Westport:

Breaking our journey up as we headed up the west coast, we made a stop in Punakaiki to hopefully watch the blowhole and have a look at the Pancake Rocks. As we made the journey to Punakaiki rather quicker than we had planned, we were too early to see the blowhole in action as it was still low tide. Instead of waiting for hours for high tide we had a walk along the cliff edge to get a better look at the Pancake Rocks. The rocks themselves are a collection of sea stacks and parts of the cliff face that appear to be made up of multiple thin layers. The thin layers are created by a process called stylobedding, whereby the pressure of overlying sediment creates alternating durable and weaker bands. The processes of weathering and uplifting have accentuated this effect creating the wonderfully layered rocks. Whatever the process they certainly look very impressive!
From the rocks we continued down the road a short way and stopped for a walk along the beach, before continuing on to Cape Foulwind (named by Captain Cook in 1770) just south of Westport. Our main reason for stopping at Cape Foulwind, apart to have a laugh at the name was to visit the Tauranga Bay Seal Colony. It was really good to see the seal pups at play on the rocks and to see once again more of New Zealand’s dramatic coastline.
After finding a camper park for the night we headed into what the Rough Guide describes as New Zealand’s most dispiriting town. Westport describes itself as ‘New Zealand the way it was’. Either way it certainly couldn’t be described as New Zealand’s most exciting town! We should mention however that the people we met were all really friendly and later that evening we witnessed probably the best sunset we have yet seen on our travels.
Our trip up the west coast was over and it was time to head across country to Kaikoura.

Greymouth:

The area towards the north western part of the South Island is famous for its Greenstone (Jade), so after a stop at Lake Mahinapua to look at yet another beautiful reflection we made a brief stop in Hokitika. Hokitika is a big centre for Greenstone carving, although as we found out Sunday is not the best time to visit. Giving up on the greenstone shops we had the somewhat surreal experience of having a look around the National Kiwi Centre and wool shop! The title ‘National’ implies a professional setup, but what you get is a rather charming if somewhat homemade looking attraction that includes tropical fish tanks, an enormous eel tank, a very tatty pond area and eventually the Kiwi enclosures. It was the first Kiwi I had seen and nothing can prepare you for just how peculiar looking they are. The way they move is unlike any other bird I have ever encountered.
Back on the road we continued our journey to Greymouth which turned out to be, apart from Jade Country Greenstone, just as closed as Hokitika! After having a look round the quite interesting Jade Country exhibition we went to book a black water rafting and caving trip. Unfortunately the Dragon Cave Rafting office was closed but we managed to get hold of them on the phone and booked on for the next day.
Dragon Cave Rafting advertises the trip as the best black water rafting experience you will ever have. Not having done any black water rafting before, that would be hard for me to judge, but the whole thing didn’t start terribly well when we found out we were the only ones on the tour. This would have been fine but the guy on the phone had made a big thing about whether he could fit us in! After getting kitted out in lots of layers of thermals and wetsuits we set off for the cave, with two guides who had clearly modelled themselves on Cannon & Ball (replace this with any bad comedy double act you can think of). It was just as well we were wearing lots of thick layers or our sides would have surely split at their collective jokes! Personally I quite enjoyed the whole trip, but Debs is really not keen on dark caves, bats and not being able to see through misted glasses. When the main guide stopped trying to be funny, he was quite informative and came across as a nice guy; it was just a shame that he felt the need to be such an idiot (actual choice of word changed for any youngsters reading). When we made it back out of the cave, I had a go on a natural rock waterslide and we then headed back to the base for a cold beer and warming spa. I couldn’t say that I would recommend Dragons Cave Rafting to anyone after our experience, but if it sounds like your kind of thing and you find yourself in Greymouth then it may be worth a look.
Having had a look around the town centre that morning, we didn’t think that Greymouth was likely to have a terribly happening nightlife, so we opted instead for a quiet night in. Tomorrow morning we leave for Westport.

Fox Glacier:

Leaving Queenstown we took the high pass across to Wanaka, where we hoped to have a good view of the beautiful lake. Unfortunately due to the cloud cover, the lake was rather obscured, so we continued instead to Puzzling World. Situated close to the town of Wanaka, Puzzling World is an attraction loaded with optical illusion rooms, holograms and a gigantic two level outdoor maze. The illusions are amazing and the maze is very challenging, so much so that I am afraid to say that we gave up halfway! With our brains and legs having been given a good workout, we got back into the trusty camper and continued our journey.
Once again the beauty of New Zealand delayed our progress as the weather had cleared and we were treated to a fantastic view of firstly Lake Hawea and then lake Wanaka. Eventually tearing ourselves away from the view, we managed to get the rest of the way to Fox in time to book a Heli hike for the next day.
Rather surprisingly, the temperature during the night was warmer than we had been used to, so we woke up early feeling fresh for our trip up the glacier. At about 9am a bus took us to the heliport where we got kitted out in thick socks and boots and awaited our turn for the short helicopter ride up the glacier. The flight although quite short was stunning, as the pilot took us high up the glacier to where the ice is moving at a rate of 30m per day (you did read correctly 30m!). Eventually we landed on a safer spot and were quickly kitted out in crampons ready to trek across the ice. During the next 2 hours we climbed through ice caves and tunnels, stared into deep crevasses and in my case had a trouser crampon incident. We had a really good guide during the trek; although his judgement as to whether someone could fit through a gap in the ice seemed a little off, when one of the guys from our group got stuck! In fairness after his rescue the guy was still adamant that he would have fitted if he hadn’t got his crampon stuck, we were all just pleased to see him back! In what seemed like no time, our time on the ice was over and we headed back to meet the helicopter for the return trip to base. The experience of walking on such a vast glacier was amazing, but it was very good to get the freezing boots off our feet!
As it is almost impossible to go anywhere in New Zealand, without seeing a postcard showing Mt Cook and Mt Tasman reflected in the crystal clear waters of Lake Matheson, we thought we had better go and have a look. After a snack and coffee at the nearby café we set off around the lake, stopping frequently to marvel at the beautiful reflections. Unfortunately due to a fair amount of cloud cover we were unable to get the full pristine view, but the scenery was still stunning. After what seemed like quite an energetic day we headed back to the camper for a rest and to get packed up for the journey to Greymouth the next day.

Queenstown:

