Kinabatangan Nature Lodge

October 23rd.

Hi everyone,

well, a couple of days have passed since we uploaded our last post. Time passes quickly and we get to see a lot. There's no chance to go online where we are right now and a cell phone signal can only be received on a 2m² spot by the river.

Ok, so on to a short wrap up. After our first night in Sandakan we went to the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehab Centre in Sepilok. Mr. Lam, the owner of the Mayfair hotel arranged for a taxi to get us th 28kms outta town. Back and forth for 60 RM, that's 12 Euros. Not bad, huh? We arrived on time (at 10am) to attend the first feeding of those Orang Utans which have already been released back into the wild (a 45 km² area of primary rainforest on the northern edge of Sandakan). Although the apes roam freely it was still a bit of a tourist thing, but hey, even the people with their pink flipflops and gucci shades are interested and support the very impressive and well organized program so what the heck. Especially for the Malays, who cut down the rainforest at rapid pace I wish there's some understanding that the Orang Utans are beautiful animals worth protecting and to successfully establish a transition from them being a source of bush meat to becoming ambassadors of the rainforest. At the moment approx. 150 individuals live at the rehab center to be prepared fo their life out in the jungle again. Most of them were either found injured or rescued from families who kept them as pets. The rehabilitation itself is a process that takes several years. The apes get medical treatment, receive training in their gym and learn to roam freely in an enclosed part of the jungle.

What can I say? The Orang Utans are easy to fall in love with so Sandra and Anette were charmed within just a few minutes. Well, I have to admit that I said "thank you" a lot of times (which I mostly do after I was given the opportunity to take a picture of a wild animal) because I was really touched by their friendly, human-like behaviour. After the first feeding session we took a little rest because Sandra didn't feel too good and while the girls watched a movie about orang utans I discovered two of them wandering around the buildings one of them almost posing for me when I took pictures. The second (and last) feeding session was at 3pm so at 2pm we decided to go on a short jungle walk using the so called bird trail. Well, we later wished it had been birds we found cause it was infested with leeches. Completely unprepared and sure that they must have known they were all over us. In addition to that the supposedly 1,1km trail wasn't a loop but instead led us to a dead end so we had to walk the same way back. I can tell you that we were not amused. As if this hadn't been enough I had to prove my bush knowledge I had gathered in Africa on several occasions before wasn't just stories to show off. Halfway back a clan of pigtailed macacques crossed our path. I should rather say "the dominant male crossed our path" and he didn't exactly intend to be friendly. He jumped onto a branch 2 metres away from me so that he could look at me on eye level. Then he tried to intimidate me by hissing, screaming and showing his impressive teeth. I chose to show him that I am not easy to be scared away and yelled back jumping into his directions so that the girls could move ahead on and out of reach while I tried to distract him as much as possible. For a moment I found myself thinking "am I gonna yell at him until we both have sore throats?" but after a while I chose to slowly back off without showing any real submissive behaviour and it worked fine. What a day! We joined the feeding session at 3:20pm, cleaned ourselves of a few more leeches went back to the hotel in Sandakan at 4:30. The next day Annette went off to spend the last days of her trip diving on an island near Semporna before she will head back to Germany after a 2 years work term in Kuala Lumpur on the Malaysian main land. Shortly after we were picked up by the guys from Nature Lodge Kinabatangan at the Kinabatangan river (which is the longest river of Sabah, Borneo's North Eastern, Malay province) where we booked a 3 days, 2 nights package. It took us roughly 3,5 hours to get there but it is stunningly beautiful. On our first river cruise in the afternoon we saw proboscious monkeys (the ones with the impressive nose), longtail macacques and lots of birds. During our night jungle walk on which we were equippedwith wellies and leech socks we also saw various sleeping birds (who surprisingly can be approached without any problem), frogs and bats.

We gotta admit that the Dutch and the French/NZ couple we were accompanied by were great travel companions. Very witty, entertaining and funny! We wish we'd always meet people like that. Well, maybe it wouldn't be as much fun then. :)

So in the morning of day 2 we went on another cruise upriver. The awaking, fog-soaked rainforest created a very mystic atmosphere and once again we spotted lots of monkeys. Besides that a monitor lizard and a gray eagle the name of which I have forgotten. Not bigger than a large european falcon though. Too bad for Sandra (and myself) that we didn't see the eagerly awaited jungle elephants.

Right after breakfast I went on a 3,5 hours jungle trek (Sandra stayed at the chalet to take a rest) leading to one nearby of approx. 30 oxbow lakes in the area. These lakes are old loops and turns of the river which have been "cut off" during floods because the water, due to its flowing speed, took a straight shortcut and the turns slowly became "oxbow" lakes. Anyway...during the tour through this incredibly hot and humid we saw lots of butter- and dragonflies. The lake itself looked like a little sanctuary out in the middle of nowhere. Very cool setting, lots of interesting things to look at. I could have spent the whole day there but, of course, there was more to come. So while a butterfly rested on the dutch guy Roalofs shoulder for a long time on the way back I enjoyed the mud tour like a little kid. So no elephants, only a few leeches and quite an exhausting trip, but definitely worth the effort. :)

So then it came, the legendary afternoon cruise. We saw the usual suspects and, finally, a herd of not exactly pygmy ellies. They are not much smaller than the indian elephants, so they are still quite impressive and believe me: you wouldn't wanna bump into one out there. So that finished a fabulous day. Another morning cruise over the misty river and off we went to Danum Valley down in the Southwest.

Cheers and kind regards!

Sandra and Stefan

P.S.: Find pictures here.



Hallo nach Hause,

zwei Tage sind schon wieder vorüber, seit unserer letzten Nachricht. Die Zeit vergeht so schnell und wir erleben so viel. Ich schreibe gerade den Text in den Editor in der Hoffnung, dass wir ihn morgen online stellen können. Da wo wir jetzt sind gibt es "leider" keinerlei Internetemfpang und telefonieren können wir auch nur auf der letzten Treppenstufe auf der rechten Seite am Bootssteg ;).

Aber der Reihe nach. Nach unsererersten Nacht in Sandakan sind wir morgens früh nach einem schnellen Frühstück aufgebrochen ins Orang Utan Rehabilitationszentrum. Mr Lum vom Hotel hat uns ein Taxi organisiert, welches uns die 30 km hingefahren und auch am frühen Abend wieder abgeholt hat - für insg. 4 Euro/Person. Da haben wir mal auf den Hamsterbus verzichtet.
Die erste Fütterung war 10 Uhr und wir waren pünktlich da. Diese erste Begegnung mit den Tieren mutete schon sehr touristisch an und vor allem Stefan war etwas irritiert, da er doch die natürliche Begegnung mit den Tieren bevorzugt. Aber hinter die Kulissen geschaut, ist diese öffentliche Fütterung der Tiere eine gute Möglichkeit Menschen zu interessieren für das Thema, vor allem die Malayen, die mit den riesigen Palmölplantagen auf Borneo und der damit zusammenhängenden voranschreitenden Waldvernichtung, den Lebensraum der Tiere einschränken und zum Teil nicht mehr möglich machen. Und es kommt Geld durch die Touristen in das Center, denn hier wird wirklich eine gute Arbeit gemacht. Momentan leben ca. 150 Tiere hier, die rehabilitiert werden. Und das ist ein langwieriger Prozess und kann mehrere Jahre dauern.

