Sandakan

Sandakan is an old run down sort of town where the buildings look as though they received their one and only coat of paint when they were built some 35 - 40 years ago and any semblance of maintenance is errr, well, it just isn't.  It's a rabbit warren of narrow streets, home to a myriad of little Chinese shops crammed full of seemingly incongruous objects but this creates a charming atmosphere of hustle and bustle, everyone with their ready welcoming smiles wanting to know where we're from and how long we plan to stay.

The fresh produce market is a great source of vegetables, fish and meat offering a combined smell that I struggle with in this heat but it's always such an adventure to buy from the markets. The people are a delight and the ambiance unique; supermarkets are such a bore in comparison.

We were taken to visit another orangutan sanctuary but Paul and I chose not to enter as the cost was very high and we felt it couldn't offer us anything we hadn't already experienced.  After hearing some of the others, we obviously didn't miss much but, again, I'm just thrilled that there are so many sanctuaries to help preserve this amazing creature.  Nearby there was a Sun Bear sanctuary but again, the costs were too great so instead, we watched a fabulous video on this gorgeous little bear which is a highly endangered species primarily due to the loss of its habitat but also, sadly like the orangutans,  the mothers are killed to steal the cubs to sell to international buyers.  I shudder thinking about it.

Speaking of the loss of habitat which is a major threat to both the orangutan and the sun bear as well as a host of other creatures such as the Malaysian leopard, the pygmy elephant and the Borneo rhino, it is very evident throughout both the Malaysian Peninsula and Borneo that the loss of rain forest is primarily due to the oil palm industry which is growing so rapidly.  Vast areas of rain forest are destroyed to make way for planting this palm which spreads as far as the eye can see.

Malaysia accounts for 44% of the worlds palm oil exports and, when considering the size of this country, that's a significant amount.

 

In response to concerns about the social and environmental impact of palm oil, the government pledged to limit plantation expansion by retaining at least half the nation's land as forest but, as so much of the logging is illegal, the rain forest is still diminishing daily.  According to one article I read, "there has been extensive deforestation since the 1960s as the native economies of the region experienced rapid industrialization. In the 1980s and 1990s the forests of Borneo underwent a dramatic transition. They were levelled at a rate unparalleled in human history, burned, logged and cleared, and commonly replaced with agricultural land or oil palm plantations. Half the annual global tropical timber acquisition currently comes from Borneo. Furthermore, oil palm plantations are rapidly encroaching on the last remnants of primary rainforest. Much of the forest clearance is illegal."  A sad state of affairs.

We also visited the Rainforest Discovery Centre with its wonderful canopy walkway which took us 25 to 30 metres up and across the top of the rainforest offering spectacular views above the trees some of which are hundreds of years old.  It would be a great place to sit quietly just to observe the birds and the monkeys. 

While in Sandakan, we anchored just off the Sandakan Yacht Club who hosted us to a wonderful evening of delicious food and fun.  I'm surprised that we're not the size of a proverbial barrels by this stage but I guess sailing keeps us fit.

Other news is the tragic loss of yet another Air Malaysia flight, absolutely devastating for all concerned.  Closer to home is also the sad loss of Don's Spirit of Nyumi Nyumi in a dreadful storm that hit while he was anchored in Opua, New Zealand.  Fortunately, he got off safely but the boat was dragged onto the quarantine dock, holed and sank.  

Happier news: congratulations to my dear Mom who is just about to turn 93 and (for anyone who was following our adventures while it included Peter on Troutbridge), he's back in the UK hopefully about to earn some bucks and has an offer on Trouters.  Someone will be taking on quite a task there but hopefully a worthwhile one in the long term.

PHOTO GALLERY: 

Looking out over the rainforest from above

And looking down

The streets of Sandakan