With thirty continual days of activities available to you in Queenstown, you could never describe the town as being dull! When you throw the beautiful Lake Wakatipu with its crystal clear and 90% pure waters and the stunning surrounding Remarkables mountain range in to the mix, it is easy to see why people flock here. With a planned couple of days we had a look through the countless leaflets advertising everything from bungee jumps, canyon swings and sky diving, to jet boat rides and crazy golf! After remembering watching a program where Jeremy Clarkson had a go on the ‘Fly by Wire’ (see photos) I was keen to have a go, so we booked on for later that afternoon. With the morning free we headed into town to have a look at the lake, which is where I saw the 700bhp Kawarau Jet boats. As previous boat trips have left Debs feeling sea sick, she decided to give the hour long trip where the boat spins and rushes down rapids at 50mph a miss. After getting togged up in a poncho and life jacket I got into the boat and we set off. Due to the still waters of the lake the journey was remarkably calm and apart from when we went into a spin or rushed towards an oncoming tree or bridge, it was very difficult to judge the speed. The highlight of the trip was when we rushed down the tributaries of the Shotover River, some of them less than 10cm deep. More than once we could hear the bottom of the boat, make contact with the river bed as we twisted and turned through the narrow streams. One hour and 43kms later, it was all over as arrived back in Queenstown and I went to meet Debs. The shame was that the whole journey had been so smooth that Debs would have probably been alright; oh well maybe next time!
With the morning seemingly having rushed past it was time to go and meet our ride to the ‘Fly by Wire’ site. During the short journey we were given a brief introduction to what we were going to be doing and before we knew it, the moment of truth had arrived. Basically you are strapped into a small fan powered plane/rocket that is attached to a steel cable, winched 200ft up a mountain side and then by means of a throttle and handle bars, you swoop up and down through the valley. If you get the whole thing right, you can reach speeds of 171kph and stay weightless for 3.17seconds at each turn. After 5 minutes you are out of fuel and you slowly swing around the valley until you are lowered on to the platform. It has to be said it was definitely more my type of thing than Debs, she gave it a good go but she didn’t really manage to get to grips with what she was supposed to be doing. Part of the problem is that you are in a laying position and to turn the handlebars at the top of the arc requires quite a lot of strength, which I don’t think the staff really explained to her. Nevertheless with the adrenaline still coursing and our wallets considerably lighter it had been a good day.
Settling for a slower pace the next day we headed straight for the ‘Caddy Shack’ crazy golf course, where we had a hilarious time playing through the 18 holes of beautifully designed obstacles; somewhat unusually for crazy golf I won! After the golf it was straight on to the cable car that would take us to the top of Bob’s peak and the start of the Luge track. Unlike the sledges you see on TV, these are purpose built Go karts that you steer down your choice of scenic or advanced concrete tracks. The luge track has to be some of the best fun you can have, for surprisingly little money. After racing down the tracks several times our turn was over so we contented ourselves with the beautiful views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range.
It would be very easy to spend ages in Queenstown, but it would also be very easy to spend a huge amount of money. The problem with all of the adrenaline pumping attractions available is that while you are enjoying the high it is very easy to say “just one more go”. With our wallets still intact, it was time to move on, a Heli hike on Fox Glacier beckons.

Dunedin to Milford:

As we set off in the morning our original intention was to spend the night in Te Anau, and then drive the short distance to Milford Sound the next day. Making good time along the snow free roads, we passed through the town of Gore. Gore is the self proclaimed ‘Brown Trout’ capital of the world, as well as the ‘Country and Western’ capital of New Zealand! Much more importantly, the baker sells quite nice sausage rolls! Fighting against the overwhelming urge to spend longer in Gore, we continued our journey towards Te Anau. As we had made really good time we arrived in Te Anau at about 2pm and after a quick phone call to Milford lodge regarding the road conditions and whether they had a campervan site, we decided to continue on. The drive to Milford is extremely scenic, with a brief stop at the beautiful Mirror Lakes being a particular highlight. Trying to resist the urge to keep stopping for photos we eventually made it to Milford Lodge at about 4:30pm, just before it started to get really cold. The lodge was quite nice but the campervan site was to say the least haphazard. We did however have our first close encounter with a Kea (Alpine Parrot), which we fed some bread before we had read the sign telling us not to, oops!
For the first time since we left Christchurch the campervan didn’t actually seem like a good idea as we spent the coldest night we had yet encountered. The freezing temperatures weren’t helped by the fact that all of the electricity at the lodge was via a generator, which was turned off between 11pm and 7am, so our heater didn’t work! After a somewhat fitful night’s sleep we set off to the wharf for a boat trip on Milford Sound. Milford Sound is actually a fjord and not a sound, as it was formed by a glacier and not a river, which was originally thought at the time of naming. Speaking from a purely personal point, I have to say that I think Milford Sound is one of the most overrated tourist attractions in New Zealand. In a country with so much beautiful scenery the sound was rather lost on me, plus it is in the middle of nowhere, with only one road leading in and out. I am sure that many would disagree with me, Debs included, but rather than wasting a day getting there and back, you could spend more time enjoying the easily accessible and just as beautiful mountains and lakes that cover the south island.
With the boat trip over we set off once again bound for Queenstown (New Zealand’s adventure capital). Aside from a slight incident when I may have underestimated how much diesel we had left (we did actually make it to the garage, but it was touch and go!) we arrived safely and checked into yet another Top Ten holiday park.

Oamaru to Dunedin:

After checking with the holiday park office, we were pleased to find out that the road south had been reopened so our road trip was back in business. On the way to Dunedin we stopped at the Moeraki boulders, a collection of almost perfectly spherical rocks. Some of the boulders are huge and we had a good time clambering on, and in one case in, these strange rocks. Seeing even more of the boulders sticking out from the cliff face ready to fall, just adds to the spectacle.
Heading back to our trusty campervan we continued our journey to Dunedin. Making good time, we safely negotiated the city’s one way system and arrived at yet another top ten holiday park. With plenty of supplies on board we made ourselves comfortable and settled in for the night.
Dunedin is New Zealand’s so called ‘Scottish city’. The city has been modelled on Edinburgh, complete with a statue of Robert Burns. The city seems quite nice, but we wouldn’t recommend visiting on a Sunday unless you like the look of closed shops. One of the more notable buildings in the city centre, aside from the towering cathedral, is the beautiful train station. Looking not unlike a Lego castle from the outside, inside you are greeted by beautiful tiled floors and walls, complete with old lanterns and stained glass windows.
Leaving the city behind we headed out to the nearby Otago Peninsula, following the wonderfully scenic road that leads eventually to Taiaroa Head, home of the world’s only mainland albatross colony. We had a brief look around the visitors centre, but decided that the rather steep entrance fee to see nesting albatross was too much for us. After the disappointment of not seeing any penguins in Oamaru, we decided to visit the nearby Yellow Eyed penguin colony. A local farmer, realising that he had a penguin colony on his land, has built a huge labyrinth of hides and has set about protecting their habitat in the hope that their numbers will increase. The entrance fee is once again quite steep, but there is nowhere else in the world where you will get to see these extremely rare penguins close up. We were delighted to see 15 penguins coming in from the sea to rest after days at sea fishing. With the light fading we set off back to Dunedin and our campsite. It had been a thoroughly enjoyable day, but it was time to get some sleep before we left the next morning bound for Milford.

Akaroa to Oamaru:

Leaving the campsite at 10am we headed down along highway one towards Oamaru, where we planned to stop for the night. Passing through the town of Timaru we stopped to have a look around Aigantighe (pronounced egg and tie) art gallery. The gallery is housed within a large Edwardian house, built in 1908 as a retirement home for Scottish born Alexander and Helen Grant. The gallery is well worth a visit, if only to have a look around the house and the interesting sculpture garden. The garden displays works by New Zealand, Zimbabwean and Japanese sculptors, with the Zimbabwean work being our favourite.
On arrival in Oamaru we booked into the very central Top Ten holiday park and then headed into town to get some shopping. Oamaru is a very attractive town with wide streets and a large amount of Victorian era buildings. Our first stop was at the visitor centre, to collect some information about things to do in the surrounding area. Unfortunately while we were in the centre we saw a traffic notice saying that the road heading south to Dunedin (our next destination) was closed due to snow and ice. Enquiring further about the road conditions we were dismayed to learn that many of the southern roads had been closed, our south island tour may have hit a stumbling block! Knowing that there was nothing we could do about the weather we decided on a few things to do while we were in town.
One of the main things we wanted to do was visit the Blue penguin (the smallest breed of penguin) and Yellow Eyed penguin colonies. As according to the visitor centre there had been no sightings of the blue penguins and to see them required us to pay a rather hefty entrance fee, we headed instead to the yellow eyed colony. After waiting in the rain and wind for a while, it became apparent that we were going to be unlucky with the yellow eyes as well. For me at least, the day ended on a high note when we visited ‘The Barrel House’ a whisky maturation store. New Zealand’s whisky is not bad, as I found out during the tour and whisky tasting.
Oamaru is a nice town to spend a few days in, if only to look at the beautiful buildings and have a browse around the very different harbour front shops. Of the shops, ‘Slightly Foxed’ (a second hand bookshop), the wonderfully strange ‘Grainstore Art Gallery’ and the stone masons are well worth a look.

