Sofia, Bulgaria

 

A horse and cart as on main street in Blageovgrad.

I walked to the Blageovgrad train station to buy tickets for the evening train to Sofia. When the woman told me it was 7.50 Lev ($5.26), I asked again Sofia? I took out a map and pointed to the capital of Bulgaria. I was shocked it was so cheap for a 2-3 hour train ride. Wow! Mom had told me the guidebooks warned of poor trains in the Baltic countries in the evenings so I had low expectations of the evening train. I was surprised! We had a new comfortable train ride and arrived in 2 hours. 

We arrived in Sofia and decided to splurge and take a taxi to the hotel since it was late at night and we were exhausted. The taxi cost more than the train ride! Oh well, at $7 I was not complaining. It was better than wandering the streets for a half hour. I always try to arrive in a new city in the daylight. If I arrive in the dark, I would rather be safe and take a taxi. He took us to our hotel and while I was getting us checked in, I heard mom say "Halelluiah! An elevator!"  She was excited! Especially when we were told we were on the 4th floor!  I think I am killing her with the walking and stairs but she is a trooper. 

In the morning I went to explore while mom stayed in the hotel nursing a cold. I walked to the Sofia statue that was erected after the fall of communism in 1990. 

A Lenin statue originally stood in this location and was removed and replaced with Sofia. I found several of the Communist sights had been demolished or removed from Sofia.

As I walked along, I came upon the Svetea Nedelya Church. This was in the guidebook as a must see sight. I walked in and noticed a baptism was taking place. 

 

I watched the children playing with their candles and listened to the liturgy. It was beautiful. As I was sitting and watching, I heard a chicken clucking. It was in the church. Huh? I looked around and saw a man handing a box with holes to an older woman.

The clucking came from the box.  My first thought was please don't sacrifice the chicken. Then I realized I wasn't in Asia and the chicken was probably someones dinner. This is the first time I have been to a baptism and heard a live chicken in a church! I didn't know what to expect next! 

 

My next stop was the park near the mineral springs and bath house. The bath house is closed and there is disagreement over the future of the building. It was a beautiful building and I hope they restore it and open it someday.

 

 

The Bulgarians were enjoying the sunny fall day. Men were playing chess and children were playing in the park. Around the corner were the mineral springs of Sofia. The city has 42 springs with different water temperatures. Water flows freely in the square.

 

I noticed steam in the chilly morning. I saw many people washing their hands and faces or filling up reusable water jugs with the warm water.

 

 

The water is pure, clean and pollution free. The city provides the water free for people to take home and use. I was shocked when I read this. After traveling to many places in the world where fresh water is not available to residents, it was refreshing to see the Bulgarian people had free access to the water! I was more amazed when I learned that Bulgaria is the poorest country in the European continent and the water was free! Wow!

I walked on towards the old communist party headquarters, the theater and another park. 

 

 

As I walked, I passed several stands selling books and healthy snacks. One of my favorites was the nut and dried fruit stands. I stopped and bought a cup of mixed fruit and walnuts for $1. Yummy! Why don't we have these at home?

 

Then, I continued on to the Russian Church where an old lady grabbed my hand and took me to the basement.

She pulled out a chair and put a pen and paper in front of me. She told me to write a wish. I did as I was told. She waited and then grabbed my arm and took me to a room with a sarcophagus and pointed for me to leave the wish. I did as I was told. When I turned around she had two men and was  handing them paper and pens. I waved goodbye and she smiled and waved to me.



A woman selling flower bouquets outside the Russian church.

I continued exploring Sofia and walked through a flea market with furry hats, Nazi and Soviet memorabilia. I had no idea what was real and which were fakes but it was interesting. 

Next, I went to the red brick church of St. Sofia Church. I walked in and started walking around when I heard singing. I sat quietly and listened. Then, I realized I had walked into a funeral! There were 6 people  in the front of the church with a priest and an urn at the front of the church. Then I noticed the huge bouquets of flowers. Oh no! I crashed a funeral! I got up to leave and a man started talking loudly to me. I shook my head no and pointed to the door. He started saying something loudly and pointing to my pockets. I left the church. I am such an idiot!

