Message in a Bottle # 14

July 17 2012. 

The Buxom Wench and Ganghook are still messing about in More Magic, , so busy we are living the dream and keeping you updated via the  
Where is More Magic been and what has she seen!    Just look to your right!

Cheers Me Little Hardies.

!!!!!!

Messing about in More Magic

December 13 2010

Tis the 50^th year of our Buxom Wench and many treasures have been acquired and stowed.

We last spoke of the Wild Man of Borneo, what can I say Wild Men, Wild Animals and the Wild Wild West. 1 year, 12 months, 9 cat lives, 7 dog years Ganghook and the Wench have roamed this wild coast line.

There are still mountains to be climbed and seas to be sailed along this magnificent coast of Borneo, not to mention fish to be caught. “Yes we are back in the land of fish or should I say sea of fish”.

From the Santabong Mountain Ganghook and the crew sailed up the virgin coast in search of Head Hunters. We maneuvered through raging rivers with fast floating logs, to a small village of Iban Long houses. Were we met our real Wild Men and Willing Women. More Magic lay at anchor for days whilst visiting ashore, we eat, we talked and we took torak (rice wine) What were we being fattened and marinated for one may well ask.

Nothing this time, we were sent away with treasures of Paddi from the fields and bottles of Torak, an invitation was given to return and bring more of our tribe to join in a feast of Gawai this coming June. Ah these Iban they very smart cookies.

So with full tummies and full hearts we sailed our way to Mirri.

Time to leave the ship the Wench cries, for a girl needs firm footing for a while, so firm footing she shall get. A flight to Bario on board a – (Chris to elaborate) deep in the mountains of Sarawak where the practice of head hunting had only ended 50 years prior. Could this be the final undoing of Ganghook and his Beloved Wench ……….

The Captain was in Seventh Heaven the Wench well she definitely does not do bush. Bathing with wild buffalo, Singing in the churches in Kalibit (Karaoke style) not even English and center of the microphone,,,, No siree the Wench sure does not do Karaoke or Bush, Ah but read on and you will see just what do the Crew of More Magic do!!!!

Ganghook, The Buxom Wench and the Crew of More Magic are sailing rapidly into 2011. What a year it has been in the wilds of Borneo and the backwaters of the Palawan Archipelago. In early January More Magic set off northwards from Kota Kinabalu, the home of the Mountain in Sabah for the tip of Borneo and the Balabac Strait, the watery barrier between East Malaysia and the Philippines.
Seas were fair and winds were light as Ganghook stealthily navigated his way into unfamiliar waters off the west coast of Palawan and beyond. Our first ports of call were poor coastal fishing villages often inhabited by less than 100 people with limited schools and infrastructure? Imelda and her mate, Ferdinand had long ago done away with any bullion that may have been used to better the conditions for the locals.
Nevertheless, the people were welcoming, honest and generous with what little they had. All the way up the west coast of Palawan we received genuine welcomes and smiling faces. At Quezon we were ‘welcomed’ by the local Immigration, customs and quarantine officials who had driven from Puerto Princessa just to relieve us of several thousand Pesos. Such a generous bunch. (Plundering at its best)
Further north we were seduced by the fabulous corals of El Nido and the limestone casts of the area as well as the yummy smells from the local bakery. (Not to mention the gorgeous Bronzed Philipino Boys. The Wench was in heaven, the Captain be afraid, very afraid!)
Just to the north east we visited the former Marcos Game reserve on Calauit Safari Park in the Calamain Island Group. There we found translocated giraffes and zebras together with some nocturnal deer species all happily cohabiting with the local fauna and naturally reproducing. Daun loved the giraffe’s purple tongue. (Now The Wench wants a Giraffe - are we really on Ganghooks Ark?)
At the scene of one of the WW2 sea battles south of Busuanga Island we dived on several wrecks which were a poignant reminder of the lost lives of past conflicts. Conversely, at a small resort in Conception Bay we relaxed and swam in the warm waters enjoying the sight and sounds of local dolphins and turtles.
The diving Mecca of Apo reef was calling and after an interesting sail to the east we all did our first “wall dive”. From a depth of four metres the reef drops away to 100 metres in an almost vertical wall. Hammerhead, white and black tipped reef sharks, Manta rays, turtles and thousands of fish abound. Wow what a dive.
As the northerly trade winds have developed its time to head south towards Puerto Princessa to clear out and head for Borneo Malaysia once more.
We day sailed south and were rewarded with a variety of pelagic fish mostly Spanish mackerel, enough for us and sometimes enough for the locals as well.
In March we left MM and flew to Laos for two weeks to experience the festivities marked by the end of the dry season and to visit Luang Prabang, Vientiane and the mysterious Plain of Jars.
During the last stages of the Vietnam conflict the Plain of Jars was subjected to continuous bombing by the US and a reputed 3 million tonnes of ordinance was dropped during a 5 year period. Ironically, many of the younger Laos have made enough money from collecting scrap steel since the end of the conflict to pay for their education including tourism guiding and many other benefits. During this time the Australian Government has also been involved in clearing unexploded bombs from many populated areas.
Both Luang Prabang and Vientiane offer interesting insights into the history of the former French colony. Many French eating houses exist in both cities and offer a range of cuisines and wines not seen in other parts of Asia we have been to. We enjoyed beef steak and good quality French wine for about AU$20/bottle at most places.