Christchurch to Akaroa:

As New Zealand is one of the best places in the world to swim with dolphins and as Debs had already swam with Dusky dolphins in Kaikoura, the chance to swim with one of the world’s rarest ‘Hector’s dolphins’ sounded too good a chance to miss. Picking up the campervan at just after 10am we quickly set off on the 1 1/2 hr drive to Akaroa, as we were booked on the 12pm trip. With minutes to spare we arrived at the wharf, found the office and went to check in. Within 20 minutes we were all clad in 5mm thick wetsuits and on board the boat that would hopefully take us to find some dolphins. The Hector’s dolphin is the smallest of the dolphins, measuring only about 1.4m in length and weighing only 105lbs. As they number only around 6500 and tend to stick in small groups of only 2-8 dolphins, finding them can be tricky. Fortunately for us the crew managed to spot some and we were quickly told to get ready to enter the water. Nothing can quite prepare you for getting into the sea with a water temperature of only 9 degrees centigrade, especially when it gets down the neck of your wetsuit! Buoyed on by the experience of being in the water with the dolphins, the cold didn’t seem to matter too much, as we floated towards them hoping to have a closer encounter. All we can say is that they are very fast and very clever, the amount of times we would be looking for them only for there to have been one behind us all the time is quite astounding. Debs managed to get a couple of them to circle round her, but generally we had to be content to be amongst them. After 45 minutes we had to leave the water, as the time is quite strictly managed so as to not have too much impact on these wild creatures. As to whether you could describe the experience as actually swimming with dolphins is up for debate, the water visibility is very poor and so you can only really see them on the surface. However it was still an amazing experience to be in the water with such a rare animal. The acrobatic display by them as we were leaving was just an added bonus, especially as they are not known for there jumping ability.
Returning to the town we had a well deserved hot shower and then set off to find a campsite for the night. Our campervan tour of the south island had got off to a great start!

New Zealand: Christchurch

On arrival in New Zealand we had, for the first time in four months, the novel experience of feeling cold! Quickly retrieving what few warm clothes we had from our bags, we got on the airport shuttle bus bound for the city centre. Christchurch is the south island’s largest city (large town) with a population of just over 300,000 people. Bearing in mind that the south island’s population is only one million, that is quite large!
On reaching the city centre it is easy to think you have arrived in an English town; the name Christchurch comes from an Oxford college and the river Avon runs through the centre. The fact that everyone speaks English only helps to add to the illusion. Having been prepared for higher accommodation costs by our stay in Singapore, room prices at the New Excelsior hostel didn’t come as too much of a shock. The cost of eating out certainly is a shock though; the days of a meal and a beer for less than a pound are clearly behind us!
Dumping our gear in the room we went to try and find a cheapish warm coat for Debs (for some reason she sent hers home) and to have a look at the city. The city is centred round its cathedral, which would be very attractive, if it wasn’t for the scaffolding (aaaaarrrrgghh!). Giving up with the cathedral we stopped and watched an entertaining street performer in the main square and then continued our stroll. The city is really pleasant but it couldn’t be described as vibrant. Deciding that it was too cold and that we were too tired to carry on looking round, we found Debs a coat and then headed back to the hostel for a sleep.
Having priced up various backpacker bus companies, we decide that the best way to see the island was to hire a campervan. Thinking that there would be no problem in getting one as it is the middle of winter, we asked at reception only to be told that as it is the school holidays we may have trouble. Fortunately there turned out to be no problem and we quickly booked a two berth camper for the next 18 days.

Next: The south island by campervan

Singapore

Having spent nearly five months in Asia, Singapore was to be our last destination before heading to the more western countries of New Zealand and eventually America. After the more haphazard public transport system of Indonesia, it was great to get on the MRT (Singapore’s underground) straight from the airport and arrive quickly in the city.
First impressions of Singapore is that it is a spotlessly clean city, where people wait for the lights before crossing the road and car drivers actually stop at zebra crossings (a novelty for Asia). It is also considerably more expensive, hostel rooms are western prices, even in hawker centres food isn’t cheap and despite what we had heard, shopping is no cheaper than back home. As Raffles was a bit out of our price range for accommodation, we chose the next best thing, a private room in a hostel in the Malay village’s red light district!

With five days in Singapore before moving on, we headed first to the famous Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. Singapore Zoo is an ‘open zoo’ that uses moats and small walls to keep the animals in, rather than cages. The setup makes for a much more pleasant experience as your view is rarely obstructed and the animals all appear to have plenty of space. Timing our walk round to coincide with the feeding times, we saw, amongst other animals, gibbons, lions, rhinos (including a very sweet baby), otters and finally the very beautiful white tigers. Watching the huge white tigers swim and splash in the water while they jostled to be fed was an amazing sight and a definite highlight.
As the zoo closes for the day, the Night Safari opens to give you the chance, either via walking or using the tram, to see the nocturnal animals. Walking through the fruit bat enclosure was hilarious and seeing a flying squirrel was great. The whole park is beautifully setup; with easy to follow trails and informative signs. Two parts of the park can only be seen from the tram, but to be honest you can see just about everything by walking, plus you have the added bonus of moving at your own pace.

Having had a thoroughly enjoyable but tiring day at the zoo we decided that we would have a bit of quieter day looking around the shops. Heading for Orchard road (Singapore’s Oxford Street) and knowing that the ‘Singapore Sale’ was on, we arrived with the intention of getting some serious retail therapy. It all turned out to be bit of a let down, we quickly realised that there wasn’t much we actually wanted and what was there wasn’t particularly cheap! When you have been used to dirt cheap designer rip offs in places like Thailand, 30% off the real thing doesn’t seem that good a deal.

Giving up on the shopping, we spent the rest of our stay doing some sightseeing. We had an enjoyable time at the bird park; seeing Debs getting mobbed by Lories when she went to feed them was hilarious and the huge aviaries are very impressive (one even holds the world’s highest man made waterfall). Continuing the sightseeing we went to see the famous Merlion (the symbol of Singapore, half mermaid half lion), the old central district and of course Raffles. Raffles is very grand looking and its courtyard shop and restaurant area is beautiful, but rather wonderfully it has the shoddiest gift shop we have yet encountered on our travels.
Deciding that we couldn’t leave without having a night time trip on the river to see the city lights, we headed to Clarke quay. As they were practising for the national day celebrations, part of the river was closed, so we couldn’t go round to see the Merlion from the front. Nevertheless the short ride was very pleasant, but it is not the most illuminated city we have encountered.
All in all Singapore is very nice, but to be perfectly honest Kuala Lumpur is less sanitised, has great shopping, cheaper food, better accommodation for less money and just about everything Singapore has to offer except the zoo. The zoo is nearly enough to make us prefer Singapore though, but not quite!

