Sunday, March 1, 2015
Sailing overnight, we made the quick
trip to Kota Kinabalu arriving at 7AM.
Kota Kinabalu is part of Malaysia,
located on the Island of Borneo, but the capital, Kuala Lumpur lies on another
island many hundred miles away.
Located
in the state of Sabah the area is rich in timber, oil and natural gas. And, since it fortunately lies south of the
typhoon belt, it is known as the "Land Below the Wind", and usually
boasts a very pleasant climate.
In the past Borneo had a reputation
for being "wild" with tales of headhunters and pirates, but in
reality it is a beautiful, lush and tropical rain forest with soaring mountain
peaks. The Marine Turtle Conservancy
Park is dedicated to the protection of endangered sea turtles. Bird's Nest Soup, found in many Chinese
restaurants, comes from nests taken from the Gomantong Caves that shelter over a million swifts.
And we can't forget the Orangutan's! The city of Sepilok has a sanctuary to take
Orangs which have been orphaned in the wild, or were human pets, and prepare
them to return to the forest. They are
very shy - and cute!
It's 5PM, lines have been lifted and
we are setting sail for the "Fragrant Harbor", officially known as
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.
