diary24

We got back to the base camp and had a couple of hours lying in bed unable to sleep, waiting for daylight, and then at 8am we started the long descent back down. It took two and a half hours , which is a good time, but it was hard on the legs and knees and my nail-less big toes!!! Feeling exhausted and disapointed to learn that in fact five people had made it to the top (out of 128), we got our gear and jumped in a mini bus to Poring Hot Springs. Another night in an expensive dorm and very upsetting to find only cold water - wanted a comforting hot shower after getting so wet! Had a meal and sat in the living area of the dorms reading and talking to Laura from Colchester (one of the five - arrgghhh). She had walked up the mountain with the couple that we shared a dorm with at base camp, who we then discovered called each other Tiger and Tinkerbell - very worrying!! No energy to go to pools and still raining so not the weather for it. Stayed where we were and ended up playing cards with Laura and two other English, before yet another early night to try to catch up on some sleep!

8th March 2006
Got a bus to Sandikan with Laura. Bus got a puncture on the way!! Hostel in the Rough Guide was the most disgusting place ever, but managed to find another cheap hotel after getting a taxi driver to take us somewhere! Dead end place - everything shut early and not much in the first place!! Hoping to book to go to the turtle islands but very expensive. Finally found an open restaurant and ended up bu,ping into three couples that we'd met over the last few days, including Tiger & Tinkerbell and another 'couple' that Laura knew and had been on our boat to Manukan, Leanne and Rich. Played cards in our room with Laura - either that or wander the deserted streets!! Very much pain in our legs today - don't remember what they felt like when they didn't hurt!!

9th March 2006
Got up early to use the internet to find out about a different island that should be cheaper for the turtles, but couldn't find anything, so booked the main one and managed to get on for tomorrow (with Leanne and Rich) and sharing a room with Laura made it cheaper for us all too. Pleased we're going and that we don't hace to hang around here for too long - Leanne & Rich had to wait three days after booking - there's nothing to do apart from the English tea rooms with croquet!! Went to the bus station and waited for an hour for the #14 to Sepilok, gave up and went to another bus station where the #14 turned up!! Had to sit on it for another hour before it left! Finally got to Sepilok and the Orang-utan Rehab Centre. Were half an hour early for feeding time, so sat in the cafe where I fed the skiiniset dog with cow like udders some left over biscuits. Watched a short film about the centre which is atcually British run or set up and then walked (or rather hobbled as our legs are still stiff) to one of the feeding platforms where the orang-utans know to come for food until they learn to fend for themselves in the vast rainforest. We saw at least 20 orang-utans and loads of macaques who try to get the food, but the keepers throw things at them to deter them! The orang-utans were great, old and young, so hairy and so cute - just wanted a cuddle!!! And the macaques were so tame, on the platform with us. Two even put on a mating show for us, twice and then the male got nasty, bearing his teeth at Terry - all very funny for us!! Got the #14 back, with the English girls also going to turtle islands tomorrow! After dinner we managed to find a bar - sorry, I mean a shack with plastic chairs and a fridge of beer!! We got talking to the owner who kept giving us more beer for free - slow conversation, he was very drunk and kept repeating himself! Had to use our first squat toilet - basically a hole in the floor. Not good on the old legs!

10th March 2006
Picked up our laundry first thig - nice pleats down the front of my jeans! Got some brekkie and went to the jetty to catch our boat to Pulau Selingan - the turtle island. Leanne, Rich, Beccy and Lyndsay were there waiting already! On the way we passed the perfect desert island and the driver stopped so that we could all take photos - must have thought we were so sad!! Arrived at our island and dumped our stuff in our room, then went down to the beach - so good to cool off in the water! Had lunch and then stayed on the beach again until we were forced off by the rising wind, which was blowing sand and leaves all over us! Terry snorkelled and found a dead shark wedged under a rock! Showered and then played cards with the others as the sun went down. After dinner we had to wait for a couple of hours for 'turtle time' to be announced - then it was a mad dash to the beach to watch a huge green turtle laying her eggs. We were able to get so close - could have touched her - which was good, but at the same time must have been very stressful for her - there were too many people really. The ranger took the eggs as they were laid and when she was finished she covered her nest. As we were there two others came up the beach close by and we could just make out their sillhouettes and hear them digging their nests! We then went to the hatchery and the ranger burried the eggs in a man made nest. First we got to hold one - thought it would be warm, but it was cold. Then we got to hold one of the turtles that had hatched that night - so tiny, but with very strong legs/flippers - whatever they are!!! Terry named his Jeremy???? Then they were all released into to the sea, bounding down the beach - looked quite comical!! We wonder how many survived?

11th March 2006
6.30am breakfast and then the boat back to the mainland, followed by a 6 hour bus ride back to KK!! Of course we were stuck at the back next to the toilet!! Went back to the hotel we stayed in before and they recognised Mr Terry! Had Vietnamese for dinner - very nice - and then went for a few beers and games of pool with Laura, Leanne and Rich.

12th March 2006
Had a lie-in because our room was pitch black so we didn't realise the time! Hung around till 3pm and then caught a ferry to Pulau Lebuan - a duty free island between Sabah and Brunei. Checked into a dingy hotel for the night. Went to one of the plastic chair and table restaurants for dinner, but nothing in English and the staff didn't really understand us. Terry was brave and just ordered something, but I waite dand then went and found KFC!!! Fed up with getting boney bits of chicken and soggy noodles!! Very quiet here and the streets not lit so very dark - had a bit of a wander, but ended up having an early night.