Postcards from Malaysia IV: The Borneo Blog.

One of my concerns about traveling in Malaysia was the cost. Little did I know that the low cost airline, Air Asia, would for me re-define the meaning of... well... low cost airline. I had to get four flights to travel in Borneo, and the prices ranged from RM270 (<$90) to a low of RM$110 (<$30). That’s less than thirty bucks for a plane flight! Can you believe it?!?! Suffice to say I was pleased... but no one told me about the weight restrictions on these flights. At 23kg my luggage was well above the 15kg weight restriction they had for checked luggage. Since they charged for every kilo over the weight limit, I would have to pay an extra RM90/flight. That’s another RM360 for my Bornean travels (AKA another $100). Fortunately, they had a luggage storage counter. With an extra duffel bag I wisely packed in my luggage, I was able to store the extra 8kg of luggage for just RM10/day. I hoped this would be the last of my complications for Borneo.

First stop, visit Grand Perfect Sdn. Bhd. in Bintulu, Sarawak. The company works with the Forest Department of Sarawak to develop an environmentally stable source of paper and pulp though planting Acacia trees (http://www.plantedforestsproject.com/#). There I finally got to meet with Joannes Unggang who, along with Rob Stuebing, has been my main contact with the organization. Both help manage the department of conservation for Grand Perfect.

I had diner with Joannes (Rob was away) and two co-workers Jacinta Richards (who would be my guide for the visit), and Belden. They explained they appreciated having someone bring a new kind biological experience and perspective to their conservation work. Much of their work has been with zoologists studying vertebrates. These studies are useful as an indicator of forest health but at the same time it’s studying a small fraction of the overall ecosystem. However, they do what they can. Their job seems quite difficult considering their department has less than a dozen people and they have to evaluate the biodiversity of nearly 500K hectares of land that the government has allotted for the project.

The next day Jacinta Richards took me on a tour through the Acacia plantations and the Samarakan nursery. We walked through the Glen Forest trail, a half hour loop that took us about two hours because of all the friggin’ mushrooms. Marasmius, Amanita, “Ganoderma”, there was plenty to collect. This trail was in one of several untouched forest areas throughout the plantation. I wasn’t sure collecting would be much better with in the Acacia orchards, but yet I came across beautiful clusters of Thelephora and other fungi. As I learned about Grand Perfect's goals and toured just the small area around the nursery, there seemed to be so many opportunities worth exploring. So many ideas were swimming through my head during the visit. I’m really looking forward to my next one.




Another interesting aspect of Borneo is the culture. It is somewhat different from Western Malaysia. There are Malay people here practicing Islam, but as Joannes, Jacinta and Belden educated me on, most of the population of Sarawak is made up from different indigenous groups, many of which practice Christianity as well as anamism. One of the largest groups is Iban. They, along with many other Bornean indigenous groups, are known for their beautifully ornate tattoos. I’m told that it helps to identify a warriors body once the head had been taken... yikes! Seriously, head hunting is a long extinct practice in Sarawak, which is something my hosts are quick to point out.... Unfortunately my stay in Sarawak was short lived. After two great days, I had to move on. Thanks Joannes, Jacinta, and Belden for a great first trip! I hope to get back there soon. Next destination: the Forest Research Center in Sepilok, Sabah.

I was met at the airport by Farrah Effa Daud. She picked me up with her co-worker Kelvin and after a brief lunch we went to the FRC. Sabah is the state with the biggest ecotourism draw in all of Malaysia. From its undisturbed primary rainforests to it’s natural, bird filled caves, from the second highest peak in SE Asia to the coral seas along it’s coasts, Sabah is a haven for the adventure tourist. The natural areas of Sabah are large and under FRC manages forests that are not used for commercial ventures, either tourist or agricultural. Farrah was recently hired as the chief of the pathology department and with but a bachelor degree in microbiology. I got the impression she felt a little over her head. Again I was met with the situation where my knowledge and experience was greatly appreciated. I must admit that it is a good feeling being the one with the expertise.

Anyway Farrah took me to meet Robert Ong. He was the first person I ever contacted at FRC. His dry wit took me a little off guard, but soon I was able to catch up and we discussed my plans and how I might be able to help Farrah and contribute to the FRC. I stayed at the Sepilok B&B, which is just around the corner from the FRC and happens to be owned by Robert. I had a huge room in a separate bungalow all to myself, complete with aircon and satellite TV. Once I found out the kitchen sold Tiger beer, I began to wonder if there was much reason to leave. The FRC’s a Forest Discovery Center just down the street was enough to motivate from the B&B with it’s tropical arboretum. However, on top of this, about a kilometer down the road was the famous Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. If that wasn’t enough, the FRC was also having their annual open house showing off their Herbarium, Entomology museum and library of wood from various tropical trees. I was grateful for my B&B’s Tiger beer at the end of the day.

After a day of visiting, I piled into the truck with Farrah and her 3 staff members: Ahmad, Nurdin and Rusli. They don’t paint the speed bumps in Sabah. Actually that’s not quite accurate, but it does somewhat explain what it feels like to be traveling down uneven, potholed roads at 100km/hour. It was a long, bouncy four-hour drive. But we made it to our destination... Mt Kinabalu.


Mt. Kinabalu is Malaysia’s first world heritage site. The wiki entry is pretty impressive in and of itself (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinabalu_National_Park). We stuck to the trails around the park headquarters and that was all we needed considering we found Calostoma. They were “over-ripe” specimens, but still they were a collection. In addition, it was a different species from the one that had already been documented there. Besides Calostoma, the collecting was beautiful, with Lactarius, Tylopilus, Amanita and a blue Inocybe (check it out Brandon!). I’ve got to come back!














Suffice to say I had my hands full with describing for the night. Fortunately I had Farrah and Ahmad to help take the edge off. With a little direction, they were describing away at their own collections. I took plenty of photo’s only a few of which are sampled here. What do you think?

Anyway, I had a great time and I’m hoping to return in December after the Asian Mycological Congress. There might be different, and fresher, specimens of Calostoma then. Farrah suggested going to other remote places such as Danum Valley where my fungus has been observed before, or even the more remote Maliau Basin.

Despite the hiccup at the beginning of the trip, my first experience of Borneo was fantastic. I can’t wait to return and explore more of this intriguing corner of the world.

“The world’s not smaller,
There’s just less in it...”
- Jack Sparrow, from that movie with the pirates in it.

After my experience, how can I possibly agree with that? Until my next adventure.


Love n’ Stuff
Andy...