This morning our group is traveling. After a flight from Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, we are headed to Langkawi Island and the beautiful Berjaya Langkawi Resort. Next week two more friends from England will join us to bring our group to 16. Langkawi sits off the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia on the Andaman Sea very close to Thailand. Two years ago I surprised my mate Mark on his birthday whilst he ate breakfast that morning in the Beach Café. The resort grounds are teeming with wildlife and we will have plenty of hikes to other nearby locations in pursuit of spiders, snakes, birds and mammals.
Kuching was amazing with very warm and humid weather and torrential rains. Langkawi promises to be significantly hotter and drier. This afternoon I will get situated in a rainforest cabin at the resort and settle back into the routine of almost exactly two years ago.
All the best, MJ
Showing posts with label Kuching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kuching. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Monday, February 13, 2017
#26 - Tuesday, 14 February 2017 | Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo
It is a rainy and heavily overcast morning here in Kuching. Last night torrential downpours forced our group to return from dinner in taxis. Of course, that is to be expected during the rainy season in the rainforest.
Yesterday nine of our fourteen person group went to Taman Negara Bako (Bako National Park), home to about 150 endangered proboscis monkeys, bearded pigs and beautiful pitvipers. The 10 1/2 square mile park sits on the Borneo coast in Sarawak where the Kuching and Bako rivers empty into the South China Sea. The park can only be reached by boat. Starting from the jetty of Bako Terminal, we took two boats to beach on the Muara Tebas peninsula in knee deep silty water and walk across the grey-brown beach into the jungle. Two boats were necessary because of the high tide and big waves. Our group boarded one larger boat for a ten minute ride and then we met smaller boats at the halfway point and changed ship, as it were, in the rocking waters off the mangrove coast. Fortunately me and my camera gear were not swallowed up by the flowing estuarine abyss.
Our guide for the day was one of the two guides who had brought us to Semenggoh the previous day to look for orangutans. That day was a success and our morning in the sanctuary was followed by an early afternoon at the Annah Rais Longhouse. We toured the traditional Sarawak community of two tribal longhouses where rice and tapioca and ginger were laid out on mats to dry in the sun baking the bamboo floors. Annah Rais is also a homestay for the adventurous who want to spend the night in a tribal setting. However, I have only passing interest in “culture” and we will now return to Bako.
As we waited to begin our walk I milled about the grounds and saw my first bearded pig grazing in the field. These large porcine have amazing bristles covering the bottom of their heads. The male I photographed seemed completely unbothered by my presence as he rooted about the undergrowth. The trail we took through the rainforest was anything but a walk in the park. However, even those of our group who thought they might not be able to continue as path passed out of the mangrove flats and the tree root formed trail climbed and descended with precarious footholds made it one hour to where the jungle opened into another beach along the South China Sea. We caught glimpses of the rare proboscis monkeys high in the trees seeking the leaves that make up their diet. Once we arrived on the beach we were greeted by amazing rock formations and the moody skies above the churning waters. Long-tailed macaques were perched on the rocks of the beach and I photographed a mother with an infant with the skies as a backdrop. As ours and other groups took a break on the sands, I decided I’d rather make the return hike alone and set off back into the jungle. Again I saw proboscis monkeys from a distance, but they had too much cover and were too far away to photograph. Once I arrived back at the mangrove flats near the trailhead, where nice platforms form paths above the mudskippers and crabs, I sat on a bench and waited for everyone else to join me.
We had lunch in the cafeteria and our guide came and got me to “show me something”. I had told him that I sought pit vipers and spiders and was sure he had spied one of the beautiful green Wagler’s tree vipers that I had hoped to see or at the very least an orb weaver spider. Just behind the restaurant perched a couple feet above the ground was a gorgeous snake and I set about getting photographs. After lunch we walked about the area and were treated to a group of five or six proboscis high in the trees. Even with my longest lens they were out of reach, and my photographs are likely to be useless, but I was very much living in the moment as I watched these amazing “big nosed” monkeys chewing on leaves and leaping to neighboring trees. I thought about the people you see at concerts who spend the whole time filming it for social media instead of really immersing themselves in the experience. I love sharing my adventures, but photography seemed so unnecessary when I could just watch an endangered species I never expected to see in nature. As I stood straining my eyes towards the canopy I almost didn’t notice the large shape passing right in front of me. I looked down and saw 250 pounds or so of bearded pig strolling by as if with no care in the world.
