Tropical Luminous Bug

Photo of a tiny tropical luminous beetle. Notice the glittering colour on the lower part of the beetle shell ?


Luminous beetle hiding under a leave.

Photo of Sematan Palm Beach Resort

These are photos of Palm Beach, Sematan about one and half hours drive from Kuching. Not the Palm Beach at Florida.


At the background are the Talang Talang Islands.


A shelter next to the Palm Beach Sematan.


Jetty near Sematan Bazaar Waterfront.


Zoom: Jetty near Sematan Bazaar Waterfront.


Kites flying at Sematan Palm Beach Resort.


About Sematan Bazaar

Sematan is an old seaside pasar (market) on a rivermouth harbour. Traders from the Malay Peninsula, the Straits and Kalimantan have been coming here for a long, long time. To this day, boats laden with merchandise round the corner of Borneo and fetch up at the jetty in Sematan.

The pasar has a number of sundry goods and coffee shops where seafood is high on the menu. Look any way you like and you’ll see the sea, or the darkling flank of Gunung Pueh protecting the village!

Gunung Pueh, with winding paths (smugglers’ paths perhaps?) through the forest, its rocks, streams and waterfalls, is one Sematan’s hidden attractions. So is a Selakau longhouse tucked into a quiet valley nearby.

And then – the South China sea!

The shallow waters make Sematan a safe swimming beach. But beware of Jelly Fish ! Marine turtles nest safely in the sanctuary of Talang-talang islets; some occasionally lay their eggs on the long white beaches, devoid of human footprints, that stretch from Sematan all the way to Tanjung Datus, the westernmost cape of Borneo. Fishermen put out daily, out into the blue deep around the islands scattered offshore. Life proceeds as it has, since time immemorial.

Wheeling Around

The mountain-biking confraternity has discovered Sematan in a big way. These light two-wheelers take their riders practically anywhere, up and down mountain paths, across small streams, along the firm sand just on the tide line; they can easily be loaded into a boat for crossing streams and rocky bays.

On water, there’s more than fishing boats these days. Snappy speedboats take visitors to cruise around the islands, or see the sights from Santubong to Tanjung Datus. Brightly coloured sea kayaks plough the waters, trying to pick up what gentle surf there is.

It is perfectly possible to drive from Kuching for a day of fun, sun and sea, and return in the evening. But it’s a lot better to stay overnight... or a few nights in a row. There are a few lodging houses in the area, even a “homestay village” at Telok Melanau, and a couple of small hotels in the district town of Lundu (90KM from Kuching). Beach resorts, ranging from very basic huts to well-constructed chalets, are springing up.

And then there’s the option of spending a night in a tent under the stars, though this might turn out a bit chaotic if a sudden squall shakes the canvas.

The bottom line: Choose the kind of transport you like and the standard of comfort you require, but don’t miss out on Sematan. It really is the end!

About Sematan Palm Beach Resort

Sematan Palm Beach Resort (SPBR), is based on chalet-type accommodation. Some are open-plan A-frames with upstairs and downstairs bedrooms, others quadruplex cottages. The Family Rooms consist of two linked rooms which sleep up to six persons... or more. Head counts tend to be liberal, and no big fuss is made over one or two extra persons per room.

The rooms are well built and functional, with air-cond, TV and clean water. But no telephone line. Furniture, fittings, draperies are of good quality; little attempt is made at fancy decorations. The main attraction in Palm Beach Resort is definitely the sea and the landscape — guests don’t sit in their rooms to contemplate faux ethnic curios stuck to the walls!

Sea air, especially when combined with some swimming, beach jogging and kayaking, stimulates healthy appetites. The steady stream of air from the sea make kite flying enjoyable. The restaurant offers home-cooked fare. Dinner and breakfast are included in the standard tariffs. Barbecue pits are available for in-house guests who may choose to manage on their own, or ask for help from the staff.

Palm Beach Resort is becoming the haunt of scuba divers from Kuching and further afield. Such trips have to be arranged beforehand; kayaks and mountain bikes can be rented by anyone game to try, though bikers and paddlers usually come in groups, ready for an exhausting weekend of sport and fun.

Palm Beach Resort also caters for meetings and social functions. It can accommodate up to 120 persons, and there’s never any problem with special requests like wedding cakes.

Contact:
Sematan Palm Beach Resort,
Kg Sg Kilong, Jalan Seacom,
94100 Sematan, Sarawak.
Tel: 082-712 388/711 808,
Fax: 082-711788;

Mix Breed Siamese Cats Napping

Photo of my mix breed Siamese female cats caught napping. Yes, the two are sisters.


Sisterly love.

UPDATES:
* Feb 18, 2009 - Two cats and a string (Video clips)

Tropical Squirrel - Tupai

Photo of tropical Squirrel (locally known as Tupai). Did you know that Squirrel is a type of rodents in the family Sciuridae. Thus, it is also called Tree Rodent.


In the wild, the closest I can get with 12x Zoom.

Wild Sex - Photo Of Mating Green Bugs

Photo of unidentified tropical green bugs mating. Due to their blending color with the leaves, I almost did not see them. Furthermore, they were have a good time under the leaves!


Unfortunately, I only have one shot of the bugs before they flew off.

Related insect-porn posts:
* Wild sex - Mating moths photo
* Wild weevil sex
* Green tropical bugs mating
* Housefly Sex, Series #2
* Adventure of two flies (Fi and Fo)

Photo of Green Grapes in the Tropic

Below are photos of Green Grapes growing in the hot tropical land of Borneo. There are at least four kinds of green grapes, namely, Calmeria, Perlette, Sugarone and Superior Seedless (Menindee Seedless). I'm not sure which species the green grapes on the photo is.

Whatever it is, it pretty amazing to actually see grapes grown in humid and sunny places. The green grapes in this post are grown in a nursery of Borneo Highlands Resort, more than 3,000 feet above sea level.


Green grapes in the tropic


Green grapes in the tropic

Photo of Pen-tailed Tree Shrew - Ptilocercus lowii

Happy hours all night long for the Shrew

A research has revealed that the pen-tailed tree shrew (Ptilocercus lowii), commonly referred to as tupai ekor kembang, can drink the equivalent of a case of 3.8% beer every night but does not get drunk.

According to the scientists, the tree shrew has been living on a diet that is the equivalent of nothing but beer for up to 55 million years.

Humans only discovered the art of brewing and distilling alcoholic beverages some 9,000 years ago.

According to scientists, seven mammalian species in their study area consume alcoholic nectar daily from flower buds of the bertam palm (Eugeissona tristis), which they pollinate.

The 3.8% maximum alcohol concentration that they recorded is among the highest ever reported in natural food.


Photo: TheStar.com.my. Notice the feather pen-tailed.


Graphics: TheStar.com.my

Original article: Chronic intake of fermented floral nectar by wild treeshrews

Tropical bug with big hind legs - Series #2

Below is a few photos on an unidentified tropical bug. Notice that the hind legs is slightly larger than the rest.


Bug perched on a leave. See the plant's torn in the background ? The plant is Bougainvillea (Bouganvilla/ bunga kertas).



Bug on my hand.


Bug doing a balancing act on my finger.


Bug on top of my wrist watch, he's not interested in the time.


Bug on my knuckle, moment he flew away after he realized what was going on.

Related posts:
* Tropical bug with big hind legs - Series #1