Next: Christchurch New Zealand

Jogja to Jakarta

Getting onboard what turned out to be a very comfortable train to Jakarta, we settled down to what was supposed to be an 8 hour journey. Ten hours later, when we were thoroughly bored, we eventually arrived. There had been no announcement of any delay and none of our fellow passengers seemed unduly surprised, so we can only assume it was meant to take that long. With a place to stay already in mind we set off around the national monument knowing it wasn’t far. Stopping to ask for directions from a policeman, we were told that it was further than we thought and we would be better off taking a taxi. Hailing a taxi and being assured he knew where he was going we set off. 9km later for a journey that we thought to be about 1km, it became apparent that he had no idea where he was going! With the meter still ticking away we directed the driver back to roughly the right direction, paid some of the fare and abandoned him. Back at square one, we started walking to the hotel, rather ironically what we had intended to do in the first place. After a long train journey and the stifling heat of the city, we were looking forward to getting to the hotel. When the hotel turned out to have closed down we were not amused and were left with little choice but to go on a hunt for another one. Eventually finding the backpacker area, we found a reasonable hotel, booked a taxi for the morning and collapsed into bed. The whole journey had taken over 13 hours, with hindsight flying looked like a much better option!

Next: Singapore

Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta (known as Jogja) is Java’s most visited city. As well as being of great cultural interest, it is situated within easy access of two of the islands most famous sites, Borobudur (the world’s largest Buddhist stupa) and Prambanan (the largest Hindu temple complex in Java). Deciding to avoid the noisier, modern end of the city we chose to stay in the quieter southern end, along Prawirotaman Road. Our hotel ‘Duta Guesthouse’ turned out to be a lovely, traditionally furnished hotel with a nice pool to relax by, when we got tired of sightseeing.

With five days in the city before we had to leave for Singapore, we first took a Becak (cycle rickshaw) to the Kraton to see the Palace. Having a completely incomprehensible guide certainly didn’t enhance the experience, but we doubt it made much difference. The palace is unfortunately just not that exciting. Having taken a shorter time looking around than we expected, we continued our tour of the rest of the old city. On the way to the bird market, we stopped to see some puppets being made and then had a look around a Batik gallery (I am pleased to say that we made a purchase in each). As well as birds, mainly pigeons (mahpati in Indonesian) the bird market sells all manner of creatures, including fruit bats, lizards and hamsters. After a brief look around we were taken on a tour of the Tamansari (water palace) by a local guide. When filled with water the palace must have been quite a sight. It was good to be shown around some bits that we wouldn’t have found by ourselves. Unfortunately the main palace has been rebuilt in a rather over restored way, so is something of a disappointment. Deciding that it was too hot to do much more, we made a brief stop at a local market and then returned to the hotel.

The next morning we got up at 4:20am to wait for the bus that would take us to Borobodur for sunrise. As it turned out we didn’t actually get to Borobodur at sunrise and on further reading of the advert it didn’t actually mention that we would. Having to be content with seeing the sunrise from the comfort of a minibus, we eventually arrived at Borobodur to be greeted by an $11 entrance fee. This went some way to explain why the tour was so cheap! Begrudgingly paying the entrance fee and noticing that the Indonesians didn’t seem to be paying at all (it is always nice to know that we are preserving other countries heritages for them!) we went in. The stupa is of quite breathtaking scale and the early morning mist gave it a beautifully silhouetted look. Photo opportunities were a little limited however, due to a film crew and all their gear obscuring the top. To top it all, it appeared to be the filming of a soap opera not a documentary (I bet they didn’t pay either!). Walking around the various levels admiring the many and varied carvings we encountered several headless Buddha statues. The opportunity proved too good to miss, so we had a bit of fun pretending to be Buddha and ordering the film crew from our stupa. Having had a good look around we headed down the steps towards the exit, only to get interviewed by some children on an English language course. We were happy to stop and chat with them, but having to write our details in all of their notebooks became a little tiring. After the interview was over we had to have our photos taken with them. Rather embarrassingly the second group photo was taken into the sun, so putting my sunglasses on, rather strangely I still found myself squinting. It wasn’t until we were halfway to the exit that Debs noticed that one of the lenses from my glasses was missing; heaven knows what kind of plum I am going to look on that photo!
The second half of our tour was to Prambanan temple. On the way we made a brief stop at Mendut temple, which instead of going into, we had a pleasant stroll around the garden of a nearby Buddhist monastery. Having been forewarned of the high entrance fees by our visit to Borobodur, the $10 entrance fee for Prambanan came as no surprise. What was a surprise was that you can’t actually get very close to the temples. Due to an earthquake in May 2006, the main Shiva temple has been deemed unsafe and the only view you can have is from behind a fence. There are further temples in the complex, but transport to these wasn’t included in our tour and several of them are too far away to walk. Prambanan, due to the fencing, is probably not worth the entrance fee, especially as they don’t tell you it is closed until you have paid your ten dollars. However the tour was definitely worthwhile if only for the visit to Borobodur.
On the way back from the tour we got dropped off at the train station so that we could book tickets for our journey to Jakarta. Having read the Rough Guides’ description of Jakarta, we had no real desire to stay there. The plan was to arrive by train in the evening, spend one night and then head to the airport early in the morning to catch our flight to Singapore. When we eventually found the ticket office, booking the tickets was very straightforward and we were soon in a taxi back to the hotel.
Looking for a bit of culture, we had a thoroughly enjoyable evening at the Ramayana Ballet. The ballet was performed in an open air theatre in the Prambanan temple grounds, with the Shiva temple in all its illuminated glory, as a backdrop. The Ramayana ballet tells the story of Rama and the kidnapping of his wife Sinta. We saw the condensed 2 hour tourist friendly version, complete with a hilarious English story board. The full version is performed over four consecutive nights of over 2 hours each and is probably a bit too involved.

Booked through the excellent ‘Via Via’ café, we spent our last day doing a Batik course at Kelik Batik gallery and school. Firstly we chose a design (I chose a gecko and Debs chose an elephant) from a selection of pictures and then using a pencil we had to trace the design onto a piece of white cotton. The next stage, after some practice, was to cover the lines in hot wax using a ‘chanting’; a kind of pen with a reservoir that you fill with hot wax. After the lines were covered, we coloured the different areas by painting them with dye, which was then fixed with acid. Rather laboriously the whole area that we didn’t want re-coloured then had to be covered with paraffin wax. The whole picture was then died black, rinsed and then boiled in water to remove the wax. Our pictures turned out really well and it certainly made us appreciate how much work goes into the amazingly intricate designs available in the gallery. Naturally we couldn’t leave without purchasing a couple of pictures.
With just the evening left we went to Sonobud museum, where they run a nightly puppet show of the Ramayana story. The museum is supposed to be the best place to see this traditional story telling method. All we can say is that it was one of the most incomprehensibly dull things we have ever seen. The puppets barely move, everything is in Indonesian and the synopsis given to us doesn’t seem to tally up with what you are watching. After about an hour we gave it up as a bad job and headed to a restaurant for some dinner. As it was the last night and Jogja is supposedly famous for it, I couldn’t leave without eating King cobra! I had my cobra curried and it was good, but whether I would rush to have it again I am not sure.
We had a really good time in Jogja, with more time maybe we will be back to have a look at the rest of the Island.

