Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Under the Madai trees
Under the Madai trees - Under the trees in Madai Forest Reserve Center.
We found many interesting things, we learn new things.
Kunak - Quiet Town Happy People
On our return journey, we made a detour and visit this little town of KUNAK. Non of us being to this town before despite Tawau is just 100 km away from here. Kunak Town has a population 50,000 mainly Bajau and Bugis. A sizeable Chinese population involved in the running most shops in the town and landowners cultivating oil palms.
"...Eat more swordfish and shark meat. These types of fish have high concentrations of Omega-3 fatty acids, the healthy fats that support healthy cell, muscle and tissue growth. Focus on adding these to your daily meals whenever possible...." This is a suggestion I read in a Keep-slim article.
The 3 big sward fish in the boat is about one meter in length. Drying on the wooden jetty (photo above) are some smaller swardfish drying up under the strong sun to be made into salted-fish. Though it is unhygenic to place such food under processing on the foot path where every walked on, these salted fish are surprising "Clean" with no house flies.
This is not an ordinary fishing boat. Chun Xing was the first to bring every one attention to a family living inside this house boat. This is a curious and interesting life style to us.
The sea gypsies (Palauh) of Sabah retained their drifting seafaring lifestyle. This traditional nomad kind still skim the waters in their boathouses and forage for food in the sea reef.
Kunak local population include a colorful mix of local Bajau (the sea gypsies), Chinese, Philippino and Indonesian all bringing with them their individual culture and language.
What are they doing inside their house-boat? "They are counting cash while the children watch by...."
The sea-Bajau are among the lowest income group in Malaysia. This has received the attention of government and international welfare organizations. As a result, livelihood for the local has greatly improved for the past decades.
As for this boat family we saw at the jetty, seem they just made a successful trade with their sea products and now counting the earning. A profit enough to sustain the whole family for sometimes. I peep at their cash...... are all Rm50 notes.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Father's Day Outing to Madai Water Fall
June 20, Father’s Day again. While much fuss is made about mother's day every year, the father prefer to ignore such a day to avoid fuss. But over the dinner table he himself carelessly brought out the idea "Tomorrow is Sunday, anybody want to go somewhere for an outing?" not aware that tomorrow is a Father's Day but only interested to take the family out for a drive in the family new car Viva. Taking the opportunity. the son quickly suggested an outing to Madai Water Fall.
So that is how we had a Father's Day outing to Madai Water Fall today. And we arrived at noon after 2 hours drive from home.
Viewed at the same angle at a different day, Madai Waterfall displayed a complete different characteristic.
When we came to Madai 10 days ago we saw a lady like Madai Waterfall soft falling water whispering down the cliff. Today we saw strong volume of water roaring down the cliff like solders marching to war.
Last night, a heavy downpour in this region and today we found Madai Water Fall with strong water smashes down the 50 meters height into the pool below and further downstream in a strong current.
PHOTO above : From this point, the fast flowing water jump a 50 meters down to the pool below.
We came fully prepared for a cool waterfall shower, but to find out that last nigh heavy rain made a strong current flow today. As a safety precaution, non of us get into the water as no one there in the down stream to save us in case one of us swept away by strong current
But the local young people are not afraid, several young men and young ladies enjoy the cool and strong mountain water. There, you can see two brave Muslim girls enjoy playing against the fast flowing water (photo below).
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Empowered for Academic Success
| Powered Youth | Common Youth | |
| 1 | Courageous personity | Cars |
| 2 | Character independent | Cash |
| 3 | Clarity in mind | Condominiums |
| 4 | Career pursuing | Cards |
| 5 | Committed in responsibilities | Clubs |
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Pointing a finger under the sun
"Point a finger under the tropical sun, a rare damselfly will come to rest on your finger tip."
Seem like a dream for a nature lover but this is every day life in the nature in Borneo Island. Sabah is still in touch with nature.
This afternoon we came to Madai Water Fall for the first time. I was snapping snapshoot of the Water Fall when a damselfly came to rest on my right thumb. Moment later another damselfly of the same species rest on my left index finger what a friendly little creatures they are.
It was not only me these little flying ferry befriended. Yin has been sitting on a rock beside me amazing but the little flying insects equally astonished by one also rest on her finger. Damselflies not only love your finger tips, they equally love to sit on your feet too.
Monday, June 7, 2010
SEPILOK ORANG UTAN REHABILITATION CENTRE
Young Orangutans are cute. We drive our new Viva to Sandakan just to see the Orang Utan at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center.
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center is 25 Km from Sandakan. The Center is easy to find because of big clear signboards along the road.
The center is surrounded by 4,000 plus hectares of Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve.Divided into several sections :
1) main reception,
2) information center
3) animal clinic
4) quarantine section/area
5) enclosures for different animals
6) offices
A diligent staff group of more than 30 members – Wildlife Officer, Wildlife Rangers, Veterinary Doctors and workers.
This rehabilitation was established in 1964 for the purpose of caring for the orangutans and making sure they can returned to the wild where they can live on their own.
Those baby orangutans in the Centre are saved from village people who keep them as household pets. Some are rescued from illegal poachers. Some from forest sites where trees are being cut down and forests destroyed.
