspended plank-bottomed rope bridges swinging and swaying up and down and from side to side. Walkway 3 in particular is unnerving as the trees suddenly give way to a vertiginous drop to the canopy floor below. Whilst one can get unique views of the surrounding forest, one was hanging on for dear life to get to the next platform.

At the Park Headquarters there was basic accommodation with twin share rooms and showers; the latter were OK to freshen up but the water came and went and the temperature fluctuated from freezing cold to boiling hot. Dinner was at the canteen style restaurant offering a good assortment of food. Then it was an early night before the 2-day hike.

Borneo’s backbone is the Crocker Range. The highest peak on this is at Mt Kinabalu and is ironically known as ‘Low’s Peak’. It is named after Sir Hugh Low, the British Colonial Secretary who recorded the first official ascent of Mt Kinabalu in 1851. It is by no means low at an elevation of 4,095.2m AOD.

The two-day one-night ascent of the mountain up the Timpohon Summit Trail begins at Timpohon Gate (elevation 1866m AOD) and after a short deceptive descent to Carson Falls, leads up through predominantly steep steps (as in trail steps sometimes of knee height and sometimes in the very loosest sense of the word) and continues uphill for the rest of the 8.75km trip.

It may or may not be helpful that there are markers every 0.5km to show you how much progress you are making with the last km to the rest point at Laban Rata (6km into trek, elevation 3272m AOD) broken down into hundred metres progress (it’s that bad!). There are rest shelters at regular intervals with basic toilets and ground squirrel proofed rubbish bins.

The first four kilometres are fairly reasonable, respectively speaking, taking about three hours to reach the Layang Layang rest stop (elevation 2621m AOD) for lunch. After congratulating yourself that you’ve already reached the halfway point and 2/3rds of that days hike, the ascent to Laban Rata can easily take another three hours as the going gets tougher and the trail is a lot harder to climb.

Laban Rata is a welcome sight after the long trudge. Ice-cold showers and a hot buffet dinner await knackered hikers. Then it’s a safety briefing before getting a very early night. We were in bed by 7pm but awake again at 1am the next morning.

At 2am the restaurant opens for a supper-cum-early-breakfast type meal before heading out at 2.30am. It is 1.1km to the last checkpoint (Sayat Sayat hut, elevation 3668m AOD), of which 800m is a series of steep wooden stairways up the mountainside. It takes at least an hour and half to reach this point; any hikers not reaching this point by 5am are turned back as they will not make it to the summit. The last burst from Sayat Sayat can take almost two hours as tiredness and altitude kicks in. In places the only way to get up is to haul yourself up a thick white rope attached to the rock; this also traces the trail in the darkness. The route is traversed in zigzags to reduce the strain on the legs, meanwhile breathing becomes difficult to the point of feeling like your lungs are about to explode. One of the mountain guides came to my rescue around the 7.5km point as I started to really feel the shortness of breath with the thin air; if it wasn’t for him helping me, I would have struggled to reach the summit. But reach it I did and in time for the sunrise.

The descent was nearly as gruelling in its own way. We left the summit soon after the sunrise display and it took just over 2 hours to reach Laban Rata for breakfast proper. The paths and wooden steps were wet and slippery, so didn’t allow for fast progress. Leaving Laban Rata at 9.30, it took two and a half hours to reach the 4km marker and Layang Layang rest stop, then just under three hours to reach Timpohon Gate from there. The descent pounds feet and puts pressure on thighs, knees and ankles. In the other direction, porters put us to shame as they walk steadily past with various loads on their backs – anything from vegetables to girders, 3x 3m lengths of 6” pipes slung on the shoulders and 50kg bags of cement! However, I have never known a km to feel so long before in my life; the whole thing seemed never ending and it was a relief to finally reach Carson Falls. The downside to this is there was one small ascent to hobble up in order to complete the walk and actually cross Timpohon Gate. After a canteen style lunch at the restaurant adjacent to Park Headquarters, it was back to Kota Kinabalu for our last night in Borneo.

