Mulu National Park

After a harder than expected night in Miri, I was more than ready to head to one of my key destinations on my Borneo trip: MULU NATIONAL PARK! The only way to get there is to take a quick 30 minute flight to Mulu from a little propeller plane. In the short time between waking up at my hostel and arriving at Miri airport I had some extremely interesting conversations with people. At my hostel, another man at the hostel asked me if I believe in Jesus Christ. I told him that I didn’t (while peninsular Malaysia is very Muslim, Sarawak is extremely Christian). They asked me what I believe in, and to be safe, I said “Nothing…I was brought up in a very unreligious family.” Then, as commonly happens when someone finds out I’m from America, they ask me if I support Obama- to which I always exclaim “Obama!!!” because I have learned very quickly that the rest of the world loves Obama. I mean loves. Then they always make some comment about how Mitt Romney is “a very rich man” (as if Obama isn’t…) However, I received a question I’ve never encountered before next, “How many wives does Obama have…two?” I replied, “No, only one. In America you can only have one spouse.” One man joked, “Here, you can have four!” I could tell that this group of more-relaxed Christians felt some (understandable) tension with their “Muslim dominant leadership” on peninsular Malaysia.

On the taxi ride from Minda Guesthouse to the airport, my driver was a very kind man. He brought up Obama again, and kept telling me “America very good, Malaysia very bad.” I asked him to describe what he meant, and he went into a gentle rant on the Muslim government that discriminates against citizens who are not Muslim. He said that if you are an ethnic minority you cannot get certain jobs, and that you also cannot get certain scholarships.  He was very upset by this, clearly.  He told me that many Malaysians do not like the current government, and are protesting. He told me that the elections in Malaysia are completely rigged and unfair. He told me that in Borneo, on Sabah, the government allows Indonesians and Filipinos to live in Sabah (Malaysia) and vote in the elections as long as  they promise to vote for the Muslim incumbent prime minister. He also told me that sometimes there are 94 people registered to vote in one home, and that dead people “vote,” too. The elections are completely corrupt and unfair (I heard similar complaints in Indonesia from the family I stayed with, as well). Then he went on to say, “America very good…fair elections.” Americans are notorious for complaining during election season, and many Americans say that our elections are unfair in that only wealthy people can get far enough to even become a candidate. However, *fair is a comparable term. After hearing this man, I felt very lucky for American elections and a functioning democracy.

After the end of this conversation, my taxi driver told me that he is “Kayan,” one of the ethnic minorities of Malaysia. He told me that the Muslim government took his land, and that he has no rights. I then, for the first time on this whole trip, told the man that I am Jewish. He laughed and clapped his hands.  We had a moment…this shared bond J He then told me to be careful, because if the government finds out that I am Jewish/ anti-Muslim government they will bar me from Malaysia. He then told me that so many people here are pro-Palestine, but if he could, he would “vote and support Israel.” He told me, “they bomb Israel, and Israel has the right to defend itself.” Did this conversation really just happen in Malaysia?!

This whole concept of “unity” between religion and state is one that I struggle with, as it is contrary to what we’re taught in America. In America, you can practice any religion, and (many) Americans pride themselves on having many religions and accepting many different cultures into our “melting pot.” Even the crescent moon on the Malaysian flag symbolizes an Islamic state. However, can you imagine if you’re not Islamic? About 40 percent of Malaysians are not Muslim. That is a very large number to be represented by that crescent moon on their flag. (Fascinatingly, the flag of the state/ province of Sarawak looks like the Malaysian flag but does not have the crescent moon…)

At the airport, the taxi driver shook my hand and actually gave me some of my money back (this is the second time or so that this has happened to me in a taxi after a meaningful conversation). However, I then just tipped him more! I always feel that, if I have the money to travel to all of these wonderful places, I have the money to treat other people well. He thanked me a lot. This short, but significant conversation reminded me of the conversation I had with my motorbike driver in Vietnam, who was also not happy with the one party that was in power there. There are a lot of problems in this world, and a lot of real injustices.

Then I went to the airport, checked in, and cried.

