Day 18

A late breakfast saw us enjoying a misty view of the garden almost alone in the dining area of the veranda. Most folk were up and off on their way long before we surfaced. After breakfast we collected our cameras and began an exploration of the Lodge’s grounds. We took the path leading away from our bungalow, following the way to the perimeter of the area. The flowering plants are a riot of intense colour and we spot sunbirds fluttering among the blooms. We decide that as we are to the left of the main building, we should take the right path when we reach a t-junction, in the hope it will lead us around the edge of the gardens. We follow this path out of the planted area into a wild garden and as it rises, we can see the roofs of the bungalows below us. There are sounds of villagers drifting near us, but we can’t see anyone. The path peaks where there are some spreading trees and we see movement. When we finally see what is there, we discover a band of little squirrels playing above our heads. Nearby there are lots of little brownish birds with light coloured beaks fluttering about. These are rufous backed mannikins and remind us of the munias in Brunei. A stream of ants crosses the footpath, which we have to step over.
Its very pleasant walking through the trees, but we aren’t sure where the path leads, so we eventually take another right turn, which brings us gradually back to the ‘cultivated’ area near the bungalows at the other side of the main building. We come round near to the little swimming pool where there are some stunning flowers. Honest has phoned to say that someone will be coming by after three, so we wander over to the Lodge and have a cup of tea and wait for whoever is coming. After a while, someone from reception announces we have a visitor and one of the driver guides walks over to see us. Thankfully he has Alan’s sticks in his hand. We offer him some tea, but he says he is OK. He chats for a while, then realizes no tip is forthcoming and decides its time to leave. He isn’t sure what time or who will come and collect us tomorrow, but is certain someone will. So the day passes. We change for dinner and sit in the bar with a bottle of wine before wandering through for our meal.