Whilst we seem to have done a lot here (the length of the blogs demonstrate that), we both feel that we have hardly scratched the surface and we were leaving before we’d even had chance to begin.

Borneo 2017: The wildlife and nature bit

Nature Lodge Kinabatangan close to Bilit is a backpacker jungle retreat with both dorm-style huts and twin bed chalets; elevated wooden boardwalks wind through secondary rainforest to the quite luxurious wooden chalets on stilts (to backpacking what glamping is to camping), complete with resident wildlife including a troupe of Long-tailed Macaques. The first wildlife encounter is this area was a stand-off with a male Macaque who’d taken a fancy to some of the bags and was trying to see if he could nick something from them. Over the course of our stay, they stole a number of things ranging from fruit, cake, breakfast and packets of sugar to a rather large ashtray from someone’s hut. I didn’t know they smoked!

We had a very quick late buffet style lunch with rice, poached eggplant, chicken, battered fish and an onion salad. Dessert was orange slices and water melon. Then it was off for our first river cruise up the Sungai Kinabatangan. We saw a few types of birds including Swallows, Hornbills (2 of the 8 varieties), Long-tailed Macaques, Proboscis Monkeys, Egrets and Hawk-Eagles.

Dinner was another buffet with local foods including onion soup, deep-fried oysters, rice, chicken, fish, vegetables and fruit. This was followed up by a local singing and dancing demonstration (for the latter keen participants were plucked from the audience to demonstrate their skills; it was a bit like watching a rendition of Whigfield’s Saturday night or the Macarena). It was a pretty early night though as the adventures started again before the sun would be up the next morning.

Getting up at 5.15am, we watched the sunrise over the Kinabatangan before heading off on an early morning river cruise, this time trying to spot crocs. There were more hornbills, egrets and monkeys; we also saw a snake curled up in a tree but no crocs. However we did stop at one point where the crocs slid into the river and clawed themselves out. One croc must have been enormous as the claw marks were huge!

After a buffet breakfast of noodles, beans, sausage, scrambled eggs and toast and another stand-off with a male Macaque, our adventures continued. We took a boat ride a short way along the river then did a jungle trek to an Oxbow Lake. The area we walked through was secondary rainforest which had previously been logged. The government here have realised that if they lose the rainforest, they will lose tourists and so there are now tighter controls on both palm oil plantations and logging, though they still have a problem with illegal logging. Replanting of trees is being done in areas that were formerly palm oil plantations; these usually have a life span of 28 years and then the area becomes desolate unless they replant with another palm plantation. We did see smaller creatures such as various millipedes, spiders, Huntsman Gorilla (which is not a spider but part of the same larger family as them and looks rather similar; it is locally known as a ‘Daddy Long-legs’).

We had some free time after our buffet lunch of rice, chicken, a local fish dish, vegetables and fruit (there’s a theme developing here) before reconvening for ‘afternoon tea’ of well tea, cake and waffles (although my first cake disappeared into the hands of a very fast and devious thieving monkey) to enjoy the thunderstorm and lightning display. Then we had another river cruise which was the most successful so far; we saw some big crocodiles, several troupes of Long-tailed Macaques (close up), Proboscis Monkeys, several types of Hornbills, Serpent Eagle and Egrets. Unfortunately wild Orangutans are very rare in these parts and they no longer get pygmy elephants (which apparently are very dangerous even though they’re only 2m high). Dinner was cabbage soup (tasted much nicer than it sounds), followed by rice, chicken curry, oysters, vegetables and fruit. Then it was another early night; for another early start the next morning and a packed day ahead.

Our 2^nd early start wasn’t as fruitful as the previous day. We did see a crocodile, hornbill, Proboscis Monkeys, Kingfisher, eagle and egrets. After a breakfast of noodles, sausage, beans, veg and Indian bread and a stand-off with monkeys who were trying to steal the food, we headed off to Sepilok. This is the home of the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and Sun Bear Conservation Centre.

