no_going_back

Back to Borneo

The next morning I headed off with Han to the Sunday market, he went to check up on some of his group I went to see if there was anything i wanted to buy, which there wasnt. While we were there Han got a call from Intrepid and it wasnt the best news. Han was supposed to have a weeek off, so i was going to chill out with him and explore some of the parts of Sabah I wouldnt find on my own. However Intrepid had messed up and had a group expecting to start their trip that night and they had no leader and no bookings. So Han's leave was cancelled. We spent the afternoon sorting stuff out while shopping for bits and pieces, including my oragutan! While I headed back for a nap Han got some work done. While he said farwell to his previous group I wandered along the beach then we headed into town for a drink at cacoon, Hans favorite place to hang out. After that it was back to bed.

SO the next morning I packed up may bag, sooner than i expected, Han said farewell to his group which involved them all enjoyiong the mod cons of his car! Then he droped me off at a hostel in town and we said goodbye, the plan was to meet up along his route at the jungle which i had intended to head back to anyway. After Han left I headed off to the Sabah museum which i had wanted to get to last time but never did. Its not a bad museum and its interesting to see how the country has changed hands so many times! After the muesum I went back for my afternoon nap. Then I headed into town to mooch the shops as there isisnt much else to so during the day in KK. I found a new phone and bought a Malaysian sim as i planed to be around for a while and it cost next to nothing. After that I went to my favourite place for dinner, the fish markets and had amazing food as always before walking back to the hostel and chilling with a movie there.

The next morning I headed off white water rafting. Again something i had wanted to do last time but i didnt have enough time. On the way up I met an american women travelling with her mother, she was having a day off from her. She was in my boat with a loat of scandanvin people. On one o the other boats was a couple from melboure, Austin used to o security on the real ramsay street, amonst other things! The day started with a lot of travl and hanging around. But once we got going it was great. The first part was about a level III and our guide was god fun with much falling out and mesing around. We capsised at one point which lead to me going down a level III rapid on the back of a canoe holding onto another person with a stomach ful of air, not something i would recomend! We stoppped for lunch part way down and then did another hour or so which was much more relaxed. After we finished we had a boat ride to the pick up, at which point the heavens opened and while we were wet it was freezing driving rain so not much fun in an open speed boat! We got back to the buses changed and headed off, I had arranged to meet the ozzies for dinner at the fish markets. I got back to the hostel showered and left for town. We had a great dinner with more of us we could try more and bigger fish. After dinner we headed to cacoon for a few drinks and to watch the band who always amuse me and a drunked french guy who was more than 'feeling' the music! After that we said goodbye but arranged to meet up in Melbourne when i get there.

The next morning I got up and decided to try to go for a bit of a trek on one of the islands around KK, unfortunatly to get to the island i wanted i would have to charter the boat, which iwas too much so i gave up and decicded to get the 2pm bus to Sepilok, form here I could get a ride with Uncle Tan's company to the Kinabatangan jungle area where I went with Intrepid and wanted to go back to. However at this point I was having issues with cash as my cards wernt working. Anyway I got the bus and 6 hours later I was uncle Tan's B&B. There I met an american girl who had been voulnteering in India the same time as me, it turned out she was working just round the corner in Pune and we had never met! After dinner I arranged with zaza at escot to come the next day and went to bed.

The next morning I was up fairly early to get the bus to Sandakan wehre the nearest ATM was located (an hours bus journey away!). I got the bus with an older ozzie pair, cousins, who were traveling sabah and sarawark amongst other parts of malaysia. They were very plesent to chat to and made the journey pass by. I ws in Sandakan 20 mins. The ATM didnt work but i did manage to get money on my card from the money change place so then I was straight on the bus back to Sepilok. I made it back to the B&B to find the american girls chatting to an english couple who were also heading in to the jungle with uncle tans. So we all got the bus together. It turned out Sara and Jo were heading on to Samporna and were staying at the same place as me while diving with the same company. SO we arranged that after they came out of the jungle I would go with them to Samporna. We said our goodbyes and i walked across the small village to Mescot. I got there and was rembemebred by Jai who had been my guide the first time, a few of the others also rembemebrd me from the previous month.I agreed with Asiah, the boss, that I would stay in a homestay that night then join with Andrew's intrepid group then Han's group the following day. It was also in my favour that as Han had no booking for his group they were going to Samporna instead of the usual turtle Island so I could get a free ride! I got to my homestay, out o fthe village, and wasnt well, i have a feeling i swallowed too much water on t he white water rafting so I had an early night.

The next morning I headed back to the Jetty at mescot and chilled out,. I helped the guides (Jal, Lena and Ena) get ready for Andrews group, I watched one of the world challenge groups, a school form Oz, build a bridge, which the Mescot guys largely did!. When the intrepid group arrived Andrew was surprised to see me, i thought Han might have mentioned it, anyway I joined with the group which was all from one school in reading. It was similar to what I had done set up the hamocks, an evening boat cruise and then a night walk, unfortunatly not much was about except the scorpions that i cant stand.

It was an early start in the mornign for a morning walk then back to base after a morning cruise. Then it was ime for the cooking clas that i just watched. At which point Sara and Jo appeared. It turned out they had miss calculated their days and they were heading to Samporna that day. I said I would see them there as I wasnt diving for a couple more days, but it did promt me to call to check my diving was confirmed. I decided to have a nap first. As Han's group arrived Rosli (the boss) and Jai asked if i wanted to go ratan collecting, I had no idea wat it was but it sounded like fun, so i joined them and arranged to head to the jungle camp after. Ratan is a bit like a vine it is coated in thorns and is very long and strong. It is used like vine for making fish traps amongst other things. To collect it you cut at the root, wrap it around a tree and pull, the tree shaves off the thorns and the ratan can be several meters long. We spent a couple of hours doing this, it was fun for a shile but i woudnt want to do it everyday, i think the leeches would bleed me dry! I got back to the camp with noone here I chilled out, sitting by the ox bow lake as I was there a group of porbuscus monkeys went past across the lake it was so cool sitting there alone with that going on. After I called Scuba Junkies in Samporna to find out they had messesd up my booking but they fixed it so I coul still turn up on monday. After dinner we went on the night walk but Han's group had problems being quiet so we didnt see too much. After they all went to bed i sat up with han and the guides for a hile before heading to my hacmock for an interuped nights sleep.