While at the Sepilok Orangutan Center, the baby orangutans are cared for and trained so that they are able to survive in the wild once they are released. The number of orangutans housed in the reserve at a time range from fifty to about a hundred.
The center has become a favorite destination of tourists who would like to be able to view these orangutans up close and personal in a setting that is very close to their natural habitat.
It is not everyday that you can encounter an orangutan. But even if this is the case, one must remember that this is still a Rehabilitation Center and all animals are meticulously cared for. Because of this, people who visit are restricted to certain areas to view the orangutans.
A particular walkway leads to both the viewing area and the feeding platform where one can observe the orangutans feed.
Feeding schedule is done at around mid morning and mid afternoon. Some people usually depend on the zoom lenses of their cameras to capture the orangutans from the walkway.
After viewing the orangutans, adventurous visitors usually join trekking tours while in Sepilok. It is a fine idea most especially since Sepilok is surrounded by lush forests.
There are other animals that can be viewed during the trek including certain species of lizards, birds, and insects.
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center not only concerned about the welfare of orangutans but also taken responsibility of educating the public on the conservation of animals and their environment plus more intensive research to protect and breed endangered species.
Muzium Agop Batu Tulug
Batu Tulug Archaeological Museum
(Muzium Arkeologi Tulug)
Kampung Batu Putih Batu Tulug Cave is 45 minutes from Lahad Datu
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Madai Caves
This massive Madai caves raises from 250 metres from the forest floor. Madai caves was like a home to thousands of bats since hundreds of years ago and it has been well known for generations among the locals for its supplies of bird nests. This generation comes from the Idahan peoples who has been harvested and they have earned the right for collecting all the nests since 20 generation now. This right to harvest ensuring that local Idahan people with traditional rights to collect nests do not lose income to illegal immigrant labor and to traders.
Madai Caves is not far from the main road of Lahad Datu-Tawau highway. The turn off is 69km from Lahad Datu.
The caves are habitat of swiftlets. These birds made their nest using their saliva. These natural products are highly sought after by the Chinese for its medicinal purpose. In high class Chinese restaurants this nest appears in menu as ‘birds nest soup’.
In the Hong Kong the price can fetch up to USD1000.00 per kilograms. The bird’s nests in these caves are harvested twice a year. Only the Idaan people of Sabah are given the exclusive rights to harvest by the Government. This Idaan people have been doing this trade for hundreds of years.
Visitors to Madai Caves is advisable to hire a local guide.
The village folks usually come to you to offer to be your guide. But it is up to you to use their services or enter on your own if you have been here before.
The guides usually ask for Rm20-30 for the service. If you are alone you may pay Rm20. If you are bringing a family you can pay a generous fee of Rm30. Even you pay less, the friendly local villages usually accept.
Madai is also an archaeological site of ancient tombs. But I am very doubtful because not only the local villagers, even Sabah Museum is not showing any interest in protecting the few timber ancestral coffins that left on the path way for villagers and visitors to step on.
Guarding infront the main cave is a small village which all visitors will walk passes the village houses. The villagers lived there for 100 of years ago.
Some are houses of nests collectors who will come to stay only during nest harvesting seasons.
From the hill foot, visitors walk up a wooden stairs of about 100 meters.
There are always a few full time villagers stay inside the caves day and night as guardian to the bird nest. One kilograms of bird nest fatches RM2,000 in Sabah market. There are experienced nest harvesters who return as theif for a fortune.
Madai Caves is not far from the main road of Lahad Datu-Tawau highway. The turn off is 69km from Lahad Datu.
The caves are habitat of swiftlets. These birds made their nest using their saliva. These natural products are highly sought after by the Chinese for its medicinal purpose. In high class Chinese restaurants this nest appears in menu as ‘birds nest soup’.
In the Hong Kong the price can fetch up to USD1000.00 per kilograms. The bird’s nests in these caves are harvested twice a year. Only the Idaan people of Sabah are given the exclusive rights to harvest by the Government. This Idaan people have been doing this trade for hundreds of years.
Visitors to Madai Caves is advisable to hire a local guide.
The village folks usually come to you to offer to be your guide. But it is up to you to use their services or enter on your own if you have been here before.
The guides usually ask for Rm20-30 for the service. If you are alone you may pay Rm20. If you are bringing a family you can pay a generous fee of Rm30. Even you pay less, the friendly local villages usually accept.
Madai is also an archaeological site of ancient tombs. But I am very doubtful because not only the local villagers, even Sabah Museum is not showing any interest in protecting the few timber ancestral coffins that left on the path way for villagers and visitors to step on.
Guarding infront the main cave is a small village which all visitors will walk passes the village houses. The villagers lived there for 100 of years ago.
Some are houses of nests collectors who will come to stay only during nest harvesting seasons.
From the hill foot, visitors walk up a wooden stairs of about 100 meters.
There are always a few full time villagers stay inside the caves day and night as guardian to the bird nest. One kilograms of bird nest fatches RM2,000 in Sabah market. There are experienced nest harvesters who return as theif for a fortune.
Madai Caves
Kunak
Gomantong Caves
Gomantong Caves
(The Black Cave & The White Cave)
Largest cave system in Sabah
110 km south of Sandakan
(The Black Cave & The White Cave)
Largest cave system in Sabah
110 km south of Sandakan
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
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