Last night I had planned to get a traditional hand-tapped Iban tribal tattoo from Mark’s friend Ernesto who operates his Borneo Headhunters Tattoo Studio here in Kuching. I had really wanted to do it just for another life experience, but once I found out how much it would cost it made me reconsider the entire notion. The truth is that I am not a fan of tribal tattoos, even if this would be a true Iban tribal design and not the faux tribal that Caucasians walk around wearing. On top of that I had no idea where I would put it with my arms and lower legs already covered. I had thought to put it on the front of a thigh, but my quad muscles were strained and burning from the day’s trail ascents. I decided to cancel and I am so glad that the very sore thighs I have today aren’t even more sore from having a little Bornean dude hammering a needle into my flesh for four hours.
After taxis spared us from a drenching post-dinner, our group sat on the LimeTree hotel rooftop and had our nightcaps. A couple of bottles of tuak (traditional rice wine) had been purchased at the longhouse and shots were passed around. I had shared a few jugs of Tiger lager during dinner and my nightcap was a lime mojito. So beer, rum and tuak were combined to make me wake before 3 a.m. with a splitting headache. I was so exhausted, but I was agitated by something and, as I laid in bed thinking, I became increasingly restless. The pain medicine took effect and my eyes were heavy, but my mind was racing and sleep became more and more elusive. So here I sit at breakfast alone typing this. I intend to hang the “do not disturb” sign on my door and have officially cancelled this day. I had already told Mark that I planned to keep to myself mostly today. I am used to being alone and being part of a group of 14 that likes to do everything together is not in today’s plans. I have work to do on my laptop, and now I am in need of a few more hours rest.
All the best, M
Yesterday nine of our fourteen person group went to Taman Negara Bako (Bako National Park), home to about 150 endangered proboscis monkeys, bearded pigs and beautiful pitvipers. The 10 1/2 square mile park sits on the Borneo coast in Sarawak where the Kuching and Bako rivers empty into the South China Sea. The park can only be reached by boat. Starting from the jetty of Bako Terminal, we took two boats to beach on the Muara Tebas peninsula in knee deep silty water and walk across the grey-brown beach into the jungle. Two boats were necessary because of the high tide and big waves. Our group boarded one larger boat for a ten minute ride and then we met smaller boats at the halfway point and changed ship, as it were, in the rocking waters off the mangrove coast. Fortunately me and my camera gear were not swallowed up by the flowing estuarine abyss.
Our guide for the day was one of the two guides who had brought us to Semenggoh the previous day to look for orangutans. That day was a success and our morning in the sanctuary was followed by an early afternoon at the Annah Rais Longhouse. We toured the traditional Sarawak community of two tribal longhouses where rice and tapioca and ginger were laid out on mats to dry in the sun baking the bamboo floors. Annah Rais is also a homestay for the adventurous who want to spend the night in a tribal setting. However, I have only passing interest in “culture” and we will now return to Bako.
As we waited to begin our walk I milled about the grounds and saw my first bearded pig grazing in the field. These large porcine have amazing bristles covering the bottom of their heads. The male I photographed seemed completely unbothered by my presence as he rooted about the undergrowth. The trail we took through the rainforest was anything but a walk in the park. However, even those of our group who thought they might not be able to continue as path passed out of the mangrove flats and the tree root formed trail climbed and descended with precarious footholds made it one hour to where the jungle opened into another beach along the South China Sea. We caught glimpses of the rare proboscis monkeys high in the trees seeking the leaves that make up their diet. Once we arrived on the beach we were greeted by amazing rock formations and the moody skies above the churning waters. Long-tailed macaques were perched on the rocks of the beach and I photographed a mother with an infant with the skies as a backdrop. As ours and other groups took a break on the sands, I decided I’d rather make the return hike alone and set off back into the jungle. Again I saw proboscis monkeys from a distance, but they had too much cover and were too far away to photograph. Once I arrived back at the mangrove flats near the trailhead, where nice platforms form paths above the mudskippers and crabs, I sat on a bench and waited for everyone else to join me.