As always in the jungle it was an early start. After breakfast the group went off on the mornign cruise while I headed back to the jetty to chill out. Again I watched the cooking class. Then chilled out. AT which point Zaza and some of the others returned form thw jungle where they had been for a few days with a welsh group. After a ew games of uno it was time fro a nap before the afternoons volleyball game. From there I went to my homestay this time on the edge of the village at Era's house. Era is 15 and does the dancing in the culture show. That evening there was a culture show for 3 groups interepid, the welsh group and another. Era wasnt dancing but like me she was going to chill out and chat to the others. I hadnt been to an evening culture show but everyone is expected to wear traditional dress, which is like sliky pajamas for the biys and for the girls well its frumpy!! The show I had seen before, btu the wlesh group had prepared their own contribution which included a duet form two of the biys. I was in the middle of the jumgle listing to the most amazing welsh singing, it was surreal. The Mescot guys had never heard anything like it, it was cool to see their reactions too! However it was a late night by village standards and having been up at 6 to go to bed at midnight was late, espically as i was sharing a room with Era and her phone was going until well after midnight!

The next morning was an earlyish start as we were leaving for Samporna at 8, I said my goodbyes to the Mecost guys, with a promise to return after I had been diving. The bus journey took 3 hours. While on it I realised the south african in Han's group had been working with Michelle, and old school friend of mine, in south korea, its a very small world! One I arrived to samporna I sorted out allt he dive etails and bumped into Sara and Jo I also had to pick up my credit card which i had left in KK and had been posted on to me in Samprona. After all that I had a nap. I explored samporna and realised what a small place it was with nothing there except the dive shops and their bars and the local side of things. Its not a place to hang around too long!After my explortions I met up with Sara and Jo for dinner which was a disappointing and over priced pizza then I went over to where they were staying where i was moving to in a few days as there was not enough room where i was but had booked for, Scuba junkie organisation!! Then we went ofr a few drinks at junkies but moved onto turtel tomb bar, anoter dive shops bar, where we played drinking games. I met up with Han for a late night drink before heading to bed as I was diving in the morning.

I was diving on Marbul island that day. The weather was bit rough but we eventually got out there. I had to go down first to do some refresher skills as I hadnt dived in 4 years. After getting over my bouyancy issues i got down and did the relevant skills. The first dive we did was on artificial reef, which is wat it seems. The diving isint great visibility but the macro side is great. This means there are lots of little things to look at rather than big things, which sometimes is more interesting. After the first dive there was an hour of surface time before our second dive off the jetty, again it as macro stuff and visibility wasnt great but it was good ot be diving again. After lunch, where the girlg doing her rescue diver didnt get much of a bret for orquard divers drowning, we headed off for the 3^rd dive. However I couldnt equlise, not a good thing, so didnt make it. So i sunbathed instead. Back at the shop that evening I knew I had a cold brewing and it didnt bode well with diving the next day. I was supposed ot be out on Sipidan, where you need a permit and they are severly limited, so one of the guys gave me sudafed and i was banned from drinking which i didnt feel much like anyway. I had dinner with sara and jo and some of the others, then chilled out in the bar. I got an early night as i was worried i would not be healthy enough to dive.

The next mornign I moved my stuff over to dragon inn where i was mving to as junkies was full, but i was 50 sen short of the nights price as i needed cash so i couldnt check in, stupid system. I headed over to junkies in a foul mood and found out that there wasnt an instructor avaliable that day for sipidan, which i needed to do my advanced. SO i decided not to dive and luckly they could move my permit for the next day. So I headed back to dragon and crashed out in my massivly druged up state. I slept most of the day. Once awake there was nothing to do in Samporna so I checked my mail and bumped into Angel, one of Han's participants who was staying in town as she was going diving on Sipidan too. Angel and i went for a cocktail and then dinner. We ended up doing the quiz that night at junkies with some of the dive masters, we lost by half a point, gutting! But we did win the best name prize. It was off to bed after that as I intended to dive the next day cold or not.

Next morning the sea was rough, it took us ages to get out to Marbul, only half way to Sipidan. There we had to wait for a different boat to get us to Sipidan, but due to the weather it was very late so we did one dive on Mabul otherwise we wouldnt have enough time in the day for 3 dives. This was on artifiacl reef. This time it was for my advanced quilifiation and I had the underwater camera. But most importantly even with the cold I managed to get down. After that dive we met the boat to go out to Sipidan. The diving was amazing there. The visibality is at least 20m easily more and there is so much to see, everywhere there are turtles and pretty fishes, at least the cst from finding nemo and then some. I also saw reef sharks and a blue spotted ray. It was stunning. After lunch we went down to a cave and the diving was equally stunning. It was a long day and very tireing, and with my cold at times it was painful too, but well worth it. After i got back late I had dinenr the the usual guys at our usual roti place and then had an erly night due to ebing exhugsted.

Friday was to be my last day of diving as I wanted to head to KK to meet up with Han the next day. The weather was horrible and I only had to do 2 dives to finish my advanced. I intended to do no more as my cold was making diving painful. The first dive of the day I wasnt doing as it wa at artificial reef on Mabul and i didnt want to do it again when I only had 2 dives to do. I really wanted to do a night dive but i needed one more person as it needs a minimum of 2 people and so far there wernt any other takes. The 2^nd dive of the day was on froggies and I did that, it was a really good dive and probably my favourate as there were lots of sea slugs, my favourite! Then at lunch we met up with another boat which had a couple i had dived the previous day with on board. I knew they were intrested in a night dive and managed to pursuade them to conme. So I didnt dive in the afternoon either. However spending the day in the rain had not made my cold any better. I got back to the shop and killed half an hour before we headed out with Tino on the night dive. I wasnt popular for organising a night dive on a friday night espically as 2 of the dive masters had their celebrations for completing and passing their DM training. Anyway we went. The dive was amazing night dives are always interesting. However I had real trouble with equilising and it was very painful. I then had trouble with my bouyancy. So while it was an interesting dive it was probably the hardest I have found diving. Once I got back and had a cold shower I was starvng. I could also tell my cold was back with avengence. I had dinner with Sara and some of th others while the rest were in junkies drinking with the DM's, I went for one before calling it a night I had to be up at 6.30 to get the bus. I arranged to meet Sara and Jo in KK later in the week.

