Day 113 and 114: Rum and VW

Day 113

We left the day unplanned today so we could so some bits with Phil and Sue but their jeep still isn't fixed so it's a day at Golden Sunset but it's probably not a bad thing after seeing how sun burnt we got yesterday.

Ben's determined to get his blog done so he ploughs his way through that whilst I get stuck in watching the election results with a suprise for me as our 18 year Lib Dem MP gets replaced with a conservative. I'm in shock and not in a good way. The day continues like this with me avidly refreshing the BBC and Ben finishing his Borneo blog when, at 4pm, Phil asks us if we want to meet him up the top for a drink of Tanduay Rum to watch the sunset, we both jump at the chance.

Now Tanduay is a local deadly rum that even at its most expensive only costs £4 for a litre. We are starting on the 12 year stuff tonight and it's instantly deadly. Their Swedish friend Linus joins us and he's very funny and soon the evening starts blending into one for me. I know we order food but I don't know what and I know we talk and laughed but I couldn't tell you what about. It became apparent the evening needed to come to a close when I can't walk straight and I know I'm going to be paying for this in the morning. 

Day 114

Urg. Just urg. Last night was good but oh my we are paying for it this morning. I somehow managed to injure my shoulder last night and I can't quite lift it above my head this morning. Our only plan for today is to go to a launch party thing for a fibreglass boat builder and luckily that's not till about lunch time so we hide in our pit until then. 

We are going in Goldie which is Phil and Sue's fabulously converted Beetle that has been stretched, it's amazing! We jump in the back and enjoy the scenery again but we haven't been driving for more than 5 minutes before Phil lets us know that the breaks failed for Sue early today and she nearly crashed into a tree. Hmm. It's only a couple of minutes after that, that thr car starts to make an odd noise. We drive a little further before it starts to smell and we pull over. Turns out the bearing has gone on the front right wheel and the wheel looks like it's coming off, eek. There is a mechanic nearby and he's going to check it out but it means we need to take a jeepney to the party. Now these are odd little things, similar to a motorbike tuk tuk in Thailand but a slightly different shape and they lean pretty low at the back. Even lower when Phil and Ben get in. The party isn't too far down the road so it's not too bad a ride. The oddness of our day doesn't stop there as this party is just strange. It's full of Expats with their wives and corrupt mayors and officials and more annoyily they have run out of food and there's not beer! We don't stay long.

The car still isn't fixed by the time we need to leave so we grab another jeepney into town where we wait for a bigger truck to take us all the way back. Whilst we wait we grab some delicious caramelised banana on sticks and wander round the market. It's whilst we are pursuing that we get a call to say Goldie is fixed woohoo! So another short jeepney ride back to our golden chariot and then back home. We have a lovely dinner with Sue tonight as Phil isn't feeling too well and catch up. It's an early night though as we've got to be up at the crack of dawn for the market and I can't wait.

Day 111 and 112: Sunsets and Exploring

Day 111

An relatively early start today and yummy pancakes for breakfast, nom. We want to do a bit of exploring today so ask RJ, the manager is he's got a bike spare for us. He does, woo but after a frantic 10 minutes, it turns out they have mis placed the keys. No worries he says, you can use the jeep. Even better we think as Ben has never ridden a geared bike but then that won't start, eek. Luckily another bike is found for us and we can finally start the day.

First thing we want to have a look at is the hot springs which are only a short ride away from us. The scenery is incredible as we start to make it up the hill, both sides are full of towering palm trees and green plants, it's just beautiful. It's only 80p to get in and we head straight to a lower pool and slip in. The water is naturally lukewarm due to the volcano it comes from and it's so lovely. We stay in that pool for about an hour before moving up to the second, much cooler pool. Then up to a deeper pool which is warm again and then finally to the smallest but warmest pool right at the top. It's bliss and we stay for about 2 hours before our tummies rumble and we head back for so lunch.

