Miri and Mulu National Park
Simanderal
Michael Hughes and Ger White
Fri 20 Jul 2012 02:35
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We've been in Miri for about a week now---good
sheltered marina--apparently with a resident crocadile, though we haven't seen
it--but I won't be diving to scrub the bottom! Town is a long walk or a short
taxi--shopping malls, bars, restaurants and lots of little Chinese shops selling
pretty much everything.
On Monday, we took a short half hour flight to the
Mulu National Park--to a landing strip in the middle of rainforest--and stayed
there for 3 days. Lots of walking on paths hacked out of the jungle--sore legs
when we got back!! The main attraction is a series of caves in the limestone
cliffs--each one quite different. Dripping stalacmites/tites, the caves go on
for enormous distances. And one, Deer Cave, is the largest cave in the
world---or so we were told and I can believe it---hundreds of metres high and
wide, and half a mile long in the main winding cave. Another had a significant
river flowing through it!
And in the early evening, millions of bats that
live in Deer Cave come flying out for their nightime foraging---great sight
watching these clouds of bats flying out in formations designed to confuse the
awaiting eagles.
But we're now back on board, provisioning and
planning the next trip--around 110 miles up to the island of Labuan--which we're
doing as part of a race--the BIYC--Borneo International Yacht Challenge. We have
a race in the bay off Miri on Sunday, and then on Monday the passage race to
Labuan. And we're very confident of not coming first (or second, third........).
Other boats are currently hanking on their racing sails and have half a dozen
big guys on board. The BIYC finishes next week with racing at Kota Kinabalu--so
we'll only be in Labuan long enough to restock the beer and wine---it's a duty
free island!!
Onwards and upwards.
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