Next morning I got on the bus and sat on it for 10 hours feeling iller and iller in the AC. I was expecting to be met by Han at the bus stop but he didnt, I later found out he had been dinking sine 3 and was far too drunk. I got the bus into town and checked into the Borneo backpackers, which became my base for the next 2 weeks. I met two girls in the hostel who were heading off to the mountain the next day so we went fro dinner together, inbetween coughing I managed to eat a really good pizza, they went to bed i e a drunk han briefly then watched some Bond before bed.

16.8.08 12:00, comment

Vietnam

The evening turned out to be really good. Kris and I went to the Lunar bar which is just below KL tower, so mot as high but still good views of the city. We had our 4 cheese pizza which had the blue cheese on. Then we discovered it was ladies night in the bar. SO we got our eyebrows shaped for free, free eyelash extensions and a wax dipping treatment for our hands. It was great fun, then we got a free cocktail after that. We decided to head back after all the excitement as the last monorail was t 12, once back we crashed out, not before kris gave me a hitchkok tshirt (clean clothes!).

The next morning I finally did something touristy, I went to the Patronous towers, which are the two towers joined by a bridge (in Entrapment). It was a big disappointment. The is a massive and expensive shopping center and a park. That’s it. I decided to have a glass of wine and read the paper before heading back to the hostel. My intention was to pull an all nighter as I had to leave for the airport at 3am. However at 11 all the girls were asleep so I was left with one option, to chill on the roof bar. I found some conversation and at 3am I headed off in a taxi to the airport. Air asia is lovely and cheap but you don’t get a reserved seat or food. So you even have to fight to get on the plane if you want a decent seat, I wanted a window so I could sleep. This meant fighting! But I did get my window seat and my sleep.

I arrived into Hanoi and sorted my visa. I then sat a waited hoping I would recognize Lizzie form a year ago. I did. SO we caught up in the taxi to our hostel. The hostel was great, one of the nicest ive atayed in, and we headed straight out for an amble and lunch. We soon discovered me being veggie was going to make things a bit harder, it basically ruled out street food but its not impossible. We booked a hralong bay trip and headed to the prison where jhon mcaine was heald. Then we went to get tickets for the water puppet theater that night. We went across the lake to the pagoda (the first of many) and then headed back for a nap. I woke up for happy hour and got chatting to some of the pubs regulars, the hostel is run by ozzies so attracts a lot of ex pats so its interesting, there are a lot of ozzies teaching English in the area! As we left for the puppets it started to pour torrentially. We stopped at a shop to get kettle chips and cow cheese as a snak/dinner then ran to the theater. Inevtiabley we were wet when we got there, lizzie changes into my spare t shirt and I shivered. We bumped into people we had met through the day. And enjoyed kettle chips and cow cheese while watching the puppets that play in water. As it finished Lizzie decided she was jet lagged and crashed, I chilled out in the bar a bit longer but soon followed suit.

Early the next morning we went off to Halong bay, it is a 3 hour drive form Hanoi. Once we got there we transferred to our posh junk boat, it was very luxurious. First we got lunch, the vegetarian selction was not as good as it should have been (cabbage and rice) but the others had great food, large amounts of seafood and other stuff I couldn’t have. After lunch it was sunbathing until we reached some lime stone caves. After the caves we went kyacking, me and lizzie got bored half way but couldn’t get a ride back so had to do some work! After that it was swimming and chilling out. Then the drinking started, we had some local rice wine with us which got lizzie drunk enough to join in on the KArkaoe, while I hid in shame! The rest of the night was chilling on the top deck, avoiding the karoke and watching the drunk Irish guy get into trouble for swimming at midnight.

Crazyily early the next morning we had to leave the room and so sun bathing was the only option, then lunch and then back on the bus back to Hanoi. Once there we chillied out until our 11pm train to Hue (pronounce hwae). We had a few drinks some dinner and then we headed off. AS I was leaving I got offered a months work at the backpacker, when I didn’t have any plans so I might take it as I need the money. Then we picked up some English guys who happened to be in our berth on the train. They had planned ahead hand had baguettes, fake cow cheese and other stuff to make sandwiches. They also had tonic but had lost the gin! It deffintly made our train journey more fun. The trains were much more luxurios than India, you get a door and everything, even a man selling eggs! The next morning around 10 we made it to Hue and got off the train leaving the boys to go onto Hoi an. We found a hotel and set off exploring. We first went to the market and found some street food that I could eat as we could see what it was. After that we went to the forbidden city (it is forbidden as it was for the royal family only) we had a crazy cyclo tour of the city, part of which I cycled, then we went around the royal place, by which point we were very hot and very tired. As w decided to leave we met a dutch girl who we arranged to meet for dinner. It was good food in the ra\estaurant but we couldn’t find any after dinner ice cream so we headed off to bed.

The next morning we got some motor taxis to take us to some of the further away sights. We went to the famous pagadoa then to a big tomb on the outskirts of the area. After that we tried to get to the Ho Chi Minh museum but it was closed so had a long lunch bfore our bus at 2pm. On the bus we met Abra and Rachel, both Londeners. The 4 of us hit it off instantly and chatted all the way to Hoi An (4 hours) much to the rude French mans distaste. In Hoi AN we checked into a hotel and washed for dinner. After a few free cocktails (just enough to be tippsy) we headed off for dinner. MA and Abra let Lizzy and Rachel lead us 20 mins in the worng direction before we got a taxi back to where we wanted. We had a great dinner with lots more wine, even if we did get a little rowdy, then we headed to a bar for drinks. There me and Rachel qued for the pool table and talked the talk but got bored before our turn so walked out! So we headed back to the hotel to swim and drink the vodka the girls had left over from harlong bay. It was great we swam for around 2 hours, not notcing until the next day the quiet after 10 pm sign.