Fortunately, soon I was on the plane to Mulu, and the ride itself was beautiful (I had a window seat!) There was so much lush greenery, and rolling mountains.  After signing in at the National Park, I booked all of my tours for a jam-packed two days. Unfortunately it rained for those two days, but I still got to see some very amazing things. On my first day, a new Swiss friend and I went on a botanical nature walk, and then we went to the famous “Deer Cave” where we saw thousands of bats dangling from the tall cave’s ceiling, and were caught in a full on downpour thunderstorm on the walk over. It was incredible to see, though. We waited for the bats to fly from 5 -6:30pm, but they never came. The next day, I explored Wind and Clearwater Cave (very different, but equally spectacular caves) and I even swam- in my clothing- in the Clearwater River.  In the afternoon, my expectations were exceeded again on a “Canopy Walk” tour. I felt a little bit like I was at an amusement park, but Mulu was truly spectacular. No wonder Mulu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site!

I waited for a second time to try and see the bats fly, but they didn’t leave the cave (bummer!) That night I excitedly waited for my “Night Walk” but then it started downpouring again and the tour was canceled. I did, however, have a two hour great conversation with a German couple on their way home from a 3-year stint living in New Zealand, and it was wonderful to speak with them. Determined to find the glowi-in-the-dark fungi that I came to see, I went on a night walk by myself in the rainforest with a flashlight until the lit pathway ended. Then it was really scary, and I went home. Even though I didn’t get to see the bats or the glowing mushrooms that I’d come to see, I saw some really incredible insects: a Stick Insect, a hot pink smelly bug, a bright orange hammerhead worm, rainbow lantern bugs, some of the brightest, largest butterflies I’ve ever seen (in particular a white butterfly with black polka dots all over it that was literally the size of both of my hands put together) and a grasshopper that had a camouflage “leaf” on its back that was part of its body...amazing. The competition for survival here is so extreme, so the biodiversity  and the selection matches that extremity. I have never seen anything like this in any other jungle or rainforest I have visited.

If I ever come back to Mulu, I really would love to do the "Adventure Caving." I need to come in July or August to see the bats, too! One of the highlights of my trip was seeing all of the crazy cool insects. My only complaint about my experience (besides missing both the bats and the glow in the dark mushrooms haha) was that at times I felt like my "hand was being held" by the staff at Mulu. Visitors are such "tourists" there.

With all of the rain, though, I'm ready to move on! I have seen so many caves that I'm not that easily impressed anymore...but these were on a different level!!!

Beautiful clouds on the flight to Miri, Sarawak, Borneo

Welcome to Miri!

Minda Guesthouse, a great place

Durian!

Some of the grossest drink names ever

Happy Thanksgiving from BORNEO! No turkey here, but 

(luckily...phew!) I found a beachside cafe playing Simon & Garfunkel 

and serving Hawaiian pizza and vanilla milkshakes. For all of you 

people judging the pineapple on my pizza, it's actually judging you

And we're off to MULU!!!

Palm tree farms :(

Important news in the world

Now this is a river!

Reminds me of a commercial or something (if it were a road!)

SQUIGGLES! Amazing...

Arrived in Mulu!

Flowers on the walk to my hostel IN the national park

Isn't this one pretty?

Moss is the ancestor of ALL plants! It also used to be algae!

The Botanical Trail in Mulu

Some beautiful moss on a tree

(Moss actually helps trees, etc.)

Without bats many fruits such as mango, banana and 

durian would disappear from our lives!

A cool lizzard!

A different angle of this little guy

Moss growing on a leaf!

This is what ginger looks like!

Have you ever seen climbing bamboo?!

SO BUMMED I DIDN'T SEE 

GLOW-IN-THE-DARK FUNGI!!!

Look at this little guy!

Wild bananas!

Red millipede!

So many legs...I loved watching it

Fuzzy caterpillar! (You shouldn't touch these ones because

they can irritate your skin.) I wonder what beautiful 

butterfly it is (definitely) going to become?