Also wir sind auch berührt worden, zum einen von der liebevollen Arbeit und natürlich von dem "habt mich lieb" Blick der orang Utans. Man möchte sie am liebsten alle auf den Arm nehmen und streicheln - Annette und mir ging es zumindest so ;). Stefan hat grandiose Fotos gemacht, dann kann man in etwa nachvollziehen, was ich meine.

Das war der harmlose Teil des Tages. Dann sind wir spontan, da noch Zeit bis zur nächsten Fütterung 15 Uhr war einen ausgeschilderten Pfad durch den Dschungel gegangen. So unvorbereitet wie wir waren. Kurze Hosen, kurze Tops und Anfangs noch Flip Flops. Es war wunderschön: exotische Tierstimmen, riesige Mangrovenbäume, ... , bis ich den ersten BLUTEGEL am Schienbein hatte. Ich wusste sofort was es war, ohne damit gerechnet zu haben.Ich schnippte wie wild an ihm herum und da er sich gerade erst niedergelassen hatte, war er auch schnell ohne einen Biss hinterlassen zu haben wieder weg. So, und nun war die Entspannung vorbei. Etwas panisch gingen wir weiter und versuchten die relativ vielen Egel, die an den unteren Blättern zappelten (da es kurz zuvor geregnet hatte, waren es noch mehr als gewönlich) zu entkommen. Endlich am Ende des Pfades angekommen, nassgeschwitzt und nach weiteren Attacken, merkten wir dass es eine Einbahnstrasse war und so ging es zur Freude aller wieder die gleiche Strecke zurück. So schnell es ging - bzw. so schnell unsere Muskelkater geschwächten Beine es zuliesen - sind wir wieder zurück bis, ... , ein nicht gerade kleiner Affe unseren Weg kreuzte. Besser gesagt, kreuzten wir wohl seinen Weg. Es war ein Pig Tail Makaque, ein Männchen der seine Crew wohl vor uns beschützen wollte und auf Stefan losging. Zum Glück!!!! reagierte er gut (hatte ja auch seine Mädels zu beschützen ;)) und nach einer kurzen Kommunikation zwischen den beiden, konnten wir den Weg weiter beschreiten. Irgendwann sind wir angekommen, glücklich und ziemlich erschöpft doch die zweite Begegnung mit den Orang Utans lies alles wieder vergessen.

Wieder zurück in Sandakan, war ich etwas down und habe ein wenig Schlaf der letzten Tage nachgeholt. Stefan und Annette haben noch ein paar Sachen erledigt, Annettes Weiterreise organisiert und sind schwach geworden - die erste Pizza in Asien ;).

Ja, und gestern morgen hat sich Annette dann von unserem kleinen Reiseteam verabschiedet. Sie ist mit dem Bus nach Semporna an die Küste gereist und hat sich in einer Luxus-Strand-Lodge eingerichtet, um ihre letzten Tage in Asien entspannt ausklingen zu lassen. Danach geht es für sie nach 2 Jahren Malaysia/Kuala Lumpur zurück nach Deutschland.
Stefan und ich sind gegen Mittag mit dem Bus abholt worden zu unserem nächsten Abenteuer, das lautet Kinabatangan River. Der Kinabatangan ist der längste Fluss Sabahs (Sabah ist der noröstliche malayische Teil Borneos) und das Refugium zahlreicher Tiere, die mit dem Abholzen der Wälder ihre Heimat verloren haben. Neben Nasenaffen, Gibbons und Orang Utans leben auch 500-1000 Elefanten in diesem Gebiet. In der Hoffnung, vor allen letzte zu sehen sind wir für 2 Nächte in einer recht einfachen aber doch sehr liebevollen Lodge. Mit uns ein holländisches Ehepaar und ein französisch/neuseeländisches Pärchen. Gestern nach der Ankunft hab es direkt eine 2stündige Rivercruise - super schön! Wir konnte viele Affen beobachten und diesmal so gar nicht touristisch ;). Nach dem Dinner sind wir zur Nightsafari aufgebrochen, schon etwas abenteuerlich - vor allem für mich ;). Aber nun bestens ausgestattet mit unseren Leech Socks gegen die Blutegelattacken, Gummistiefeln, langen Hosen und Shirts und Taschenlampe ging es mit 2 Guides für 1 Stunde durch den tiefschwarzen Dschungel. Sehr sehr aufregend aber wunderschön, allein die Geräusche. Wir haben wunderbunte schlafende Vögel gesehen, kleine Frösche (liebe Mum, die hätten dir auch keine Angst gemacht ;) )und viele Fledermäuse. Keine grossen wilden Tiere aber das war nicht schlimm.

Dann schnell ins Bett, denn 5.30 Uhr hat heute morgen der Wecker geklingelt für die Early Morning Cruise auf dem Fluss. Was eine mystische Stimmung, den Fluss und den Dschungel beim Erwachen zu beobachten - ein ganz besonderes Gefühl. Nur leider wieder keine Elefanten gesehen ;(. Vor dem Lunch gab es eine 3stündige Dschungeltour, die ich ausgelassen habe - um mich ein bisschen zu entspannen und von dem Durchhänger vorgestern zu erholen. Bin schon gespannt, was Stefan zu berichten hat ... vielleicht Elefanten ... ich hoffe (sorry) nicht ;).


22.okt
... nein es gab keine Elefanten, nur Spuren ;) - dafür viele schmetterlinge und Vögel. Nach dem Lunch haben wir herrlich noch ein bisschen geschlummert und sind dann abermals zur 2stündigen Flussfahrt aufgebrochen. Wieder gab es viele Affen zu sehen, allerdings sind wir da schon anspruchsvoller geworden. So ein einfacher Affe lässt uns nicht mehr das Fernglas zücken ;). Auf jeden Fall fahren wir mit unserem Boot an den anderen affenbeobachtenden Booten vorbei, hinein in einen kleineren Zwischenarm des Flusses und da steht ein Boot verdächtig nah am Ufer. Ich mag es kaum glauben und Stefan ahnt es schon vor mir ... da sind sie ... meine ersten Elefanten in der Natur. Ein unglaubliches Gefühl, was mehr als eine Gänsehaut in mir auslöst. Wir stehen so nah an der Herde (ca. 30) und fühlen uns sicher, da wir auf dem Fluss sind. Nach und nach kommt ein Elefant nach vorn und steckt seinen Rüssel ins Wasser. Klingt jetzt etwas kitschig, aber es war einmalig. Die Guides meinen, dass die Herde den Fluss überqueren möchte aber da sich mittlerweile noch mehr Boote zu uns gesellt haben, überlegen sich das die Elefanten für den Moment doch anders. Wir schauen dem Treiben noch ein wenig zu, mach das ein oder andere Foto und fahren dann auch mit einem breiten Grinsen auf dem Gesicht zurück.

Am Abend gibts die nächste Nachtwanderung und es macht mit Marc & Michelle (dem französich/neuseeländischem Pärchen) und Roalaf mit seiner Frau (ein so zauberhaftes holländisches Ehepaar) an unserer Seite so eine Freude, dass wir schon ahnen, dass die "Trennung" nicht einfach sein wird ;).

Erstmal viele Grüße und bis bald!

Stefan und Sandra

P.S.: Bilder gibt's hier.

