15 JUL 09

Rachel, Milena and I at the water-cooler

I can't believe how the time has flown in the last few weeks. It seems like yesterday we were counting down the weeks until 'home-time', and tomorrow we'll be heading towards the airport in just a couple of hours.

The fieldcourse was still in full-swing when we left the jungle yesterday. I'd been helping with the 5am and 5pm primate surveys, along with various other bits and bobs. Our last day was over-ridden by an unshiftable sense of anticipation. It's hard to know what to do when you know you're leaving the next day... walk in the jungle? Help the students? Hang around with the staff? Pack? Finish the newsletter? Drink copious amounts of the addictive Milo drink? In the end I flitted between all of the aforementioned and didn't really get a lot done. I had a brilliant day though. I'd heard a flanged male orangtuan calling in one of the botanical plots and was determined to find him, having not seen an orangutan for nearly three weeks. Unfortunately the forest was flooded and I hadn't believed our lecturer when he said the water was waist-deep at some points. I found that out for myself as the ground fell away beneath the water and I ended up submerging both my camera and my phone. Remarkably, both suvived! I couldn't quite get to the orangutan site, so I about-turned and ran the long way along the circular trail to get back to the same place. As I was running, which is never the best idea in a jungle, I tried my best to absorb the jungle-ness around me, not really minding that I wouldn't see much wildlife at high-speeds. So I was a little taken aback when I came face-to-tail with a King Cobra! This magnificent snake is massive, and although this one was probably no thicker than my wrists, it was about four metres long. I watched it slither across the path and followed it until it reached the hollow of a nearby tree and disappeared inside. I didn't find the orangutan but I certainly can't complain about that!!!

We then took a boat-ride to Batu Puteh with Zainal to say goodbye. The last day has been constant 'Jumpa lagi's (see you again) and the like. I'm pretty knackered, but will be home in a couple of days, where I plan to re-aquaint myself with the sofa and cheese-sandwiches.

It's been a long year that has passed exceptionally quickly. It's been far too long since I've seen people at home, yet time has flown, and I honestly can't believe I won't be here in forty-eight hours time!

Saya akan rindu Sabah. I'll miss Sabah.

07 JUL 09

Hello again!

It's a very busy week. The Cardiff students have arrived for this year's field course, and there are about 34 people milling about the centre today. So far it's gone very well, with the major drama being partly my fault. I lent a butterfly net to some colleagues in Sukau, not realising that it was, infact, our only net. I was happily listening to a talk about butterfly catching when it dawned on me that nobody would be catching any butterflies at all if we didn't get the net back. Unfortunately this only occured to me at ten o'clock at night! Frantic phonecalls ensued and eventually we managed to locate the net and arrange for it to be picked up the next day. I hopped on the boat to pick it up at Batu Puteh after finishing our 5.30am monkey-survey!

I've been allocated to the primate surveys, which means that we start very early and finish quite late, but have most of the day off in between. This is just as well as we still have a mountain of work to get done before we depart the jungle next week. As a result I'm quite sleepy and minorly panicking about getting everything finished but otherwise fine. It's nice to have some excited, new faces to talk to at mealtimes.

I'll write more when I get the chance.
Much love,
Rachel x