I forget what you call this kind of tree, but it is spiky

and tons of ants live in it. However, it is a symbiotic

relationship- the ants protect the tree, and the tree protects

the ants. If you gently "shake" a branch you can hear the ants!

I discovered this guy!

Hammerhead worm!

I WISH my camera was nicer. Before my next trip

I will invest in a high quality camera!

Probably my favorites: Lantern bugs!

Inside the famous Deer Cave!

It actually really does look like Abraham Lincoln's profile!!!

This was a giant "showerhead" way up on

 the roof of the cave...drip drip dripping water!

Cool shot inside the very impressive Deer Cave

Just outside of the caves

Waiting for the bats to fly around 5pm...

They never came. 

Again, so bummed that this picture didn't turn out.

This was a grasshopper that literally, literally had a "leaf"

design as part of its body for camouflage. Amazing!

The most delicious sweet & sour chicken at the national park

(completely overpriced, though)

Day #2 at Mulu: Boat ride to a local village, some more

different caves, the Canopy Walk, and the Night Walk

(canceled due to rain :/ )

Ready to go

My German friend, Michael, who went with me

View from the cool entry bridge to Mulu National Park

Cruising...

Such a small boat!

The views, and "free" feeling I had on this boat were one

of the highlights of my time in Mulu

Two little girls doing laundry

Beautiful shot, right?

(When I saw this picture I couldn't help 

but think that American kids are so spoiled)

The Penan village we went to

For some reason, I love this house

Baby chicks!

Beautiful mountains surrounding Mulu

Morning dew on banana leaf

Back in the boat

Hi!

Entrance to the Wind Cave (or Clearwater?!)

The holes in this plant are not from insects. This plant

has been selected to grow these holes naturally to let

heavy rainfall now weigh it down! Amazing...

Great Mormon Butterfly

Simply awe-inspiring...the kind of colors you only find in the rainforest!

It's head was bright red!

Clearwater River

Stalactites hanging at the entrance to Clearwater Cave

The "roof" at one point!

Climbing out of the caves

Green on one side, dripping slalactites on the other!

Both caught in the sunlight :)

Look at the sun here!!!

Can you see the SCALE of this cave?

Those are stairs way in the distance

A different angle.

Boy, these pictures do not do justice!!!

Leaving the caves

Beautiful!

Peeking outside from the cave.

I feel like "Grendel"!

Forgetting my bathing suit didn't stop me from a jungle swim ;)

With the family who did all of the same activities with

me the two days we overlapped hahaha

Loved this swimming :)

The blue water in the distance is actually coming out from the cave!

The World Heritage Convention

Some other places: Kilimanjaro (Tazania), 

Uluru-Kata Tjuta (Australia), The Great Barrier Reef (Austr.)

The Grand Canyon (USA)

The "hostel"...41 Ringgit/ night (about $12 USD)

within Mulu National Park

My bed :)

Another lantern bug!!!

A HOT PINK (didn't really come out) smelly stink bug!

A very large tree (!!!)

Does this look like a normal picture to you?

It's not...

Stick Insect!!!

(The green "branch" pointing diagonally in the middle)

To give you a sense of how big it was: almost a foot!

Camouflage is the stick insect's only defense!

(It also felt very soft!!)

The Canopy Walk!

Much cooler than I expected

Whoah...so shaky!

Hi

Way up in the canopy of the rainforest!

(The walk is about 400 meters)

So crazy cool

Look at this tree go...down down down!

I really enjoyed this tour.

Another beautiful, large butterfly

Bats are the world's ONLY flying mammals. 

They can fly up to 60 miles/ hour!

"Both male and female care for the young and males

also have mammary glands and are thought to play an active 

role in lactation and feeding their pups"

Echolocation is possibly the coolest thing ever. 

Some bats have such good echolocation that they can

even detect fish in the water!!!

Day #2 trying to see the bats fly.

I waited for 2 hours, but they still didn't come out :(

Praying mantis 

Islam "Halal" food stamp

(Sort of like a Kosher "K"?)

Goodbye Mulu, off to the Sultanate of Brunei!