Tabin Wildlife Reserve

Hello everyone,

we're back from Danum Valley now and on our way to Tabin. Had no online access, so we're taking the chance. Plenty more to write and more pictures soon.

Cheers from Lahad Datu!

Sandra and Stefan



Hallo zusammen,

wir sind grad von Danum Valley zurück gekommen und auf dem Weg zum Tabin Reservat. Wir hatten keinen Onlinezugang, also nutzen wir gerade mal die Zeit für eine Nachricht. Mehr Text und Bilder später.

Viele Grüße aus Lahad Datu!

Stefan und Sandra

Sandakan and Sepilok

October 21st.

Hi everyone, we're now off to the Kinabatangan river, booked a 2nights/3day package there. Then to Danum Valley and Tabin Valley. Not much time right now but pictures of Mt. Kinabalu and Sepilok can be found here.

Hallo zusammen, wir sind jetzt gleich auf dem Weg in Richtung Kinabatangan, einem großen Fluss, an dem wir eine Lodge gebucht haben. Danach zum Danum Valley und ins Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Wir haben gerade wenig Zeit zum Schreiben, daher schaut Euch schonmal die Bilder vom Mt. Kinabalu und dem Sepilok Rehab Center an.

Viele Grüße!

Sandra und Stefan

Leaving to Sandakan

So we made it up the Mt. Kinabalu. Well, almost. After we managed to climb the first 5kms of the 6km trail going up to the Laban Rata resthouse Annette and I got more or less altitude sick. Which causes nausea, headache and dizzyness. Especially for me being in quite good shape it was tough to take but we didn't really have a choice, did we? Sandra, however, was exhausted but still pretty ok. We had a little bit of dinner and went to bed early in order to be somewhat fit for the last 2,5kms up to the summit, the wake up call being at 2am. Well, that's what we planned to do. Despite the overwhelming fatigue we hardly managed to sleep. So that was it. We didn't wanna risk anything especially because of a total of 11kms we would have to climb and descend again if we really went up there. Plus we've got more holidays ahead of us. Better safe than sorry. So I told our guide that we'd try to sleep in until 7am, have some breakfast and then begin with the descent. Which we did and despite of some heavy rains in between it was fun. A good decision after all.

So we arrived at the park's HQ at 1:30pm and were just in time to catch our bus to Sandakan. It was a rather adventurous ride though. Being in a bus with only locals and two americans, the air smelling like a hamster cage. Anyway...the scenery was beautiful until we were approx. 70kms away from Sandakan. What started then were the oil palm plantations. A horrible view if you ask me cause all the dense vegetation and the amazing rainforest is quickly eradicated in order to plant square kilometres and square kilometres of palms. That way big parts of the Bornean nature are slowly dying to serve as a source of biofuel for Asia and Europe.

We arrived at the Sandakan bus station at 6:40pm and went to the Mayfair hotel that the girls found in their favorite guide, the Lonely Planet. Cool place, very simple but clean and all that for just 5 euros a night. Could be worse, no? Well, we gotta save for Danum Valley and Tabin Wildlife Reserve anyway. :)

So now we're off for a hot shower, a massage and some great dinner. More later.

Cheers and kind regards!

Sandra and Stefan


Ihr Lieben,

so, wir haben den Berg geschafft, bzw. er hat uns geschafft ;). Wir sind gestern gegen 11 Uhr frohen Mutes mit unserem Guide auf 1800 m losgewandert. Obwohl...gewandert kann man nicht sagen, 6 km Aufstieg bis zur Station lagen vor uns und es ging wirklich 6km nur bergauf, anfangs noch auf verschiedenen hohen natürlich angelegten Stufen später nur noch Steinberge. Eine Tour, die wir alle 3 so noch nicht erlebt haben. Aber es war traumhaft mitzuerleben, wie die Natur sich alle hundert Meter ändert und eine Fülle an exotischen Pflanzen und Blumen und Farben zu bewundern ist. 6 1/2 Stunden später hatten wir das Resthouse auf 3272 m in "verschiedenen Erschöpfungszuständen" erreicht. Annette und Stefan hatten auf dem letzten Kilometer leider mit erheblichen Magenproblemen und Kopfschmerzen zu kämpfen - ob es die Höhe oder einen anderen Grund hatte, schwer zu sagen. Nach einem kleinen Dinner mit all den anderen Verrückten versuchten wir in unserem 10er Schlafsaal (den wir zum Glück nur mit 3 Franzosen teilen mussten) zu schlafen, denn der Wecker stand auf 2 Uhr morgens - Zeit für den Aufstieg zum Gipfel. Zur frühen Stunde haben wir uns dann jedoch einstimmig dagegen entschieden, nochmals 2,5 km nach oben und dann 8,5 km nach unten zu steigen. Wir mussten einsehen, einfach nicht fit genug dafür zu sein und auch unser Guide sagte "Better safe, than sorry!". Eine Gute Entscheidung, so haben wir noch ein wenig geschlafen und sind dann bester Laune und Gesundheit in knapp 4 Stunden mit einigen kräftigen Regengüssen wieder abgestiegen. Alles in allem, war es eine grossartige Tour und Erfahrung mit ganz viel Natur und traumhaften Fotos.

Nach der Ankunft am Hauptquartier des Kinabalu Nationalparks sind wir bei 30 Grad und Sonnenschein in den Bus nach Sandakan an die Ostküste Sabahs gestiegen. Auch eine interessante Erfahrung: der ziemlich abgerockte Bus voller Asiaten, dazu wir und ein amerikanisches Pärchen. 5 Euro für 200km und 4 Stunden und es hat lt. Stefan gerochen wie in einem Hamsterkäfig ;).

Nun haben wir ein lustiges Hotel gefunden für ebenfalls 5 Euro - aber es ist voll ok und wir bereiten uns auf die nächsten Touren vor. Haben soeben den ersten Schwung schmutziger Wäsche an der Rezeption abgegeben, die bis morgen in Handwäsche!! gereingt wird. Morgen starten wir von hier mit dem Bus nach Sepilok ins Orang Utan Rehabilitationszentrum und sind so gespannt und voller Hoffnung, recht viele von den lustigen und uns Menschen so ähnlichen Äffchen ("Affen", Anm. d. Red.) zu sehen.

Dann bis morgen, liebsten Gruss

Stefan & Sandra

The great Mt. Kinabalu

Travel time! We took off right after breakfast and our driver took us on a two hours trip to the Perkasa Hotel which is located just a couple of kilometres away from the Kinabalu National Park HQ. The website looks awesome but in reality the hotel is simply ok. Went to the local market to buy some fruit and had some dinner (backround music by Beverly Craven, oh my!) before we went to pack our stuff and catch some sleep in our little chalet on the hill. This morning we'll start our tour up the mountain between 9 and 10 o'clock. We should reach our first stop, the Laban Rata Resthouse at 3,270 m, after approx. 5 hours.


Kind regards from the foot of the Mt. K.!

Sandra and Stefan

P.S.: Pictures we took during the last couple of days can be found here.