The next morning we all had breakfast and went looking for a tailor. Hoi An is famous for getting clothes made. I was not going to bother until Rachel offered to take it back to the UK fr me as she was going home from hoi an, it was a much appreciated offer. We went to the tailor, Rachel and abra were prepared. I ended up getting a beautiful coat made, which the girls all got dresses. We were due back the next day for fittings. In the mean time we were on a miss universe hunt as they were in town for a parade that night!! We explored the old colonial city and enjoyed they old houses and pretty things. The girls were window shopping using me to do the bartering. We had a great lunch in a French place and then went back to the hotel to chill before our cooking class, which I got bullied into. So we went to the cooking class which was more a demonstration, the chef got us to assist a bit like a blue peter demonstration. The best part of the class was discovering the locl rum which had a hint of vanilla, I asked to be left with the bottle, I only got a glass. Though we did have wine as we felt you cant cook without wine! After the cooking class we got to eat what had been demonstrated. Then as it turned out our restaurant was along the path the miss universes were taking. SO we got a bucket of Mojito to watch them go past, it was great fun critising and getting into the whole thing! After the parade we went for more cocktails and the longest pool game ever with a 17 yr ild guy we met who dad didn’t mind him tagging along with a group of tippsy girls! After another bar and ice cream we decided we should go for a swim in the now torrential rain. SO back to the hotel and another bottle of vodka, but then we discovered the local rum for sale in the bar! So after drining that and swimming in the now stopped rain I went to bed.

The follo0wing morning I discovered Pat, the 17 year old, had had an orquard night crashing in the other girls spare bed as he could not get out at 2am, he apparently was not sure what to do when sneaking out at 7am! We all went for breakfast then to our fitting, my coat was beautiful, if a little eweired to be trying on at 38 degrees! Then we went back into town for more shopping, and so I was left to yet more haggling! After lunch we headed back for the girls fitting and then the stress began. Lizzies clothes had not fit so well, her dress had turned out badly so we were getting adhustments made well into the 11^th hour, we all did what we could but it was left to the tailor. We had a rushed early dinner together then it was goodbyue as Lizzie’s dress was delivered to the hotel just before our bus arrived. Abra and Rachel promised to come and visit me in Brum so they could come to the black country museum! And so began our first night bus. It was very luxurious except for the vitenamese music that played until 12 and started again at 4.30am. We didn’t really sleep. On the bus was a guy we went to harlong bay with who we kept bumping into and a irish guy who told us about a home stay he was doing, which tempted me a bit too much.

We arrived in to Nah Trang at 7am, but 7.so I had organized the home stay. We were using a hotel to wash and dump our big bags. Then we did a motor taxi tour of the 3 main sights, the sleeping buddah where we sat in a bell to help us with good dreams and the temples a bit like ankor wat, then we went to the mud baths. Lizzie had 2 hours of treatment while I slept by the pool. SO after we left the hot baths we had a quick lunch before our 1.5hour baike journey to Jungle bay home stay. It was an amazing journey through the hills along the greenest paddie fields ever and just past some beautiful scenery. We were expecting a homestay a bit like I had in Borneo, traditional village with a beach. But no it was a Canadian guys place which he had built along the beach with separate huts, it was basically a hotel on the beach, but well worth the effort. I made it before Lizzy who’s driver had haug back to wait for us and we had driven straight past them without either of us noticing. Once we had all arrived we headed staright for the beach to chillout and enjoy the last of the afternoon sun. We met up with Paddy the Irish guy we had met on the bus and there we about 20 others at this homestay, it was great to relax. Dinner was a communal affair and all home made it was really good and part of the lure that keeps people there so long. After dinner everyone sat around drinking and chatting and due to the numbers of Irish there I got my Irish whistle out, oddly I was the only one that could play! Before I crashed out I went to look at the stars and the luminesance in the water.

The next morning after an amazing breakfast it was a hard day spent on the beach enjoying the sun and just relaxing. We had to head back to town that afternoon for our bus to HCMC (Ho Chi MIngh City) so we left arounf 4. Lizzy’s bike got 2 flat tyres and eventually we had to get a different bike to take her the last stretch into town. Once in town we made a quick visit to a brewery bar in the hope that I might find decent beer, no chance. It was better than tiger but no where near british beer standards!! So eventually we got on the bus to HCMC which was less luxourious than the last one but much quieter!

We arrived into HCMC at 6am and just sat in a café while I went around the hotels trying to get us the best price. Eventually we found one and washed and headed out. We decided to go to independence palace which was where the s. Vietnam president had lived while in power and had been reunification place until the country was reunified and then became independence palace. After that we went to the war remnants museum which is all about how badly America trashed Vietnam during the war, a happy place! After that we crashed out with exhugstion and had a plezent nap. Then we had a late lunch before doing booking for our planned trip the next day. Lizzie wasn’t feeling great so we headed back top watch bad films on our cable TV!!

The next morning we got up and headed on a trip to the cu chi tunnels, wehre the Vietcong hid from the Americans in a series of underground tunnels. It was an interesting trip but took 2 hours to get there and hour there and then 1.5 hours back. It was a lot of traveling. The coolest part is that the army allow you to shot heavy artillery there, but its expensive it’s a $1 a bullet for an AK47, I decided it would be cheaper in Israel!! After the tunnels we had lunch and went to the local market for lizzie to stock up on gifts for home. Then it was dinner followed by the bar across the road that was rubbish and bed.