We had lunch in the cafeteria and our guide came and got me to “show me something”. I had told him that I sought pit vipers and spiders and was sure he had spied one of the beautiful green Wagler’s tree vipers that I had hoped to see or at the very least an orb weaver spider. Just behind the restaurant perched a couple feet above the ground was a gorgeous snake and I set about getting photographs. After lunch we walked about the area and were treated to a group of five or six proboscis high in the trees. Even with my longest lens they were out of reach, and my photographs are likely to be useless, but I was very much living in the moment as I watched these amazing “big nosed” monkeys chewing on leaves and leaping to neighboring trees. I thought about the people you see at concerts who spend the whole time filming it for social media instead of really immersing themselves in the experience. I love sharing my adventures, but photography seemed so unnecessary when I could just watch an endangered species I never expected to see in nature. As I stood straining my eyes towards the canopy I almost didn’t notice the large shape passing right in front of me. I looked down and saw 250 pounds or so of bearded pig strolling by as if with no care in the world.
Last night I had planned to get a traditional hand-tapped Iban tribal tattoo from Mark’s friend Ernesto who operates his Borneo Headhunters Tattoo Studio here in Kuching. I had really wanted to do it just for another life experience, but once I found out how much it would cost it made me reconsider the entire notion. The truth is that I am not a fan of tribal tattoos, even if this would be a true Iban tribal design and not the faux tribal that Caucasians walk around wearing. On top of that I had no idea where I would put it with my arms and lower legs already covered. I had thought to put it on the front of a thigh, but my quad muscles were strained and burning from the day’s trail ascents. I decided to cancel and I am so glad that the very sore thighs I have today aren’t even more sore from having a little Bornean dude hammering a needle into my flesh for four hours.
After taxis spared us from a drenching post-dinner, our group sat on the LimeTree hotel rooftop and had our nightcaps. A couple of bottles of tuak (traditional rice wine) had been purchased at the longhouse and shots were passed around. I had shared a few jugs of Tiger lager during dinner and my nightcap was a lime mojito. So beer, rum and tuak were combined to make me wake before 3 a.m. with a splitting headache. I was so exhausted, but I was agitated by something and, as I laid in bed thinking, I became increasingly restless. The pain medicine took effect and my eyes were heavy, but my mind was racing and sleep became more and more elusive. So here I sit at breakfast alone typing this. I intend to hang the “do not disturb” sign on my door and have officially cancelled this day. I had already told Mark that I planned to keep to myself mostly today. I am used to being alone and being part of a group of 14 that likes to do everything together is not in today’s plans. I have work to do on my laptop, and now I am in need of a few more hours rest.
All the best, M
Saturday, February 11, 2017
#25 - Sunday, 12 February 2017 | Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo
It's 3 a.m. Sunday morning. I can't sleep so I may as well type. Then if I can't fall back asleep I'll prepare my camera gear for the day. Our group is meeting for breakfast at 7 and are being picked up at 8 to travel to a nature reserve in search of Orangs. You can call these great apes orangs or orang utans or orangutans, which are derived from Orang Hutan or, literally, "man forest", just please not oh-rang-you-tangs. There is no "g" on the end. There are two species - the Borneo and the Sumatra - and the Bornean orangs are divided into three subspecies. Interestingly, the Borneo species is more often seen on the ground and this is believed to be because there are no tigers here, whereas there are in Sumatra.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Yesterday a contingent of 13 friends from England's west country arrived. My Bristolian second family was just as knackered as I was the previous day, but they checked in midday and we all met in the lobby of the LimeTree Hotel at 1 pm to take a walk around Kuching. Kuching means "cat" and we walked by several cat statues and then walked along the Sarawak riverfront. Kuching is the capital of Sarawak and is located in northwestern Borneo. The island of Borneo is comprised of three different countries; in the north, Sarawak and Sabah states are part of Malaysia, and the tiny country of Brunei sits between them along the north coast of the island, while the southern bulk of the island is the Indonesian Kalimantan.