Gestern haben wir dann die Tour zum Kinabalu Nationalpark gemacht. Nach dem Frühstück wurden wir von unserem Fahrer abgeholt und in 2 Stunden zum Perkasa-Hotel direkt am Park gebracht. Die Website hinterlässt einen fabelhaften Eindruck, aber vor Ort ist es eher lala. Ich hatte ein wenig das Gefühl, dass man uns hier preistechnisch über's Ohr hauen will, aber wollte hier keine Riesenwelle machen. Gestern dann noch kurz auf den Markt, um ein paar der superleckeren Früchte zu kaufen und nach dem Abendessen schnell in unsere "Chalets" am Hügel, um zu packen und noch ein wenig zu schlafen. Gleich zwischen 9 und 10 geht unsere Bergtour dann los. Unseren ersten Stopp, das Laban Rata Resthouse auf 3,270 m, sollten wir nach ca. 5 Stunden erreicht haben.

Viele liebe Grüße!

Stefan und Sandra

Ach ja: Bilder der letzten Tage findet Ihr hier.

Kota Kinabalu activities

So we're about to leave KK tomorrow, heading for the great mystic Mt. Kinabalu. The last two days were mostly dominated by getting to know the place together with Sandra's best friend Annette who arrived on the eve of the 15th. She brought two really nice presents one being a bar of Toblerone and two pairs of extremely sexy Santa-Claus-like leech socks as our basic jungle equipment. You wonder what leech socks are? Don't worry...we did as well! These white cotton made bag-like thingies reach up to your knee and have a sewn in rubber band on top so that they can't fall off. While being on a jungle tour the leeches that are apparently out there in the hundreds attached to grass and all kinds of vegetation might want to climb up those socks in order to find a cozy place to bite you and suck a wee bit of your blood. If -that's what the infamous Lonely Planet says- you check your legs on a regular basis you can spot them and peel them off the socks. That way you only get bitten by those who are actually able to get a hold of your jacket/hair(haha)/hands/etc. Nice, huh?! Anyway...can't wait to go! :)

So yesterday we went to a little night market around the corner and had some local food that came directly from the barbecues. The ladies had sting ray with squid and I had three giant king prawns. All of that for approx. 18 Euros. Fresh mango, mangosteen, rambutan and some berries that looked like pale grapes and tasted like lemon. Wait! Not to forget the durian, the king of fruits! Nasty tasting (and smelling) little buggers. Imagine sweet cooked mashed onions. Comes really close to what it tastes like. Besides...you shouldn't burp after that. Hehe. On we went with a great shoulder-neck-head massage while Annette went for a foot treatment. A short sundowner at our resident Upperstar bar after which we brought Annette "home" to her Hotel. Not to forget Sandras first encounter with her now favorite animal, the common sewer rat. Guess who screamed louder?! Well, I fell in love with the geckos instead. :)

Today started with another great breakfast at the hotel, fresh fruits and scrambled eggs...you name it! The girls went off to buy equipment for the Mt. Kinabalu challenge including hiking sticks, minerals, a backpack, tiger balm, some weird plasters against sore muscles etc. and we met for a short coffee right after. Then they took off to Manukan island with one of the little speedboats while I bought a new pair of sunglasses and took off to the Canon retailer that's officially listed on their website. Damn, what a disappointment!

I continued with my KK exploration tour to buy myself a backpack, too, but unfortunately missed the last boat to the island so that I could only greet the girls at the harbour when they came back. Despite of the mere 2 hours on the island they apparently had a good time sunbathing and swimming. After a short break we took off for dinner at the filipino night market of which the LP reports that it is the barbecue heaven of the city. "The best place to eat dinner in KK has no roof, no cutlery, no menu, no cash register and no dress code." We full agree and we found ourselves on a big square with rows and rows of BBQs plus the respective tablesfor the guests. It looked like the biiiig brother of the night market we went to the evening before. Guess what we had? Giant king prawns and baby squid plus coconut juice, mangosteens and a delicious papaya for dessert. ALL of that for just 28 Euros (although that still might be the tourist rate).

Now we're stuffed, happy and back at the hotel. We're gonna have to pack all our stuff cause 2morrow....1st road trip, you know. It's about time to leave the city and get ready for the real deal. Nature, wildlife and everything. Can't wait! Our driver will pick us up at 11am and bring us to the Perkasa Hotel close to the mountain. One night there until on the 18th at 9-10am our guide will accompany us up to the Laban Rata Resthouse at 3,270m. On day 2 well take off at 3am to reach the top (4095m) at sunrise. Shortly after the descent begins and we should be down at the Kinabalu National Park reception around noon. Next stop: Sandakan with the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Center and a tour along the Sungai Kinabatangan river to hopefully spot nose monkeys, gibbons, elephants and the animal that at least I am anxiously awaiting to spot: the clouded leopard. Fingers crossed, please!!! :)

Ok, gotta take off now. Right now there's another pouring tropical rainfall here in KK, which reminds everyone that god just doesn't wanna miss out on his job to keep the air as humid as possible. ;)

Cheers and good night!

Sandra and Stefan

P.S.: it might be a bit difficult for us to get online during the following days so please be patient. :)



Ze Dschörmän Version:

So, bevor wir morgen Kota Kinabalu wieder verlassen, gibt es einiges von den letzten beiden Tagen zu berichten - weniger von der Stadt, die relativ uncharmant und reproduzierbar ist, aber als Start zum "Ankommen" gut geeignet. Gestern nachmittag ist meine geliebte Freundin Annette zu uns gestossen und hat als Willkommensgeschenk aus Kuala Lumpur neben Schweizer Schokolade auch die sagenumworbenen Leech Socks (Blutegelstrümpfe) mitgebracht. Beschreiben ist schwierig, sehen sie doch aus wie übergrosse farblose Nikolausstrümpfe aus Baumwolle mit Gummzug. Kann man verstehen, dass die Blutegel da keine Lust mehr auf einen haben. Wir sind schon gespannt auf den ersten Einsatz und welche Körperstellen die Tierchen sich dann alternativ aussuchen ;) - wir sind vorbereitet.

Dinner gab es dann auf einem kleinen Nachtmarkt direkt vor den Fischerbooten. Seafood vom Meer auf den Grill - ein Traum. Für den Luxus-Stefan gab es Riesengarnelen und für die Mädels Rochen und Kalamares - super frisch, super günstig und vor allem super lecker. Um das noch zu toppen gönnten wir uns vom Obststand frische Mangos, Mangosteen und Rambutan. Rund und glücklich gab es spontan noch die erste Massage in Asien. Jetzt sind auch die fluggeschundenen Nacken- und Rückenmuskeln bereit für alles was in den nächsten Tagen auf uns zukommt.

Ein Highligt habe ich fast vergessen. Beim Bummeln durch die Strassen sind wir an einigen Durianständen vorbeigekommen. Hässliche, widerlich stinkende Früchte, auf die die Asiaten extrem abfahren - sollen den Körper wohl von innen wärmen. Im Leben hätte ich davon nicht probiert aber Stefan - Hut ab!!! hat sich ein Stück dieser ebenso widerlichen Konsistenz in den Mund geschoben. Geschmeckt hat es wohl nach süsser, gestampfter Zwiebel und einen zweiten Versuch wird es wohl nicht geben ;). Auf dem Weg zu Annettes Hotel ist mir dann eine RIESENratte fast über die Füsse gelaufen und so hatte ich auch noch ein ekliges Erlebnis. Da freue ich mich doch auf die anderen possierlichen Tierchen, die uns im Dschungel erwarten.