We jump back on the bike again after noms but we haven't gone a few metres up the road when we both realise the bike is riding right. I get off and notice a bad flat at the back, ah it's just not our day for transport. We hadn't gone that far though so we head back, and RJ gives us the first bike to use, this time with keys :) We decide to head round the island and zip off westbound taking in all the sights, it's such a beautiful island and me and Ben are both a bit of agog at it. We get about a third of the way round when the lights starts to go down and we are running out of fuel so we head back. We catch another beautiful sun set and have dinner outside our room, very romantic.

Day 112

Phil and Sue are back today so we work out day around seeing them. Addicted to its white sands we decide to go back to the White Island this morning and book a boat. Learning from our lesson of the other day we only stay for 4 hours and try to not get too crispy (failed miserably at that) and sunbathe a swim all morning.

Once we head back, Phil and Sue have arrived! We don't want to bombard them straight away so grab some lunch then pop over and say hello. They welcome is with open arms, open a beer straight away and we catch up, letting them know all about our plans. As the sun fades and our sunburn turns redder it's obvious the 5am start Phil and Sue have had to get back here is taking its tole and we leave them to relax and go take in another beautiful sun set.

Day 109 and 110: Arriving in Camiguin and the White Island

Day 109

It was all going so well till about 20 minutes off from boarding after our 7 hours wait of not being able to check in without food and our 3 hour wait with norms, we get to our get just as the delayed sign appears, nooo. And it's not leaving for another 2 3/4 hours urg, it's a bit too much for our tired brains to handle so we go off to find a corner to nap, waking ever time a loud speaker starts, worried we will miss our flight. I mishear one and make us go back to our gate to find its the flight before, before ours they are calling and I get several glares from Ben. We do however get free breakfast as an apology and about 20 mins after than our plane arrives, a little earlier than expected.

The plane is tiny with only about 60 seats and it's so noisy but it's taking us to paradise so we just don't care. The plane comes in to land on a tiny air strip surrounded by thick trees to a tiny airport, just like I remember. Ben's a bit shocked by the size and even more so when we just pick our bags up from the runway, right next to the plane. We are staying when we are here with some friends of my Dads who have a resort place here, they are on the main land at the moment so can't come pick us up but they have arrange a taxi/jeepney thing for us and he's waiting just outside. 

The drive is about 15 minutes and so strange for me as familiar smells and sight trigger a flood of odd memories. It's drizzling as we turn up and my weird little memory forgot that the sand at the resort is brown, it's being volcanic, not white like I told Ben and it's weirdly puts a dampener on our moods, obviously nothing to do with the 36 hours without sleep. We crash out now, napping till 3pm when I wake us up for food. The weather has improved and so have our moods which go more so as we see the menu. It's got all manner of filipino food but it also has some staple British and I have a much craved jacket potato with beans and cheese with a glass bottle of coke whilst Ben does his usual, get something he doesn't recognise and gets a fish stew which he is well happy with.

We can only get wifi in the bar so we set up camp, check in with everyone and start to plan our trip. The time flies by and the sun starts to set and it's unbelievably beautiful. Ben gets loads of pictures which I've put below and gets all geeky with his camera settings. We eat after this and then go back to the room as the travels have caught up with us and we settle in ready for beginning out island adventure tomorrow. 

Day 110

Oh that sleep was well needed. I briefly wake at 7am but the duvet monster grabs me again and I finally properly wake up at 9. Though I would have sworn I was awake the whole time, even when the Ben turned into a bath.

We breakfast and then arrange a trip to the incredible looking White Island which we can see from our room. A cool little boat picks us up and within less than 10 minutes we have hit paradise. It's not really an island but a sand bank of the white and softest sand we have ever seen, surrounded by bright blue water and it was near empty. 

There are two sides which get separated by high tide and we stay on the first for half hour before moving over to the second, wading through the water to a side even more secluded. We have 5 hours here and we will the time wisely, with snorkelling, swimming and sunbathing. The temperature of the water here is amazing, warm enough to be amazing but cool enough to stop you over heating, we have both fallen in love. 

We hit maximum sun intake at about 4 hours and pack up and go hide under a tent until our boat man arrived. We have both caught the sun a lot so after a late lunch/early dinner, we hide in our room, filling out books and lounging until sun set which is even more impressive than yesterday.