Except for me and one couple, our group has all been here before and has favorite places for dinner and drink. Our walk brought us to one of these and I enjoyed cold Tiger beer and a delicious and spicy Tom Yam Laksa. Laksa is spicy noodle soup of Chinese and Malay origin and this one certainly cleared my sinuses and added to the substantial brow sweat due to the heat and humidity. After a half dozen pitchers of Tiger and some local cuisine we continued to tour the area, popping into numerous gift shops with textiles, spices, and other "tat". And speaking of "tat", we eventually walked by Borneo Headhunters Tattoo Shop owned by Mark's dear friend Ernesto. At this point our group splintered, as some of us were eager to say hello to Ernesto and his partner Robin. Eventually all but Mark and I continued back to the hotel. We stayed until Ernesto finished a tattoo and Mark, Ernesto, Robin and I had a coffee and chatted. Mark's tattoos were all done by Ernesto and are traditional hand-tapped work of Iban tribal designs. The Iban people, also known as Sea Dayaks, are mostly native to Sarawak and were once renowned for practicing headhunting and being fierce warriors in pursuit of tribal and territory expansion. I was very interested in getting a tribal snake design and we made an appointment to return Monday night at 9 pm for me to get my first traditional Bornean hand-tapped tattoo.
Mark and I stopped for one more Tiger beer on our walk back to the LimeTree and waited for an afternoon sun shower to pass. Back at the hotel our group had made arrangements to meet on the hotel rooftop for Mark's birthday dinner at the LimeLight Rooftop Lounge. Gifts and cards were exchanged and I brought Mark a Lenser P7.2 flashlight (the Brits call them "torches") for our night wildlife hunting. I had pasta and garlic bread and we all turned in early so they could recover from their own long flights and we would be rested for our orang adventure, which is to be followed by a visit to a traditional Borneo longhouse and a toast of Tuak (Bornean rice wine).
But here I am wide awake several hours before breakfast writing this. I guess I'll get the camera gear ready and then do my best to fall back asleep ...
All the best, M
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Yesterday a contingent of 13 friends from England's west country arrived. My Bristolian second family was just as knackered as I was the previous day, but they checked in midday and we all met in the lobby of the LimeTree Hotel at 1 pm to take a walk around Kuching. Kuching means "cat" and we walked by several cat statues and then walked along the Sarawak riverfront. Kuching is the capital of Sarawak and is located in northwestern Borneo. The island of Borneo is comprised of three different countries; in the north, Sarawak and Sabah states are part of Malaysia, and the tiny country of Brunei sits between them along the north coast of the island, while the southern bulk of the island is the Indonesian Kalimantan.
Except for me and one couple, our group has all been here before and has favorite places for dinner and drink. Our walk brought us to one of these and I enjoyed cold Tiger beer and a delicious and spicy Tom Yam Laksa. Laksa is spicy noodle soup of Chinese and Malay origin and this one certainly cleared my sinuses and added to the substantial brow sweat due to the heat and humidity. After a half dozen pitchers of Tiger and some local cuisine we continued to tour the area, popping into numerous gift shops with textiles, spices, and other "tat". And speaking of "tat", we eventually walked by Borneo Headhunters Tattoo Shop owned by Mark's dear friend Ernesto. At this point our group splintered, as some of us were eager to say hello to Ernesto and his partner Robin. Eventually all but Mark and I continued back to the hotel. We stayed until Ernesto finished a tattoo and Mark, Ernesto, Robin and I had a coffee and chatted. Mark's tattoos were all done by Ernesto and are traditional hand-tapped work of Iban tribal designs. The Iban people, also known as Sea Dayaks, are mostly native to Sarawak and were once renowned for practicing headhunting and being fierce warriors in pursuit of tribal and territory expansion. I was very interested in getting a tribal snake design and we made an appointment to return Monday night at 9 pm for me to get my first traditional Bornean hand-tapped tattoo.
Mark and I stopped for one more Tiger beer on our walk back to the LimeTree and waited for an afternoon sun shower to pass. Back at the hotel our group had made arrangements to meet on the hotel rooftop for Mark's birthday dinner at the LimeLight Rooftop Lounge. Gifts and cards were exchanged and I brought Mark a Lenser P7.2 flashlight (the Brits call them "torches") for our night wildlife hunting. I had pasta and garlic bread and we all turned in early so they could recover from their own long flights and we would be rested for our orang adventure, which is to be followed by a visit to a traditional Borneo longhouse and a toast of Tuak (Bornean rice wine).