Heute morgen wieder extrem leckeres Frühstück im Hotel, mit allem was man sich im Urlaub so wünscht. Danach bin ich mit Annette losgezogen die letzten wichtigen Dinge für unsere "Expedition Mt.Kinabalu" (Anm. d. Red.: DAS trifft es 100%ig). zu besorgen und nun sind wir auch im Besitz von Wanderstöcken, Handschuhen, diversen Mineralien und Vitaminen sowie Tigerbalm-Pflastern für unsere Waden und Oberschenkel. Keine Ahnung, ob wir übertreiben aber da die Geschichten über die Bergerklimmung variieren, sind wir lieber vorbereitet ;). Eine kurze Kaffeepause mit Stefan, der sich dann in hoffnungsvoller Vorfreude auf den Weg zum Canon-Händler gemacht hat, was wohl leider eine große Enttäuschung war - dafür gab's aber eine neue Sonnenbrille. Annette und ich haben uns ins Speedboat geschwungen, denn die Inseln vor KK waren einfach zu verlockend. Und so haben wir noch 2 Stunden Strandfeeling und Sonne genossen und uns über die letzten Wochen geupdated ;).

Fürs Dinner sind wir dann den Ratschlägen unseres (Anm. d. Red.: "meines") Reiseführers gefolgt und sind zum "grossen Bruder" des Nachtmarktes von gestern gegangen. Unmengen von Essensständen, was das Herz begehrt. Laut Lonely Planet hat der beste Platz für Dinner in KK: kein Dach, kein Besteck, keine Speisekarte, keine Kasse und vor allem keine Kleiderordnung. Wir haben uns wohl gefühlt inmitten von etlichen Asiaten an Bänken zu sitzen und wieder genial frischen Fisch zu essen. Natürlich nicht, ohne mit Kokusnuss, Mangosteen und Papaya das Festgelage zu beenden.

Nun sind wir zurück im Hotel und packen die Rucksäcke wieder ein. Morgen früh holt uns unser Fahrer im Hotel ab und es geht zu einer Zwischenunterkunft in der Nähe des Mt. Kinabalu Nationalparks, von wo wir am Sonntag gegen 8 Uhr auf unseren Guide treffen, der uns in zwei Etappen auf 4095 m bringen wird. Auf dem Weg dahin haben wir in einer Hütte einen Platz im Schlafsaal mit 50 ;) anderen gebucht aber die Nacht wird sowieso nicht lang. 3 Uhr geht es dann zum Berggipfel. Aber alles was wir jetzt darüber schreiben ist Spekulation - in Kürze hoffentlich die ganze Wahrheit ;).

Bis bald, lieben Gruss nach Hause

Stefan & Sandra

P.S.: es könnte sein, dass wir in den kommenden Tagen offline sind, daher geduldig sein und keine Sorgen machen. :)

Kota Kinabalu

We're there. Finally. I guess we both can admit that it wasn't as bad as expected thanks to the great Air Asiana service and of course the extremely good lounge in Seoul. The flight to Borneo was somewhat easy going, the food was ok and we both managed to sleep a little. Negotiating with the cab drivers at the KK airport was quite a disappointment because there simply weren't any negotiations. Period. There is a taxi service which provides a fixed fee for all downtown transfers. Our lonely planet pocket guide mentions 20 RM and the cab drivers demanded 30 RM so I was up for a brief discussion. They must've thought "ok, one of these smartass tourists again" and sent us to the counter. Anyway. We're in our funny smelling junior suite now and already had a drink at the Upperstar bar facing the Hyatt. Not to forget our first encounter with "la cucaracha", the swift cockroach of the house which curiously greeted us on the rail of the Upperstar's balcony. Wow. Didn't expect that the first species I'd see over here would be this big. It, however, didn't distract us too much from watching the Germany vs. Finland worldcup qualification game. Too bad that the Malaysians don't seem to be too much into soccer and switched off the TV 65 mins. into the match. Whatever...we're back in the hotel room and are about to get ready for a good night's sleep. A great breakfast with fresh fruits on the horizon. Maybe some more sleep right after that...it's our holiday after all...

Cheers and sweet dreams!

Sandra und Stefan


So. Wir sind gut auf Borneo angekommen. Hat ein wenig gedauert, aber insgesamt keine so große Strapaze, wie gedacht. Vor allem wegen des guten Service von Air Asiana und der doch sehr komfortablen Lounge in Seoul. Keine Verhandlungsposition gegenüber den Taxifahrern am Flughafen hier in Kota Kinabalu, weil die Preise in die Innenstadt irgendwie festgeschrieben sind. Aber egal. Unsere Juniorsuite hier im Hyatt riecht zwar ein wenig muffig (Sandra meint "asiatisch"), ist aber sehr geräumig und schön. Wir waren noch kurz auf einen Drink in der gegenüber liegenden Upperstar Bar, haben die Chefkakerlake der Küche standesgemäß begrüßt, konnten das Deutschland - Finnland-Spiel nicht zu Ende schauen, weil die Affinität zu Fussball hier noch geringer ist, als eigentlich bei mir und sind jetzt wieder im Hotelzimmer. Die Vorfreude auf den Schlaf und das wahrscheinlich sensationelle Frühstück mit frischem Obst ist schon irgendwie deutlich vorhanden. :) Nach dem Frühstück gehen wir eventuell direkt nochmal an der Matratze horchen. Das Wort heißt U-R-L-A-U-B!! :)

Euch dann mal einen schönen Abend und bis bald!

Sandra und Stefan

First Stop: Seoul

So we have arrived at the airport and found a hotspot. :)

The flight was ok, but hardly any chance to get some sleep due to the way the backrests were adjustable. I guess I don't like the upright sleeping position too much. :) Anyway...the airport is a nice place. Besides the pain-in-the-ass security checks because of my camera equipment, of course. But I'm getting used to it again. Well, there's obviously a chance to smuggle some explosives or illegal substance in the body of a digital SLR, I understand that. Doh! First stage at the airport was the Starbucks where we had some rather good coffee (better than what we had on the plane). But the Korean food was great. No Kimchi for us but hey, there was plenty of other unidentifiable, tasty stuff on the tray, so what the heck. So enough to eat and as little sleep as possible to be really, really tired and take a rest in the comfortable relax lounge on the 1st floor. We're both happy to arrive in Kota Kinabalu at night and then head for the Regency Hyatt right away. Yeah, we're spoiled brats, but if you knew the discount we got you would give it a try as well. So 2 nights there until we head out for Kinabalu National Park. Ok, gonna take a nap now. More later.

Cheers, Stefan


Für die deutschen Leser: Wir sind jetzt bei unserem Stop in Seoul angekommen. Nach einem eher schlaflosen Flug mit gutem Essen und Service waren wir kurz bei Starbucks und lungern jetzt in einer höchst bequemen Lounge herum bis dann in ein paar Stunden unser nächster Flug nach Kota Kinabalu in der Provinz Sabah auf Borneo geht. Ankunft nachts so dass wir direkt ins Regency Hyatt Hotel einchecken können, wo wir dann 2 Nächte bleiben, bevor es in den Kinabalu National Park geht. Wir freuen uns trotz der bequemen Liegen hier in Seoul sehr auf's Hotelbett. Mehr später, liebe Grüße nach D!