So today was the day of our big trip to the Buddah theme park!! We got on the bikes to get out there payed our entrance fee and enjoyed. The theme park has largely buddish themed rides and design to the park, so there is a turtle in the middle of the lake and the dragon roller coaster. We particlly wanted the 7 levels of heaven ride and the hell ride. You can also feed crocodiles there which I was very excited about. We had a small problem as once we had paid to get in we had to then pay ofr additional rides and we didn’t have too much cash on us, but we worked it out! We went on the rollercoaster, which was a big disappointment and then we fed the crocs. It was great if a little cruel. You get given a fishing line with some meat on the end and dangle it into the enclosure teasing the crocs to jump up to get at it. I couldn’t tease them and so lost my meat quite quickly but the locals could make a piece last for a very long time. After teasing the crocs we went looking for the heaven and hell rides. We walked around the park and found the cheesiest temple EVER and also the cool statues for the chinease years and the various Buddah statues. As we were looking for the heaven and hell rides we stumbled across the show that happens in the middle of the day, we have no idea wat it was about but involved a cast of around 30 and lots of stage fighting, it was a health and safety nightmare! After the show there was a parade through the park, the closest description we could find for it was Disney land on acid! It was surreal with pig elephant corssed animal dressed people and floats with oversized fruit and women on, it was crazy, but fun! After this we found the heaven ride which was disappointing and the hell ride that ended with buddah being great, it was weird. After this we decided we were buddadh’d out so headed back into town. After a nap we bumped into James the ozzie who had been following us around and arranged to meet him for dinner. After dinner and parting with the nicest cat ever we headed for drinks in a very expensive bar. In there we met so birtish boys who were going to a stret bar with cheap home brewed beer so we followed them and had a few drinks before calling it a night as we had to be up early to head for the airport the next day.

16.8.08 11:58, comment

moving on

So after an early night I woke up at 5am for the sunrise boat trip along the Ganges. At sunrise more people are doing the Purga ritual and while it is very busy there is an odd serenity about it. I really enjoyed the sunrise trip. As it was only 7am and not too hot we took a walk along the gats themselves. I met a guy selling flutes and spent half an hour sitting by the river playing flute, it was very cool! After that I decide to nap before meeting some girls who were going for classical music lessons. There are a lot of music schools in Varanasi and if I had known earlier I might have had a flute lesson. After they went to their lesson I went to chill in the German bakery. On the way back to the hotel I shopped a bit before heading off for my train to Agra, which was 2 hours late.

The train was lots of fun, there was me and another girl traveling alone and a mother and daughter traveling together. As the train started to leave the family of the girl with her mum were still on the train and as they ran off all of us started to laugh. We chatted a bit, but I was really tired form my early start and so tried to go to sleep, but the mother insisted I have some food first. I have learnt not to argue with an Indian mother so I just gave in! At 1am I got woken to be told I was in the wrong bed, but I just rolled over and went back to sleep. We arrived at Agra an hour and a half late so my plan to get to the Taj Mahal for opening at 6am was shot.

I got to my hotel, with an amazing view over the Taj, and was sitting thinking about breakfast when I heard an ozzie voice behind me asking if he could get a beer for breakfast. I asked to join them. Viki and Richard had been on the same train as me and also didn’t feel like it was breakfast but more like a very late dinner, so we had beer with our food. After, they went to sleep while I went to explore. I called Tushita to see what she recommended to see. She told me to call her family friend Hermant who works in the hotel sector in Agra. I called him and he arranged to come meet me. He met me and took me to the Agra fort and was my personal tour guide, he then took me home for lunch. After that I went back to the hotel to sleep. When I woke up I had dinner with the ozzies and some British gap year boys. I arranged with the boys to meet at 6am to go to the taj together the next morning.

So after another early start it was off to the Taj, the most expensive tourist attraction in India! We decided to get a guide too so that we fully enjoyed the experience. The Taj is very impressive and imposing however the inside is a big disappointment, probably because the British stole everything of any value! The guide was useless and didn’t tell us much we couldn’t read on the boards. However there was a couple of Americans we saw as we went in, he had a gadget that takes photos form a distance and she was getting fed up of stopping every five mins, Id chatted to them a bit. However as were sitting getting our moneys worth out of the view she came up to me and explained that he had proposed and had photos the whole way round, it was very cuter and the ring was huge. After we left the Taj and had breakfast I went with one of the British guys to explore down the side of the Taj by the river, this is free and the view is almost as good! We discovered police keeping the Taj safe by playing cards and we explored the bush around the area. After this we headed off to Siknah another Mausoleum in a different style. On the way there our outo driver started talking to another driver who also had tourists in the back, so we chatted to the tourists. This then led to some rivalry between drivers to get there first. We lost. At Siknah we were chatting to the others who were Dutch Med students who had been working in Hydrabad for 3 months and were now touring before going back. They had a crazy driver, Wassem who was a proper womanizer whos girlfriends totaled 3062! On they way back from Siknah we ended up having a wacky races style race with autos through Indian traffic, then one of the Dutch guys decided he wanted to drive so at a light jumped into the from seat, it was a lot of fun!! After we lost them we had to go into 4 shops to get a good price on the auto as he got commission in each shop. In the 2^nd shop I found the other British guy that we had left sleeping in the hotel, it was very random! After looking at l9ots of stuff I didn’t need, including a beautiful leather jacket at an amazing price, I went back to sleep. I wake up and was chatting to the ozzies when Wassem appeared in our hotel, he had seen me from the roof of the Dutch guys hotel. I joined them to go to the baby taj, another mausoleum in a similar style to the Taj. On the way there I sat helicopter (next to the driver) and drove part of the way, I really want an auto!! After looking round the baby taj we went behind the real taj to take some photos at sunset. After all this I went back to have dinner with the ozzies and played a game of carom. We decided to get a bus to Delhi together in the morning.

So next morning after tea looking at the Taj we headed off. We luckly got to the bus as it was leaving so there was no hanging around. It was an uneventful journey, though I was a little scared when the heavy rain started and I realized the bus had no wipers! But we made it to Delhi by 3 and so I got an auto to Tushitas. Once there I had a little nap, caught up on my emails and gave my washing to mama Tushita, there was a washing machine!! Tushita’s mum is part of a Bengali group who perform plays and they were rehearsing while we watched TV. When papa Tush got back from work he had tickets fro the cricket match the next day, I was SOOOOOO excited!

The next day we woke up to rain, not drizzle, heavy rain. It was not a good sign for the match that night! Eventually as the rain stopped around midday we headed off shopping. Tushita took me to the cool places in Delhi. Then we met Sanjay for lunch along with one of Tushita’s friends. After lunch we went to the train station to book a ticket to Amritsar. Once we had done that we went to buy a cricket shirt for my team, who were playing that night, then we went to meet papa tush who was giving us a ride to the cricket!! As we got to the car the rain started, and then it got worse. It was the first game to be a washout and they took 4 hours to all it off, by which time we were very cold and wet, to top it off there wa no refund on the ticket. We were not happy. After we managed to escape the crush from the stadium we got back very late.