Day 107 and 108: Boxing and Losing my Passport to a Sleeping Man's Foot

Day 107

After sleeping in and making postcards to send out to our loved on (PopCarte and ByPost are the best apps) we decide it's too late to do another island trip which is quite good as it saves a few pennies. So the plan instead is to catch a film and then watch the sunset from the Observation tower. We eat some lunch, glam up and head towards the mall. However much I want to, Ben won't let us watch Avengers again so we scroll through the choice of films and settle on Furious 7, I've not event any of the other ones but Ben's not sure it will be too confusing for me to pick up.

It has to be the worse, poorly acted, badly written, most entertaining film I've ever seen. Honestly, I laughed so hard at the cheesy lines and gawp at the fast races that even the bad bits became good. I'm not saying it will ever win an Oscar but it was a really good film to watch when your brain needs a rest and there was a really moving tribute at the end to Paul Walker who has died half way through the filming. We grab a supermarket stash of food and head back to our cave for our last night before heading to the Philippines tomorrow and a long wait in the airport.

Day 108

We are leaving the lovely lands of Boreno today so it's a morning of packing, well supposedly. You probably couldn't miss the build up to the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao boxing match in the UK which is on this morning for us. Ben's really keen on watching it and he had spent the last few days trying to find somewhere to watch it but the head of Malaysian TV has obviously been living in a whole for the past few weeks and hadn't heard of the fight apparently so no local TV was showing it. Majorly annoying so we had resigned ourselves to the fact we would only be able to get it in Twitter. 

This was until breakfast and a common room full of Fillipinos caught our eye. I'm putting toast in the toaster and Ben's making coffee when I hear a very American, Very boxing sounding commentator on the telly.

"Ben, psst, Ben" I whisper "I think the boxings on"

It can't be, he says, it's got to be WWE but as we go round the corner into the common area and we look up at the screen it looks like Ben's prayers have been answered, the cheeky Philipinos have somehow managed to get HBO and it was currently showing the pre fight fluff. Ben's in love. I get to bask in some of that love when I offer to pack up his bag for him and check us out so he can watch the fight. I know, I know I'm lovely. The hour and a half to myself means I get a little head space and chance to play some cheesy tunes that Ben can't handle. With both bags packed and us checked out, I head into the common room to find out that the big fight is just about to start and Ben is very drunk.

Turns out the Filipinos are as friendly as I remember and have been plying Ben with food and drink whilst they wait for the fight to happen. It's extended to me as well as I glut coke, and eat nuts whilst we boo and cheer as the fight goes on. I'm not qualified (as a non regular boxing fan) to comment on who should or should not have won but I do think Mayweather's way of fighting isn't that interesting to watch.

Once the fight is over and we've said our many goodbyes and promises to visit all of their home villages, I drag Ben into town to sober up with a Burger King and a lot of water. We were both pretty excited about going to the Philippines anyway but after spending the morning eight those guys we both now can't wait and are wishing away the next 24 hours till we are there. Relatively sober, we grab our bags and get a bus to the airport where we begin our long wait and epic travels to get to our final destination, Camiguin. KK airport is a little crazy with only one departure lounge for all the flights leaving and a lot of crazy Chinese families shouting at each other.

4 hours later we board our flight but we haven't finished take off when I realise my passport is no longer in my pocket. I know I had it on the flight but it's not on my chair, it's not in my bag and I'm starting to panic. As a last resort, I look under my seat and finally spot it just behind me, phew. I jumped down and awkwardly jam myself in between the seats and stretch under mine, my fingers nearly touching it and with a final push I know I will be able to reach it, when...the man behind's foot steps on it and pulls it back, under his shoe and out of my way. No amount of stretching is enough, with my fingers always being a few cms out and when I look up I realise that the guy is asleep. I trying and wake him but no response and I'm not so out to break a social faux par by touching a sleeping person.

I'm fretting a little as you can imagine but luckily a steward is passing and after a quick explanation from me, sets to retrieving it for me. The passport captive is in the window seat, the seat in the middle is empty and there is a confused looking Chinese man in the aisle seat. The steward asks him to move, meaning out but in a Monty Python styley, he does understand and shuffles into the middle seat that the steward is trying to get in to. All this kerfuffling wakes the Mr Sleepy, who looks a bit startled to find a steward and a pink haired girl staring at him.

