thirty fourth...hello,hello from some place called Borneo!

14.1.08.
7.30AM...ALARM.
8.00AM...CUPPA TEA.
8.20AM...SHOWER.
8.55AM...TOAST/ANOTHER CUPPA.
9.25.AM...SAYING FAREWELLS.
10.00AM...IN TAXI...HEADING FOR AIRPORT.
10.20AM...AIRPORT.
10.35AM...QUICK BAG CHECK...QUICK CHECK IN.
11.05AM...BEER.
11.30AM...ON PLANE.
11.45AM...IN THE AIR.
12.45PM...LANDED SAFELY...BIT TIGHT 'AIR ASIA'...DIDN'T EVEN GET A SNIFF OF A CUP OF COFFEE!
1.05PM...COLLECTING BAGS FROM CAROUSEL.
1.25PM...GOING THRU NEXT CHECK IN FOR ONWARD FLIGHT...ALL GOES WELL.
1.40PM...DEPARTURE LOUNGE...FELT PECKISH...MY MEELEK...A SLIGHTLY SPICY DISH OF NOODLES...OK.
2.05PM...BOARDING.
2.15PM...TAKE OFF...ASIAN FLIGHTS ARE ALWAYS ON TIME...WE BRITISH HAVE A BIT TO LEARN!
3.05PM...TWO HOURS THIS FLIGHT AND NOT A SNIFF OF A FREEBIE DRINK...THESE ASIANS COULD LEARN A BIT FROM US FOREVER GIVING BRITS...'AIR ASIA'...NIL POINT!
4.45PM...LANDED...BREAKING LOUDLY.
5.05PM...BAG COLLECTION...THOUGHT WE'D LOST NU'S BAG...LAST TO COME THRU.
5.40PM...TAXI
6.15PM...HOTEL PARADISE!...NOT!...THE PLACE WAS DEAD...WE WERE THE ONLY ONE'S STAYING...THE BALCONY DOORS DID NOT FIT PROPERLY...THE ROOM HADN'T BEEN CLEANED...ALSO THEY DIDN'T SELL ALCOHOL!...NU'S HEAD DROPPED.
7.00PM...WENT TO GET OUR MONEY BACK...FELT DETERMINED...HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ME BEING DETERMINED?
7.10PM...OH...OK...MONEY BACK!
7.20PM...CHAPPIE IN HOTEL GAVE US A LIFT BACK TO CENTRE OF TOWN.
7.40PM...BOOKED INTO HOTEL KINABULU...IT'LL DO...NO WINDOW!...FOR ONE NIGHT...OK.
8.10PM...RESTAURANT...SWEET/SOUR CHICKEN...WOW...WAS IT GOOD.
8.55PM...ENQUIRED AT THE LAVENDER LODGE GUEST HOUSE...IT COULDN'T FAIL TO BE BETTER THAN WHERE WE ARE...BOOKED TWO NIGHTS.
9.20PM...HAVING A BEER IN FISH SQUARE...I CALL IT THAT BECAUSE ITS FULL OF TANKS WITH FISH WAITING TO BE BOILED OR FRIED FOR THE PLEASURE OF HUMAN COMSUMPTION...THEY QUOTED US 200 RIGGETTS FOR A LOBSTER...I BET IF I WAS A MALAYSIAN IT WOULD COST ME ABOUT 50 RIGGETTS!...IF THAT!
10.10PM...BACK AT HOTEL...IT FEELS DIRTY...OH WELL IT'S ONLY FOR ONE NIGHT.