The next day the weather was beautiful! I decided to got the the red fort in town. It is very similar to the fort in Agra, so there wasn’t that much to see. As I was leaving I was talked into a ‘tour’ of the area on a cycle. I was taken to the market area and I realized I had seen more than enough markets in India and was not easily impressed by anything. I got annoyed as I was taken into material shops even though I told the guy I had enough clothes. It wasn’t so bad, I just think for me it wasn’t what I wanted to see. After I left that I was in Chandie Chowk one of the main markets. It was Friday evening and the Sikhs were having a big parade, not that I could work out why. After I got the metro towards Tushita’s I had to get an auto, none of which wanted to go my way, so I got the bus. Buses in Delhi are notoriously bad for women and this bus was no exception! One of the women with a seat helped me out by letting me sit down. Almost 2 hours after I left the metro I made it back to Tushita’s tired and frustrated. I had an early night as at 5am I was heading for my train to Amritsar.

So another 5am start and I got on the train. It was packed well past capacity as people were heading home for the weekend. I gave up my seat to a women with a baby and many around me thought I was weird for doing so, I was quite happy with my patch of floor. The father of the baby was concerned I would get fined for sitting by the AC area without out the proper ticket but I promised I would cross that bridge if it happened. Just as I was falling asleep he woke me to give me my seat back as they were getting off. A few hours later I was in Amritsar. I went straight to the temple to find somewhere to stay, I put my bag down and headed off to the border. Every night there is ceremony a bit like the changing of the guard, where the Indian and Pakistan guards take down the flags. It has become a tourist attraction. However NEVER go at weekends. It was crowded well beyond capacity. The Indian guards were being quite physical in keeping people back. I had shared a taxi with some cousins, one of which lives in Pune. We tried to keep together but women could go further forward than men, and me as a foreigner got pulled out and allowed to go to the front. The ceremony begins after some patriotic shouting from both sides, then there is a lot of goose stepping that would make John Cleese proud (apparently the high you kick the braver you are). The gates to both borders are opened, I thought about running through as im never going to be allowed in to Pakistan any other way! After the flags are lowered then everyone rushes forward to get a photo at the border. I tired to escape the mad crush and eventually met up with the pair form Mahrastra to find the bus back with. On the way back the van broke down many tiems and eventually, exhugsted and tired we had to find an auto to take us the last part back. I completely crashed out without dinner, id hardly eaten all day.

Amazingly even though I was exhugsted I got up and headed to the temple along with the rest of the Sikh's in the area. It was still busy at this time, and to top it off the sky was cloudy so there was no sunrise. Massivly dissapointed I went back to my room to sleep some more. When I got up I decided to go to the nearby park as it is a memorial to a massicar carried out by the British in around 1919 when a lot of Sikh's were killed. Its a really nice park so I thought I would sit and relax a bit, but within seconds I was surronded by a crowd of curious Inidans. I decided to leave and check my mail near by the temple. As I came out the sun was shining so I decided to take another lap of the temple to see the gold in the sun, its really impressive. While taking this lap a south african with Isreli parents, Yov, started talking to me. He had come from Daramsalah over night to seethe temple. We went to the loca museum after the temple and then to the old plance which is now a collage, its a bit like the Indian version of Hogwarts! After this we went back to the temple area for dinner and then climbed one of the roof tops to try to get a good view of the temple at night, there wasn't a good view, so we went backw tot the temple itself. Each morning they start reading the holy oook and when thye finish they have a ceremony when they put it to bed, we hung around for that and then went into the temple itself. Each sikhis supposed to go once on a pilgramage to Amritsar and for them it is a really holy place. When I was talking to one of tha staff about going into the temple he sadi I could go to the front of the 2 hour ques if I wanted as I am a tourist. I explained that I was just curious while these people had come a long wway for the spritual desire ad I would not feel comfortable jumping the que. I have not been to another pilgramage site except Jwrusalem, but there I belong, here I felt a little orquard as I didn't really belong. However after the book had gone to bed we went into the temple which was a hive of activity of cleaning. It is an amazing building and well worth hanging around unil 11pm, I can't describe it but lavish yet respecful are the best I can do.

The next morning I met Yov for a late breakfast, e ent o the communial kitchen. The Sikhs belive in feeding people and the kitchens here but every Friday night I've been to to shame. They feed around 75000 people a day and alL The food is freshly prepared and really good! As you enter you are given a plate, spoon and cup. Then you sit in long lines while the food is distributed, these guys make large food distribution look easy, I'm suggesting we hire the person who organises it for disaster relief! After breakfast I siad goodbye to Yov and went back tot he park. This time I sat to read to kill time before my train, I found a reallly seculded spot, but within seconds I was surronded by 20 curious women of which one spoke english, and the rest spoke at me in Hindi. I was sitting on the floor and it was really intimidating, the didn't move even when I was on the phone! Sonali found all this hilarious, I was more scared! After a finial lap of the temple it was off on a 8 hour train journey back to Delhi. I managed to catch up on the office gossip, even before some of the office guys, Charu was impreswed with my ability to know things before him still!One of the calls I got was from Yaniv, the ISreli I met in Pune who was now in Delhi and leaving the day after me. He was staying righ by the trainb station and had a spare bed in his room, so rather than treck back to Tushita's at midnight I decided to crash at his. After dinner and catching up we both slept as we had both had long days.

The next day I had to get my ticket reissued as one part of my journey had been cancelled since I book the ticket last May, this took a while. After that I went shoppig with Yaniv who needed clothes to wear when he got home, he tried on everything in many shops. I was supposed to have alunch or dinner date that got put back to the next day, so as a thank you Yaniv bought me dinner (yak cheese salad) in a tibetian place, it was really good. So after a giggly and silly evening I left back to Tushita's.

