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are moved here along with orphan orangutans and macaque monkeys It also is home to a few rhinoceroses. The only well known animal we did not catch sight of out on the Kinabatangan was the pygmy elephants, found only in Borneo, although we found their spoor when we hiked the trails. We were lucky enough to sight several wild orangutan. The Kinabatangan has only a narrow margin of jungle left. Animals are squeezed. We saw troops of macaques and proboscis monkeys close up, especially when our guide forced our boat through one of the narrow channels open only during flood times, into one of the hard to reach "ox bow lakes." These lakes what is left after the river changes course and cuts off one of its many loops. Herons and dozens of different Hornbills made their appearance noisy appearance We chanced upon a swimming monitor lizard and also a meter long yellow "racer" snake that remained frozen in his branch as we stared at him. The only crocodiles we saw were so shy that they submerged before we could get close enough to photograph one. The crocodile above was captive and would be killed for food.
We returned to the shipyard determined to finish all our chores and get back into the water within the month. We did just that and sailed down to Kota Kinabalu. There we were fortunate enough to make new friends from the local community. They were Datin Raya and Datuk Salee. He had been a former Chief Minister of Sabah a decade before, and was scion to an illustrious local family.
These kind people soon included us in some of their activities. We joined them in a country family get-to-gether, a memorial for Datin Raya's father who had died five years before. Her relatives are mostly simple folk who delighted in dressing us in the local Kadazan costume. Our friends are patrons to many charities and even run their own orphanage. We soon agreed to help out a bit by regularly teaching English lessons to some of their people. Meanwhile they and our other Malaysian friends kept us busy on excursions, hikes, shopping trips, overnight trips or whatever.
Over time we got to know these people better. Datin Raya converted to Islam ten years ago because she is married to an important politician.Her children have all been carefully schooled in the Koran. A teacher comes to their house to help them memorize the verses, and they, for the occasion, wear distinctly Muslim long shirts and loose trousers with little caps. The cousin currently studying with Datin Raya's son wears long gown and scarf tied tight around her chubby cheeks. The family's older children are already in Australia studying at University.
Non-Muslims who marry into the community are expected to convert. Of course it is up to them how strict they are, but generally the community will enforce its own standards. Among her less educated male relatives there is a lot of latent hostility towards us a representatives of the "Bush warmongering ideals." We try to deflect their ire and tell them that not all Westerners or even American's are painted with the same brush. But in the main, people are courteous.
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