After returning to Borneo in April we were joined by like minded Pirates from the South Australian contingent whom we cruised in company with to the Louisiades in 2006. Phil and Marlene sailed with us from KK to Miri stopping at Tiga Island on the way. Tiga is famous for its mud volcano and we all got very muddy while enjoying the attendant beauty treatment to the mirth of some locals.

After leaving Miri we sailed south to visit the longhouses of our Iban friends on the Mupong River. The Mupong is a remote tributary of the mighty Rajang River in Sarawak. We were invited to join our Iban friends and their extended families to help celebrate Hari Gawai, (the rice festival, which is so important to their culture. Ganghook and the Wench were put to the test of staying power during week of celebrations, offerings to the gods (many Ibans still practice Animism), traditional dancing, music and feasting, the festivities wind down and we reluctantly headed back down the Rajang.




Kuching the capital of Sarawak, is host city for the world famous Rainforest Music Festival. Three days of local and international music and workshops held at the Santubong Cultural Village and performed by renowned musos is a memorable event not to be missed if you are heading for Borneo around July.
In late July we participated in the Borneo International Yachting Challenge a series of races from Miri in Sarawak to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. A total distance of 180 nautical miles, the races are held in stages and are good fun. We were blessed with a visit from one of our old sea dog, John Dear of tractor fame, who came to help us with the beer,bow and male bonding . (Drinking it that is. )The Sailing was good too.
After the race we headed north east to round the Tip of Borneo and then south east to Sandakan the home of Agnes Keith the author of Land Below The Wind, the most famous book about Sabah and the British North Borneo Company published in the late 30’s.
Our Sandakan visit coincided with the 65th Anniversary of the end of WW2 at the Memorial Park. The Australian GG was guest of honour at the wreath laying ceremony and spoke about the tragic loss of the Australian and British POW’s during the Death Marches in 1945, Sandakan to Ranau just months before the cessation of hostilities. A very moving ceremony and a wonderful place to commemorate the sacrifice of “our boys”.
In September More Magic became home for Hilly & Steve from Perth for a week we did some further exploring of the State of Sabah and visited the Kundasan War Memorial at Ranau, which was built in the early 50’s but fell into disrepair and was resurrected by a local who has spent the last 10 years building, maintaining and renovation the fences and gardens.

Sandakan is one of the few places in Borneo where Orang Utans can be viewed in the wild. We crossed the bar of the Kinabatangan River and motored

upstream for a few days till we reached the village of Sukau. Here we explored the river its tributaries and oxbow lakes by dinghy for a week. We were rewarded by seeing all manner of local animals, including


Borneo elephants, Orang utans, proboscis monkeys, pig tailed macaques, crocodiles, many different species of kingfisher and loads of green snakes. It was a wonderful week for us both as the quietness brought the animals to us, rather than us having to see them in a reserve or zoo.

As the diving season was coming to a close we decided to continue south east for the Sulu Sea and Sipidan and Marbul Islands.
We spent 10 days diving in this magnificent area and saw heaps of sharks and turtles. Sipidan Island is a wall dive and presented us with fantastic variety of fish and marine life. Following this dive adventure we day sailed slowly back towards Kudat to do our annual haul out and anti foul.
So as you can see Captain Ganghook, The Buxom Wench and various rogues have covered some miles both under and above the waters this year.
We shall be Feasting in Brunei for Christmas then returning to Miri where we shall start 2011 off with a bang and a much awaited visit from Daniel Number One Son.
Hope to see and hear from you in the coming year.