Down the street, I saw a gold dome shining and surrounded by 6 tour buses. I knew from the description this was Alexander Nevsky Church. The church was a beautiful memorial to the 200,000 Russian soldiers that died fighting for Bulgaria's independence in the Russo-Turkish War. I sat quietly in a corner watching Bulgarians praying and lighting candles. I find myself wondering what type of comfort or for whom they are lighting a candle. 

It was mid-afternoon and I thought I should head back to the hotel to check on mom. When I returned she was sleeping. I decided to walk to the bus station to buy tickets for Skopje, Macedonia. I found the bus company and booked us on the early morning bus.  

The next morning mom felt better and was ready to travel. We walked to the bus station and boarded the bus to Skopje. Time to explore another country. 

 

Onward to Bulgaria-Plovdiv

 

Mom enjoying the fall colors and street art in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Mom and I left Istanbul. It felt like my home after spending a week and a half there. I said my goodbyes to the city and friends I had met. I promised to look them up when I returned in December. Mom was walking better and was confident she was ready for some serious travel. And this was going to be the first test. We booked an overnight bus leaving Istanbul at 11:00 PM and arriving in Plovdiv, Bulgaria at 6:30 AM. As we waited at the bus station, I decided to take that one last bathroom break and encouraged mom to do so also. Her first question was the same as every other trip to the bathroom. "Is it a squat toilet?"  Yes, it was! This was her first opportunity to experience the joy of these porcelain wonders. Not something westerners like but we tolerate them when we have to. So, mom resolved to experience the squat toilet. I waited to hear her story and was disappointed to hear there was nothing unusual or funny to share. She was an expert and was ready for the next one!

I snuggled into my seat like the seasoned traveler I am. I took an herbal sleeping pill, put my Bucky pillow under my head and adjusted my eye mask. I was asleep as the bus rambled out of Istanbul. Mom woke me up at the bathroom break. After a break and stretching our legs, we settled back into our seats. I knew it would be a short nap before they would wake me again at the Turkey-Bulgaria border. I slept soundly until the bus drivers yelled out what I assumed was "Passport control!" I felt the cold air rush into the bus. Time to get out and go through the customs activities. Brrrr! It was freezing! This is going to be a long wait. Mom and I had no problems getting through but the Syrian guy on the bus was separated and questioned. We thought he was taken away but he showed up on the bus at the last minute. After an hour waiting around in the dark and cold night, we were finally on our way to Plovdiv. I fell asleep again and was woke by my mother. She said "Michelle, we are stopping again. Is this our stop?" I looked at my watch. It was 5:30AM, an hour early. The conductor came down the aisle and said "Plovdiv." I asked "Now?" He said yes. We gathered our bags and started on our walk to the hotel. I asked a taxi driver if we were headed in the right direction. He pointed to the corner and said something that I assumed was turn left. I told mom to follow and we were off. It was still dark and the street was poorly lit. Mom was nervous. The buildings had graffiti, the sidewalks were uneven and it was dark. We were the only people walking down the street. I could tell mom was nervous. When she stopped and said "I don't think this is a good neighborhood!" I smiled and got a photo. 

I guess the local sex shop was a sign that this was not Old Town Plovdiv! I laughed more when I showed her the photo and she asked how I photo shopped the sign into the picture. What?!? No, it was there. Mom never saw the sign! I guess she was nervous. I had explained my theory that it is better to walk in the early morning when the bad guys were sleeping. She didn't buy it. Luckily, it was a short walk to the hotel and we were able to check in at 6 AM. We decided to take a short nap and then explore the city. 

Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Bulgaria with a beautiful Old Town and an amphitheater. We walked the quaint cobblestone streets up to the top of a hill. Mom stopped to rest when she met her new friend Giovanni that had a special odor you could smell 10 feet away.  He chatted to mom as I walked off to take some photos. I knew he wanted something and figured she cod have a nice chat while she rested. He eventually took out a note explaining all of his hard times after he fell off a ladder, was hospitalized for several weeks and needed money to keep his home. I waited to see if she was going to be kind and give to him or not. This was taking a while so I went on to the church. I sat down and enjoyed the beautiful stained glass windows while I waited for mom.

Mom came in and said "thanks for leaving me!" I smiled and asked how much it cost her. Nothing, she told him no and walked away. Then she sat in the church wandering if she should have given him something. We wandered the quaint old town until mom was ready to go back to the hotel. 

In town, I found the town gossip, Milyu.  I went over and whispered a few juicy details in his ear. 

We took an evening walk before dinner and were enthralled with all of the beautiful fountains and the number of casinos. (Yes dad, you could gamble here!) I am not a fan of gambling..to me it is like throwing money on the ground and walking away. I have so many better things to spend my money on! As we walked the main road, this was my favorite fountain, it was fantastically lit in the evening. 

 

As we sat and enjoyed a delicious meal, mom kicks me under the table. "Look, that is Giovanni sitting at the next table! He is a scam artist! Glad I didn't give him any money!" I looked and started laughing. No, that is not the same guy. You are crazy. It brought back memories of when I had taken my mom and Aunt Sue to Iceland in 2000. Back then, Mom insisted a woman at the airport money change had stolen $40 from her. We all laughed two days later on the bus back to the airport when the woman was showing everyone her new pair of shoes. Aunt Sue and I looked at mom and she was convinced she paid for the woman's new shoes. As we ate our dinner, we laughed at the memory of past travels we had taken together and talked about how much we both missed Aunt Sue. She would have loved this trip!

The next morning, mom's back and hip were bothering her and I wanted to walk up to the fortress and around Old Town. Mom decided to stay and rest while I went to explore. Old Town Plovdiv has picturesque cobblestone streets and old homes. I walked up the hill to the fortress. I noticed a woman examining the opposite side and taking photos. I assumed I was missing a great view. I walked over and looked around....oh my! I figured out quickly that she was watching some young adults in an amorous moment. She was taking photos! I looked at her and she started rattling off something in Bulgarian. I decided to leave the young loves in their private moment and go back to town. As I turned to walk down the hill, I almost bumped into 25 Japanese businessmen on their way to interrupting the young couple. I guess it is show time! The red panties made it hard to miss the amorous romp. I giggled as I walked down the hill thinking of the surprise that was awaiting several people in a few seconds! 

 

I walked through the hilly neighborhoods past kashta (traditional homes) to one that is now a museum. I was drawn to the beauty of a window on the wall into the courtyard. 

It was magical, almost like a fairy tale. I went inside the museum. It was small and an interesting overview of life and history of the area. I appreciated the beautiful cylindrical ceiling of carved wood. The main room was beautiful but I was surprised as I found carved ceilings in every room. Homes are not made like this anymore. It was a lost artwork.  

 

As I got lost on the cobblestone lanes of the old town, I came upon mom's friend Giovanni asking for money. I giggled and knew it was not the same man from the restaurant. He had taken up a step outside the school.  He handed me his paper and started to tell his story. I gave it back to him and said "God Bless you" as I walked away.

 

I continued walking and happened upon a fresh fruit and vegetable market.