Sandra und Stefan

Preparations for Borneo

It's been a while, but now the preparations for a new "mission" are gaining momentum again. T minus 26h and counting. My girlfriend and I will soon be off for our first stop in Seoul (6 hours at the airport since the city is too far away. What a pain in the ...! Anyway. The arrival in Kota Kinabalu (which is located in the Sabah province, the Northeastern part of the island) will be at night and the first 2 stays will be spent in a rather nice hotel. :)

Then 2 days of getting accustomed to the climate and infrastructure and off for a 2 days trip up the Mt. Kinabalu which rises 4095m high into the Bornean sky. The next station on our route are the Sepilok Orang-Utan rehab center in Sepilok, a jungle trip in Sandakan, the Danum Valley Conservation Area, the Tabin Wildlife Reserve (both to hopefully spot the Bornean clouded leopard. Have a look: http://www.cloudedleopard.org/default.aspx?link=borneo_main).

Our last station (at least on our current route) will be Semporna, a place with supposedly beautiful beaches and great diving opportunities. Maybe a couple of days to Berau on the Indonesian part of the island, we'll see. We have three weeks, so I guess that's a good project plan so far. :)

Cheers to the readers!

Stefan

Links updated and corrected

Hi everyone,

sorry for the inconvenience, but I eventually managed to correct all the links to the web albums. Right? Feel free to check! :)

The Complete Trip (Go... (1)

September 8th until 1... (127)

September 6th, Centurion (3)

September 4th and 5th... (52)

September 3rd, on the... (5)

September 1st&2nd, Au... (36)

August 31st, Kalahari... (6)

August 29th and 30th,... (20)

August 25th until 28t... (46)

August 19 and followi... (61)

August 16th until 18t... (18)

August 12th to 14th, ... (34)

August 11th and 14th ... (4)

South Africa - Niel &... (14)

Cheers!

Stefan

Google Earth: The Complete Trip

For those who are interested: here's the full trip (excluding the tracks inside the parks) as a Google Earth screenshot. Arathusa airfield to Skukuza airfield and then to O.R. Tambo International airport of course isn't a roadtrip. Don't know how to change that in MapSource yet.

Cheers!

Stefan

Sept. 11th: taking off.

That'll be my last posting from South Africa. At Jo'Burg O.R. Tambo airport now. How quickly the time has passed, eh?

Sabi Sands. Beautiful Sabi Sands. Stunning Sabi Sands. I flew out to Skukuza airfield at the Kruger Park with a little Cessna bush plane. On the co-pilot's seat. Then with a slightly bigger one to Jo'Burg. Very cool.

Anyway, time flies, more additions to the journal when I'm back in Germany. Have a look at the pictures in the meantime. I have uploaded lots and lots more.

Cheers!

Stefan

September 8th until 11th: Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve

Hey, another post before I go back home. No, wait! Home? That's here, no? ;)

So there I am in Sabi Sands. Getting here wasn't easy (my GPS led me right into a military airbase) but now i am in paradise. It's supposed to be the greatest place to see leopards. The highest density in whole Africa, no, the whole world. Which I can confirm now. During five game drives I have seen leopards seven times and these were at least 3 different individuals. One of which is the legendary Safari, a fifteen year old female who lost one eye while defending her cubs against a lion a couple of years ago. She has given birth to lots of the leopards roaming around the reserve and Kruger National Park, the fences to which are open. Her blind eye looks really nasty, but she seems to be doing fine and it apparently doesn't cause any trouble while hunting.

Besides we saw lions mating, lots of kudu, waterbuck, impala, warthogs, giraffes, genets, elephants and even rhinos. You name it! Very cool. And I love how the rangers treat all the animals with the most respect possible. One does recognize immediately because none of the animals are bothered by the game drive vehicles.

So the last two nights I stayed at the beautiful Arathusa Safari Lodge and drove out with Jason (ranger) and Roy (tracker). Today I was brought over to the Nkorho Bush Camp. Very cool place, too, but what's special about it is that they offer photography courses. André "Kalahari" showed me a few tricks before we went on the first game drive and I must say it was really cool! We saw Safari and one of her sons again as well as a couple of hundred buffalo. Quite a thrill to stand right in the middle of such a huge herd!

So tomorrow at 5am we'll get a wake up call and lets see what's to discover on that last game drive and wildlife experience of my holiday. But no, wait, it's followed by a breakfast and a bush walk. At 1:30pm I will fly out to JoBurg in a Cessna and at 7:15pm I'll take off to Frankfurt. Wow, this is a proof for the way time flies when you enjoy something.

Ok, I'll get some sleep now, lets hope the lions come to drink water out of the swimming pool like they did a couple of days ago. So cool! :)

Have a good night everyone! Ah...before I forget: PICTURES!

Cheers!

Stefan

September 5th until 7th: on the road to Centurion and Lajuma

Sept. 5th: Groundhog Day. I could keep the hiking-thought alive. Pretty cool trail, very impressive to actually walk for a change. :) Mostly plants along the way. Well, except for lots and lots of insects. And a Reedbuck. Thank god there were no snakes in what I would consider being their perfect habitat. Cause the trail guide mentions the puff adders and cape cobras that might just lie on some rock to heat up for the day. Pff. It felt a bit strange while walking through the long grass every once in a while. Ahem.

Anyway...at 3pm I took off from Royal Natal National Park sweaty as I was. Only shortly after I found myself seriously talking to myself for the first time during my trip. My GPS had suggested a really weird route and I suddenly was in some area around Harrysmith neither a tourist nor a local would really want to see himself in. Some young guys went to jump in front of my vehicle to get a lift. Or whatever. Well, I just kept going and they hardly managed to get out of the way. Not my fault. :-S. Anyway...with sweaty palms and blood rushing in my ears I reached the N3 and then was on my way to JoBurg. Finally. I don't know who put up the N3 road signs but they must've had a sense of humour. JoBurg: 288km. Then JoBurg 297km. Then JoBurg 278km. Another road sign: "Welcome to the Gauteng province. Enjoy your stay!" Ironically it had three bulletholes in it. :-|

But anyway. I arrived in Centurion at7:20. More than enough to hit the Godfather on time. If only we hadn't chatted as if the last visit would have been ages ago. ;) Well, we made it to the steak house at 9 and had a great evening there. It's so nice to be around Nicolette and Niel and I feel as much home as possible when I'm there.

Sept. 6th: After another great breakfast and with Niel's support I managed to fix the tent one of the poles of which broke in the Kalahari. I would have hated to return Ian's tent in a damaged condition. I also managed to finally fix the Avis issue, cause I will rent a different car to get to Sabi Sand tomorrow. That's a huge load off my back now. Made a few enquiries for accomodation in the Waterberg area but Nicolette convinced me to stay for one more night since it would have been a waste of money. Both don't mind even though it's their 5th wedding anniversary. Well...cool! ;) We went to Ludwig (Nicolette's boss) birthday party instead and I met a bunch of new and nice people. We had some delicious braai meat (what else?) and Ludwig and I had quite a chat about cameras and photography. We had a good time over there and finished the evening with watching some really cool stuff on YouTube (especially the three "Simon's Cat" clips are hilarious).

Today we also took it quite easy and I will take off to Lajuma at noon. (More) pictures and pictures.

Kind regards to everyone!

Stefan


P.S.: I would really love to get your opinion about some of the pictures I took so far. Well, those which are online. I've taken roughly 3700 now.

P.P.S.: Hardly any cell signal in Lajuma and no clue how it is in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve so I might only be able to post once I'm back in Germany...