"It's my passport" I say "it's under your foot" 

He looks at me confused, realises after a few seconds, then looks sternly at my saying "It's a very important document, you know" like I had threw it under is foot for a giggle, give me strength. I forgot to mention is this story so far that he is very over weight and as he leans down to grab my passport, his size won't let him so he awkwardly shuffles himself, bum in the air, wedging himself down and finally gets me my passport. Why he didn't just kick it to me I'll never know but I thank him all the same. 

Thankfully the flight is unevenly after that and we touch down in warm and dark Cebu. Knowing we have a lot of time to kill (10 hours in total, over night) here we meander through the airport and immigration. The guard on the counter, who are usually quite quiet and stern, is amazed by my hair and lets me know Katy Perry is in town and that I should definitely go and see her, so cute.

We grab out backs and make our way to domestic departures, we have a nervous 10 minutes when we realise we have forgotten to download our itinerary and have to steal some wifi from a closing cafe to get it. Once through first security, the hair causing a stir once again, we settle down as we can't check out bags in until 4 hours before the flight and decide to kill time till 2am when we can check in.

Day 105 and 106: Fishes and Dragons

Day 105

I don't know why but so many cheap rooms in Asia have no windows and this one is no different. We are also quite close to the reception so when I hear voices that sound like they are checking in, in my sleepy state I think it's morning. When it's actually 3.30am, how inconsiderate of them.

It's another blogging and trip arranging day which means we don't really leave the room, but it has to be done. These days sometimes feel a little like a waste but we do need them to sort everything out, getting the right (and cheap) hotels and transport. We head out for dinner and towards an Indian restaurant that Chris the German recommended. I got for a roti canai as why ruin a good thing? Ben's a little more adventurous though and go for a Masala Dorsi which is a huge stuff roti with super hot curry which even makes Ben gasp. We are treating ourselves to a Terminator night so grab some movie night snacks and head back for T2. I'll be back.

Day 106

After a day of rest yesterday, we are off island hopping again. We get down to the not so jetty a little late which means there's no one to share a boat with. We come to this bit because it's a little cheaper than the jetty but it doesn't mean they won't leave until the boat has at least 4 people, we wait for about half hour and it's looks like we are going to have to go find a more expensive place when a group of girls turn up who work in Singapore and they are happy to share, woohoo! 

We are going to go back to the same islands as we liked them so much last time but Sapi is rammed busy this time as it's coming up to a bank holiday. We have heard a rumour there's another beach around the corner and we scramble over some rocks and round the cove to find a near empty beach! We set up camp on a rock and don the snorkels. The fish aren't as plenty here but we still see some clown fish (this one a little more aggressive, by that I mean he swam at us in a "You what?!" Styley) loads of rainbow fish which I've found out are called Parrot fish and a really cool leopard print one. The masks are really failing now and between us we have only one good set so I give it to Ben and go enjoy the sun whilst he paddles round. 

We head back round when our stomachs start to rumble and we have just turn the corner to the main beach when we hear a commotion and I see something moving in the water, my first though it shark but it bobs it's head up and it's a monitor lizard!! Ben's so excited and we watch him as he comes to the shore. The locals have to ruin it though by chasing it and pulling its tail, grr don't they realise how lucky they are to have these animals? We didn't get any pictures and I know Ben's a little disappointed so when I hear a rustling at lunch, I get Ben straight away and there's another lizard right near when we are eating!! He's so cool and Ben is so excited, I can't wait for Komodo now :D

We grab the boat after and head over to the next island and shelter from the daily rain storm here under the trees, nattering away as we do. The boat ride back is a little rough so I'm glad once we are on firm land, I don't get sea sick but today was pretty close. Pot noodle for dinner tonight which is actually scrumptious and settle in for another film night, tonight's choice is Leon and I'm in awe of Natalie Portman, if you haven't seen it you must.

