On the Move again!-Thoughts on Sabah

We flew from Penang due south to the large island of Borneo heading for the State of Sabah and the city of kota Kinabalu. Sabah like other places in Malaysia is a huge mix of races and we were told that different peoples speak more than 32 dialects very few written so most are dying out.
We seem to be stepping from one paradise to another and our wonderful hotel while a resort is of a local design incorporating all of the Malaysian traditions and set on the sea front with the most fantastic views, we have sat on a little promontory island bar watching the sun go down sipping our Singapore slings - it’s a tough life!!!!

Our first day was a lovely chill out day sitting in the beautiful grounds taking the sun, swimming in the south China sea, having massages and relaxing while our nails were painted !

The following morning we had a days trip to south East Asia’s highest mountain and surrounding parkland, mount kinabalu ( you will be pleased to know we didn’t climb it, at some 4000 metres - not for me and also not for 60% of climbers as they don’t make it!) We had a canopy walk through botanical gardens and jungle which I found a bit wobbly! and visited but not immersed ourselves in the hot springs where the climbers traditionally recuperate

We left the tranquil resort for 2 nights in the jungle proper, flying to Sandakan further south, taking a boat and staying in a rain forest lodge. We watched the wild life from boats and trekking through the jungle though have to say we didnt see much as we trudged through the undergrowth. We visited the Gomantong Caves which were featured in David Attenborough’s Planet Earth series, well all I can say is that i would have rather stood on my head on a funicular railway going up a steep mountain !! It was a very challenging experience thousands of bats hanging about and dropping poo all over you , a terribly slippery walkway and rail coverd in poo and cockroaches, rats rushing around , the biggest moving heap of guano that you ever saw and a smell that Chanel would die for - not!!! This is the place that the locals are permitted to collect birds nests for theat tasty soup mmmmm. I challenge any of you to find something as good!
Anji was a star I was terrified I would fall on the slippery cockroach infested walkway and she supported me both physically and metaphorically through the whole experience. While our guide was chatting with the couple who accompanied us and who were eally enjoying the experience, and took their time, we wanted out ASAP.

However our river cruises and we had 3, were wonderful and we did see wild orang utans ( the nane means jungle people - they have 96% human DNA - now there’s a thought) the wonderful proboscis Monkeys (They have long orange noses and what our guide called a permanent red hot chillie- i leave it to your imagination what was meant by that!) and lots of birds. We also encounted the all important leach a fish - now there’s another story ,suffice to say that both Anji and i managed to get a couple of the blighters where girlies wouldn’t want them despite being decked out in yellow wellies and leach proof socks. It was very muddy being the monsoon season and we were exhausted after a two and half hour walk in very hot humid conditions, talk about frizz hair mine has been lost forever me thinks! . I did envisage that this adventure was meant to be a holiday not an endurance test!! However the big plus point was that we met some great people funnily enough 3 couples all of whom were honeymooners . Anji and i did feel the odd couple out! They were great fun and we met up with them again on the final day back in our paradise resort and compared our experiences. So thanks guys, you made our stay so interesting not to mention the mutual alcohol enjoyment!!!!!

Before returning to the Shangri-la resort we visited the very famous Sepilok Orang Utan Centre which again was featured on TV. While it was great to see the rescued orang utans in the semi wild , I was a bit disappointed, we weren’t able to see the little ones and perhaps expectations were too high?.

Our last day was another chill out one We missed the scheduled walk through the rain forests ( been there , done that!) we took a boat out to one of the islands in the bay and anji showed me how to snorkel it was fantastic - not that i saw too much a fish or two but anji had a faulty mouth piece so was gulping shed loads of souh china sea! . We ended up with last goodbyes and farewell drinks and Anji and I went our separate ways , she to huge amounts of work directing her company's first film and me to continue my adventures in Sarawak. Anji has been caught on camers swotting so beware
camera crew!

Finally Aji has been a real cherrub ,calming me through bumpy flights, supporting me when walking on dodgy ground -blimy i sound like an old womwn so perhaps i'll stop right there. But we have had a ball and i shall miss her. What I wont miss is having two people in my life who are almost , nearly , very often, right, Its just not fair!!

I will put more photos up soon especially of the orang utans, the website is very slow and its 2am here so -watch this space once again

love caro
xxx

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