5/7 in search of the Probiscus monkey

98% humidity and hiking shoes make for a short and slow morning run, but it was good to stretch my legs and see a little more of Santubong. 

And the swim in the resort pool afterwards certainly felt good. 

A takeaway sandwich for breakfast from the resort, as we drove to the Bako National Park boat terminal. Bako means mangrove but to us it meant Probiscus monkeys. 

Rachel and her son (from Amsterdam) were looking for some people to share the cost of the boat, and we and Caleb from Singapore were only to happy to oblige. In fact we shared the cost of a guide for the day too. 

Rafiz (part-time guide, full-time park ranger,) was excellent and we saw so many more animals than we would have on our own, thanks to his eagle eyes and the intel the guides share with one another. 

We loved seeing Malayan flying lemur with its baby

a Bornean Keeled pit viper

a silvered leaf monkey with its baby

and the decidedly unattractive bearded pig (the vacuum cleaner of the rainforest)

Plus Hamish spotted the shell of a horseshoe crab.

 Locals catch and sell this as a delicacy but Hamish explained that pharmaceutical companies also extract its blood to coagulate bacteria in human blood. Interesting!

But we hadn't yet spotted what we had all come to see - a Probiscus monkey. 

Rafiz searched high and we began to learn to live with disappointment, until a loud cry went up in the distance. Another guide was alerting everyone that he had spotted one! So we all raced to see. 

There he was, high up in a tree near the canteen. I managed to get some shots with my phone

and then switched to the long-distance zoom of my camera - you just have to be patient for those shots.

But wait, there's more!

The Probiscus monkey ventured down to the ground and we managed to get just a few feet from him! Excitement and satisfaction and wonderment at God's creativity - or is it his sense of humour? 

Speaking of a sense of humour, Rafiz shared a fun fact with us. 'Orangutan' means man (orang) of the forest (utan), but the people of Borneo and Indonesia call the Probiscous monkey orang (man) belanda (Dutch) because they thought colonisers from Holland had big noses. Tracey was not impressed, but those among us of European descent assured her that her nose was not big at all. 

Having been thrilled by the animals we had seen and having thoroughly enjoyed the international interaction, we waded out to the boat, 

returned to the jetty and drove the others back to Kuching. 

I was so thankful for such a great day, and that I didn't feel sick at all on the boat rides. 

After some down time, we enjoyed some Hainan chicken and rice, and the very pretty waterfront and water and light show. 

Another great day, but sadly our last in and around Kuching. Looking forward to the caves and rainforests of Mulu National Park for the next 3 days.