Day 103 and 104: Puppies and Islands

Day 103

Jacks off on holiday today so there's no new climbers. You would think this would mean a lay in but he's up at the crack of dawn and sets off his car alarm.

We get up, play with the puppies a little more and wait for everyone else to wake up. We are leaving the mountain today and as there is a few of us we're going to get a taxi bus thing together. We wave goodbye to Jack and the mountain and we are down in a record  time of an hour and 45 minutes. We've shared the ride with Chris and the 2 Norwegians who are funny but don't half like to let you know all their random bits of knowledge.

We check back in to the hostel we were in before and catch up with the world till hunger strikes and we grab some food at food court, well Ben does as vegetarian isn't on the menu. The good thing about Bonibon (our hostel) is that it's got a kitchen so we are going to have a go at cooking for the next few nights and find a supermarket to load up from. An uneventful but lovely day.

Day 104

We are going island hopping today and I can't wait. We've heard good things about the snorkelling so we pack out kit no swimwear and set off on search of the jetty and a boat across. On route though we spot Chris, the German guy from Jungle Jacks and turns out he's looking to do an island hop thing too so we grab a boat with him after deciding on Sapi and Manukan as our islands of choice.

The boats a bit bouncy on the way there but not too bad and we arrive on Sapi, our first stop. Oh my it's beautiful. We set up at the first beach we see and don our snorkelling gear and it isn't long before we spot some really cool, bright fish which we chase around. Our cheap masks are starting to show their true colours though a leak every 30 seconds so we spend a lot of our time clearing them out. It's only so long you can do that before you eyes start to sting so we head in for the usual flop, flip and dip. 

Our second snorkel is even better than the first, we aren't in for 5 minutes when Ben spots Clown Fish!! It was so awesome, they were just dipping in and out of the coral, looking a little aggressive. Easily my fish highlight of the trip so far. We also see some big blue neon fish, yellow ones some amazing coral and more. It's the best snorkelling we've done so far and we will definitely be back.

We grab some lunch with Chris after this and then head over to the second island, Manukan which looks even more desert islandy. The snorkelling's not so good here but I do see a little lobster which is cool. We spend the rest of the time, hiding from the sun as  blistered skin is never fun, picking Chris's brains about where he's travelled so far (where hasn't this man been?) 

Once back and after a quick dinner of spaghetti we head out to see the new Avengers film, reminding me that I love the cinema and I fricking love super heros.

Day 101 and 102: Mountain Climbs and Food

Day 101

Ben's nervous energy about today's climb means he is awake from 5am and ready and raring to go at 6. People are still trying to persuade him to do the 2 day but I've got faith he will smash today though I don't think he's currently that sure.

He's gone at 7 but I stay in bed for a bit, taking in the beautiful scenery. I've not got much planned today so dress slowly and take a leisurely breakfast. The two day climbers leave a little later and then it's just me and Teneka who is still recovering from yesterday's climb. We spend most of the morning chatting away and she's really cool. She is currently working in Singapore and before she leaves we make plans to meet up again when me and Ben are there.

Once she's left, I just mooch until Emmit offers to take me down to the park to pick up some of the other climbers and it's a beautiful view and for the first time I'm a little jealous of Ben and everything he is going to see. They all look shattered and when I let them know that Ben's doing the one day, they look horrified and start to get a little worried at what I'm going to get back. Once we are back at Jack's a couple of French lads have turned up who turn out to have stayed at the hostel in KK the same time as us. We lunch with Jack and then all chaos breaks loose as more people turn up than he realises and he gets a call to say Ben's down! 

I jump in the van and can't wait to see him, I've actually missed his little face after 3 odd months together. The man we picked up though, is not excited to see me, in fact I don't think he's excited about anything at is point. He looks like a shadow of a human and I finally realise it really was as hard as everyone was making out. He can hardly talk or walk and curls straight into a foetal position as soon as he's back in the room. I manage to persuade him to have a shower but coming out for food is out of the question so I grab him a doggy bag and dodge everyone's who is yet to climbs questions about him, well I don't want to scare them.

