Friday, July 02, 2010

The magic of Borneo

A group of 10 travelers to Borneo saw all the wildlife and beauty they hoped to see during an April visit.

They also were surprised at the Southeast Asian island's human development.

That's what happened for the folks who traveled with Sarett Nature Center naturalist Dianne Braybrook to Borneo in April.

Orangutans, carnivorous pitcher plants, orchids, ferns, dozens of exotic birds, longhouses, caves and bats - these are only a few of the amazing flora and fauna the group experienced.

Members had varying interests and wanted to see different things.

At one park, Braybrook remembers looking up into a station's high thatched roof looking for bats. Another woman in the group was also looking up - marveling at the roof's architecture.

Borneo is governed by three different countries - the only island in the world under such rule. Indonesia and Malaysia control the vast majority of the island. The small country of Brunei is at the north-central part of the island.

Braybrook remembers her first impressions of Borneo after reading about the country several years ago.

At that time, travelers may have encountered unfriendly tribal scouts along unpaved paths cutting through wild jungle.

Braybrook says that version of Borneo no longer exists.

"We were all surprised how developed that part of Malaysia really is," she said. "We did a lot of traveling across the two states, and everywhere, the towns were thriving metropolises."

Continue reading (Incl. Pics) at: The magic of Borneo
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