Telaga Air and Damai Central

Had a trip yesterday to Telaga Air, ate Mee Goreng (veggie style), saw Sunda Woodpecker (see video , I hope) on mooring posts.  These tiny woodpeckers fly between the waterside trees and the poles supporting the older fishing boat moorings and, judging by the holes, nest in the posts.  On the way to Telaga we detoured along the local roads to nowhere, across new bridges (replacing old wooden ones), onwards to nowhere and then turning back towards somewhere.  On turning, M saw something in a palm tree.  This is very annoying because she was driving whilst I was birdwatching.  I looked at the tree a saw an Eagle.  This is an Eagle up a palm tree.  Very annoying.  Car stopped, telescope out, focus on bird and dodgy digiscope a few shots.  Subsequent study of photos reveals, I think, an immature Wallace's Hawk-Eagle (could be a Blyth's HE but more likely a Wallace's).  The two HEs have two-feather crests even when immature.  I think that the attached photo shows the beginnings of the crest. 

After Telaga we went to a Chinese settlement between Matang and Batu Kawa.  We had driven past a few days before and, having never been before, decided to drop in there sometime.  Don't know what it was called but we called in, drove around and stopped near a fabric shop.  I was overjoyed and went to a Chinese store a few doors away.  Chinese store sells beer at 4 for 10 (good),  local-made vodka (40%) at £2 per bottle (good if you are tired of life) and will wash your car (snow-wash) for £1.  The shop is a family affair and the various children either wash your car or follow you around suggesting suitable purchases.  A personable young lady tried to sell me a foreign Mango.  Didn't work because Mangos are rubbish.  A hefty young lad, whilst eager to go fishing, followed me around the shop with his fishing rod, looked at my gut and pointed at the shelves of biscuits.  I demurred.  He did however persuade me that the snow-wash was a bargain.  Another family member persuaded M that the vodka was a bargain (the orange flavoured vodka).

It is always good to know shops that sell at 4 for 10 and such establishments should receive one's full support.  Also, whilst I was waiting for car wash to conclude, a largish small heron flew over.  I shall return.  Eventually we ended up at Chinese foodcourt near airport and ate the usual cheap and excellent  (excellently cheap) meal, followed by ice-cream at Auntie's. 

 Today we have been idling about again.  At 6.00pm we went with Terry and June (ha ha) to Damai Central to see the crowds attending the Rainforest Music Festival across the road.  We have acquired by nefarious means a pss enabling us to drive up to Damai.  The peasantry are stopped about 500km from our apartments.  We drive through and into the Central car park.  Apparently we should have a further pass to get on the Central car park but I forgot to stop a the security check point, drove on, parked up and ignored suspicious looks from military-looking gentlemen.  Went to pub (opened today and too expensive), got noodles from Malaya stall (dirt cheap), got cans of Carlsberg from sponsor's tent (too expensive), went back to pub, returned home to watch Tour de France. Festival goes on over 3 days.  Loads of visitors, don't know why.  No brass bands. 