15.1.08.
8.00AM...DIDN'T SLEEP WELL.
8.15AM...NU SENTS ME FOR HOT WATER FOR A CUPPA.
9.00AM...SHAVE/SHOWER.
10.05AM...CHECK OUT...THEY HAD TO GO AND CHECK ROOM...AS IF THERE WAS ANYTHING WORTH TAKING!...YES THE SHEETS ARE STILL THERE!...KEY DEPOSIT BACK...THANK YOU...OUT THE DOOR WE GO...THANK GOD!
10.25AM...LAVENDER LODGE...OUR NEW ABODE FOR A FEW DAYS AT LEAST.
10.40AM...DROP BAGS IN ROOM...ITS GOT A WINDOW!...LADY RECEPTIONIST ENQIURES IF WE WOULD LIKE COFFEE AND TOAST...YES PLEASE!
11.00AM...DISCUSSING TRIPS WITH OWNER...HE WANTS TO BE HELPFUL...MAYBE OVER HELPFUL.
11.40AM...BOUGHT J.BLUNT LATEST CD IN THAILAND...ASK IF I CAN PUT IT ON IN LOUNGE?
12.05PM...LADY RECEPTIONIST SAYS ITS OK...I HAND IT OVER.
12.15PM...NOT PUT CD ON YET...SEEMS MORE CONCERNED WITH OTHER GUESTS...WHO'S MORE IMPORTANT THEN ME?!
12.30PM...AT LAST...EARS AGOG!
12.40PM...THERES TO MANY PEOPLE TALKING...ITS HARD TO HEAR...I THINK SHE'S TURNED THE VOLUME DOWN...ITS SO UNFAIR!
1.35PM...SORTED TOMORROWS TRIP...GO AT 8.10AM...LOTTA WALKING.
2.05PM...WALKING TOWARDS HARBOUR...NEED SOMETHING TO EAT.
3.00PM...AT AUSSIE BAR ON HARBOUR FRONT...ORDERED CHICKEN IN MUSHROOM SAUCE...BEER...WOULD HAVE PREFERED PORK...BUT THEY DON'T SELL PORK IN MUSLIM AREA'S.
3.20PM...THEY FORGOT THE MUSHROOM SAUCE!
3.30PM...I HAVE WATERY MUSHROOM SAUCE NOW...BUT BY NOW I'VE ALREADY DEVOURED HALF MY CHICKEN!
3.55PM...CHAPPIE PASSING SELLING BELTS AND SUNGLASSES...BELT FOR ME...40 RIGGETTS...SUNGLASSES FOR NU...RAY BAANS...YEAH RIGHT!...10 RIGGETTS.
4.25PM...WALK TO OPEN AIR MARKET...SMELLY OR WHAT!...BOUGHT TOMATO'S.
4.45PM...SUPERMARKET...WATER/CHEDDAR CHEESE!/BREAD/TUNA/CAMPBELLS CUPPA SOUP.
5.40PM...BEER.
6.10PM...AITKINSONS CLOCK TOWER...SOME ENGLISH GUY ERECTED IT YEARS AGO...A MINOR WOW.
7.05PM...BACK AT LODGE/HOTEL.
8.10PM...J.BLUNT CD PLAYING...THEY LIKE IT...CAN OF 7UP.


16.1.08.
6.30AM...WOKE WITH A BANG ON THE DOOR...OUR EARLY MORNING CALL.
6.55AM...SHOWER.
7.15AM...COFFEE/TOAST.
8.10AM...MINIBUS ARRIVES FOR OUR TRIP TO MOUNT KINABULU.
9.00AM...NABULU MARKET...NU TAKING PHOTO'S OF SURROUNDING AREA...BOUGHT HER A TSHIRT WITH SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOUNT SOWN ON THE FRONT...NU CHUFFED.
9.10AM...NU WEARING NEW TSHIRT.
10.00AM...MOUNT KINABULU PARK...GUIDE GIVES US A SHORT HISTORY IN WORDS AND PICTURES ABOUT THE PLACE.
10.30AM...OFF WE GO A TREKKING THRU THE TROPICAL FOREST.
10.50AM...HEAVENS OPEN...RAIN GLORIOUS RAIN...PONCHO ON!...GUIDE VERY INFORMATIVE.
11.40AM...MORE TREKKING...RAIN POURING...FELT WARM AND DRY UNDER MY PONCHO...WOULDN'T BE SEEN DEAD IN IT IN ENGLAND!...NU AND I DID WELL...RUGGED UPHILL TWO FOOT WIDE TREE LINED TRACK...GUIDE INFORMING US ABOUT FLOWERS AND TREES ALONG THE WAY.
12.45PM...BACK IN MINIBUS.
1.20PM...LUNCH...SWEET AND SOUR FISH...VERY,VERY NICE...SOUP WENT DOWN A TREAT AS WELL...NOT SURE WHAT WAS IN IT MIND!
2.35PM...TREE TOP CANOPY WALK...41 METRES HIGH...IT TOOK US 50 MINUTES TO WALK TOO...VERY SLIPPY
3.25PM...WALKING ROPE BRIDGES...VERY CAREFULLY...DARE NOT LOOK DOWN!
3.50PM...MAD DOG AND IRISH WOMAN...BUT WE'VE DONE IT!
4.25PM...BACK ON SOLID GROUND.
4.35PM...HOT SPRINGS...THE SPRING WATER WAS HOT...BUT WHO REALLY CARES?
4.55PM...BACK IN BUS...HEADING BACK TO LODGE...CRAZY DRIVER.
6.20PM...BACK AT LODGE.
6.30PM...BEER.
6.50PM...TUNA AND TOMATO SANDWICH...SHOWER CAN WAIT.
7.40PM...WATCHING BBC NEWS 24...BODY ACHING...ENJOYED THE DAY...WELL WORTH THE PAIN!

NU AND ME RULE OK!

BYE FOR NOWZ.