The next morning I gathered the last of my washing and packed my bag. After saying goodbye to Tushita and her mum I headed into town. I left my bag at Yaniv’s hotel as it is nice and central and then mooched around the central market area. I was meeting Anubha for lunch, she was the lady from the times of India who had interviewed me in Jaipur and we had really got on. SO I got the metro to meet her then we went to the Bengali market for lunch. She asked me what food I was used to then ordered lots of things I hadn’t tried (apparently she did this with all her forgoten friends) it was really good, the food was excellent! I even got my plate of Gellebi to finish! It was a really nice lunch and I was really greatful but Anubha insisted on buying me a leaving present so we headed to CP to mooch aound the trinket shops. However I had bought everything I waned that wasn’t too expnsive so she bought me some cheap bangles and then some more expensive silver ones, that I couldn’t afford! This is why I love India, people you hardly know, but instinctively know you like will go well out of their way to help you or make you feel at home. I know next time im visiting I will call Anubha as even though we don’t know each other well we are friends. So Anubha had to go back to work so I headed back to the bazaar walking anyway, as I was in no rush and enjoying my last few hours in India. After sorting a taxi to the airport and enjoing the sights and sounds I was used to I met Yaniv for dinner and to use his shower. After he ate (I was still too full) it was goodbye and off to the airport! A the airport I made lots of phone calls and some finial farewells literally up until they closed the doors of the plane. The flight was uneventful, I had 3 seats to myself and it was Singapore airlines, so very luxurious. After a film I slept the majority of the way, to find myself early morning in Singapore.

I killed an hour at the airport before getting a taxi to the bus stand. I was not stoping in Singapore this time instead I was going straight on the Kualar Lumpar (KL). The bus goes for 20 mins then you get off and get you passport staped at the sinapore side, drive for 5 mins then do the same at the malysian side. Then its 5 hours through to KL. I did 3 countries in 24 hours! At KL I checked into the first hostel I could find. By now id been traveling for 24 hours and was knackered. But I tried to walk around KL, got lost so headed to the bar across the road from the hostel. It was a European style bar, and the first I had been into on my own for months. It was safe and such a refreshing change!! I treated myself to a VERY expensive guiness and pizza. While in there I played pool with other travelers, my first games in around 6 months, it was so good to do something normal!! Eventually I crashed as I had an early orning flight over to Borneo.

At 5am I was up to get a taxi to the bus to the airport. I checked into my flight and kicked back with breakfast. It’s a 2.5hour flight to borneo from KL, longer than I expected. Once there I got a taxi to the hotel that I was meeting the Intrepid trip at the next day. As I was checking in another girl from the trip, an ozzie called Michelle, was going shopping. She filled me in on all the stuff I didn’t have but needed to climb the mountain, I asked her to hang on and joined her to the shopping center. I had booked the trip a year earlier and had thought nothing more of it, I had no idea what I needed! So I bought gloves and a new tourch as id lost mine, I also bough a new smaller purse to downsizer from my everyday one, after all I was now on holiday!! After that we ate lunch and headed back to nap, we had arranged to meet for dinner and maybe a film. However I was asleep. As michelle was gone ahen I woke up I decided to head to the water front ot explore the nightlife and the fish market. I got a tuna steak form there and then headed to the irish bar for a pint of Killkeny, it was expensive, but soooo good! I chilled there for a whiel then went to the English bar, where I was drinking with some ozzies before turning in for the night.

The next morning I had no plans I decided to wake up late. It was th official start of the trip but not until tha evening so I went to the day market to have a mooch. After exploring I chilled in coffee bean, which was just like in Israel but in Borneo! And then went back to the hotel with the paper. My room mate had taken the key so I had to break into the room, then I blew the fuse trying plug in the TV! Eventually I just chilled the paper until Faye got back. Then we went to the group meeting. There are 12 people on the trip and the Intrepid leader is Han a local. The majoprity of people are from the UK and Oz with one amerian. That night we all went for dinner at a Maly/Indian place. I was not impressed, it was an Indian with no vegie selection! Anyway after dinner we went ot the big harvest celebration in the park near by, we didn’t see much, except the president making a long speech, so we left. I had decided to go to iniana jones that night so han and I set off to find out times. We decided on the 11.50 howing so killed an hour with a few of his local friends drinking cold coffee and teaching me maly. The film was a dissapointment and han slept through most of it. At 2.30 I got to bed!

The next morning we had free time before heading off to a local village. I went to the Sunday market as I wanted to by the tribal flute I had seen the previous night. Its like bagpipes made from gourd and much smaller, its very cool! I also saw lots of pets in the market, one poukie lookalike who had to be fanned to keep cool! After breakfast there I headed back to meet the other for our departure to a local village. We drove for an hour on the main road then we changed into 4x4 for the half hour ascent to the village up a hill. We arrived to the village to be greeted with traditional dance and music. The kids did the dancing and of course we got a chance to make fools of ourselves having a go. Then we tried the gongs that provide the music, there are about 8 gongs of different pitch doing different rythms, I really like them! Aftre that we went up the hill to the house of our mountain guide for Mt. Kinablou, half the height of everest. We clambered up to his house, up a very steep track made fot goats and locals!! We got there and had an amazing dinner followed byt rice wine. Many of the locals joined us for the rice wine and there was much merriment to be had! Not only singing of the Kinablou song but our attempt at the local dancing got worse!! Anyway as we clambered back down the track I was learning the Kinablou song for our ascent in 2 days time!

The next morning we went back up the path for breakfast and this time we did meet Sepingi our guide as had returned form the hospital, where he had been with his daughter. After out breiing and breakfast we headed for an amble around the village and were given a change to buiy sticks and water carriers for the hike. Once we were back we went for the 40 min drive to the national park and tha base fo the mountain. We had an afternoon here to explore. However I had woken at 4am that moring for no good reason and not made it back to sleep, so I napped in the luxury accommodation. From the rooms we could see the mountain and for th efirst time I began to question my abilities! It has a granite peak. Thhe walk is only 8 km in total, however it is 3095ft up and preffty muh the last .5km is using ropes! Anyway after a plesent dinner it was off to bed to sleep befreo the ascent….

