I had cunningly cleverly arranged to have all my meetings and site visit done in one day so that I can have a free day in Bintulu on the next day – to do some kayaking at the Similajau National Park which was about 45 minutes drive from the town center.

I had earlier contemplated kayaking the coastline from town but it somehow does not look interesting or inspiring; and the Kemena River which flows beside Bintulu was worst as it was heavily silted from the logging upstream with the distressing sights of polluting (both air and water) sawmills along the riverbanks. A few people make their fortunes while the rest of us bear and pay for the environmental costs. That's just the way it is or are things going to get better? I wonder as I 'paddled' this and other such issues since a long while back and still none the wiser for it ...

Luckily Similajau National Park was still relatively unspoilt(?) where the sandflies, mosquitos and the crocodiles still have free rein and I was lucky that Kevin Choo was kind enough to drop me off there early in the morning as he beat a quick retreat back to town from the sandflies and mosquitos. He would return later in the afternoon to pick me up and send me to the airport. I am so grateful to have met Kevin who together with the park workers were fascinated to watch me set up my folding kayak by the sandy banks of Sungai Likau.

The park workers must be thinking that the skin of the kayak must be crocs resistant or that I can’t read as they watched incredulously from the suspension bridge as paddled upstream Sungai Likau! Sg Likau was not particularly interesting (nor were the water clean or clear) and after more than half an hour of paddling (with not a single crocodile in sight) and with the river narrowing and passage partially blocked by rocky outcrop I decided to turn around and head for the sea.

When I reached the mouth of river I could see big swells and small white caps along the coastline but there was a clear passage where the river meets the South China Sea. As I paddled out to sea the swells gets bigger and shorter in frequency. I had originally intended to head out to Turtle Beach I but when I paddled past Batu Mandi after about half and hour or so; all I could see was the sky and the swells! Fat chance of the possibility of sighting of turtles or dolphins as the park warden at the information center had told me. So I decided to turn back but had to time my turn around carefully in between the swells in order not to get ‘side-swiped’ by the now increasing swells. Good thing I did not had a heavy breakfast that morning!

It was a easy paddle back as the folding kayak rides the swells well floating right on top giving me a thrilling roller-coaster ride back to the beach. As I still had time before Kevin returns to pick me up, I decided to enjoy this roller-coaster ride and paddled out to sea and let the swells take me back again! See, the sea can also be swelling good fun. Needless to say I slept well when I was back in Kuching later that evening with the rolling sensations of the swells lulling me to a deep relaxing sleep.

Labels: Explorations, Kayaking

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