Next: Jogja to Jakarta

Back to Senggigi then onward to Yogyakarta

After the rocking motion and engine noise of the boat, it was really good to have a quiet night in a proper bed. Even the call to prayer didn’t wake us! After breakfast we headed to the Peramatour office to have our flight reservations for the next day confirmed. After several phone calls, where it started to look doubtful, we were confirmed on the flight for the following morning.
Deciding that it would be a good idea to book some accommodation in Yogyakarta, Java before we arrived, we set out to find an internet café. The café that we did eventually find advertised the fastest internet in Lombok. All we can say is that the rest must be truly terrible. With a good deal of patience we eventually managed to book a nice sounding hotel in the Prawirotaman Road (the nice part) area of the city. With the hotel booked and the flights confirmed, we spent the rest of the day having massages (Debs that is), resting and repacking our bags ready for the morning.
Having been told that it would take about 30 minutes to the airport, we arranged a taxi for 6:30am, giving us plenty of time before our flight. In typical fashion the journey only took about 15 minutes, so we ended up with even more time to kill at the tiny Mataram airport. When our friends Brian & Pat had flown from West Timor, they had told us how they had been made to sit on the scales and be weighed before boarding the plane. When the same thing happened to us, it wasn’t quite the shock it might have been, but it was still very strange. Watching Debs slide about on the rollers on the scales was hilarious. How they got an accurate reading is beyond me! Safely weighed and informed that we were 4.5kg over (4.5kg over what?), the check-in staff let us go through. This weighing procedure wasn’t repeated on the other flights we took, so perhaps it is only on the short propeller powered flights.
Flying on a Fokker F50 was quite exciting as we hadn’t been on one before. Our flight carrier ‘Indonesian Air Transport’ didn’t sound too special, but the plane seemed to be brand new and the flight duration of only about 15 minutes didn’t give us a lot of time to be worried. Arriving on time at Denpasar airport, Bali we went to check our bags in for the onward flight to Yogyakarta. As we had arrived at 9:30am, we knew we had a reasonable wait until our flight left at 1pm. We weren’t quite prepared for being told that the flight had been delayed by 3 hours! To be fair to Garuda Air, we were all given a meal voucher for the restaurant, which is more than a lot of airlines would have done. In the end the time went fairly quickly, although we were going slightly stir crazy by the time we came to board. With no further delays we arrived in Yogyakarta airport after about an hour, retrieved our bags and went to meet our lift to the hotel.

Next: Yogyakarta

Peramatour: Flores to Lombok

Day 4:
Breakfast is served as we approach Rinca Island. The seas between the islands have been considerably calmer than the previous few days, so we arrive at the island at 8:30am. It is nice to see that Rinca Island has a jetty so we don’t have to use the dinghy to get to the island. After the relative disappointment of Komodo Island, we are not sure what to expect from Rinca. We go to meet some rangers who will take us on a walk through the park, although this time their English is better. Starting at the main camp we once again come face to face with several resident Komodos, although this time there is a lot more of them and they appear to be more active. The setting of the camp is also much nicer; in fact from the start, the whole island seems a lot more attractive than Komodo. Following the trail from the camp we are lucky enough to see several dragons on and around the path. The trail takes us through jungle and up into more open savannah like scenery. The vegetation and scenery are stunning as we climb up a hill to get a beautiful view of the island and its surrounding seas. Back at the camp we get to see some smaller dragons and as we head back to the boat we encounter one more sitting on the rocks near the jetty. Although it means longer on the boat, we are already glad that we decided to do the return journey. Rinca has been a definite highlight; apart from the name it is a surprise that Komodo remains the more famous island.
From Rinca Island we sailed to Gili Laba to do some more snorkelling. This time the dinghy wasn’t used as we could jump straight from the boat and swim to the nearby reef. We were told that there was the possibility of seeing stingrays in this area but we weren’t lucky enough to see any. Nevertheless the snorkelling was again excellent, with crystal clear waters and beautiful coral.
The rest of the day was spent sailing towards Moyo Island where we would visit a village and waterfall the next day. The only thing that marred what had been a good day was when a cockroach fell from underneath my bunk and landed on my chest while I was reading my book. A quick inspection later and more were discovered, so evacuating the room while the crew sprayed we eventually ended up with a roach free room. We did hear more complaints of cockroaches elsewhere after the spraying, so they clearly just moved on!

Day 5:
As the weather had been bad during the night, we arrived on Moyo Island a little behind schedule. After breakfast we climbed into the dinghy, this time bound for Labuan Haji village on Moyo Island. As so far we had encountered very few locals, it was really nice to see children playing on the beach and a gathering of the villagers waiting to greet us. Once we were all safely on the island we followed a local guide to a nearby waterfall and swimming area. The waterfall was equipped with a rope swing into the pool below. After a demonstration by Effendi, we are pleased to say that we were the first ones to have a go. The water was refreshingly cool and the rope swing was great fun. Once again, the return trip had started out much better than the outward one.
Returning to the village we waved goodbye to the villagers and got back on the boat heading for Keramat Island. This was to be our final stop before we reached Lombok, so we spent the next hour snorkelling around the tiny island. One of the more curious things we encountered during our snorkelling was a tiny fish that seemed quite happy to sit in our hands and hover directly in front of our masks. Tired from swimming around, we climbed back aboard the boat for the final leg of the tour. Perhaps it was because we knew that we were nearly back, but the last bit seemed to take ages. By the time we had docked, said goodbye to the crew, got our gear loaded on the bus and set off, it was already 9pm and we still had a 2 hour drive to Senggigi. It was with some relief when we finally made it back to Rajah’s Bungalows and collapsed into bed.

We must mention that the Perama boat crew were all great; they tried there best to make sure we were ok at all times. Most of what happened on the outward journey can only really be blamed on the weather. The return journey was for us much better than the outward one and if we were doing it again, we would probably fly to Flores and then take the boat back. The main problem with the trip is that the distance is too far, the boat is probably not big enough and there is no built in allowance for bad weather. One of our fellow passengers wrote a letter of complaint, and received a reply from Mr Perama himself, who rather strangely denied everything and blamed global warming! Quite how global warming overloads a dinghy, hides the life jackets and capsizes a boat, will clearly remain a mystery.
If you see this Dennis, send me a copy of the email and I will publish it.