But here I am wide awake several hours before breakfast writing this. I guess I'll get the camera gear ready and then do my best to fall back asleep ...
All the best, M
Friday, February 10, 2017
#24 - Saturday, 11 February 2017 | Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo
It's early Saturday morning. It is my mate Mark's birthday and he and his entourage of mad Brits is en route to join me here in beautiful Kuching. I finally got some sleep. Last night I sat on the rooftop of the LimeTree Hotel and had an amazing plate of vegetarian Tom Yum fried rice and downed two extra delicious and perfectly chilled pints of Tiger draft. The LimeLight Rooftop Lounge had a refreshing breeze. I arrived in overcast conditions in Kuching and the weather was much less stifling than it seemed in Kuala Lumpur. Perhaps I've already acclimated, but it was an incredible surprise to experience cool winds blowing above the fifth floor of our hotel. I love it here.
My flight from Dubai to Kuala Lumpur was made better by being on a brand new 777-300 and having an empty seat between my window berth and the young German lady on the aisle. Her name was Louisa and she was to meet friends in KL to begin a two month adventure in Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. In between our conversations and both of our failed attempts at sleeping, I watched the movie The Girl on the Train. Louisa and I walked through KL airport together and it took us almost an hour to get through customs. It was a grueling trip to arrive and I'm trying to put my eventual return feat of endurance out of mind.
Last time I was in Kuala Lumpur International Airport it was in the middle of the night and the place was deserted. Yesterday the it was so unbelievably crowded and it seemed like the humidity was about 300%. I had a fairly long layover, but made the mistake of going through security as soon as I could and ended up exhausted near the gates with little options for food and zero options for beer. I decided to try to keep awake and have a triple espresso and a little snack. Eventually I plopped my tired carcass into a comfy business class seat and prepared for 90 more minutes of air travel that would bring me from mainland Malaysia to Kuching, in Sarawak, Borneo. It took all of 8 minutes to get from the plane to taxi. I was the first off and the first to customs and then headed straight to the airport taxi desk and was whisked into a tiny and timeworn taxi on the curb.
The drive from the small airport to LimeTree Hotel was no more than 20 minutes. The hotel staff was extremely attentive and I was rushed to my cozy third floor hotel room. I was completely exhausted, but also wound up, excited and badly in need of a long shower. I dozed a bit while surfing the Internet, but ended up seeking Tiger lager and some food.
This hotel is amazing. I type this during breakfast of coffee, fresh lime juice, buttered toast, plantains, omelette, potatoes, shrimp, cakes, jack fruit fritters, and laksa.
It looks like rain is coming and I forgot to grab rainjacket from the Wheelhouse sitting almost 12,000 miles away. But I am off to walk the city a bit before Mark, Kim, Brandon and the rest of my Brit mates arrive in a few hours.
All the best, Michael
My flight from Dubai to Kuala Lumpur was made better by being on a brand new 777-300 and having an empty seat between my window berth and the young German lady on the aisle. Her name was Louisa and she was to meet friends in KL to begin a two month adventure in Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam. In between our conversations and both of our failed attempts at sleeping, I watched the movie The Girl on the Train. Louisa and I walked through KL airport together and it took us almost an hour to get through customs. It was a grueling trip to arrive and I'm trying to put my eventual return feat of endurance out of mind.
Last time I was in Kuala Lumpur International Airport it was in the middle of the night and the place was deserted. Yesterday the it was so unbelievably crowded and it seemed like the humidity was about 300%. I had a fairly long layover, but made the mistake of going through security as soon as I could and ended up exhausted near the gates with little options for food and zero options for beer. I decided to try to keep awake and have a triple espresso and a little snack. Eventually I plopped my tired carcass into a comfy business class seat and prepared for 90 more minutes of air travel that would bring me from mainland Malaysia to Kuching, in Sarawak, Borneo. It took all of 8 minutes to get from the plane to taxi. I was the first off and the first to customs and then headed straight to the airport taxi desk and was whisked into a tiny and timeworn taxi on the curb.