September 4th: Golden Gate and Royal Natal NP

Ok. Lets call this the hesitation day (I'll explain later). I woke up in my beautiful hotel room (right, hotel room!) in the Golden Gate National Park way too early this morning because a rather big group of teenagers had decided to start their day rumbling down the hallways at approx. 7am. Great. I would have been up an hour earlier if only someone had dropped a few predators in the park. But nobody did, unfortunately. Since the mountains are patient and don't run away I decided to sleep in. Good plan, bad execution. But anyway...

The landscape, however, was not exactly as I had expected. No. It was much more than that. It was was jaw-dropping!!! Sure, I've seen Marakele NP, I've seen the mountain ranges in the Karoo and those on my way to Bloemfontein, but this cannot be described nor represented with only a picture. Wow! No predators, hardly any bucks but still wow!! Or maybe wow because I had to get my thoughts off the animals and my eyes onto the landscape.

This is the northernmost end of the Drakensberg mountains which nestle up against the eastern border of Lesotho and it gave me a rough idea of what was about to come. Well...maybe...or...I had no idea. Because that's when the hesitation began to set in. I just wasn't sure whether I should drive all the way down to Giant's Castle NP in the center of the Drakensberg mountains. 250km to see birds (especially bearded vultures) and bucks (especially oribi and elands)? And all this for only two nights down there? Hmm. I stopped several times to look at the maps and trade it off against driving up north right away and staying in a game reserve that has more animals to offer. But after I had passed the Sterkfontein dam and Nicolette had given me a few descriptions of what she knows about the area I finally gave in. Which was a wise decision. Giant's Castle NP was now the declared stage for that day but I was to be disappointed soon.

First of all it would have been a 4 hours drive from where I was at the time and I wouldn't have arrived early enough to get the keys for just about any type of accomodation. And they only had a chalet for 500+ Rand to offer which would have been too much anyway. So I decided to stick around the area I was in and check a few B&Bs. While searching for some braai meat I passed by a "farmstall" where they make homemade hamburgers. Guess who couldn't say no? Yes, the "fastfood junkie". So the actual cheeseburger was great and I then went to a backpackers to ask for a good place to see clawless otters. The guy just didn't care about my seriously articulated enquiry, he rather wanted to offer me some accomodation in his four walls. Desperately. Since the whole establishment more or less gave me that "from dusk till dawn" feeling I decided to decline politely and hit the road again.

Which is why I finally "ended up" in one of the nothern Drakensberg nature reserves, the Royal Natal National Park. And what a beauty this park is!! I, however, still haven't understood why some national parks out there would administered by the government's organisation SANParks and others would be owned by privately run organisations. Anyway. It's beautiful here and very quiet. Suspiciously quiet. No jackals, barking geckos, teenagers, birds, no nothing. Wait! The "from dusk till dawn" feeling starts creeping up my neck. ;) I guess with all the braaiswors, gem squat, butternut, baked potatoes and pineapple in my stomach I would serve as a good meal. Funny thought initially, not so funny when I further get into it. Ahem.

Anyway...after some nice chatting with friends (strange how that is possible even in the remotest places) I am now likely to call it quits for today. I plan to go on a hiking trail tomorrow, maybe I manage to keep the thought alive until then. Have a look at the pictures but be aware that they only reflect a fraction of what I have actually seen today.

Cheers, thanks for reading and have a good night!

Stefan

September 3rd: on the road again. Golden Gate is calling...

So I finally managed to take off. I was quite indecisive as to where I should head since Golden Gate mostly has scenic mountains and bucks to offer. Hardly a chance to see big cats. But I went eventually. Evan had recommended not to take the fast route but rather the one that's going along the border of Lesotho. Well, that was a very good advice!! What a great landscape once more! The problem is that it is especially difficult to actually conserve each overwhelming visual impression in a single picture. I guess I will have to make a couple of 360's tomorrow, maybe that helps creating some sort of a similar feeling. Besides that the people were really creative in giving the cities over here proper names. I just hope it weren't any weird missionaries. ;)

I only arrived at the park 3 hours ago so it was already pitchblack outside. Lets see what tomorrow brings and if I decide to either stay until friday or take off to have a look at the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve nearby JoBurg. Or maybe... :) Well, did anyone say there are no cats in the Golden Gate NP? Wrong according to the Lonely Planet's 'Watching Wildlife in Southern Africa'. It raises hackles (at least mine when I read it), but they have the guts to print the following as a watching tip: "At Golden Gate Highlands NP, the eastern loop road encompasses the home range of a female african wildcat." Oh my! I wonder whether she's happy with her unexpected celebrity status. If she even exists.

Well, decide for yourself and have a good nite!

Stefan

Pictures.

September 1st and 2nd: Augrabies Falls and Bloemfontein

So I finally got to see the falls. The "Place of Big Noise" is what Augrabies stands for. It's a tiny little park compared to the others I have seen so far but very impressive it is indeed!! There might be times when a lot more water from the Orange River comes rumbling down the falls, but this was quite a panorama! Very nice canyons and a beautiful mountain panorama. I didn't get to see a lot of animals, but that's simply not what you look for when you come to that amazing place. Thanks to the SANParks wildcard I didn't have to pay the conservation fee and I had four great hours in the park.

So I headed back to my guesthouse to pick up my laundry they went to take care of in the morning and then headed for Bloemfontein, a 700km drive from the West to the mid-East of South Africa. And what a great ride it was! Very scenic with lots and lots of vineyards surrounded by beautiful orange-red mountains. I reached Kimberley, the diamond capital (remember the "big hole" story?), at approx. 18:40 and with another 160km to drive in the dark I rushed to pick up some diesel quickly. Besides the family from Bloemfontein that had offered me a place to stay when we met in the Kalahari was to prepare dinner for everyone. So thanks to the GPS I arrived at 20:40 and I can tell you...I was happy to be there because I was tired and they gave me a really warm welcome. How cool is that??! You chat with someone you meet in a national park and talk about the pictures you have taken that day and after just a few minutes they offer you a place to stay. Just like that! I guess you would not make that kind of an experience in Germany, right? At least not too often. And they are incredibly cool people. Which is why we chatted all day and since I couldn't make up my mind over the next stage of my trip I have simply been offered to stay another night. Did I mention that South Africans are cool? A big HI to Niel and Nicolette at this point! ;)

Besides I was quite happy to be able to take a nice hot shower and then slip into a bed with electric blankets! No-no-no...don't you think of those thingies that only old people would use to warm their bums at night. No. It's very cold over here at the moment and since the isolation of the houses isn't that good these blankets provide some incredible luxury. Well, at least my perspective has changed quite a bit since last night. :) And believe me...I will switch it on AGAIN! :p

Before I forget...you might already know that I'm kinda happy when I am offered the opportunity to take pictures of (wild) animals. Which I also did today. Don't get mislead, not all South Africans have cats. But the ones I know do. And dogs. Well, see for yourself.

Have a good night everyone!

Cheers and sweet dreams!

Stefan

Pictures are to be found here.

On the road to Augrabies Falls

So today I slept in. Until 7:30. Hehe. I took it quite easy, cleaned my cameras and had a few rusks for breakfast before I left the bushcamp and chatted with Prof. Anne Rasa for a while. I took a few pictures of the main building and the very cool Land Cruiser until I headed to Upington at 12. 2 hours later I was on site and stocked up at the Pick'n Pay. Most people looked at me as if I was some sort of an alien. Must've been because I looked like Mr. Crocodile Dundee himself with dirty shoes and clothes. Or the redneck farmer's boy who comes to town once a year. Anyway...nice to be able eat some fruits and vegetables again!!!

