Hello, Friends! (Day 3 - 04/07/2010)

Day 3 came and we were expecting our guests, whom were the second batch of participants of the expedition, to arrive at the base camp. They were scheduled to leave Bukit Sawat Jetty at 10am and another batch of Iban boatmen from Kampong Melilas and Kampong Sukang were sent to pick the participants from the jetty.

Several reporters from the local press (Borneo Bulletin, Brunei Times, etc) were also present at Bukit Sawat Jetty to cover the news of the departure of the second batch of participants to Sungai Ingei.

Dr. Joseph Charles, our expedition leader, was there to entertain the reporters while the other participants helped the boatmen to load the luggage onto the boats. Click here if you want to read Brunei Times' online news cover of the departure.

Second batch of participants who left for Sungai Ingei on Day 3:

Dr. Joseph Charles (expedition leader), Dr. Ulmar Grafe (senior lecturer), Dr. David Lane (senior lecturer), Dr. Indra Yustian (Indonesian scientist), Stephen Hogg (expedition photographer), Andrios (Indonesian research assistant), Zaedi (Forestry Department officer), Hajah Yatty (Brunei Museums vice-curator), Arpin (museums staff), Moon (museums staff), Faisal (museums staff), Catherine (research assistant), Bon (research assistant), Pei Fen (research assistant) and Mayyer (research assistant).

Participants ready to board the boats for Sungai Ingei

Reporters interviewing Dr. Joe Charles

Dr. Ulmar (right) posing for the press camera :)

Haji Saifullah (Iban boatmen / Imam)
reciting prayer before departure

Dr. Charles enjoying his lunch. Big smile!

Dr. Lane showing us how to enjoy his lunch the relaxed way

While the second batch of participants headed their way to Sungai Ingei, a few of the the first batch of participants were busy cleaning up the base camp. Some others collected wooden planks in the vicinity of the base camp to make walkways that connect the base camp to the toilets. These activities were followed by brunch as our chefs made sure that everyone was rewarded after a morning's hard work.

Angus, Cikgu Haji and Samhan repairing a mini-bridge

Angus the Muscleman!
p.s. He is in his 60s' by the way

Collecting wooden planks...

...and used the planks as walkways

Brunch menu on the white board...
...and also World Cup results!

Posers with the expedition banner :)

Daily, refreshing dips in the river
brought laughters and joy to everyone

It was close to 2pm when some of the participants at the base camp took their dips in the river. Not long after that, the sound of motorboards were heard from afar and that's when we realized something...the second batch of participants have arrived!

Their journey from Bukit Sawat Jetty to Sungai Ingei base camp took about 3 hours and we could see that the participants were tired and burnt as the weather was quite hot that day. We were glad that everyone arrived safely and immediately, the first batch of participants welcomed their fellow friends and helped them in offloading the luggage and other equipments.

After the luggage were offloaded from the boats, everyone settled down in the base camp. Dr. Joe Charles gave a quick briefing to everyone in the kitchen as everyone helped themselves with refreshments that was prepared by the chefs. In addition to that, air mattresses and mosquito nets were also set up so as to allow the second batch of participants to rest up for the night.

Boat 1 arrived:

Dr. Charles, Dr. Yustian, Dr. Lane, Dr. Ulmar, Stephen and Arpin

Boat 2 arrived:
Andrios, Zaedi, Bon, Mayyer, Catherine and Pei Fen

Boat 3 arrived:
Faisal waving frantically!

It was very chaotic with luggage all over the base camp floor!

Dr. Charles with a big smile after a visit to the toilet :)

Quick briefing as given by Dr. Charles

Samhan (field coordinator) also
gave some welcoming words and led a prayer

I wonder what's so funny? But a happy picture nonetheless

Extra air mattresses and mosquito nets were set up

The second batch of participants brought us newspapers!
The first batch of participants were cut off from the outside world
with no idea of what's going on. The newspapers certainly brought
alot of happy faces :)

Day 3 might be tiring to some but Day 4 was in fact, the real big day for everyone.

