In Pursuit of a Bear

The search for the Wild Men of Borneo begins in Kota Kinabalu, in Sabah on the island of Borneo. There is also a subplot to find probiscos monkeys, crocodiles, sun bears and turtles. However, no visit could start without a view of Mount Kinabalu. 4095 metres high, standing on its own in the national park. It takes only 2 days to climb if anyone is interested.      Mount Kinabalu The Rafflesia flower (or less romantically called “the stinking corpse lily”) is the largest flower in the world and by chance, there was one which had just started to flower en route to the next stop. This flower was 78 cm in diameter and was expected to last for another 6 days. It is the largest one that this local family has ever grown, however they were kind enough to allow foreigners to visit. The $5 entrance fee allows them time off from farming to grow and protect stinky flowers.  Rafflesian flower with 78 cm diameter     The Rainforest Discovery Centre was close to the jungl...

 Following a short, grey break normally referred to as the British summer, it is time to continue on to exploring new countries and strange places.  The jetting off point is Cyprus - hardly unknown territory but a hire car and extra travel insurance allowed us into the north. It is referred to by many names depending on your historical roots, religious ties or political bias. To me it's Northern Cyprus.  The best route to follow is the coastal roads. These have been gradually replaced by EU subsidized new roads in many cases, so not quite as rural as before. The scruffiness is gradually being replaced and the landscape is filling up with horribly modern new builds. However, who can refuse a water park included in the accommodation’s facilities. The inner child is still live and kicking. Caesars Water Park Andreas Apostoles Monastery is the obvious location for any trip to the North. The route goes up the eastern side of the country then switches cross country to the north...