The drive from the small airport to LimeTree Hotel was no more than 20 minutes. The hotel staff was extremely attentive and I was rushed to my cozy third floor hotel room. I was completely exhausted, but also wound up, excited and badly in need of a long shower. I dozed a bit while surfing the Internet, but ended up seeking Tiger lager and some food.
This hotel is amazing. I type this during breakfast of coffee, fresh lime juice, buttered toast, plantains, omelette, potatoes, shrimp, cakes, jack fruit fritters, and laksa.
 |
| As always, see Instagram for more pix ... |
It looks like rain is coming and I forgot to grab rainjacket from the Wheelhouse sitting almost 12,000 miles away. But I am off to walk the city a bit before Mark, Kim, Brandon and the rest of my Brit mates arrive in a few hours.
All the best, Michael
Monday, February 6, 2017
#22 - Monday, 6 February 2017 | Bowling Green, Kentucky
Apparently I have become a regular at this Country Inn & Suites in Bowling Green. Last night was my third stay in less than three weeks. Yesterday was a shorter driving day. I left another Country Inn (my favorite chain for value rooms that are modern and clean and not creepy) in north Macon yesterday and was easily relaxing in my hotel here long before Super Bowl LI started.
Saturday I drove about three hours from the state park to Barracuda RV & Boat Storage in Ocala. I parked my traveling home and then continued about four more hours to north Macon. The drive was easy, with overcast skies making it less tiring than driving in the blazing sun. I've driven this road so many times. I've made plenty of trips from Chicagoland to Florida. But even more than that I've driven both north and south when I was based in Nashville. The stretch between Nashville and Louisville, Kentucky is particularly well-traveled as I used to exhibit at a monthly reptile show in Shelbyville, KY. Each month I would drive three hours north on Interstate 65 to just south of Louisville before I'd veer east to continue to Shelbyville. Trips to visit family and friends in the Chicago area were fairly frequent when I was living in east Nashville. Nashville south to Atlanta was also an oft traveled path, and I was thinking yesterday how that road must be disconcerting to some travelers. When driving I-24 out of Nashville to head to Chattanooga and on to Atlanta or elsewhere in the southeast, some motorists must become confused. As you near Chattanooga you suddenly see a sign welcoming you to Georgia. I wonder how many drivers think they have missed a turn. Five miles farther another sign welcomes you to Tennessee. The mountains forced a brief dip into Georgia before I-24 could turn back northeast toward Lookout Mountain and the city of Chattanooga.
I'll be back in Huntley and Hoffman Estates this afternoon. Tomorrow I have lunch with my sister Lisa and dinner with my bonus dad Joel scheduled. I also need to get ready for Wednesday evening. I'll be at O'Hare at about 5 pm to catch my 7:40 Emirates flight to Dubai. It arrives Thursday evening due to time zones and the fact that it is a bloody long flight of about 15 hours! Then I arrive in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Friday morning and catch a flight to Kuching, Borneo. Then it is a taxi to the LimeTree Inn where I should arrive in the mid-afternoon. I'll have an evening to myself Friday night before my friends/second family join me on Saturday. It will be my mate Mark's birthday and, as far as I know, our plan is still to visit his friends at Borneo Headhunters Tattoo in Kuching to get traditional hand-tapped tribal tattoos.
All the best, M
Saturday I drove about three hours from the state park to Barracuda RV & Boat Storage in Ocala. I parked my traveling home and then continued about four more hours to north Macon. The drive was easy, with overcast skies making it less tiring than driving in the blazing sun. I've driven this road so many times. I've made plenty of trips from Chicagoland to Florida. But even more than that I've driven both north and south when I was based in Nashville. The stretch between Nashville and Louisville, Kentucky is particularly well-traveled as I used to exhibit at a monthly reptile show in Shelbyville, KY. Each month I would drive three hours north on Interstate 65 to just south of Louisville before I'd veer east to continue to Shelbyville. Trips to visit family and friends in the Chicago area were fairly frequent when I was living in east Nashville. Nashville south to Atlanta was also an oft traveled path, and I was thinking yesterday how that road must be disconcerting to some travelers. When driving I-24 out of Nashville to head to Chattanooga and on to Atlanta or elsewhere in the southeast, some motorists must become confused. As you near Chattanooga you suddenly see a sign welcoming you to Georgia. I wonder how many drivers think they have missed a turn. Five miles farther another sign welcomes you to Tennessee. The mountains forced a brief dip into Georgia before I-24 could turn back northeast toward Lookout Mountain and the city of Chattanooga.