Day 102

You can't really sleep in at Jungle Jacks as there is always people up early, getting ready for their climb but we hide in our bunk until they've all gone so we don't get in the way of the frenzied sandwich making. One of Jack's dogs has just had puppies which are absolutely adorable so we spend a little while playing with them before Jack announces he wants to go to the hot springs and would we like to come to? Yes please.

The conditions of getting a free lift (and sneaky free entry but I'll explain that later) is that we have to go shopping with him and carry his bags. We dash into a supermarket first for a few bits then we go off to the springs. The water here is from underneath the Mt Kinabula and though most of the hot springs are slightly ugly looking man made baths the water here gets real hot and we lounge for a good few hours whilst Ben soaks his weary muscles. He is walking better today but still stiff and I can see him wincing as he sits and gets up. On the way back from the springs, Jack pulls into a wholesale fruit and veg market and we follow him round as he tests fruit and complains about prices. It's really incredible, I don't think I've ever seen such delicious looking food but we didn't take our camera so you will have to take my word for it. Lunch is at a small place Jack knows just next door and a scrummy and cheap plate of noodles.

The first lot of people we met have finished their 2 day climb and are back when we get back. After exchanging exclamations that Ben's still alive and comparing mountain stories, the afternoon is spent lazily at Jacks whilst the climbers sleep and me and Ben pack for leaving tomorrow. The choice for dinner tonight is Indian and it was a bit of a disappointment but we have been spoilt with our foods. There is a series of power cuts which starts Jack off on a government rant about poor generators and such but our dinner is still cooked and candle lights nicer to eat by anyway.

Day 99 and 100: Planning things and Jungle Jacks

Day 99

We are all up and ready at 6am for our taxi at 6:30, only problem is the main gate is locked and the reception is very much dead. Not a problem I think, we'll go down the fire escape. Yeah, that main locked gate is the only exit. Who needs health and safety eh?

After a bit of banging we manage to wake the receptionist and we grab our taxi and make it to the airport at 7.15. A whole two hours later, we've landed and left the airport in Kota Kinabalu which I think has got to be the fasted airport to airport I've ever done. We grab a taxi and dump our bags as soon as we get in as we've spotted sand from the plane and we are missing the beaches.

Taxis here aren't cheap and after a fruitless search for a bus we grab one to the water for an eye watering £6 single (the bus would have been £1). It wouldn't have been so bad if the beach has been amazing but it smells funny and covered in rubbish and we only get 40 minutes before a huge threatening rain cloud comes in and we get another expensive taxi back, not a good day so far.

We hide in our room from the rain where I get an email from my Dad with the innocent remark about how close we are to the Philippines which sparks a whole new adventure idea and we spend the night working out if we can afford to go and how to go about it. My dad has some lovely friends with a resort on a small island called Camiguin so we centre our plans around that, deciding after much deliberation that an awkward timed flight is our best option. We then sit on the computer for an hour battling bad wifi for the website to crash half way through and to reboot with the prices doubled. We also are still waiting to hear back from a climbing guy about whether Ben can do is mountain dream and we are meant to be leaving tomorrow but are still waiting on a confirmed yes. We go to bed pretty grumpy tonight.

Day 100

Woohoo, 100 days of travelling! Can't work out if it feels like it's been only 20 or actually 1,000,000. 

We wake up determined to get this trip back on track and manage to book the flights to the island and in a stroke of luck, £60 cheaper than the original price last night! Woohoo. We've also got confirmation from Jungle Jacks, the climbing man and we are setting off today, double woohoo! We've got to be there by two so we pack up quick, grab some snacks for the road and energy for the climb and grab a bus off to the mountains.

The drive up to the top is unbelievably beautiful, as we climb we seen huge valleys below us, crammed with trees and still more and more rock above us. Ben's getting so excited about the climb and I'm a little in awe of it all. We arrive at a jungle Jacks 2 hours later to find 3 or 4 brightly painted shipping containers, a bunch of dogs and a lovely man called Emmit, who's not Jack he says but he's taking us out to lunch. There is also a Czech couple who have arrived just before us and don't speak much English and by the time we get in the mini bus to food, we also have 2 Norweigens, Olaf and Jorgen and a Dutch girl called Tineke who's just come down from the mountain and we all look a little in awe of her as she's actually completed it. It becomes apparent as the conversation goes on that Ben's decision to do the climb in 1 day is a bit of an odd one as it pretty hard for most people and that's going up in 2.