I took off to Augrabies right after but couldn't make it to the gate before 5 which is why I went to the "Quiver Tree Guest House" quite early. Three crazy dogs went to greet me at the entrance and they carefully watched every move and every piece of luggage I unloaded from the car. Later tonite I went to give that lady who runs the place my laundry and when I went back to my room the fourth dog, which had been in a kennel before gave me a not too tender bite to the thigh. Strange place. The lady had told me that he doesn't like "blacks". I wonder if they trained the dog and whether this also applies to bad smelling tourists. :) Well, I hope not to be too politically incorrect here. ;)

But it didn't ruin the braai for me, which this time consisted of beef filet, butternut, the obligatory baked potatoe and a pumpkin-like fruit the name of which I cannot remember at the moment. And I have to admit that after all this writing I am seriously tired. Better sleep now...if the bush baby on the tree above lets me cause it's dropping stupp on the roof. Damn bugger! :) Well, the alarm is set to 6am. I hope I'll make it...!

Have a good nite everyone! Cheers and sweet dreams!

Pictures!

August 29th and 30th, Nossob and exit through Twee Rivieren

Did I ever mention that it was kind of quiet in the park, even around Nossob? Well, it must've been, because I took pictures of the ground squirrels in camp again. Some of which are, however, really cool! Since I (we) didn't see much, we called it quits rather early on the 29th and took off again late in the afternoon. All I found along the way were leopard tracks and droppings. Saw a cool secretary bird at Kwang waterhole though. They are soo cool and they look as if some Muppets puppeteer is hidden in the tree above. Plus they have great black trousers on. And they sip water very gentleman-like. Shortly after I spotted one of the juvenile bateleur eagles at the Cubitje Quap waterhole. And a lanner falcon diving down on a few doves.

So we had a goodbye-braai on the 29th and I took off at 7 on the 30th in order to have lots of time for the way down to Twee Rivieren. Well, i couldn't leave camp that early because I bumped into several people I had met during the days in the park and we chatted quite a while. That even happened three times while I was on the main road, but it's actually cool to meet and talk to so many of the other visitors. And as if someone up there had been graceful with me saw three cheetah cubs crossing the road while I was just a few k's south of the Marie se draai loop. They were then calling for their mother which shortly after came rushing down the riverbank. Both sides kept on calling but they either didn't see each other or it simply was some sort of a strategy because quite a few cars had piled up at the time and they looked quite agitated. I was really pissed off because some of the other visitors would be extremely rude and park their car right in front of me chasing the cubs away which is why I eventually took off after the mother went up the riverbank again.

A few shots of a yellow mongoose at the Dikbaardskolk picnic spot and off I went to the 16,7km Leeuwdril 4x4 trail. Another breathtaking landscape. Unbelievable. Well, I had to leave the park eventually and then took off to spend one night at Prof. Anne Rasa's Kalahari Trail Bushcamp. Another really cold night in the dunes but the sheer beauty of the Kalahari makes up for it a hundred times...

Pictures? Pictures! :)

August 25th until 28th: The 4x4 Eco Trail

The infamous 4x4 eco trail. After a short chat at Twee Rivieren main camp at 9 o'clock we drove up to the Kij Kij waterhole to leave the main road at approx. 11. We let the tire pressure down to 1,3 bar cause the 214km ahead of us would be sand and nothing but sand. Well, despite of the 4x4 I was sitting in the initial thought about all the dunes was a wee bit scary but we didn't spend much time there to go deeper into it. Every one in the 5 cars had a walkie talkie so that we were able to communicate while driving. The first few dunes were ok until I got stuck in one that would even be rated. Anyway...I found out that in my bakkie the front wheel hubs have to be locked manually to make the 4WD work. Well, after that was done it dug through the sand like a charm. I even managed to conquer "Big Sister", one of the two biggest and steepest dunes of the trail.

Not too many animals along the way, but Francois had told us before. But the landscape was simply breathtaking! Just like the thought to sleep nearby a waterhole having no fence around the tents and just a guide with a rifle. So as a preparation for the first night "out there" we pitched our tents at the Witgat campsite. The bush luxury was well represented by open-air showers (just a plastic container to fill with your own water, can you believe that 2,5 litres are sufficient for a full body shower? Well, I don't need shampoo and conditioner ;) and so-called longdrops. Which were quite a luxury, because that way you don't have to dig a hole and burn the toilet paper when you're done. Speaking of luxury...being the only real tourist (all the others are South-African citizens) I felt a bit weird that evening because the only stuff I had brought besides my camera and laptop were my backpack and the big plastic box with my kitchen tools and food. I had not even brought a chair. Well, not the others. Their 4WDs would be equipped with boxes and even more boxes containing everything you can imagine. From gas-stove to a full bush kitchen, solar shower, spotlight...you name it! But anyway...despite of the great start into the evening with our delicious braai it was frickin cold that night and it must have been below zero because the water on Francois vehicle was frozen the next morning. Besides one of the hundreds of scorpions had chosen the underside of my tent as his area to discover. Nice thought, ey? Thank god he wasn't inside the tent, because according to Francois the Kgalagadi dunes are home to Africa's most venomenous scorpion. Well, I wouldn't be able to figure out which one it was just because of the tracks it had left. And despite Francois' 80% hit rate for lions and hyenas roaming around the camp we didn't have any bigger predatory visitors. Too bad, especially because the others had told me quite a few stories of people being stuck in their tents because lions would be waiting outside playing around with the coal for the braii. Hehe. So we took off at 10 for the next 60-something kilometres. No challenging dunes this time, which might also have been the case because I knew how to handle most of them by now.

The second stop was at Rosyntjiebos camp, situated in an area that is nick named "The Serengeti" because it's like a pan surrounded by dunes. A lovely place and we could hear the hyenas and jackals singing at night. It wasn't as cold as the night before, but still chilly enough. :) No visitors during that night either. :(

Our third and last stop was at the Swartbas camp. This time Francois let us arrange the cars and tents around the campfire in a circle so that none of the predators would have a chance to sneak in unseen. I took a few pictures of the beautiful sunset before I was asked to come back into camp because it was too dangerous out there. I had a quick thought whether I would really be able to stand my ground in case lions or hyenas would offer me their company. I do believe that especially out in the dunes they are much more scared of humans than we are of them, but hey...that point has to be proven. :) All the preparations, however, were in vain because again no visitors. Which might have been a good thing because we had to prepare for the biggest challenge of the trail: "Big Brother", the father of all dunes. Francois calls it overrated, I can confirm. He said that none of his guests had made it up with just one attempt, but it was almost too easy. might have been because my tire pressure was down to 1 bar at the time. I guess I made the other 4WD enthusiasts grind their teeth a little, but hey...it also worked when I went up there once more. Anyway...the trip ended at 1pm on the 28th and we all agreed that it was one of the coolest things to do in the park. Besides the group was very nice and from the first day on it was possible to joke with everybody. South Africans are a cool bunch of people!

So after a short excursion to the Polentswa campsite we all went to Nossob where most of us had booked for the following 2 nights. Our evening there started with...guess what? A braai, of course! ;)

tbc...


Pictures of the 4x4 eco trail.