What every girl wants

What does every girl want for her 31st birthday? Hair dye of course and that's exactly what I got, from my fiance. Lucky I didn't think through my gifts because I was also given a face mask too. Strangely, I feel that being 31 is actually more tragic that being 30. 30 had all of the excitement but 31 is that one step closer to 40. A home cooked meal while Ali was poorly was lovely, although I had to eat alone which was novel. It's now downhill to 40....

Back to reality

Another early start but we had to maximise our day. We lead on the beach under a wooden umbrella where my legs matched my incredibly burnt back. Around the pool I was again under an umbrella and seaking all shade I could but still I burnt. I was thinking back to the entire trip, and then it wa sshower and rest before getting the caddy to pick us up. We boarded the bus to the airport to say goodbye to phillip. We were first in the queue as normal. At Kuala Lumpur airport at midnight, tempers were fraying but it's the first time I've ever since a rainforest in and airport. Ali and I sat in the middle of the 4 seater all the way home, both of us being 6 feet tall. 4 films again, and no leg room...great. We said our goodbyes and then it was back to reality.

I found nemo

After a coach to Kota Kinabalu, we boarded a speed boat to Manukan in the marine park. I do love speed boats and snorkelling so this trip was my heaven. While Ali went on a nature trail, I started my burning time and heading into the sea. We didn't have to go very far to see the fish at all. Strangely, we just had to leave all of our bags and valuables on the beach which made me think that we are trained to be so scared and protect everything. The fish were swiming around our foot and nipping which scared the hell out of me when someone in our group has been stung by a jelly fish already.

We boarded another boat to Sapi for more snorkelling before lunch. There were so many schools of fish and I appeared to be on their flight path. The colours of the fish were amazing and the coral so bright. There were nemo's, black nemo's, pink fish, blue fish and every colour of fish, including one that stared at me straight in the eye and wouldn't move.

After a BBQ lunch, it was back in the sea with the factor 50 on. Blatently ignoring the no swim after food rule. Ali who can''t snorkel grabbed onto my legs as I pulled her around. The sea was so clear and green. I didn't want to leave but the speed boat back was so bumpy.

We visited the market and and then it was back to Nexus to see the best sunset yet, a purple and pink sky.

Monkey, lizards and fireflies

We had a lie in...until 7am! We had a 2 hour brekkie and then relaxing by the pool and beach, but only for 2 mins as mum wanted to do batik painting. Shower and rest and then on the coach to the monkey tour. Yet another 2.5 hours of jumping up and down to get to the mangrove. We had a snack of sweets, covered in insect repellant when Ali fed me a sweet and then we were on the boat to see the probocis monkeys with their big bellies and pointy noses. Annoyingly, all you could hear in the boat was 'please come over, stop hiding'. They are wild animals!

We saw long tailed macats, monitor lizards and fireflies making the trees look like christmas trees with twinkly lights. It was quite daunting on the boat in the dark. Great tour though.

It's a horse in a car!

Up early again, but this time there were only a few of us on the bus. We stood on busy roadbridge looking over to Mount Kinabalu but luckily we could see the top this time. We saw the 'sea gypsys' with their houses on stilts. Back on the bus we went to the largest market in Sabah and smelt jack fruit. If I smell it again, it would be too soon. They also had ants nests for sale, apparently used for chinese medicine. We visited a honey bee farm where I held the bees. We were given protective hats but ironically my hat had a huge hole in it so I think it defeated the object. We tastes raw honey which was 'interesting'. I didn't like honey before, and it didn't change my mind.

We drove to a modern long house where families live with all of their extended family together, all working together. They have zinc roofs which is incredibly hot and every house had a satelite dish. One home also had 'merry christmas' above the door. Only a few months early. We then drove to a traditional longhouse of the Rungus tribe. Their longhouses are made of bamboo with a leaf roof. We had lunch sat on bamboo furniture of banana flowers, rice, curry and tiny banana's.

Next stop was the tip of borneo, just like lands end but this version was where the south china sea meet the Sulu sea. The philippines was only 44 miles away, closer than where our hotel is based. It took 2.5 hours to dive back, jumping up and down over the numerous bridges. We looked out for horses stood up in the back of pick up trucks (they don't have horse boxes, they just are strapped in). Oh the joy when we saw one.