To be continued...

Flood! (Day 2 - 03/07/2010)

As mentioned in the previous post, a heavy downpour started at around 5pm on Day 1 and it carried on until the wee hours of the night. While everyone was soundly asleep, our Iban boatmen were restless as they feared that their boats will be washed away. The water level of Sungai Ingei is known to rise rapidly whenever it rains so you can imagine what the condition was when the heavy downpour stretched for hours.

True indeed, a bad flood occurred at approximately 2am and everyone in the base camp was awoken abruptly by the Iban boatmen. "Banjir! Banjir!", shouted Cikgu Haji, whom is one of our important Iban guides. The water level of the river was reported to be two metres away from the base camp floor and we feared that even the base camp itself will be flooded. The roaring sound of the flowing river was intimidating and the river flowed with such immense speed. No wonder the Iban boatmen were restless.

There was nothing much we could do and some went back to sleep. Some of the men decided to stay up for the night and constantly checked on the severity of the flood. It is perhaps one of the worst floods that has occured at Sungai Ingei but we're glad that everyone and everything was safe.

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The aftermath of the flood was clearly seen the next morning on Day 2. There was an accumulation of debris around the vicinity of the base camp but the water level went down pretty quick. It was also reported that the highest water level reached by the flood was a mere metre away from the base camp floor. In other words, the water level rose to nearly 6 metres in height.

The water level of Sungai Ingei was still
very high early in the morning of Day 2

Accumulation of debris as seen near the river bank

During the wee hours, the ferns at the
river bank were fully submerged

The flood nearly reached the level of the base camp floor

Debris of wooden planks and loose soil below
the base camp as seen in this picture

Around mid day, the sky was clear and the strong heat helped in drying up the base camp area. A cleaning campaign was held and a few of the participants were eager to pick up as much debris as possible so as to keep the area clean. The Iban boatmen also assisted much during the cleaning campaign.

Cleaning campaign around the base camp

On the other hand, Angus (chief guide) met up with the forest police and discussed about the possible areas in Sungai Ingei in which the forest police could patrol throughout the expedition. The forest police were there for security, patrolling and escorting purposes, so as to assist any of the participants when necessary. With the presence of the forest police in Sungai Ingei, poachers would be intimidated to do their illegal activities there.

Angus and the forest police studying maps

Day 2 also saw the start of one of the research projects of the expedition as leaded by Dr. Zohrah, deputy vice-chancellor of UBD and also a senior lecturer at UBD. Dr. Zohrah's project involved the analysis of the diversity of fishes in Sungai Ingei and she was assisted by her younger brother, Amalul.

Since Dr. Zohrah's project involved surveying the stretch of Sungai Ingei for fishes, she would need the help of the Iban boatmen and their knowledge of the fishes in the river. Her methodology involved the intensive use of fishing nets that were placed at strategic areas along the river. Any fishes caught were then analyzed at the base camp after the field work.

Setting out for Fish Project
L-R: Cikgu Haji (boatmen), Amalul, BB and Dr. Zohrah

Haji Bakhtiar (boatmen) showing one of his catches

Dr. Zohrah in action!

Analysis of fish DNA at the base camp

Dr. Zohrah and Amalul recording their DNA for further studies

While Dr. Zohrah and her crew were working hard in the field, lunch time arrived much to the happiness of some of the jobless participants in the base camp. The menu was simple but good enough to satisfy most of the empty stomachs. But it was after lunch in which the most important task of Day 2 was to be done.

Our Field Coordinator, Samhan, instructed some of the participants to erect the expedition banner as sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank at the front porch of the base camp. The banner would be a welcoming sight for our guests whom were arriving on Day 3.

The base camp kitchen was always a very delightful place

What's for lunch?

Participants erecting the expedition
banner as supervised by Samhan

Happy people with the happy banner :)

To be continued...