Long time no blog

More than 3 weeks since last blog.  Terry the Aussie has been back in Australia for three weeks and has just got back.  I hope that our expeditions (with Daf) will recommence soon and I will have something to blog about.  Since the last blog I have not been up to much but, as well as more walking/drinking outings being imminent, the Autumn influx of sea- and shore-birds is just around the corner.  In fact the bird numbers and species are on the up at Buntal.  Viewed from Sri Buntal (aka The Old Lady's) the Buntal/Bako estuary is getting busy.  Terns are there in increasing numbers and I have seen, I think, Sooty Terns and Greater Crested Terns, albeit at some distance.  Whilst enjoying a bottle of TsingTao at the old lady's place I saw a few gull-like beasties across the water.  Gulls are unlikely, if not impossible, in the bay and a different answer is needed.  I watched them for a while and when one flew I could see that it was a tern, not a gull.  Within a few minutes the tern landed and a mature Gull-billed Tern landed next to it and fed it.  That's the answer, says I.  Little Terns are fishing all over the bay and, whilst there is some way to go to the peak time, there are waders to be seen.  Ruddy Turnstones, Far Eastern Curlews, Terek's Sandpipers, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew are there, but not yet in big numbers.  Before I continue boring you with birds, a little more about Sri Buntal.  I have mentioned before that I use it as a bar and off-licence.  I tend to turn up there in mid-afternoon when the old lady and her husband have settled down to watch a Chinese soap-opera.  I walk up the steps to the restaurant deck that is open to the four winds.  I set up my telescope, put my binoculars on a table and look hopefully to the rear of the deck.  The old fellow looks my way and says "Tsingtao?", I say "Tsingtao".   At a convenient break in transmission, a bottle of the said beer appears on my table.  The landlord and landlady return their attention to the soap-opera.  I start looking for birds.  I understand that some Aussie sang "Stairway to Heaven" at Glastonbury - he knows nothing.  When our apartment lease finishes I shall take a hammock to the old lady's place, tie it to a couple of posts and become the Buntal, old guy, birdwatching weirdo.

Whilst I haven't been doing a lot recently, it is impossible to go out and see nothing.  I got Bridled Terns (maybe) at Telega Air, Streaked and Hairy-backed Bulbuls, Sooty-capped Babbler, Rufous-winged Philentoma, Temminck's Sunbird and Grey-chested Jungle Flycacher at Kubah.  At Sungai Buah (Chinese Temple) I saw Black-winged Flycatcher Shrike, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch and Common Fireback.  We have driven a few time down the road to nowhere (No.2) and have seen Long-tailed Parakeets.. If I look over the balcony in the morning, I could well see a Blue Rock-thrush.  It was there today.  Looking across to the golf course today I saw 13 Whistling Ducks (species undecided).  There are least another 19 loitering about on pools hidden in a small woodland.

Wherever I go I see something.

A few days ago I went to a Chinese mini-market at the Matang shop-lots and discovered a new species of beer.  Chinese, equal to or exceeding 4.3% alcohol, made in a brewery opened in 1995(ish).  Four for ten.  That is four cans for ten ringgitts.  One can is 355ml. making it about £1.45 per litre (retail) - it will be cheaper at the dealers if I can find it.  It's called Pearl River and it is as good as any other round here.
Yesterday, whilst all my troubles didn't feel so far away, I went to Sama Jaya ( a little bit of forest in the Tabuan area).  M was having haircut at Toni and Guy's ( I bet they look like what they sound like).  I saw a Chestnut-winged Babbler and not much else until I happened to look down at the path.  A colony of termites were moving house.  Why they were moving was unclear.  An attempt at conversation was unproductive.  But there they were.  Little, fat, grumpy-looking termites streaming along the edge of the path.  The reason for their grumpiness was plain to see.  Whilst many adults and teenagers (light brown) were powering along, others were delegated to carry little white babies.  The little babies were, however, as big as the adults.  No wonder the adults were grumpy.  "Make the bleeders walk." I shouted, to no avail.  See very short video. Better video is too big to load. 

Another road to nowhere

Whilst we were away (for all of 2010) a road that was under construction in the Rampangi/Pasir Pandak area was partially completed.  The road goes from the Santubong Bridge into the Wetlands and will, at a future date still to be dreamt of, meet up with the other road to nowhere near Matang, I think.  It may go somewhere completely different.  For the moment it progresses over seven substantial bridges crossing seven substantial rivers in the Wetlands and ends at a track further into the Wetlands.  The government has promised in the past that the Wetlands will never be developed.  So much for promises.  It looks in places like drainage channels have already been dug.  The good news is that a couple of miles down the road there are Long-tailed Parakeets (see photo).  These are birds that I should have seen before but haven't.  Today we saw half a dozen.  We also saw a Crested Serpent Eagle, Ashy Tailorbirds, Asian Fairy Bluebird, Green Imperial Pigeons,  Pink-necked Green Pigeons.  It was late afternoon and was either raining or had been.  Loads of birdies about so we went to Sungai Buah (Chinese Temple) and lit two candles.  Prayers answered with Banded Woodpecker on way out.  Went across to Buntal for a few Gull-billed, Little and possibly Common Terns along with 20+ Chinese Egrets.  Bought bananas, went home.