None of the conversations I hear and putting it with the look of Tineke, who's much fitter than me and really didn't seem to enjoy it, I'm so glad I'm not going up the mountain. I know it's going to be beautiful but I'm really not fit enough and I don't want to ruin this for Ben after all he's done for me in the past few weeks. The lunch is amazing, and I fill my face full of fresh veg, fried tofu, rice and anything else I can get my hands on. This isn't the best idea as we haven't been eating much in the last few days and I can't remember the last time I had veg as fresh as this.

Once we are back a German guy called Chris and a Canadian called Andrew have turned up and we spend the afternoon swapping stories and everyone getting excited about their climb tomorrow. This is the first time we've spent any real time with other travellers and it's really nice swapping tips and regaling stories, everyone is really friendly and I'm so glad we've come here. Jack appears and he's as every bit crazy and lovely as we've heard. Darkness comes and he takes us out for some dinner which smells incredible but in the first scent my body reminds me I over ate at lunch and I manage a few sips of tea before I loose it all. Teach me to stuff, eh.

This place has tapped into my anxiousness as it's very basic and with rat traps and rustles in box I know we've got company. I'm determined to fight this though and use every tactic I have to calm myself down once we are back in our dorm (empty again) and it's not long before I'm asleep. Boom.

Day 97 and 98: Arriving in Borneo and Orang-tangs

Day 97

We are breakfasted and out early so we can catch our morning flight to Borneo today, so so excited about this! We grab public transport there and get there with loads of time which is good as we spend a good half an hour searching for an invisible gate 19 before we realise out boarding passes have been printed wrong and it's actually gate 9.

This flight has to be the most beautiful for views, we are flying over the mountains, that one of which Ben will hopefully be climbing in a few days and I'm in awe of it. Sandakan is nice and hot when we arrive and we stuff ourselves into a taxi with two other back packers to save in cost, though I don't think the driver was too keen taking 4 and huge bags. The ride from the airport is about 30 minutes and we pull into the main town to realise it's just the Borneo version of Harwich. It's dead and has a strong smell of fish but it's meant to be a base for a few days travelling around so the quietness doesn't really bother us at the mo. We check into our hostel who don't seem to know we are arriving into our first shared dorm of the trip...to find no other guests are staying, sweet. We grab a few bunk beds and try to log onto the wifi to find it doesn't work, hmm. Then place also has a strong smell of wee and it's unbearable hot. Big hmmm. So we go out and grab some free wifi in the cheapest place we can find (Mc D's) and try and work out how to utilise this one horse town. 

We head back to a sweltering hot room that we can't cool down with the windows and both fans on and try to play cards to distract us, it's gone mid night when we finally put our heads to pillow but the heat is too much to bear and I lay awake as I know Ben does trying to think of cool thoughts and ice boxes.

Day 98

In the early hours of the morning, I decide that lying on the floor would be my best option to get cool and I finally get a few hours sleep. I'm back awake at 4:30am though and there's no chance of getting back to sleep as I feel like I'm in a furnace. Ben wakes from his sweaty slumber at 6am and we both decide we are only having one more night here and it's going to be with air con. The breakfast is probably the only winning feature of this place as its a large gooey syrupy pancakes, hmm. We snaffle that, move rooms and then go to the snazzy hotel to steal the wifi and to actually book some of the plans we thought about yesterday. 

This takes all morning (honestly we spend so much our time booking things) and we give in at lunch and go find some Roti Canai to fill our stomachs. Now that we've got some plans set in stone we decide it's now time to make use of Sandakan and go see some of the wildlife around it. We want to go see the Proboscis monkeys but which taxi drivers charging us £60 return and having missed the last shuttle (urg for not being organised) we got for our second options, a Orang-tangs. This we can get a public bus to so much more in our price range. It's takes about 45 minutes and is a really lovely place. It's a centre for orphaned ones which they hope to rehabilitate and let back into the wild. We get there just in time to see some of the Orang-utans feeding and it's amazing to watch. Next we take a trail around the corner and find ourselves at the nursery. This is the final human interaction state before they are set free and it's full of climbing frames and ropes and the teenage Orang-utans remind me of toddlers. We are a little late getting here so can't go on the trek around the forest or see the sun needs next door but as we wander out of the forest we hear the call of two adults and it's an amazing sound.