Next: Back to Senggigi, the onwards to Yogyakarta

Peramatour: Lombok to Flores

Day 1:
As Rajah’s Bungalows turned out to be quite close to a mosque, there was no chance of oversleeping as we were woken up by the call to prayer. A refreshingly cold wake up shower later and we set off for the Perama office to join the tour. We loaded our gear on the bus and climbed on board for the short trip to Mataram (Lombok’s capital city), where we would pick up some more people and rather confusingly collect what sounded like ‘a nice dessert!’ The nice dessert turned out to be a nice T-shirt, which on seeing, we would rather it had been a nice desert! After about 30 minutes of hanging around the Mataram office we set off again, this time to visit a shopping mall. The purpose of visiting the shopping mall remained a mystery to us all, although I did manage to get an Indonesian sim card for my phone. Our first proper stop was to Masbagik pottery village, where were treated to a demonstration of traditional pottery by one of the local ladies. Apparently barring two men, all of the potters are women and while not from the village, our guide Effendi’s attempt at pottery gave a good demonstration of why this is true.
From the pottery village we made a brief stop to get some Bantal cakes (pillow cakes); a local snack made of rice and banana wrapped in a vine leaf. It is always good to try new things, but we can’t say that we would rush to have Bantal cakes again; it is not that they are horrid, just bland! Our next stop was at Perama docking, to see where the boats were built and to get a better idea of the route we would be taking. From the docking it was a short trip to Labuan Lombok harbour, where we got on board our boat.
Once everyone was on board we were taken to what turned out to be the world’s smallest cabin. We are so glad we had left our big bags behind; anyone claustrophobic would be better off sleeping on deck, or at the very least avoiding the very tight bottom bunk. With everyone’s gear stowed away we were served a cold buffet lunch and set sail for Perama Island (anyone noticing a pattern here?). Perama Island is tiny; you can walk around the outside in about 15 minutes. It is not actually owned by the Perama Company, but they have maintained it and have introduced a coral replanting program, so have been given care of it by the Indonesian government. Unfortunately when we arrived the currents surrounding the island were very strong, so we were only able to do a little snorkelling; nevertheless what we could see was stunning.
Later that evening we enjoyed a BBQ on the beach and we were then treated to a not always tuneful sing-along, led by the crew. It was when they played the company song that things started to take a turn for the strange. The song lyrics, conjured up images of Mr Perama as either a genius bond villain living in an island retreat or as some kind of evangelical figure. The company dance that followed, complete with a carefully choreographed dance routine just added to the strangeness. After a short demonstration, we were all invited to join in the dance, with hilarious results. In the end, the evening was great fun, but it would be better if the dance only lasted for a few verses instead of the overlong ten. Very few of us were still dancing by the end and even some of the crew had dropped out.
At about 9pm the dinghy carried us back to the boat and we all settled in for the night as the boat set sail for Satonda Island.

Day 2:
The plan was to visit a salt water lake on Satonda Island and then get back on the boat for breakfast before heading off to a small village for a visit. The sea had been quite rough during the night and the waves were still quite large as the small dinghy carried us six at a time to the island. Safely on the island we had a short walk to the salt lake and enjoyed a morning swim. It was on the return journey that things started to go wrong. Debs and I were on the first dinghy trip back to the boat and although we got very wet, we made it safely back to the boat and settled down to breakfast. Unfortunately the next group of people had to swim for the boat when the clearly overloaded dinghy started to sink in the rough water. Obviously not expecting the boat to capsize and not wanting to leave their gear unattended on the boat this ended up in a few destroyed cameras, mp3 players, phones etc. The dinghy was recovered, but the engine would not restart, leaving the rest of the passengers stranded on the beach. Using our dry bags, two of the people who made it to the boat on the first trip, swam back with some breakfast for the starving people on the beach. After a lengthy delay the engine finally started and everyone was slowly delivered back to the boat, so we could finally get underway. The sad thing is that the whole thing could have been avoided if they didn’t insist on overloading the boat; life jackets would be nice as well. The worst thing about the incident was that the crew really didn’t seem to have any idea what to do. It was the passengers who got food to the others and in one instance dived in to assist a struggling crew member.
The delay ended any further stops for the day, so the rest of the time was spent travelling towards Komodo in quite rough seas. Good job we had books with us!

Day 3:
Breakfast first today! Today was to be one of the highlights of the trip as we would hopefully get to see Komodo dragons in the wild. Getting to the island involved getting in the dinghy again, but mysteriously this time they only took four people at a time! The dinghy was then joined by a larger boat so we were all safely on the island in double quick time. Having been warned by our guides that we may not see any Komodo dragons, we kept our fingers crossed and went to meet the rangers who would do their best to find some for us. Starting in the main camp area, amazingly, we came face to face with two fully grown Komodo Dragons! Why park rangers feel the need to pretend that you may not see anything, when they know that there will always be at least two near the camp hoping to be fed, is completely beyond us. It doesn’t build up suspense; it just makes you feel cheated. Having seen the dragons asleep in the camp we hoped to see some more on the 5 km walk through the island. The trek set off at a breakneck pace with information given to the closest people only, by an incomprehensible guide. On route we came across some deer and wild boar but as yet no Komodo dragons. The trail eventually led us to a dried up river bed where Komodo Dragons used to be fed for the tourists. We were then informed that they don’t come here anymore, so the reason for going there escapes me, unless you want to read the sign telling you about what you aren’t going to see!
Back at the camp we were lucky enough to see a juvenile dragon running through the trees (while they are young, they resemble the smaller monitor lizards). After a few more photos of the sleeping dragons we got back on the boat headed for Red beach.
Red beach lived up to its name and was indeed red, and the waters surrounding it had some beautiful coral and fish. We spent an hour resting and snorkelling, glad to be off the boat after the epic journey yesterday.
The rough seas had delayed our journey by several hours, so instead of arriving in Flores at around 3:30pm we actually got there at about 7pm. It was time to say goodbye to the people leaving the trip and for those doing the return leg, we were told that we should be back on board by 7:30pm for dinner! With a bit of persuasion the crew agreed to pick us up at 9:00pm and a group of us got in the dinghy to be taken to Labuan Bajo. While we understand that the Perama Company has no permanent mooring in Flores, there has to be somewhere better to drop off their passengers than at the slippery rocked, poorly lit, garbage and cockroach infested bit of land that they use. Feeling completely like smugglers, we set off to find a restaurant in what is clearly not a particularly bustling town. Whether it was just the fact that the food was hot, or that the drinks were cold, the restaurant that we found, produced one of the nicest meals we have had for a while. Feeling better, we met the dinghy and got back on the boat to meet the new passengers who would join us on the return leg. Fortunately we were just in time to see the company dance again!
With no sailing tonight we settled in for the quietest night on the boat yet. Tomorrow was to be our second chance to see Komodo dragons; this time on Rinca Island.

Next: Peramatour, Flores to Lombok

Senggigi, Lombok

Our journey to Lombok began at 5:30am when we were picked up by the Peramatour bus, bound for the harbour. On arrival at the ferry port, our bags were taken by two people who we presumed to be Peramatour staff, but unfortunately turned out to be opportunistic porters. Debs managed to catch up with her porter and wrestle back her bag back, but mine was too fast. There then followed an altercation near the steps of the ferry, where I refused to pay the ridiculous price that the porters wanted, for a service we didn’t ask for! Following threats, shoving and the eventual acceptance of a small amount of rupiah, we were allowed to board. So far, the ferry was turning out to be a wonderful choice of transport! Four hours of loud, distorted, Indonesian karaoke music later and we arrived in Lombok, or at least we would have if the ferry didn’t have to wait for another hour to dock. By the time we eventually arrived in Senggigi, it was about 4pm and the hunt for somewhere to stay began. We eventually found the very nice Rajah’s Bungalows and checked into a lovely hut with attached outdoor bathroom. As we were off on a five day tour starting the next day, we packed smaller bags and arranged to leave our other luggage with the guesthouse for our return.
From what we saw of Senggigi on our one evening there, it seemed like a very nice little coastal resort. There are plenty of bars and restaurants and more than a few trinket salesmen; again the lack of tourists doesn’t help. We did buy a few cheap necklaces, which unfortunately had the effect of announcing our presence as people with money. A bit of a scramble ensued, but it was quite good-natured and the lads were quite happy to just have a chat. They even managed to get the hint that they should leave when we were trying to eat our dinner!