Yum! I bought 4 bananas and 2 apples for 55 cents! The farmer asked "You, what country?" I told him USA and he proceeded to tell me that Bulgaria is GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) free and has the strictest laws in all of the EU. I was shocked. He started asking me about the USA policies on GMO which led to an interesting conversation. He and his friend were dumbfounded that the USA government subsidizes junk food but not fresh fruits and vegetables. I explained that most things in the USA are profit based rather than health based. This led to more questions over a nice cup of tea. Some people would get angry or worked up over these types of questions. Not me. This trip is a learning experience. I am growing and open to different ideologies and beliefs.  If I was closed to these types of interactions, I would not have the experiences that have enriched my trip. Sometimes I think people take things so personally and don't realize questions are just an inquisitive nature. It is about learning. After a while, I looked at my watch and realized it was getting close to the time I had promised to meet mom for lunch. I said goodbye and thanked them for the tea. I went to meet mom at the city center near the mosque. 

 

It was a beautiful fall day. I enjoyed the warm sunlight, cool breeze and the crunch of the fall leaves as I walked back to town. We met up and had a great lunch and then walked through the city park. We enjoyed the late afternoon sun as we strolled the park. We decided to have a gelato as we watched the men playing chess and cards (gambling).

We took one last photo to remember our beautiful day in the park and then walked back to the hotel.

 

We decided it was time to move on to another town. Our next stop was Blageovgrad, a small town to the west with public transportation connections (bus) to Rila Monastery. The bus ride was a couple hours but we were told we had missed the last bus to the monastery and would need to sleep in Blageovgrad. We decided to get a hotel and go to Rila in the morning. 

Hieropolis and Pamukkale, Turkey

The hour ferry followed by a 6 hour bus ride from Bodrum to Danizli made for a long day. The bus stopped every hour and each stop was at least 15 minutes. By the third stop I was getting frustrated. I wanted to scream! Why was this bugging me so much? I knew it was all the long stops an I just wanted to arrive in Denzili and get the dolmus (minivan bus) to Pamakkale. I arrived in at 5:45 PM. It had been a long day of travel from the island of Kos. I needed a drink and was ecstatic when the owner of Ozbay Guesthouse, Öner, brought me a complimentary glass if wine. Yay! It tasted so good! A hot dinner and I was ready for bed. But, Öner  talked me into an evening walk to see the Nature park in the evening.

 

I returned to the hotel cold and tired and went straight to my room. Luckily, it was cozy and I slept well.

The next morning, I went to explore the ancient ruins of Heiropolis and the Pamukkale pools. Öner offered to give me a motorbike ride to the top and then told me to walk back down the hill through the turquoise travertines. I jumped off his bike and waved goodbye as I made my way to the ruins. The city was destroyed years ago by an earthquake. Restoration work was ongoing and the theater was amazing. 

 

I explored the ruins of the north gate and enjoyed the views. On this trip I have grown to love the peacefulness of exploring an area solo. It is just me with my thoughts and the sound of nature.  

 

 I also explored the sarcophagus surrounded by flowers or resting in dried travertines. 

 

Then I decided to be a tourist and go for a swim at Cleopatra's Pool. Why not? It supposedly makes you look 20 years younger and it is cheaper than Botox!

 

The spring filled pool was warm but crowded with tourists. I looked around and realized whoa! I could wear a bikini in this crowd. I saw tummy fat everywhere and wondered why is it that Americans feel so ashamed by any fat bulge but Europeans embrace it and put it out there? Are out body images that much worse? I have found that European men are more appreciative of my curves and like a little more voluptuous woman. I love the attention and the fact that they are willing to wine and dine women still. Don't get me wrong, they are talkers and I have met my share of Casanovas but they are handsome here in Turkey!

After soaking in the warm hot springs and enjoying the people watching, I dried off and changed my clothes for the walk down the Pamukkale travertines or the "Cotton Castle". The travertine terraces were formed by hot water that is 320 meters from the terraces. The water falls into terraces and forms the travertines. This water comes out at 35.6°C and contains high concentrations of calcium carbonate. Over time, the formation gets stronger and forms the travertine terraces. It is a stunning sight.

 

 

 

I continued the walk down the hill to the Ozbay Guesthouse. I realized I had been gone all day and it was 4:00 PM. I was hungry. I sat down at the restaurant and ordered a glass if wine and dinner. That was when I met Shannon, a young Canadian woman traveling that has stayed and worked at Ozbay Guesthouse  for the last 3 months. We laughed and bonded immediately. We enjoyed some drinks and wine with the guys and decided we would go to the Red Rock Springs tomorrow.