We started around 8 for breakfast, from which I stole my lunch. Then we were bused to the start. We started in a group but after 1km we split up more based on aspeed. Me and rex were about similar pace so we stucjk to gether. It is mainly steps up and the first Km is fairly easy it just goes on though. We had 6km to do that day before we hit the rest point for the night. I intended to take 5 hours. Which we pretty much stuck to. It was faily uneventful walking, but we made it. At the rest point we had tea and a hot shower, then waited for the other to trickle in. Some had oppeted for a different route which is longer bt apparently more pretty, not that the weather allowed for a view. The last person was back at 8pm, after about 7 hours of walking. We killed time by playing Uno, when the last person was back the guide with hime, Binka, got spoiled by everyone as they thought he had been there sooo long, he told me later that he is usede to it! So we were all in bed around 9 we were starting the ascent at 2.30am to make it for sunrise!

At 2am we were up, with something small to eat we were off in our warm clothing and headtorches. The first part of the ascent is just more steps then about 1km in it becomes ropes up the granite face. Its hard going and Binka made it look easy skipping up the rock without touching the ropes!! I was getting gtired and my knwee was huring a lot. I got up to 8km (3095ft) before I had to call it a day, I was 700m from the summit, however I could nolonger put any weight on my knee. What too me 2.5hours to get up took as long to get down. In a lot of pain and with Binka teasing me all the ay down I made it for breakfast at 9! I didn’t eat mucha s I was dreading the 6km I had to get down avoiding bending my left knee! With Binka and Sepingi helping me down though I headed off, there was only one way down! I was given a stick and just stuck in every 500m there is a rest stop and to begin with I didn’t stop as I wouldn’t start again. After the first km it wsnt too bad so I just kept going. At the 2^nd km I was almost being carried with the stick and Binka supporting me,, I had no idea how I was going to get down. By the 3.5 mark the pain was so bad I just ignored it and pushed myself down. For the last km I didn’t notice the pain untiul I got to the bottom sat down and tried to get up again! But I made it down., I think it was more of an achievement than getting up! Once we were down we went an hour away to pouring hot springs, natural sulphur springs, fro 2 nights. Once we were there we all dumped our washing ate and crashed! I didn’t even manage to last until my food came I just asked for it in a container and went to sleep.

The next morning we all looke like cripples going up and down the stairs, I felt like id been hit by a bus! Eventually I made it to the springs and it helped no end, I was able to bend my knees after half an hour (luckly Jo on the trip is a physio and for the last 2 days had been the group doctor!) and then decided I wanted some more sleep. After a nap I had a liquid lunch of beer then went to see the larget flower in the world, that smells of rotting flesh. Annoyingly you couldn’t smell it but it was pretty impressive (unfortuantly at this point I found out my camera had died so I have no pictures!) Then I went with Murry and Holly (ozzie father and daughter) to the butterfly farm. Form there we tried to see jackies, the wild orang utan that comes to be fed sometimes around the aprk, ut she wasn’t interested, they said to try again at 4.30. We went back to rest, all the walking was too much, and I finlly got round to reading one of the trashy magazines Anubha ahd given me in India to read on my travels. AT 4.30 Murry and I attempted to see Jackie, but she wasn’t interested so I went for another dip in the springs with rex beforte packing up. After dinner we had a mammoth Uno tournament which saw us get kicked out the restaurant we payed until late.

Next morning it was off to the jungle!!!! We had a 5 hour journey partly by taxi, partly by bus. Then we made it to the river. After another granite climb down we were at the center to start from. We had an overnight bag, boots and a hammock and off it was in the boat. From the boat it was a 10 min walk to the camp, being cautious of leeches! It was just like im a celebrity. We had to put up our hammocks then we chilled out round the mossie coils playing uno (I also light my candles in the jungle!!)! After dinner we went for a night walk and saw frogs, spiders, millipedes, lizards and head the orang utan. It was very cool! I found one leech on my back that got removed and then it was off to bed. As I was clambering into my hammock th eants kept eating me which supprised me so I cried out to find Han come running to see if I was ok. I was relieved he cared, but assured him I was fine!

After a relatively comfortable night in the hammock we got up for an early cruise along the river. We saw Hornbills, big nose monkeys, smaller monkies and eagles. It was very cool. After breakfast and taking our hammocks down we went for another crusise the other way to see the orang utan. He was a lot less ginger than I expected. But at least we saw him, unlike the crocodile or python Han promoised me!! After the cruise we headed back to the village to go on a short walk to some ancient burial caves. They forgot to mention the 200 odd steps! It was intresting. It was where the head hunters were burries in open caves inside wododen coffins that had lastet the last 500 years. After this we got a quick wash before our cooking lesson. We had to make lunch. I leanrt how to make fried cucmber with egg. Not rocket science! After lunch, which we ate with our hands ( I had no problem) we had a culture show. It was more dancing and music with the local martial arts thrown in. It was really cool. After this we got ready for our homestay that night. At that point along the river there wasa boat toeing loggs from the forest. It was apparently legal but the amount o f wood being taken was astonishing it took at least 5 mins for the whole line to pass us! Anyway we set off to the village. Before we were going to our homes we had to play the locals at their favourite game, volley ball!! We were mostly rubbish! But it was a lot of fun. The kids were playing other gasmes such as badminton or skipping. It reminded me a lot of growing up in the Rusells and how we used to just play in the coldesac. I was staying with the local shop keeper along with murray and holly. It was right in th evillage center with a view over the volleyball, the best seats in the house! The shop keeper also happened to be our boat driver earlier in the day so we had already been introduced to hima nd his son! His wife bought us coffee and busicuits while we watched the games. While Jacobie went to pray his wife watched the shop and I went to see Han, our diagonal neighbour for the night, who bought me a corn on the cob. Then it was back to the houses for dinner, which was ‘vegetarian’ as prawns arnt meat!! I had an after dinner ice cream with han and some of the others before we calle dit a night and slept, all the early mornings spoil the night life!!

The next morning we had breakfast with the family before leaving to meet back at the center for our finial off form the area. I got there to find one of the 3 3 week old kittens missing! Her mother wasn’t interested so we think she was taken by a dog. Then it was off. I had a great time in the village, it was some contented! Maybe ill live somewhere like that!! Anyway after a 2 hour journey we are now in a town where I can have something apart form rice or noodles for dinner, red wine and pizza here I come!! Then tomorrow it off to turtle Island to see….turtles!!!

18.6.08 04:18, comment