Nian National Park

Sarawak

Malaysia

January 25, 2013 

Part 2 - The Caves

Dear Friends and Spelunkers everywhere, 

The caves are the highlight of the hike in the Niah National Park. 

Traders Cave is an open air dwelling of birds and bats.  At the appropriate season, local men climb the scaffolds and gather the birds’ nests and trade them for money and goods. 

Bario

The Kelabit Highlands

Sarawak

Borneo

January 29, 2013

Dear Friends, 

The Kelabit Highlands is pleasant place and a good way to end my visit to Sarawak. 

The flight on the De Havilland Twin Otter 19 passenger airplane from Miri to Bario was short and comfortable.  The views were excellent and I could watch the pilots at work at the controls. 

There was one “fascinating” moment.  As we approached our destination and before we began our descent, I noticed that the very nearby mountaintops on the right and on the left were higher than the flight path of the plane.  Later, when I encountered the pilots at the airport café, I mentioned my observation to them.   They smiled. 

The Kelabit Highlands are picturesque and the villagers are hospitable and generous.  The children are children – rambunctious and curious.  Even the chickens are colorful.