Bintulu - Similajau National Park - 30km ^43
It turned out one more memorable ride. Instead of following the highway, a smaller
path veered off in the direction of a coastal road. Men exposing themselves always
came as a total shock as it’s the last thing one expects ambling along a country lane.
This only happens when on my own; not once has it happened when biking with
someone, be it a man or woman. This behaviour mainly occurred in regions with
unhealthy (according to me) conservative relationships between men and women.
A sign pointed to the Similajau National Park barely ten kilometres away. In the
process, I almost rode over a snake, sunning itself upon the tarmac. But mercifully, it
saw me first and quickly slithered into the bushes, and I missed it with centimetres to
spare.
The park was surprisingly comfortable, offering chalets and two hostel buildings at
reasonable prices. Hardly any people were around, and I had an entire four-bed dorm
to myself. Then, off to swim in the South China Sea's lukewarm waters before a stroll
took me along a trail leading through the forest. The walk was marvellous without a
soul in sight, simply the occasional chirping of a bird or something stirring in the
dense undergrowth. There are few things more enjoyable than a hike in a forest. On
a thick bed of leaves and with the smell of the soil in my nose, I ambled until hunger
pangs made me retrace my steps. The canteen served delicious noodle soup, which I
devoured in record time.
At the hostel, I teamed up with three other ladies and rented a boat to take us
upriver, searching for crocodiles. We didn't find any, but we spent a magical time on
the river, which was dead quiet and pitch dark with only the fireflies as light. Life
doesn’t get much better than that!