Mountain climbing

As previously reported Daf Terry and me had arranged a trip to Mount Santubong to walk part of the summit trail.  We convened at 10.30 on P2 (this is a carpark not a Himalayan mountain) and following an exhaustive check on our equipment we set off. Some thirty seconds after clearing P2 we arrived at the said Mount and parked up.  A final equipment check and we set off.  I carried one green skinned orange and a bottle of water plus the essential binoculars.  Terry brought a walking stick and a suitcase.  Daf carried a little orange bag containing a little orange towel - something to do with feng shooey.  The ascent was hot and sweaty and uneventful.  The descent was cool and uneventful.  We saw one stick insect and ten bees and heard a few birdies. We looked down on Santubong village, a prawn farm, the river etc.  Compared to our climb at Matang it was a piece of cake.  However, the effort involved was judged to be sufficient to justify a four hour stay in a restaurant in Buntal.

The usual haunt in Buntal was closed so we crossed the road to Sri Buntal, a small place operated by a Chinese couple.  Doubts were expressed about hygiene and whether the floor would take our weight.  The appearance of three bottles of TsingTao beer ended any such speculation.  Food was ordered and was judged to be perfect.  More beer kept appearing.  The bill was 150Rm and that included 80Rm (or 104Rm) for beer.  After hours of drink and discussion some fool drove us home.  It has been suggested that the next expedition be to Gading where there are billions of ants and thousands of steps leading to a reservoir on top of a hill.  It will be hot, it will be sweaty, it will be perfect preparation for more TsingTao.

Nothing much to shout about

Apart from sorting out minor trouble with car and a trip to Chupak padis, I haven't got up to much.  However, on Monday next, me, Terry and Daf are going up Mount Santubong.  Not all the way because we are too old and knackered.  Only to a point known as F7, a kind of resting place about 45 minutes up.  After F7 the climb becomes very steep.  So we plan to go to F7 and then retire to Buntal for birdwatching, beafood and beer.  Beafood includes bish, brawns, bussels, bockles etc with boft boodles and bried begetables.  

You will have seen the previous post that I lifted from Mark Steyn's blog.  I intend to post more like this along with anything interesting that happens here.  

Savage Nation vs Halfwit State (cont) - By Mark Steyn - The Corner - National Review Online

Savage Nation vs Halfwit State (cont) - By Mark Steyn - The Corner - National Review Online

Elephant? What Elephant?

We have just returned from five days in Cambodia where Boulevards have names like Charles de Gaulle, Sihanouk, Mao Tse Tung and Monivong whilst streets have numbers like 252.  We stayed on 252 at an hotel called 252.  The hotel was French owned, well staffed, well maintained, friendly, clean and very reasonably priced.  It has a pool with excellent poolside facilities, a bar/restaurant with affordable, excellent food/beer etc.  It has only 20 rooms and the constant flow of guests suggests an excellent reputation.  The clientele is mainly Western, a mix of ageing rubberneckers and well-heeled backpackers along with the odd Malaysian recruiting local women to work in Malaysia.   Enough of this excellence, you might say.  The Malaysian chap's initial reaction was that Cambodia was a dump like Malaysia was 30 years ago.  This was screamed down a telephone at someone and repeated to the receptionist.  Within a day or so he was to be seen sitting poolside and smiling at allcomers.  He got his women and left happy.

