On to third country today!

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Well this will be pretty quick so excuse any typos, we're ready to move on to Brunei in about 20 mins or so so just getting another entry completed until we have internet again.

Wednesday was another early start, Mac went out to get brekky - bowsers and small pastries that were delicious for next to nothing! We walked to the centre of Kudat, not far really, but already searing at 7.30 a.m.

We were very lucky to get a taxi like yesterday but only us two, the driver and his wife so a much more pleasant journey back to Kota Kinabalu, still bumpy but having leg room (and arm room) made a big difference.

We arrived in KK before 11 and were dropped off at the ferry terminal, so bought tickets to the island of labuan straight away for the 1.30 p.m. ferry, 36 ringgit (about 7 pounds, or 14 $NZ) for a first class seat (upper deck), which included a TV (but no sound), plenty leg room and good views, plus free diesel fumes for the whole 3 hour 15 min journey.

Prior to borading we found a Gloria Jeans coffee shop so I had a very nice hot chocolate (but nearly at kiwi prices), then we left our bags at the terminal and found an air conditioned very new shopping mall with a fantastic sushi place, where we had a light lunch.

We arrived in Labuan about 4.45 pm, overcome by fumes but still functioning! It was a pretty pleasant journey otherwise, but a lot of travel in one day.

We tried about 4 hotels, all walking distance from the ferry terminal, but all were full - this is an offshore financial centre so duty free, plus lots of visiting business people in the oil industry.

We decided to take hotel number 5 as it really is not the weather to be trudging around with backpacks. Unfortunately this was probably the worst place we'd stayed in so far, and not the cheapest (103 ringgit, about 20 pounds/NZ$40). I'll post pictures of the bathroom later! We dumped the bags and went looking for another hotel for tomorrow, and within sighting distance of the Victoria, the one we'd just booked and paid for, we found the lovely "Sara" hotel, only 12 ringgit more and a million light years ahead of the Victoria! Just our luck.

OK, need to change for the ferry crossing now so more later..............

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