Back to Sandakan

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Day 7 Monday, January 19, 2009

We arose at 5:30 a.m. to pack and prepare for our departure. The van was scheduled to pick us up at 6:30. The morning was perfectly picturesque. The air was cool. The water and skies were calm. Monkeys frolicked in the trees next to the B&B while a Pig Tailed Macaque tormented a dog at the house next door. We drank coffee and snacked on fried onion bread while Jamal, the middle aged Muslim owner/operator, cheerfully sang ‘Get Low’ upstairs. Oh, yeah, you heard me right:

“Shawty had them Apple Bottom Jeans
Boots with the fur
The whole club was lookin at her
She hit the flo
Next thing you know
Shawty got low low low low low low low low”

Oh, Sukau, how I miss thee. The van picked us up right on time. Sadly, Eric and KIAC and GAG were along for about half the ride. This time I totally skunk-eyed both of them to my heart’s content.

After returning to Sandakan Backpackers, the sort-of satisfactory hostel where we met Eric and GAG, we showered, rested, and went out for lunch. Mom, you would have been so proud. I managed to splatter an entire chocolate milkshake. We did some souvenir shopping (always important) and decided to check out a portion of the heritage walk. We saw some colonial buildings, walked the 100 Steps (which were actually more than 100, much to our dismay) and took a peak at the Agnes Keith house. We didn’t feel like paying 15 ringots to see the inside of the house and opted instead to pay 18 ringots to have tea and real honest-to-goodness scones with jam and clotted cream at the lovely tea house nearby. We sat in our own private gazebo overlooking the ocean and were visited by a beautiful little calico. A white cat scoped out the gazebo next to ours. I had the feeling these little felines were well practiced in the art of snagging a snack from the tourists.

That night we were too pooped to do much so we stayed in and ordered pizza and played cards.

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Photos

Uh...
Remember that scene in Hook where the boys imagined their dinner and it appeared in amazing technicolor? That was awesome. This lunch, however, was not.

The Perfect Condiments
Salt, Pepper, and MSG

The famed 100 steps
There were more than 100. I'm just sayin'...

The Agnes Keith House
Behold! The humble Malaysian abode of the famous author Agnes Keith. Yeah, I've never heard of her either.

Just so you know...
...this is what heaven looks like.