We visited the latter first; a treetop walkway viewing the rescued Sun Bears in a natural habitat learning natural behaviours so that they can be reintroduced to the wild. After lunch in the little café, we visited the Orangutan Centre to watch the orangutans coming to feed. All our bags had to be stored in lockers because orangutans will steal anything; in fact someone didn’t follow the advice and lost some clothing. Semi-wild orangutans at various stages of rehabilitation return to the feeding station; including a mother with her baby. We probably saw almost a dozen orangutans, which our guide advised was a particularly good turn out; she doesn’t normally see that many. Then we visited the outdoor nursery where juvenile orangutans are learning the art of swinging through the trees on a series of rope walks and climbing equipment. The centre uses this as an opportunity to educate the public and promote conservation of their habitat, the rainforest.

We opted to go for an optional extra night walk through the edge of the jungle at Sepilok. This proved to be an extremely great idea and we were incredibly lucky to see some surprising animals. There were orangutans hanging around, one seemed to join our tour but the rangers want to discourage human-orangutan contact with older orangutans so shooed him off. We saw several individuals of two different species of Flying Squirrels – and saw them gliding through the air from tree to tree. Then over our heads soared a Flying Lemur. It disappeared into the trees but when the rangers tracked it down, found it with two other Flying Lemurs – this was something that the rangers who’d been there for 20 or 30 years had not seen before. Besides this we saw two different species each of vipers (one was a pit viper), stick insects (one looked like the standard skinny one, the other was fatter and had more resemblance to a cockroach; this turned out to be the 57cm stick insect that has only recently been discovered), geckos, frogs (Swamp and Harlequin) plus spiders. Finally the tour finished by coming across two sleeping orangutans, which’d been too lazy to make a nest so were sleeping near the centre on the walkways. It was an amazing experience.

That night we stopped in Sandakan and had the opportunity to have something other than a non-traditional Malaysian meal, plus sample some local cocktails.

A 40-min boat ride from Sandakan is a cluster of islands, known as the Sandakan Archipelago, where Green and Hawksbill Turtles inhabit the waters in large numbers. The Turtle Island Marine Park was created encompassing the islands of Selingan, Bakungan Kecil and Gulisan. However, there are other islands within this turtle hotspot that provide a sanctuary outside of the official marine park. One of these is the 460-hectare Pulau Libaran, a mere 5 minutes from Selingan. Trekkers Lodge Sdn Bhd on the island opened a hatchery on the island in Nov 2011 as part of their corporate social responsibility (a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Sabah Wildlife Dept. in July 2013). The programme includes awareness of the conservation value of sea turtles (locals and visitors), research projects to better understand the life cycle of turtles visiting the area. Both Green and Hawksbill Turtles are protected under the Sabah Wildlife Enactment 1997. Possessing and consuming turtle eggs are illegal and offenders can face a fine of 50,000MYR (£10,000) or five years’ imprisonment or both.

To reduce environmental impact, the Lodge consists of semi-permanent tents (Malaysian glamping). The island was hotter than anywhere we’d visited so far and we spent the time during the heat of the day sheltering in the cool breeze of the island trees. The sea was shallow for some good distance and went out a long way leaving mud flats and small pools in its wake. As the heat started dissipating (as much as it does here), we had a tour of the turtle hatchery.

Eggs are collected as soon as they are laid and transferred immediately to the hatchery, where they are protected from predators such as Monitor Lizards and birds, weather events such as nest flooding during high tides and nests being damaged by a later turtle digging up an earlier turtle’s nest. The survival rate of these eggs is about 95%.The mother’s shell is measured (and tagged if she is a new visitor); number of eggs laid recorded with time & date. After 50 or 60 days the hatchlings are released in small batches onto the beach under the cover of darkness; they say that instead of using the tactic of swamping predators, they release a few in different places along the beach so that there are less likely to be predators waiting for them. When they come out on mass, the predators lie in wait. Tiger, Reef (Black-tipped, White-tipped and Silver-tipped) and Hammerhead Sharks and birds in particular like a tasty turtle snack.

