This morning after a very Malaysian breakfast of noodles and rice we packed up all our gear and headed off on our last trek at Bako NP and our last trek of the entire trip.
This time we’re heading off in a similar direction to yesterday but today we’re planning on branching off and heading for the beach through a mangrove forest.
Before we go though and right near the cafe and our room Keith spotted a sleepy green snake on a tree which we were busy taking pics of and actually getting quite close to until one of the guides pointed out to us that they are really very dangerous and can be deadly! Mmm great......and on the last day as well! That wouldn’t look good!
Deadly (sleeping) snake!
I then spotted some bearded pigs and as we headed off in their direction for some pics we were halted just in time from coming really very closely face to face with another snake snoozing on a branch right at head height! On that note we decided to head for the beach and leave the snakes and pigs to it!
It’s fairly early in the day still and as we made our way along the boardwalk we came face to face with a large family group of mackac monkeys, hanging out on the pathway in front of us, just going about their morning rituals. In my eyes wild animals are wild animals and are all exciting and interesting even if these particular ones are treated a little like pests.
We watched them for quite a while, enjoying their antics and taking pics, because after all they were blocking the pathway so we didn’t have too much choice! I guess they were getting used to us being there and weren’t taking much notice of us when all of a sudden their activity hotted up a bit and one of the larger males started running towards us down the path, these monkeys can actually be really aggressive and can and will attack! It was a bit scary if I’m honest, I grabbed hold of Keith and together we hung on, just about, to the pathway (the alternatives of going off the pathway were monitor lizards and snakes!!) as he ran by us seemingly uninterested. At that point another guide came along and scared them off and along our way we went.
Mackac monkeys
Further along the pathway we came across the mangrove forests leading down to the beach. The mangroves are really quite incredible and intriguing the way they send their roots up through the sand to gain oxygen and the way in which they can survive in such a wide range of salinity conditions. We kept a look out for proboscis monkeys but I think perhaps we might have got up a little too late for them!
Bako NP
Mangrove forests
Unfortunately we didn’t have that much time free this morning cause we had arranged to meet with the young family again to share the boat ride back. It’s our last day in Borneo as well so we could do with getting back to sort out our gear and get some rest before a 3am start!
Back in Kuching we checked back into our friendly hostel and picked up the gear we had left not forgetting our blow pipes.
After a relatively quick sort out of stuff and a wash and change we went back across the river to Fort Margherita. Keith had been wanting to visit the fort since he arrived in Kuching but because of being out and about, leaving early to go places and getting back late from places we hadn’t manage it till now. Keith had been reading all about the White rajahs in Borneo while he had been here and this fort was mentioned as being named after Charles Brooke’s wife, Ranee Margaret. It was an interesting and attractive building built in 1878 which more recently has been a police museum. It was nice to visit and after a stroll around the grounds, as it was closed by the time we got there, we then walked back into the village at the bottom of the hill and had a bite to eat before heading back across the river to bed.
Fort Margherita
We then toasted and enjoyed our last beer together in Borneo whilst enjoying our last sunset, before trying to get a relatively early night for what is a very long journey and a ridiculously early start!
Our last sunset
