Danum Valley Day 2

After a night sleeping while listening to the cicadas, we awoke at dawn to the sounds of gibbons calling and set out for a pre-breakfast walk on suspended canopy bridges and platforms high in the treetops. In the early morning mist, the area looks particularly like Jurassic Park. After a bird’s eye view of the rainforest, we returned for breakfast, accompanied by a rhinoceros beetle, and then set out on a very hot four hour hike. We walked 375 meters up to an area where 350 years ago members of the Sapain tribe buried their chiefs. There is an ironwood coffin and natural holes in the cliff face where the bones were placed. Continuing up the hill, we arrived at two viewing platforms, which overlook the lodge and the rainforest. We saw a perrigrin falcon surveying the forest as well. After a steep and slippery descent, we arrived at Fairy Waterfalls, where we paused to admire the water streaming down the face of the rock. We then crossed two streams and arrived at Jacuzzi pools, where Ruth, Jon and Rich took a dip in the cool pool of water along with the nibbling fish. Arriving back at the lodge, we wrung out our sweat soaked clothing and took a shower before enjoying lunch.

After a rest in the “pillow lounge” after lunch, we set out on our afternoon hike, where we saw crested hornbills, bright red trogon birds, and some squirrels. The walk took us along the banks of the Danum River. After the second shower of the day, we went for dinner. After dinner, we will take a night walk in search of the elusive clouded leopard...more later!