We did not see these monkeys often. In the primary rainforest it is very hard to spot the wildlife as it is so fast with a HUGE canopy above you. It felt like the trees were 100m high is some places (I cannot find the data).
Thank goodness for my Canon 28-300mm.
Hiking in the Borneo rainforest is not for the faint of heart. Leeches, mud and slippery – slippery paths with lots of elevation change. The guide said he had never had someone have a heart attack while hiking but a few came “close”.
There are huge bugs in Borneo. Touch this insect and you get the following result.
It really isn’t the type of place that you go to if you are don’t like insects. There are a LOT of them.
I am sad to say that there is one place I FAILED as a photographer, and that is the leeches. We went during leech season and it was nasty. There is no other way to describe it than nasty. They are everywhere, they are heat seekers and they are aggressive. I did not get a single clean shot, even with a lens that could go to 300mm because I was too worried about stopping and having 10 other leeches drop down on me. Enjoy this fuzz shot.
Why is it stretching? Because it is seeking a host. It is crazy – you put your hand a few inches away and it will wriggle around in a frenzy. They are everywhere – under every branch, on the path, in the canopy above waiting to drop down on you. Everywhere.
This fellow eats insects. I almost put my hand where he/she was sitting on the log as I climbed up the trail.
Did I mentioned the leaches? EVERYWHERE.
An ancient burial site in the primary forests of Borneo.
Yes, those are skulls.
The path to the site.
Tricky and slippery.
From a few different vantage points.
We travelled to Borneo with one primary goal, orangutans. We saw them every day, in different spots. Every time we came upon them I was always left wondering – who is watching who?
This baby was tough to shoot. He was 10m up in the air and I seemed to always be shooting into the sun no matter where I moved. Very difficult. The only advantage was my Canon 28-300mm which allowed me to get close.
He dropped that lime on us.
I am not sure what an Orangutan laugh sounds like but ….
A perspective on how far away he was. The mother and son kept their distance/height.
Shooting into the sun again. A shot of mom.
At the sanctuary it was much easier to see and shoot the Orangutans.
Wonderful experience.
Someone once said to me that a macro of a flower is so cliché. True I guess, but still beautiful.
Purple.
Interesting to see a rock with flowers. The definition of making the best of it.
It is difficult to get a feel for just how magnificent a primary jungle is (Primary: meaning that it has never been logged). These are very old trees. These two provide perspective.
This first shot, I am shooting downward from high up in the tree on the walkway. There is still a very long way “down”.
The second provides a “human” reference point.
The path is over that way. Don’t worry about the leeches, they are friendly.
The way to our bungalow in Borneo.
In color.
Our hut happened to be one that the Royals stayed in. I guess “Wills” does like to rough it. They are building brand new ones in a hurry after that visitor – quite opulent.
A tree frog, sitting on a rock near a waterfall in the old part of the Borneo rainforest. He took the time to pose for me, before jumping off.
I just love the colors.
Michael Weening: a few pictures 