I'll be back in Huntley and Hoffman Estates this afternoon. Tomorrow I have lunch with my sister Lisa and dinner with my bonus dad Joel scheduled. I also need to get ready for Wednesday evening. I'll be at O'Hare at about 5 pm to catch my 7:40 Emirates flight to Dubai. It arrives Thursday evening due to time zones and the fact that it is a bloody long flight of about 15 hours! Then I arrive in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Friday morning and catch a flight to Kuching, Borneo. Then it is a taxi to the LimeTree Inn where I should arrive in the mid-afternoon. I'll have an evening to myself Friday night before my friends/second family join me on Saturday. It will be my mate Mark's birthday and, as far as I know, our plan is still to visit his friends at Borneo Headhunters Tattoo in Kuching to get traditional hand-tapped tribal tattoos.
All the best, M
Friday, February 3, 2017
#21 - Friday, 3 February 2017 | Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, Florida
It is Friday morning. I woke before dawn and decided to make a cup of coffee and take a sunrise stroll. The birds were singing and coaxing me to join them for the break of daylight. Deer were everywhere. I walked along and they didn’t seem too bothered by this early-rising primate, but would bound into surrounding cover if my approach was too close. I had one camera. I also had my iPhone. I must learn to live fully off the grid and not be so dependent on it, but there was a message I wanted to send so I hoped I would acquire signal at some point. I saw a raccoon walk across the crushed shell and sand main road of Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. The post cold front skies had been clear all week, but some morning clouds today aided me in capturing a few beautiful sunrise images. I saw more and more white-tailed deer. When I got to the park office I sat at one of the picnic tables and checked my cell signal and was able to send a couple important direct messages and also answer a few emails. I sat finishing my coffee and three young deer approached. One got within ten feet of me before finally spooking and trotting off a bit.
Yesterday I went to breakfast at Cowpoke’s Cafe, which is maybe ten miles from my campsite. You drive several miles to exit the park and then follow the paved roads towards the main road. The cafe is remote and I wondered about the locals that were inside. After an omelette, toast, juice and coffee, I drove back to camp and along the park road stopped for six snakes that were sunning in the road. Three were Florida garter snakes and three were related ribbon snakes. The largest was no more than two and a half feet long, and most drivers would have just thought they were twigs or other debris. When I arrived at the park office on the first day I saw a graphic that explained that 80% of the animals found dead-on-road (DOR), victims of vehicles, are snakes. Certainly these small snakes, which were motionless and sunning and not moving across the road, would be overlooked by most drivers and accidentally killed. However, the sad fact is that some drivers that recognize snakes on the road go out of their way to crush them beneath their wheels. Humans can suck. I photographed a couple of the snakes and released all in the roadside grass. I’m sure they went right back out onto the road, but at least the traffic I saw during the rest of my drive wouldn’t kill them.
I parked back at my campsite and decided to hike towards the slough that runs through the park where I was certain to find alligators and wading birds. As I walked down the path running parallel to the wetland I came upon an alligator sunning in the trailside grass. It was a six-footer and didn’t even move as I stopped to photograph it. Farther along I saw many alligators ranging from six to ten feet or more. Great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks and other birds took to flight at my disturbance. The area is close to the park road and allows access for those less adventurous than me. There is a bench on one side of the path and a picnic table a bit farther up on the other side. I spent a couple hours at the site with my long lens on a tripod and another camera in my hand. I watched both great blue and little blue herons, cormorants, egrets, ibis, wood storks and, of course, alligators. Fish were constantly jumping in the marsh and I saw some large fish in the shallows. It was a serene spot to spend the late morning. I was by myself except for a couple that road up on mountain bikes. I recognized them quickly as my campsite next-door neighbors. Their arrival sent the birds to flight, but I waited for many to return.