The next morning was a special day at Ozbay Guesthouse. Their father had died over the summer and according to Islam and Turkish tradition, the family provides lunch for the entire town 52 days after his death. It was a time for remembrance of their father and thanks to the community. Öner and his brothers invited all of his guests to the lunch. I walked over to the open park and he told me to find a seat while he got me a meal. I noticed the men and women were sitting separate so I followed suit by sitting with the women and girls. An older woman immediately brought me a bottle of water and a meal. I thanked her and started to eat. The young girls practiced their English with me and attempted to teach me Turkish. Everyone laughed a I slaughtered the language and could not remember all of the words they taught me. The girls explained that the man was singing the Qur'an. It was beautiful. I watched and smiled to be invited and welcomed into this community event. Women came over to say hello and smile as they pinched my cheeks or touched my hair. I felt so blessed to have another experience like this during my travels. 

The next morning I got up and met Shannon for breakfast and then we took the afternoon bus to Red Rock Spring. 

 

We both giggled when we arrived because we expected it to be huge and it was just a small little area. We wandered the area and stuck out feet in the water with the Turkish women. 

Then we walked over to the mud bath and decided we wanted to bake in the sun with some mud. I got in the mud bath and covered myself from head to toe with the black wet mud. Then I sat baking in the warm sun. Shannon did the same. As we sat there enjoying the afternoon sun, we became the tourist attraction. Turkish families walked by and took photos of us. We giggled. Then, two old women walked up and pointed to our bucket of mud. We thought they wanted to put some on themselves. We handed them the bucket. They grabbed a pile of mud and started rubbing it on us. What a surprise! They giggled as much as we did. We were so thick with mud that I knew it would take some work to wash it off. I walked over to the shower and started scrubbing my body. When I was mostly clean, I walked over to the hot spring pool to soak. I stepped on the first step and about wiped out. I decided immediately to sit down and slide into the pool. The heat was fantastic. I soaked until the man came to get me for my massage. I love spas am have tried one in all of the countries I have visited. I consider myself an expert on the art of relaxation. This massage was different. I was told to remove all my clothes and lie face down. There was no sheet or dry towel so I covered myself with my wet towel. I lay face down as instructed. I heard someone walk in and his deep voice. He removed my towel and put it to the side. Brrrr! I was shivering and cold! I asked for a dry towel but he did not understand English. I was shivering and had goose bumps. A few minutes into it he grabbed a towel. Thank goodness! But it got taken away when he had me turn over. I asked for it back but he didn't understand. Or pretended to not understand. I was not certain which. I was trying to relax but I was so cold. Then he started to massage my boobs! I wasn't sure if he was just feeling me up or this was how they did massages in Turkey. I started to laugh. I was too cold and it was just odd. I shook my head no and covered my boobs. I was going to have to compare notes with Shannon. Otherwise, the massage was uneventful. When I finished, I was offered tea and a heater to warm up. Shannon decided not to get a massage so I still did not know if that was normal. We took the dolmus back to Ozbay Guesthouse and sat down with other travelers to chat. I loved my time at Ozbay. We laughed and relaxed. I was tired from the fast paced travel of the first 7 months and could tell I was really slowing down. The staff and owners at Ozbay talked me into staying an extra day, I did. I decided to get a flight back to Istanbul to meet my mom and see Ephesus when I travel with her. 

My last day was spent laughing and chatting with all of the local people. I was relaxed and happy. The family included my in their delicious evening meal of grilled fish. Mmmmm! It was a fantastic time with with the laughter of new friends in Pamukkale. I said goodbye with a heavy heart and waved to everyone as my bus pulled away. 

