Blogs from Sabah, Malaysia, Asia - page 122

aaaij! Intussen zitten we alweer compleet ergens anders: borneo, in maleisie! Het eiland vol apen, vissen, en andere beesten! Het is hier alweer wat anders dan thailand: veel meer chinese invloed, dus eten wij weer dimsum smorgens (een soort gestoomde hapjes met daarin ge bbq-d varkensvlees), en ook veel indiers, en samengevat, wedereom, sympathieke mensen. Eergisteren zijn we geland op kita kinabalu, dan daar een dagje gaan snorkelen op de eilanden voor de kust: heel mooi, maar wel nogal platgetrapt koraal door toeristen, heel jammer om te zien eigenlijk. Maar wel heel mooie cuttlefish gezien, een soort van inktvis. En nu zijn we doorgevlogen naar sandakan (de vlieger pakt ge hier gelijk nen bus, is ook heel goedkoop). Daar hebben we eerst het sepilok oerang oetang centrum bezocht, om daarna door te stoten naar een driedaags ... read more

4th -My last day in Australia I spent at Bondi Beach meeting a friend from home- Peter. He had come form asia a couple of months ago so he told me all the best places he went. We also did a 2 hour walk with him, his cousin and his friend around the headland I forgot this was the plan and had turned up to the first sunny day in a while wearing tracsuit bottoms ready for the night flight! It ended up being a bit of a rush to get to the airport but of course once I got there I still had to que for ages to check in. My first flight to Kula Lumpur was long and I was stuck right in the middle of the middle row so had to climb over ... read more

We took an early flight to Kota Kinabalu or KK as it is known here. We called Bal's mum Rena and said hi we are here! sorry we arrived unannounced, but Rena was very happy to come and pick us up from the airport. first impressions of KK were wonderful the people here are amazing.... Spent one night with Rena at her new house, which has just been built in the hills, the second day we went to her local market and she showed us the true art of bartering. Stayed a night in KK city house with Rena, then caught a vey fast bumpy, winding bus to Sandakan. pictures of KK below and Rena's house for Bal to see......... read more

When we arrived at Mt Kinabalu park on Monday afternoon the mountain was covered in cloud. The next morning after a night in luxury accommodation (because there was nothing else available), we saw the full height of the mountain and wondered what we were getting ourselves into. We grouped together with an English couple to share a guide - you can't climb without a guide. Our guide was called Wilbert and he had a voice like Barry White, quite funny for a small Malaysian. The way it works is you climb the mountain over two days. On the first day, you set off early in the morning and reach the resthouse below the summit after 4 to 6 hours climbing. You get some sleep in the resthouse and usually head for the summit in the dark ... read more

Clambering down from the rickety base-camp bunk-bed, I turn off the 2am alarm and wonder vaguely what was going through my mind when I packed for this trip. Already shivering in the frigid early morning air, I blearily consider my woefully inadequate clothing options. Let me sum it up for you like this: I'm about to climb to the summit of the highest mountain in South East Asia and I don't even have dry underwear to put on. A t-shirt still wet from yesterday's climb, a pair of light running shoes, a thin jumper, rain-jacket, quick-dry travel trousers, a beanie, gloves & a make-shift scarf (the bandanna I used in India to filter out road-dust) complete my rag-tag ensemble. The up-side is that I don't have to decide what to wear; I just put on every ... read more