I think a lot of people will leave Cambodia happy.  Not happy that they are leaving but happy with the experience of having been there.  It is a place, like most others, where the contrast between rich and poor is marked.  The rich like big, black SUVs.  They like the Range Rover, the BMW X6, the Hummer, but most of all they like the LEXUS.  Most cars are from the Toyota/Lexus stable and the Lexus badge appears on models that are Toyota elsewhere, e.g. the Land Cruiser.

The poor try to make a living, as they do everywhere in the Eastern world.  Those in the Western world do the same, unless of course they are entitled.  The Cambodian currency is the Riel, at 4000 to the US dollar.  If you want to buy the price is always in dollars but the Riel is obviously accepted if proferred.  Small change is given in Riels, big deals are done in dollars.  Food and drink are cheap.  Alcoholic drink looks incredibly cheap to someone from the UK but our prices are distorted by the swingeing taxes levied by a lazy government on what politicians perceive to be peasants lacking self control.  But enough about me, back to Cambodia.

The country is a constitutional monarchy with, obviously, a king, a prime minister appointed by the king according to the recommendation of the lower of the two houses of parliament.  This should sound familiar.  I have read that corruption is a problem in Cambodia and I do wonder if those in the lower house are fiddling their expenses.  Cambodia is making progress in its efforts to become an industrialised nation but is still largely an agricultural society.  The country's history since the end of French colonialism is one of death and destruction.  Too complex to be summarised here but dominated by the rise of the socialist Pol Pot who came to power on the backs of the peasantry and set about removing any threats to his longevity, namely the middle classes and anyone else who didn't agree with him.  We visited the Genocide Museum, previously the prison in Phnom Penh where opponents of the regime were tortured and killed.  They died hard and having seen the photographs of the victims in extremis I don't want to see them again.  Having said that, I don't want to forget them.  They should be remembered along with the victim's of Mao's cultural revolution.  Also remember that last year the White House Christmas tree was adorned with baubles showing the happy smiling face of Chairman Mao.  We didn't go to the Killing Fields, in fact we spent all our time within the capital city.  

Before going to Cambodia we read the usual travel guides and learned that malaria was a problem everywhere except in Phnom Penh so we didn't plan for trips outside.  Whilst malaria is present, a wider area can be safely travelled.  We also read that rich people in Hummers terrorised other road users, as if they would risk the the consequential damage to their beloved motors.  So we looked around the capital at the Royal Palace, markets, shops.  We hired a boat to take us down river to the Mekong and across to a village set up by refugees from Vietnam.  The people lived in makeshift houses either on land or floating.  It looked poor and unsanitary but the people were fed and presumably made a living.  There was an immaculate church and a mansion in which the head honcho resided.  On the way back we passed a gaggle of narrow boats moored on the Muslim side of the river.  These were family homes.  We also saw Green Bee-eaters.

Back in the city we ate at excellent cheap restaurants, drank cheap beer etc, along the riverside and watched the locals there walking, exercising and generally hanging about.

The easy method of transport in the city is the tuk-tuk, a covered trailer with bench seats pulled by a motorbike.  The roads are full of pedal bikes, motor bikes, pedestrians, tuk-tuks, psychopathic Hummmers, cool Lexuses and they all follow one rule - don't hit anything.  If a pedestrian wants to cross a road, he or she steps off the pavement and walks in the expectation of reaching the other side.  If a tuk-tuk driver wants to turn left across a stream of traffic, he turns left and the oncoming stream avoids him.  Please note that there are no female tuk-tuk drivers.  I am tired and I am going to post a couple of photos and videos and go back to bed.  I suffered digestive distress from the second day in although it caused no disruption to the holiday.  On the way back I had a snack at KL low-cost air terminal (Starbucks) and have been throwing-up ever since (slight exaggeration but it's safer eating at roadside vendors).    

On our last night in Phnom Penh we ate at the Bourgainviller Hotel rooftop restaurant overlooking the river. Earlier we had walked down the riverside and when we crossed the road, letting the traffic avoid us, M said that there was an elephant coming.  See below - elephant and floating village.