The survival rate of the baby turtles is about 3% that survive to breeding age (15-30 years old); they believe adults can live up to 100 years old assuming they haven’t mistakenly eaten plastic bags for jellyfish as this blocks their intestines and kills them or been injured by boat propellers or been drowned in (discarded ‘ghost’) fishing nets. A mother turtle will lay up to 6 clutches in a season of between 50 – 190 eggs at a time, every 2-3 years, between the ages of 15-30 years old.

As an exciting surprise we accompanied the Ranger to release a batch of newly hatched turtles onto the beach to start their life in the ocean.

After dinner of rice, chicken cooked in soy sauce, fried fish, vegetables and fruit, we watched a DVD on turtles and the work being done in the Turtle Marine Park and here to protect and conserve the turtles for the future. The thunderstorm that followed cooled the air and allowed us a reasonably good night’s sleep.

It was lovely to wake up next to the beach and by 8am the sun was hot. We were off by 8.30 on the boat back to shore then via the Sandakan Memorial Park to the airport for a flight back to Kota Kinabalu. The memorial park is on the grounds of a WWII POW camp where approx. 2400 Australian and British prisoners were held. The majority of them perished due to starvation, overwork, beatings and punishment; 1000 sick and weak prisoners (about 40% of the camps inhabitants) were force marched under brutal physical conditions on three ‘Death Marches’ between January and August 1945. Of those who had been alive in January 1945, only six Australians survived having escaped from the marches. Prisoners suffered from malnutrition and tropical diseases including beri beri, malaria and dysentery so escape was often difficult due to their weak state. The Japanese offered large rewards for the recapture of escaped POWs but there was also an underground network of local people who assisted escapes until they were picked up by Allied Units. It was very poignant and it was a shame that we couldn’t spend longer there.

Back in KK our group was splitting. Six of us were carrying on to climb the mountain and being joined by four others (Tyler & Laura from US, Rena from UK and Emily from WA), whilst the rest were heading home or elsewhere. After our welcome meeting/briefing for the mountain climb, we had a last dinner with the participants of the first part of the trip.

It was a traditional Kadazandusun tribe buffet consisting of all manner of local tribal foods such as normal rice, sticky rice in banana leaves, chicken curry, deep fried chicken marinated in ginger, cooked chicken’s feet, fried fern (Sayur Manis) with chillies, other local vegetables, bamboo soup, fish dishes including raw fish marinated in chilli and lime (Hinava), various desserts and lemongrass tea.

Selamat datang ke Borneo

Nestling just east of Singapore and Malaysia, south-west of the Philippines, a little north-west of the Indonesian archipelago (island of Java) and on the edge of Pacific Ocean surrounded by the South China, Java and Sulu Seas lies this year's destination. At over 743,000 sq. km, Borneo is the third-largest island in the world (fourth-largest if you count Australia) and the largest in Asia. 

Bisected by the equator, the island is politically divided into three countries; the northern region comprises Malaysian Borneo (about 1/4, states of Sabah and Sarawak) with the Sultanate of Brunei smack in the middle and the southern region is Indonesian Borneo (about 3/4, province of Kalimantan). Our destination: Sabah, a relatively small chunk of this island but teeming with wildlife. Its highest point and also the highest mountain in south-east Asia is Mount Kinabalu (@ 4,095m / 13,435 ft. almost 4 times the height of Snowdon), Malaysia's 1st UNESCO World Heritage Site and designated a Centre of Plant Diversity; a point I will come back to later in the trip.