Tonight is my last night here. Tomorrow morning I will drive two and a half hours north to Ocala where I will be storing the Wheelhouse while I am in Borneo and Malaysia. Hopefully I will be done by midday and then I will continue north to Macon, Georgia for the night. I intend to make it back to my bonus dad (stepdad) Joel’s house on Monday. On Tuesday I will get ready for my overseas trip and have lunch with my sister Lisa. I fly out of Chicago’s O’Hare airport Wednesday evening arriving in Dubai on Thursday evening, Kuala Lumpur Friday morning and then Kuching, Borneo on Friday afternoon. My friends will join me in Kuching on Saturday.
Today after I have everything packed I am going to make the campsite and RV tour video I never got to yesterday and I also am going to buy some firewood so I can have a campfire on my final night and enjoy the big can of Foster’s lager I bought the other day.
Due to the lack of wifi and almost no cell signal I am way behind on posting images to Instagram. Tomorrow night when I reach my Macon hotel I will bomb Insta will loads of pix. I'm sending this from town, but have no wifi and am using my cell data plan. Images will have to wait until the weekend. Enjoy yours!
All the best, M
Yesterday I went to breakfast at Cowpoke’s Cafe, which is maybe ten miles from my campsite. You drive several miles to exit the park and then follow the paved roads towards the main road. The cafe is remote and I wondered about the locals that were inside. After an omelette, toast, juice and coffee, I drove back to camp and along the park road stopped for six snakes that were sunning in the road. Three were Florida garter snakes and three were related ribbon snakes. The largest was no more than two and a half feet long, and most drivers would have just thought they were twigs or other debris. When I arrived at the park office on the first day I saw a graphic that explained that 80% of the animals found dead-on-road (DOR), victims of vehicles, are snakes. Certainly these small snakes, which were motionless and sunning and not moving across the road, would be overlooked by most drivers and accidentally killed. However, the sad fact is that some drivers that recognize snakes on the road go out of their way to crush them beneath their wheels. Humans can suck. I photographed a couple of the snakes and released all in the roadside grass. I’m sure they went right back out onto the road, but at least the traffic I saw during the rest of my drive wouldn’t kill them.
I parked back at my campsite and decided to hike towards the slough that runs through the park where I was certain to find alligators and wading birds. As I walked down the path running parallel to the wetland I came upon an alligator sunning in the trailside grass. It was a six-footer and didn’t even move as I stopped to photograph it. Farther along I saw many alligators ranging from six to ten feet or more. Great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks and other birds took to flight at my disturbance. The area is close to the park road and allows access for those less adventurous than me. There is a bench on one side of the path and a picnic table a bit farther up on the other side. I spent a couple hours at the site with my long lens on a tripod and another camera in my hand. I watched both great blue and little blue herons, cormorants, egrets, ibis, wood storks and, of course, alligators. Fish were constantly jumping in the marsh and I saw some large fish in the shallows. It was a serene spot to spend the late morning. I was by myself except for a couple that road up on mountain bikes. I recognized them quickly as my campsite next-door neighbors. Their arrival sent the birds to flight, but I waited for many to return.
Tonight is my last night here. Tomorrow morning I will drive two and a half hours north to Ocala where I will be storing the Wheelhouse while I am in Borneo and Malaysia. Hopefully I will be done by midday and then I will continue north to Macon, Georgia for the night. I intend to make it back to my bonus dad (stepdad) Joel’s house on Monday. On Tuesday I will get ready for my overseas trip and have lunch with my sister Lisa. I fly out of Chicago’s O’Hare airport Wednesday evening arriving in Dubai on Thursday evening, Kuala Lumpur Friday morning and then Kuching, Borneo on Friday afternoon. My friends will join me in Kuching on Saturday.
Today after I have everything packed I am going to make the campsite and RV tour video I never got to yesterday and I also am going to buy some firewood so I can have a campfire on my final night and enjoy the big can of Foster’s lager I bought the other day.
Due to the lack of wifi and almost no cell signal I am way behind on posting images to Instagram. Tomorrow night when I reach my Macon hotel I will bomb Insta will loads of pix. I'm sending this from town, but have no wifi and am using my cell data plan. Images will have to wait until the weekend. Enjoy yours!
All the best, M
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