I've become a Grandmother!

Today Valda & I adopted an Orangutan called Ceria - a 4yr old male ( don't panic Kerry & Justin your inheritance is safe!). Poor little fellow had been found on a palm oil farm as the family pet! He'd been fed rice & sausages & was in a terrible state.The terrible diet ment that he became bald & there were fears that he wouldn't survive.


Today we visited Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. It was about 45 minutes from the hotel & as we were being driven there the heavens open. We were there in time for the morning feeding and even as we were walking to the feeding area we saw 2 young Orangutans in the trees and very close to us. As the time passed numerous other monkeys appeared. The Orangutans would try to knock the other monkeys from the trees - guess who was boss there!


Valda in her wisdom decided that the rain had passed & so didn't take her lovely plastic poncho into the jungle. We guess what! It rained so torrentially that she was soon soaked. My smugness at having my ponch wasn't all it could have been - water ran down my neck & into my shoes, my trousers were soaked to the knees but I was only reaally worried about the camera. It was when we returned to the main centre that we started the adoption procedure! It cost us $30 each & means that Ceria will be looked after for a year & we will be given updates. Another awesome experience being so close to the wildlife.


Later in the morning we walked a kilometre to a rainforest centre. On the way we came across a dead snake- it had been a viper! I quickly warned Valda that if I saw a live one she'd know about it because she'd see me beating the world sprint record. Luckily we didn't see one! The centre was very interesting & well presented.


The afternoon was spent at the pool - this is the life!


Tomorrow we are going to visit the Australian War Memorial & the on Wednesday we are on a river trip in search of wildlife particularly the Pigmy Elephants. We will be spending two nights in the jungle - might have some good stories at the end of that!