It sounds like a cliché, but Borneo (like many other places we have visited) is one of the incredibly biologically diverse places on the planet. Sadly, however, it is also one of the most critically endangered. If managed to maintain a renewable resource rather than the resource depletion that is currently happening, its ancient forests could provide valuable natural capital indefinitely http://www.sustainabilitystore.com/sustainable/. These vast areas along with the mountain habitats house an astonishingly impressive array of life ranging from mega fauna, such as the famous 'Wild Man of Borneo' orangutan, to bizarre bugs, such as a 57cm-long stick insect. It also has about 15,000 species of flowering plant (by comparison all of North America from the Arctic to Panama only has about 20,000 apparently). Diametrically opposite to the Amazon Rain forest, the Borneo Rain forest is estimated to be around 140 million years old, one of the oldest in the world. 

The problem is that Borneo's forests are being destroyed and twice as fast as the rest of the world's rain forests; the two greatest threats to Borneo's biodiversity comes from logging and the ever-expanding palm oil plantations. Palm oil is in almost everything (sometimes, I am led to believe, under a pseudonym such as vegetable oil, palmate, sodium lauryl sulphate, vegetable fat and stearic acid): take a look next time you shop!

But why should we protect it? Aside from mitigating the effects of climate change and protecting the livelihoods of locals etc., there are two good reasons. Firstly, since the Heart of Borneo Declaration was signed in 2007 by Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei (protects 220000 sq. km of forest) over 600 new species have been discovered including the aforementioned stick insect, the world’s longest. Secondly, the number of species is something like 220 mammal (including a dozen primates), 420 birds, 166 snakes, 100 amphibians, 3000 arthropod and 1000 ant, so the diversity of life is astounding. This diversity includes Orangutan, Proboscis Monkey, Bornean Gibbon, Long-tailed and Short-tailed Macaques, three kinds of Leaf Monkey, Western Tarsier, Slow Loris, Pygmy Elephant (subspecies of Asian Elephant), Sumatran Rhino (elusive, critically endangered and possibly already extinct in Borneo), Bearded Pig, Wild Boar, Mouse Deer, Civet Cats, Clouded Leopard, Flat-headed Cat, Sun Bears (world's smallest bear), 8 kinds of Hornbill, Kingfishers, Hawks, Buffyfish Owls and White Swiftlets (bird's-nest sup is made from dried Swiftlet spit; a kg of White Swiftlet spit can bring in over US$4K! I wouldn't mind spitting for that sort of money!). 

But before we even get to the wildlife, there's also the cultural diversity. Kota Kinabalu, known as KK to the locals, was the hot and humid start to our trip. A city is a city is a city and KK was no exception. After a quick nap (we had been up for over 24 hours at this point), we had a wander round town to absorb the atmosphere and settle in. We visited the local fish market where you could either purchase fish to take home or sit in the restaurant and have a meal. Surrounding the market hall were tanks and tanks of live fish and shellfish such as prawns, huge horseshoe crabs, ordinary crabs, lobsters, fish etc. to pick your own.

We walked to the Atkinson Clock Tower, constructed 1903-1905 and named after the first District Officer of the town, F.G. Atkinson, who died aged 28 from Borneo Fever (Malaria). The 15.7m high wooden tower was one of only two structures to survive the allied bombing of Jesselton (what KK was formerly known as) in 1945. Signal Hill Observatory Tower, up on Signal Hill behind the clock tower, is a great vantage point to see the town. Unfortunately we could not stop until sunset although I imagine that it would have been fantastic from that vantage point.

Our next port of call was back at the hotel for a trip welcome meeting and to do introductions with the rest of the group. Good old Blighty is flying the frontrunner flag with 8 Brits (us 2 + Mark & Lisa, Amanda & Kat, Natasha, Julie), 4 Americans (Matt & Amy, Erin & Mary), 2 Aussies (Alex & Corinne) and 1 Fin (Heli), plus our local guide from one of the tribes of Sabah. The ladies (including the guide) outnumbered the men 3:1. We had dinner together at a restaurant along the Waterfront, quite plush and modern compared to some of the more rundown places we’d seen while wandering round the city. I had a beef noodle soup (with ginger and veg) whilst Andy had butter chicken.