Next: Peramatour, Lombok to Flores

Bali

Arriving at Bali airport during the early evening, we joined the queues of people at immigration. As is often the case, we managed to join the slowest moving one and after watching Debs breeze through I was quite surprised to have the immigration official beckon me over and ask for money. To tell the truth, he then smiled and laughed afterwards, but in a country that carries the death penalty for drug smuggling, I failed to see the joke. Slightly annoyed and already thinking ‘welcome to Indonesia’, the rest of the security checks went without a hitch.
We had already arranged an airport pickup with the hotel, so the short journey to Kuta beach was pain free, right up to the moment when we were dropped at the wrong hotel! As it turned out, there was a problem with the room at the ‘Green Garden Hotel’, so they had upgraded us free of charge to one of there partner hotels. The ‘Febris’ hotel turned out to be beautiful, with one of the nicest rooms we have stayed in, a very nice pool, spa and massage facilities for Debs and a good restaurant.
After a very comfortable nights sleep, we headed out to have a look at the town and to find the Peramatour office so that we could pay for our Indonesian island tour. After the quiet of Malaysia the amount of touts and stall holders, trying to part us from our cash came as a bit of a shock. The situation certainly wasn’t helped by the lack of tourists staying on the island. From what we heard during our stay, the situation has barely improved since the Bali bombings and the locals feel largely abandoned by the Australian people. Finding the Peramatour office, we paid for our trip and booked the ferry that would take us to Lombok. With the next part of the journey sorted, we stopped for a look around the very modern ‘Discovery Mall’, bought some more very cheap copy DVDs and then went back to the hotel to relax.

During the remainder of our stay in Bali we booked on a one day island tour that took us first to a very entertaining Barong dance show. The show was performed in a beautiful open air theatre, with a small temple as its back drop. From the dance we visited a batik workshop (where we didn’t buy anything), an art gallery (where we did buy something), a silver workshop (yet another purchase) and a wood carving place (where, at the quoted prices we laughed, shook our heads sadly and walked out, pursued by the salesman). The next part of the tour involved a visit to a not very impressive waterfall, an interesting stop at Goa Gajah (elephant cave temple) and then to a Sribatu, a garden where we sampled some very nice tea, coffee and hot chocolate.
After an early start, we were both ready for lunch and it couldn’t have been served in a more pleasant location, overlooking the active volcano Mount Batur. From here we stopped at Sebatu (the spring water temple), before heading to GWK (the home of Bali’s highest statue). GWK (sorry, no idea what it stands for) is a tale of promising more than you can deliver. The original plan was to build an enormous statue, but unfortunately they ran out of money, so it was never finished. Nevertheless, what they did complete gives some idea of the truly staggering scale of the proposed statue.
With the light fading we rushed to Uluwatu, a temple perched high on a cliff top (with more than its fair share of thieving macaques) to watch the sunset on what had been an enjoyable but tiring day.
Apart from relaxing around the pool, we did a bit more shopping and spent a fun afternoon at the entertaining but expensive ‘WaterBom Park’. Before we knew it the week had passed and it was time to say goodbye to Bali and the Febris hotel. Bearing in mind that neither of us had previously shown any interest in coming to Bali, writing it off as the Ibiza of SE Asia, we have had a very nice time. Aside from the touts, who aren’t really worse than at any other holiday resort, the people are really friendly and the island is both interesting and beautiful. We hope that the tourist trade starts to pick up and that there are no further incidents like the ones of 2002, as that truly could spell ‘the end’ for Bali.

Next Senggigi, Lombok

A return to KL

Arriving back in KL we checked back in to the Haven Guesthouse. Our plan was to stay for another day while Debs got her foot checked out at the hospital and then head to Indonesia. The best laid plans unfortunately always seem to go wrong! Debs foot had swollen quite badly while we had been away, so the doctor decided to try and drain some fluid and then pump the wound full of alcohol to stop any infection. This was agony and she could barely walk afterwards! Naughty Dr. Nandy!! Her foot had not healed as he would have liked, so we were asked to come back the next day.
Unfortunately on our return the next day and with Debs still in pain, we were asked to come back after the weekend, which as it was a public holiday in Malaysia meant Tuesday. Our one day back in KL quickly turned into six days, so we had to try and find things to keep us occupied.
With no real plan for our time in Indonesia, our extended stay became the ideal opportunity to plan the next leg. With slightly less time than we had planned, we decided to miss out Sumatra and head straight for Bali. Over the internet we booked our flights and a nice hotel in Kuta beach. From Bali we would travel to Lombok on the ferry and then take the Peramatour boat to Flores. As our time was limited we decided it would be best to book the return journey on the boat and so in total we would spend five days touring the islands. From Lombok we hope to get to Java and then eventually fly to Singapore on around the 26/06, giving us 4 days before we left for New Zealand.
With the next leg planned we spent the rest of the time going to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3, shopping (again), sending parcels home and viewing the city from the KL tower (the fourth tallest in the world). We would have liked to go to the Petrosains museum, but due to the start of the Malaysian school holidays it was booked solid, so maybe next time. Our opinion of KL hasn’t changed; it is still a really nice city and ‘the Haven’ is still a great guesthouse. Maybe next time we will see it under different circumstances!

Next: We finally make it to Indonesia

Bako national park

Taking a bus and then a boat from Kuching we arrived at Bako, Sarawak’s oldest national park. The national park has been in existence since 1957 and occupies an area of only 27sq km. Due to its comparatively small size it is probably the best place to see wildlife in Sarawak.
After registering at the park’s main office, we checked into what turned out to be a very large bungalow carefully avoiding any incidents with the resident macaques. The macaques hang around the camp looking for food or anyone stupid enough to leave a door or window open. The park rangers seem to look upon them as a tourist attraction and enormous pain at the same time. As we arrived in good time, and having read that the early evening is a good time to see proboscis monkeys, we set off on a short trek to try and spot some wildlife. The trail that we initially followed rather came to an end as it disappeared into the mangrove forest, so turning around we headed back towards the camp, encountering a beautiful Rofous Backed Kingfisher on the way. It was on our return that we had our first encounter with the proboscis monkeys. Standing as quietly as possible on hearing the crash of vegetation, we caught the odd glimpse and heard the strange honking sound of male proboscis monkeys. After standing and watching for a while it became apparent that we weren’t going to get a better view, so happy with our brief encounter we returned to camp.
While walking on the beach to watch the sunset we bumped into a couple from the longhouse trip who were also staying in the park. Later that evening we joined them for dinner and then organised to go on a short night safari. The night safari started early for Debs when she came face to face with a Bornean bearded pig (Bako’s largest mammal) on the way to our room to get ready! During the safari our guide did his best to point things out, but the animals weren’t really playing along. We did see a large stick insect, several spiders and a rather frightening looking centipede hunting a gecko, but the nocturnal mammals remained elusive. As we headed back to the camp the guide took us to see the fireflies near the harbour and what appears to be the camp’s resident snake, a Wagler’s pit viper. I say ‘resident’, because in the next few days it was always to be found sitting on the same branch, in the same tree near the camp.