Our bus back doesn't turn up so we grab a taxi with a German couple, the taxi driver is pretty cool and quite enamoured with my hair so we organise for him to pick us up for our early airport run tomorrow morning. We grab some internet in the hotel again and then back to the hotel for a delicious pumpkin curry, a weird lettuce warm roti (not so delicious) and then sleep in our cool, double beded room. Bliss.

Day 95 and 96: Shopping and Batu

Day 95

We are being frugal this morning and hanging out at the hostel so we can make lunch here. It works out well as it rains this morning and we get to watch Bad Neighbours. After a lunch of a surprisingly good Pot Noodle, we head off to start our Langkawi shopping and see if we can find any food markets. Our first stop is Central market which is in a gorgeous Art Deco building. It's beautiful and the stuff inside is really lovely but more traditional Malayan pieces, no cheap clothes here. We do find a cheap, delicious Indian restaurant just next door and grab some Roti Canai which we have heard so much about. It's simply Indian bread with curry sauce and a dahl which is so filling and so cheap, think £1 for a full meal for both of us. We'll be having this again, Nom.

We head around the corner to the markets there and try and find clothes which aren't made out of terrifying polyester but no luck and it looks like we've come a bit late so they're closing up. No luck here so we grab a train to Sentral and search around the big mall here. It's full of the usual shops (I swear there is more H&Ms in Kuala Lumpur than in the whole of the UK) and we trawl for ages finding nothing when we spot a shop called Cotton Co and it has a sale! I pick up 2 dresses (a girl can never have enough) and Ben some shirts. Mine are cheap so far, woop.

With aching feet and happy with our purchases, we grab some skittles and head back for a pasta dinner and a film, Flight. I'd recommend, as long as your not flying any time soon.

Day 96

Another morning hanging out to save on food and then we head off to see the Batu Caves. The sky looks a bit ominous before we leave but we think it's going to hold off. That's until we get out of the building and it's started to chuck it down.  The rain storms here, though heavy, never seem to last that long so we head off to the train station which seems from all our research, the longest but the cheap way to get to the caves. The rain slows which is good as we need to change trains and when we arrive at the next station our next train isn't for 45 minutes and Ben has massively over heated in the humidity. Not a happy chappy.

The train arrives and is air conned so Ben comes back to a normal temperature by the time we arrive at high caves. We leave the train and follow the flock of tourists towards a gate, where we immediately encounter a huge statue of the Hindu monkey God Hanuman we we saw so much of in India. This one is incredible and has a very strapping pair of legs.

The main cave is a short walk around the corner and we have already spotted some cheeky looking monkeys rummaging through the bins (you are warned against buying food as they have no problem snatching it out of your hands). You can't miss the entrance to the caves as there is a beautiful Lord Murugan statue just outside which seems to guard the day in. Which is stairs. And a lot of them. Oh how I hate them, we do see a lot of monkeys on the way up which makes it a little more bearable. 

Once at the top and you've admired the view from there of the city, you go into a huge beautiful cave which has been sadly filled with souvenir shops and rubbish. It also smells quite strongly of wee. We wander around for a bit and I can see why it has become such a place of worship, it's just a shame it has the rubbish and bits that detract from its impressiveness.

We don't stay for long and decide to grab some food in Jalan Alor, a well know foody street in the city centre. We wander down and each stall is full of Malayan and Thai dishes that look scrumptious but we want an Indian fix and find a buffet around the corner which Ben samples whilst I got for our now staple favourite, Roti Canai. Tomorrow we are flying to Borneo and in a few days hopefully, Ben will be climbing Mount Kinabalu so we go off on a rain jacket hunt which is a bit fruitless but I do spot a Liverpool FC club, glad to see they have their priorities straight when it comes to British teams.