Sabah is Malaysia’s most diverse state with a population of 3 million made up of 30 races and many spoken dialects. Each of these different ethnic communities still maintain their own distinct cultures and have lived harmoniously side by side for generations. Malays and Chinese add to this huge melting pot of culinary traditions, languages and civilizations that have been mixing for thousands of years. Modern day Borneo indigenous people are working to integrate traditional lifestyles of mutual responsibility and sustainability with the opportunities and demands of modern life

We visited the Tambatuon Homestay, a riverside village along the edge of the jungle and river where our money directly supported the village. We first had an early lunch composed of traditional foods – beef curry, rice, long bean, spinach and wild veg. Dessert was honey pineapple, a very sweet variety of pineapple that only grows in that area.

Then the afternoon first comprised of a 2-hour jungle trek where we saw Jackfruit (a type of round spiky fruit), some medicinal herbs and rubber trees (they capture and sell the sap to make extra income; rubber sap is currently very expensive at 17 MYR per kg (that’s about £3.50 in English money just to put it into perspective)), plus a viewpoint over the village to get an orientation on where we were. On the last leg of the walk, the heavens opened and we got a free jungle shower. In Borneo it is perpetually wet, either sweating from the humidity or drenched by the jungle showers. Given that we were already wet, a few of us decided to have a dip in the river. This, however, was short-lived as the rain turned into a thunderstorm. With thunder literally banging above our heads and sheet lightening illuminating the sky, we decided the best bet was to use the homestay rainwater shower and stay undercover.

Then it was a cooking demonstration to make “busou”, a concoction of banana stem and fig with a type of yeast that is matured for a week and then cooked up with ginger stem, root ginger, garlic, onions, spring onions and chilli. The dessert dish was a mashed pumpkin cake that was wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. By this point the sun had returned and we were baking ourselves, never mind the food! The humidity had dropped though so it was more pleasant.

As the village is on both sides of the river, they harvest fish from the river. The fish do get fed and you can stand in the water with fish food to find lots of wild fish are swimming around and over your feet; a very bizarre but rather nice sensation.

Dinner was more traditional food. Fried chicken pieces, battered fish pieces, chicken cooked in a curry sauce, eggplant, wild veg, Pak choi, busou and rice. Having already eaten the pumpkin cake earlier, dessert was a couple of fruit options.

Breakfast this morning was fries, noodles, eggs, baked beans, and honey pineapple. Then a long drive over to a river lodge in Bilit on the Sungai Kinabatangan, at 560km, Sabah’s longest river. Along the way we saw areas that had been cleared for the palm oil plantations and there were lots of palm oil plantations where the jungle used to be. Palm Oil is one of Malaysia’s main exports so the question is how can they continue to bring in revenue without destroying the forest? One option but not the only one, is the tourist dollar, but tourism itself will need to be sustainable so that it doesn’t cause more rainforest to be destroyed or create worse problems.

The next instalment will be the wildlife adventure of the trip.

Poland 2016

We decided to take a short trip before the summer came to an end exploring some of the historical ‘highlights’ of Poland. A week in this lovely country merely gave us a taster of what it had to offer and we had only enough time to visit Warsaw, Wroclaw and Krakow, but we would like to visit again sometime and would heartily recommend anyone thinking of doing so to do it.

What was different about this trip was that we travelled between the cities by train but otherwise it was a similar small group responsible travel/adventure tour as is the norm. Unusually also all the participants (there were 17 of us) were from the UK; a very good group who all got on really well.

The trip started in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Dinner on the first night was at the ‘Red Hog Inn’ which was named after the type of people who used to frequent the inn (‘Red’ Communist Leaders). It has also hosted some well-known people including Bruce Willis. It has traditional Polish cuisine with a backdrop painting of the ‘Communist Last Supper’.

