gemfyre: (Rhinoceros Hornbill)
[personal profile] gemfyre
Slept surprisingly well considering. Got up at sunrise and wandered around looking for birds – found none.

Bit later spotted a minivet – still to decide if it was scarlet, firey or otherwise. Coucal calling.

After breakfast got a blowpipe demo and a go at it. Dad’s aim is good. My first two shots were too low but once I realised that and aimed slightly higher I got the target. Then a latex tapping demo.


Blowpipe practice

My first two shots were too low. So on the third I aimed a little higher.
Blowpipe practice



Wander thru the jungle after that – very pleasant, but couldn’t find any birds but heard woodpeckers. Then back on the boats.

Blue/black, robin sized bird crossed the river in front of us. No idea what it was.

As we landed a flock of long-tailed parakeets flew over.

Lunch at Serian waterfall, loads of cats around, one with mange or something, poor fella. We wonder why the Chinese like to chop up the chicken, bones, gristle and all and serve it up. I’d prefer a large piece so I can easily pull off the meat and the bones aren’t shattered through it.


Serian waterfall Serian waterfall

The main waterfall and it's ornate bridge.



Dozed a lot on the bus.

Got home and out the front of the hotel was a dark, mynah sized bird with a yellow head and bill. The only thing that matches it in the guides is something it can’t have been (Golden-headed Mynah), great.

Chilled out for a bit, had a shower. Found Life of Birds on TV and watched that then headed out to James Brooke Bistro for dinner. Lucky they didn’t have a service charge because there wasn’t any service. Half the staff couldn’t speak any English – in fact we weren’t sure if they could speak at all going by their wild gesturing and lack of words in any language. We ordered relatively quickly then waited ages for our drinks and garlic bread. The bread was nice but the garlic was pretty much non-existent. The actual meals were pretty decent. Then it took about an hour to finally get the bill. We were all buggered and just wanting to go to bed, they didn’t seem to want our money. Eventually we did get home and to bed.

A heap more photos from day 11 can be seen here - http://pics.livejournal.com/gemfyre/gallery/0001b5g8?page=1

Date: 2006-08-04 10:37 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] drhoz.livejournal.com
maybe it's an aberrant? or a rarer colour-form? or an escapee?

Date: 2006-08-04 10:53 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gemfyre.livejournal.com
I'm filing it as a slightly leucistic jungle mynah. I could be wrong but it keeps my brain happy.

Date: 2006-08-04 01:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] owlish-wench.livejournal.com
Been reading along about your travels...all very interesting - thanks for sharing.

In response to your Bistro trouble... I was in Guatemala City last year around Christmas time. I had a really hard time when I would go out to eat, because they would never bring me the bill. I had the same issue.... long day, very tired, just want to eat and get to bed. But there I'd be waiting on the bill, and the waiter had vanished.

I talked with one of the people I was working with there, and he laughed, and said that it is customary there for you to go ask for the bill when you are ready for it. They would view it as rude to put it on your table before you asked for it.

Don't know if that could be what was going on for you, but I thought it was an interesting little cultural tidbit, anyway. :)

Date: 2006-08-04 03:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gemfyre.livejournal.com
We'd asked. We still had a half hour wait or so.

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