Raining in the rainforest

An early rise for another trip. We drove on our curtained coach to a suspension bridge which was so bouncy that there was no way I was going on it. At the market place, mum shopped while we went went to the look out point to see Mount Kinalbalu. We also touched the plant that retracts when it's touched. At Mount Kinabalu we walked through the nature trail, using the roots as steps. We saw the smallest orchid which can fit on a pin head. We saw a termite mound in the trees, saw moss and ferns. The rainforest is gorgeous. On the coach journey, Phillip told us some punishments in Malaysia. If you are caught for drink driving, the first punishment is a fine, the second is caning and the third is prison. For murder and drugs, you are given the death penalty. Strangely on the plane over, the announcement came over the tannoy about human trafficking, apparently a problem which also results in the death penalty.

The rainforest definitely lives up to it's name, oh it poured as we walked around the botanical gardens. Trouble is, it's so hot that when you put on a rain coat, you sweat so you are going to get wet no matter what. We had lunch overlooking the mountains covered in cloud and then drove back to the hotel for a siesta and of course the obligatory sunset. We had pizza by the sea and then more birthday cake and an early night.

Brigitte's Borneo Birthday

It's birthday day! Birgitte's 60th birthday. We sneaked to her room, decorated her door and threw balloons into her room as we sang happy birthday. We had the birthday breakfast and then boarded a very air conditioned coach to the orangutans. We viewed a video on palm oil and the orangs, and then walked up to the feeding platform. It was so humid that it looked like I wet myself, the water was pouring off us like a waterfall. We saw 4 baby orangs, 3 year olds. It's amazing to see how they can use their feet. They are dubbed the 'man of the forest' and you can see why. They are so similar to humans that nobody could doubt the existence of evolution after seeing them.

The feed was amazing, they looked just like old men. Reggie was incredibly shy but then if I had 70 people watching me on a platform, I think I would be the same.

Back on the coach we sang happy birthday to Birgitte and then had lunch at the pool. Our afternoon treat was to the spa. Our mums had a manicure around the side of an indoor pool with gorgeous fountains and loungers. Ali and I had a couples massage and it was without a doubt the best massage I've ever had. When we came out of the room, it was like I was out of my skin, I couldn't function at all. We had a steamed ginger massage, so was massages with the ginger. In the changing rooms there were jacuzzi's, sauna etc...it was just heaven.

I watched the sunset with the grey clouds coming ever closer and then we had dinner. We are getting used to going to dinner with an umbrella. The food was gorgeous and we called the restaurant for a cake for Brigitte. Wonderful birthday.

It's raining, it's pouring...

Jet lag is seriously awful, I was pretty much unconcious during the night but then couldn't wake up. How I managed to have a shower I don't know. We started our 'walking taxi' to pick up our mums and then went to the beach. Oh the water was so warm, but also full of jelly fish so it was just up to the knees. As someone that burns instantly, my place is under an umbrella. Ali and I walked along the white sand, looking at the crabs scuttling along but we had to keep a very close eye on the very grey cloud coming over head. It started to rain so we thought we would head to the pool.

We swam, we had a cocktail in the pool bar, jacquzzi but then it really started to rain, then it poured, then it poured some more. All the time we were all trapped under a pool umbrella but it was so heavy that we were getting wet anyway. In the 50 metres from the umbrella to the shelter, we were soaked. We had a hot choc to warm up ironically (we are in the rainforest). The sunset was gorgeous, and then we had a chinese dinner. I can now see why there are umbrella's in the bedrooms.

Flight movie marathon

Taxi at 5am :( However, what we didn't bank on was getting to the coach station at 5:05. I've missed planes too many times because of late taxi's so it was quite a surprise to be so early. An illegal passenger boarded the coach but was immediately evicted. Strangely I was the only person with my reading light on (which Ali hated) but I had some serious Borneo research to do. At the check in desk at Heathrow, Ali thought she would be helpful and pick up her own bag but unfortunately it was someone elses bag. Oops. We shopped, we walked and then boarded. We had the 4 seats in the central aisle. 4 films, 3 meals and 11 hours later with no sleep, we arrived at Kuala Lumpur for our transfer to Kota Kinabalu. By this time, mum and I had gone a bit delirious and when the lifejacket had two toggles and blow pipes, we imagined what would happen if you didn't blow both at the game time, you would end up like a goldfish at the end of it's life. Also, the lifejackets were branded. Why? In case someone would want one? Just in case you were passing by when someone was wearing one in the water?

The problem with long hall flights is that you end up eating at strange times. The trouble was that we were given chicken stirfry which was actually in gloopy gravy for breakfast. But we finally got to Borneo and boarded a coach to the hotel. The room was wonderful and air conditioned. While our mums and Ali slept, I walked around the hotel with the map looking like a tourist inside the hotel. I went to the swimming pool to cool and then we had our malaysian buffet dinner which wasn't very malaysian unless they eat pizza, pasta and lasagne. We met Christine who had every problem under the sun, a drink and then bed to try and get over the jet lag...quickly.