Day 2 started with a tour of the Old Town (which had to be largely rebuilt after WII) with an extremely informative and passionate local guide. Morning coffee was in the market square, rebuilt in traditional style, with a statue of the Mermaid of Warsaw in the centre. The tour of the Old Town was followed by a visit to Lazienka Park and Palace (the latter also known as the Palace on the Water; the building began as a bathhouse, was converted it into private quarters and then during World War II, the Germans drilled holes into the walls for explosives but never got around to blowing up the palace so afterwards it served as a barracks). In the park there was a free concert with a pianist playing a Chopin recital. It was nice to sit for a while and enjoy both the weather and atmosphere. Finally we were left to explore on our own. We discovered the large and beautiful roof garden of the University of Warsaw Library; an upper garden (2,000 m2) interconnected with paths, bridges, and pergolas and connected to the lower garden (15,000 m2) by a stream and a water-cascade. This offered a nice way to see the sunset with views over Warsaw. Dinner provided the opportunity to sample Bigos (a Polish hunter’s stew so called because hunters used to come back from a hunt and would put the meat they brought back in the stew) served in a bread bowl.

Day 3 was an Intercity Express Premium Service train ride to Wroclaw with an afternoon walking tour of the Old Town (which again had to have large parts rebuilt following the war). The capital of Lower Silesia (Dolny Slask) has a huge Old Town built on several islands connected by over 100 bridges. Dumplings were on the menu for dinner that evening; made of unleavened dough and shaped into a semi-circle with or without a filling which was potato and cheese with bacon bits in mine.

Day 4 was a free day to explore the city on our own. This included a visit to the Raclawice Panorama (a 360’ panoramic painting depicting the Battle of Raclawice, seen by the Polish as their last successful battle for independence), a traditional bar mleczny (milk bar, in the communist era, the government subsidized the food at milk bars. Today this is still a cheap local cafeteria), sampling a Lody (ice cream), Cathedral Island and St. John's Cathedral, The Centennial Hall (Hala Stulecia, constructed when the city was part of the German Empire), Japanese Garden and the Pergola with its Multimedia Fountain.

The following day we travelled to Krakow on a ‘regular’ train which took around 3 hours but was a pleasant journey. The afternoon we had an interesting tour of the Old Town learning about the history; most of the town survived WWII intact as it was used as a German headquarters and this included its medieval market square.

The morning of Day 6 started with a visit to the Cathedral and Royal Castle on Wawel Hill; this is a fortified architectural complex erected over many centuries atop a limestone outcrop and as both the residence of the kings of Poland for many centuries (the cathedral is where they were both crowned and buried) it is considered to be the most historically and culturally important site in Poland. The afternoon was a trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mines; it is preserved in pristine condition and is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. A section of the mine, some 22 chambers connected by galleries, from 64m to 135m below ground, is open to the public by guided tour, although the mine itself. There are salt-hewn formations that include the Chapel of St Kinga measuring 54m by 18m, and 12m high. Everything in it from reliefs in the rock walls to chandeliers to altarpieces is carved from salt. Back in Krakow we visited the Underground Museum that came into being following an archaeological study on the Main Market Square 2005 to 2010. The exhibition shows Krakow’s history and the connections between the city and mediaeval Europe’s chief centres of trade and culture. It is possible to see old cobbled streets, remnants of market stalls and their cellars, some skeletons and other objects from daily life in Krakow a few centuries ago. The latter (seeing the excavated remains) was the more interesting part of the museum.

On our last full day, we visited the emotive and haunting Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum where chilling and horrendous atrocities were committed by the Nazis while it was a Concentration and Extermination Camp during World War II. KL Auschwitz was the largest of a network of German Nazi concentration and extermination camps that were built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany. Over 1.1 million men, women and children lost their lives here. Birkenau was the largest of over 40 camps and sub-camps that made up the Auschwitz complex and plans were discovered that would have made it several times larger. I would recommend a visit to anyone as it is a real eye opener to the events that took place; expect to learn something but don’t expect to enjoy it. We finished our trip with a Jewish-style meal in the old Jewish Quarter of Krakow.