On the bus to the airport,  I met three Malaysian women traveling Turkey. They asked about my trip and were excited when I told them I had spent time in Malaysia. They were so funny and sweet. I laughed as one of the women told me about the handsome Turkish men she had met and how she was sad to be returning home. We giggled and laughed like only women do with old friends. Then they asked me a question that saddened me. They asked if all Americans hate Muslims. I explained that was not true. There are people in America that live in fear and propaganda but not everyone is that way. The three of them wanted badly to travel to America and their eyes lit up as they talked about cities and sites they would like to see. They were afraid to do so because the wear head scarves and had heard how badly Muslims are treated in America. I was sad. I am not preaching but I want to remind everyone that what a few people do does not make everyone from that group bad or terrorists. Be open and learn about other religions and understand extremist groups exist in all races, religions and political groups. That small portion is not everyone. Take a moment and open yourself up to the different cultures, races and religions and find the positives. Welcome others of all backgrounds into your life. Please. I promise you will gain much more than you ever expected. The world is small and we are all much more alike than we are different.



The Call of the Wild in Sandakan, Borneo

I arrived in Sandakan after a rainy bus ride across the countryside. I had found out that most of the Sabah region was fully booked or unsafe for tourist travel. Since this was a last minute trip, I had not done any research, just booked an air line ticket and I was off. When I talked to Sharif and a few people in Kota Kinabalu, I found out that there were issues near Sapidan and I was advised not to go to the islands. I assumed that people were over reacting or trying to get me to stay in Kota Kinabalu. I checked the USA State Department and found out there was a warning due to a terrorist activity in Feb 2013 involving the Philippines. Huh! (Also found out they did not recommend US citizens travel overland from Thailand to Malaysia- did that too!) I assumed the US government was over reacting so I checked with Australia and UK governments. All of them advised not to travel to the east coast of Sabah and here I am! Oops! I decided to skip Sapidan rather than risk that area too much. The prices were really high for the islands and I was advised if I went to stay somewhere with good security. Security was high in the Sandakan area, as the bus arrived 30 km outside the city, it was searched by the police. Three police officers entered the bus with machine guns. Two of them stood guard at the front of the bus while the third went down the isle asking everyone to show their passport. I also had to show my visa stamp. It was a very uncomfortable situation but I don't like guns and really did not like that much ammunition so close to me. It made me very uneasy. I was ready to hit the floor of the bus if needed! Luckily, there were no issues. After this incident, I was happy to be staying 5 km outside of town. I had booked Borneo Cove Hotel which was cheap, had a pool and was a teaching school for hospitality. I thought my odds of terrorist activity was better staying with the locals. The staff at the hotel were fantastic and arranged all of the tours I wanted with reasonable prices. I was going to Sepilok first to see the orangutans and Probiscus monkey sanctuaries. The second day to the Kinabatangan Safari and a third day at Turtle Island snorkeling. That left me a few days to relax, explore town and rest before I head to China.   

Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center's goal is to return orphaned, injured or displaced orangutans back into the wild. There were currently 200 at the center but we were told that only a few will come into the feeding area because it was fruiting season. The orangutans that can find enough food will stay away and only those that need more food come to the feeding platforms. The center is in the forest and has beautiful walking trails through the jungle. The animals are free to roam in the jungle with no fences separating humans. 

The first wild animal I found was this little lizard. He was sitting below the viewing platform waiting to see the orangutans also!  

After a short wait, a worker arrived with a basket of melons. He shook the ropes and an 8 year old orangutan appeared. He was adorable! I fell in love immediately! The orangutans are the most endangered animal in Borneo. This is due to deforestation for palm trees (palm oil) and poaching. Many of these orangutans were pets which is illegal.

After taking a bite out of each piece of fruit, he decided to give us a little show of his swinging and hanging abilities. He liked hanging around. He decided to leave when the  long tailed macaques came too clean up the food.



One of the volunteers saw the macaques coming down the path and warned everyone to back away...they were mean! She said they bully the little orangutans for food.


When she said they were mean, she meant it! I was glad I did! Check out this angry guy! Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed!! I was standing right where this macaque wanted to take a rest. He came towards us and the volunteer yelled at us to all stand back. I know monkeys can be mean and followed directions.

My next stop was Labuk Bay to see the feeding of the Probiscus monkeys. I saw a few on the Klias River cruise but not up close. The Probiscus monkey is only found in Borneo. The males have a big, long, hanging nose where the females have a smaller pointy nose (like Pinocchio). The male calls are described as deep and nasal, strongly reminiscent of the bass viol. Supposedly, the females like to listen to it. The sanctuary is amongst a palm oil plantation to maintain the wildlife. They supplement food for the monkeys to ensure they continue to thrive in their habitat.


The male was more interested in the tourists and came up to check us out. He is a funny looking guy.



Silver Leaf monkeys are also at the sanctuary. They were very friendly and not afraid of tourists. The babies were playful and loved to entertain the crowd. I liked his mohawk!


When the monkeys were finished eating their bread and asparagus, they went back to the forest. I laughed as they swung through the trees. Several stopped to sit in a tree and watch the tourists.


My last stop of the day was the Rainforest Discovery Center. I walked through the forest on the tree-top canopy walk. It was amazing walking through the tree-tops and looking up to see large trees hovering.
 It was a peaceful and relaxing walk. I had time to search for monkeys and appreciate the calls of the local birds


The next afternoon I left for the Kinabatangun Safari. Our first stop was the Gomantong Cave. I arrived at the cave after a short walk through the jungle. My guide looked at me and told me he was not going into the cave. I asked why. He said it stinks to bad. I could smell the cave as we stood outside talking. It smelled awful...and only got worse! It is famous for the swiftlet birds edible nests which are harvested to make the bird's nest soup. The most valuable nests can sell for very high prices.

It is an amazing natural wonder ....of bird poop, bat poop and cockroaches EVERYWHERE! It was the most disgusting sight I have seen.  The bird, bat and rat poop is everywhere. I was walking very tentatively the whole way trying not to slip on it. The hand rail and walk paths are covered in poop which makes it slippery. I kept telling myself not to fall but I just wanted out. When I looked up I could see birds and bats but I freaked out a little as I saw 2 inch cockroaches on every step. This "wonder" is one I would have preferred to have stuck with as a vicarious experience. ICK!

We continued on to the Kinabatangun River for a safari. We boarded the boat and went searching for the monkeys, birds and pygmy elephants in the late afternoon. I expected to see monkeys but not an orangutan. We had been forewarned that it is rare to find them in the wild. And her was our first animal...a large orangutan in a durian tree.

There were numerous monkeys throughout the jungle.

And the Probiscus monkeys were around every corner. They swung from tree to tree. It was easy to find them if you just listened and watched for leaves moving.

Another successful trip down the river. Unfortunately, the closest I came to seeing the Borneo Pygmy Elephant was tracks next to the river. I was sad but you never know what will happen in the wild. The sun was setting on the river and it was time to drive back to Sandakan.

The next morning I left for Turtle Island, to spend the day relaxing on the beach and snorkeling. I was hoping to swim with a few sea turtles. As we arrived on the island we noticed the turtle tracks in the sand. They looked like tractor tire tracks.

The turtles crawl out of the ocean at night, dig holes and lay their eggs. The eggs are collected and placed in the hatchery. When the turtles hatch, they are released back to the sea in the early morning. I spent the afternoon on the beach reading, napping and snorkeling.

I returned to Sandakan and enjoyed a few days relaxing by the pool. My trip to Borneo was beautiful and filled with adorable monkeys and orangutans. I am happy I got to see this beautiful land.

I returned to Kuala Lumpur for overnight. I am leaving for China in a few hours. I am not certain I will be able to blog while I am in China. I will keep writing and upload everything when I get to Bali. Until then, peace and love to you all!