The next day we decided that we would attempt the ‘Big Loop’, a circuit made by linking many of the shorter trails. The loop was supposed to take about 7 hours, but we had been informed by several people that they had done it in 5-6 hours, without rushing. Loaded up with as much water as we could carry and some snacks for the journey we set off, our first destination being Tajor waterfall some 3km from the camp. The waterfall is not overly impressive but there is a nice, although somewhat murky, swimming area. However, the large amounts of pitcher plants hanging from the trees on either side of the main trail were far more impressive. Along the course of the trail we saw three different kinds of pitcher plant; Nepenthes Rafflesiana, Nepenthes Gracilis and Nepenthes Ampullaria.
It was from the waterfall that the walk became less fun. The trail started to climb steeply and the temperature and humidity rose dramatically. We would like to say that we enjoyed the remainder of the trail, but partly due to Debs’ foot not being fully recovered and an eventual lack of water, we would be lying. In all honesty there is nothing along the big loop that you can’t see on the other shorter trails (apart from one type of pitcher plant) and unless you are feeling particularly masochistic there is no real point. Incidentally it took us all of the 7 hours to complete with very few stops, so we can only assume that the people we spoke to either ran all the way or missed some off! When we eventually made it back we were too tired and hot to do anything else, so we had an early evening meal and a very early night.

Our third day at Bako was spent at a much more leisurely pace. I had a short trek up to a nearby viewpoint encountering a few, very well camouflaged, lizards along the trail. Debs meanwhile spent most of the day recovering from the excesses of the day before. Later that afternoon we walked to the mangrove forest to try and see some proboscis monkeys. Staying as quiet as possible (something that Asians don’t seem to understand) we were fortunate enough to see several as they came out of the jungle to feed. The monkeys remain very wary of humans and at the slightest noise will disappear. For the main part they stayed just out of camera range and it was more by luck, that we got any pictures at all. It was a great experience seeing these rare creatures in the wild and one that we will never forget.

True to his word, our boatman remembered to pick us up on the last day and ferried us back to the mainland. Our stay at Bako was great; the trails are well marked, the rain forest is beautiful and you have a very real chance of seeing animals. The only slight downers on the experience are that the restaurant while not expensive is terrible; they cook once a day and then expect it to stay hot for the remainder of the time and water is stupidly expensive.
The minibus took us back to Kuching where we got on another bus bound for the airport. Our time in Borneo had come to an end and it was time to return to Kuala Lumpur, before heading onwards to Indonesia.

Next: A return to KL

A return to kuching

Arriving back in Kuching and checking into Carpenters GH again, it was nice to have a hot shower, a comfy air conditioned room with proper beds and absolutely no cockerels! Following a quick meal in the nearby Chinese restaurant, it was time to return to the guesthouse to try and catch up on some sleep.
Through the guesthouse we had booked on ‘Bumbu’ cookery course for the next day. So after a lazy morning we met up with our instructors and set off for the local market to get supplies for the meal. It is always nice to do a market tour with people who know what everything is; our knowledge is certainly increasing, but we still encounter the odd thing that we are not sure of. With our baskets loaded with supplies we headed to the kitchen to begin our lesson. The meal cooked in the class changes everyday; we would be cooking chicken and potato curry Malaysian style and fern cooked with chilli and shrimp paste (Debs not being a fish lover gave the shrimp paste a miss). For dessert we were having fresh pineapple and a coconut jelly desert that tasted very similar to Blancmange. The class was very entertaining, especially as it took place within a traditional family home. Debs, who is not known for her cooking confidence, got well stuck in, with only one slight moment of panic during the frying stages and the meal we produced was really good. After countless hotels and restaurants it was really nice to be eating a meal that we had prepared ourselves, albeit under the watchful eye of our instructors. Feeling slightly over full, we said goodbye to our hosts and returned to the guesthouse.
Our last full day in Kuching was spent booking accommodation at Bako National Park, return flights to mainland Malaysia and visiting the large Sunday market (for some reason the Sunday market starts on Saturday). We have had a really good time in Kuching, but the promise of rainforest, pitcher plants and rare proboscis monkeys beckons, so our next stop is Bako National Park.

Next: Bako NP

Lalang Longhouse

Day 1

After an early breakfast we got picked up by our guide and met the rest of our companions on the trip. The first stop of the day was Semenggoh Nature Reserve to hopefully see some orang-utans. The reserve has been rehabilitating orphan orang-utans for the last 20 years and returning them to the wild, so the surrounding jungle now holds a thriving orang-utan population. On the day that we visited we were lucky enough to see a big male swing in from the jungle looking for a free lunch.
After visiting the nature reserve, we made a brief stop in the town of Serian to have a look around the local market and to sample some of the local foods. The meat satay with peanut sauce and rice, topped off with battered bananas was excellent and set us up nicely for the shopping trip to buy food and gifts for our Iban hosts. The gifts consisted of biscuits, hot chocolate mix and crisps that could be shared out amongst the inhabitants of the longhouse. With the shopping safely loaded in our now slightly squashed car, we continued on our way to the Skrang River to meet our Iban guide and transfer to a boat that would takes us to the longhouse. Despite being told repeatedly by our guide that we were now in the dry season and that we would be very unlucky to encounter rain, the heavens opened and the last part of our road journey was through heavy rain.
Arriving at the river we were introduced to Entalai, our host and interpreter for the next 3 days, unloaded the car and waited to get on board the very narrow and unstable looking boat. Mercifully the rain had stopped, but to say that we got slightly wet during the boat journey would be something of an understatement. Due to the lack of rain (it really is the dry season!) the river was very low, so we had to race towards area of shallow water at full speed and then the crew either paddled madly to get us over or had to get out and push. Nevertheless the boat was controlled with amazing skill by the boatmen and we arrived safely but damp at Lalang longhouse.

Iban longhouses were traditionally made of wood, but due to the shortage through commercial logging, many have been rebuilt using concrete. Fortunately (for us at least) Lalang still remains entirely made of wood. The longhouse itself is separated into about twenty apartments (approx 100 people live in Lalang) with the chief and his closest family living in the centre. All of the rooms then lead on to a communal area where people socialise and work. People who stay on the longhouse for longer than a few days are invited to stay in their host’s apartment, but as there were six of us our home was in the communal area (mattresses and mosquito nets provided). One of the surprises that we encountered on entering the house was that there were no children staying, apparently all of them were away at school; the 1-2hr boat journey being too far for them to travel every day.
As the Iban people were the original headhunting tribe of Borneo, it was interesting to see three human skulls hanging outside the chief’s apartment. Entalai informed us that although the chief wouldn’t say whether he had actually taken part in any headhunting himself, the skulls on display were from a much earlier time. The Malaysian government’s line is that headhunting ended many years ago, but Entalai informed us that it only really ended in about the mid 60s with the last of the Asian wars.

Our first meal on the longhouse was eaten in Entalai’s apartment and was accompanied by a tasting session of rice wines. Having already been warned about drinking too much rice wine by our guide we all took it relatively easy, knowing that we had an early morning jungle trek the next day. Finishing dinner and returning to the communal area, we were treated to a traditional dance performed by the residents. The two male dancers seemed relatively keen, but the two women looked like they would rather be anywhere than dancing in front of us! We were then invited to join in the dance. While my whoops and jumps got a smile out of my Iban dance instructor, we couldn’t help but think that the whole thing was put on because they believed that that was what we wanted to see. A brief display of local crafts followed the dancing where I bought a small blowpipe and we both bought some rattan mats. So far the legendary friendliness and hospitality was, other than Entalai, in short supply.
Oh well, early start tomorrow so time for bed!

Day 2
We quickly found out that sleeping late in a Longhouse is impossible. The many cockerels signalled morning at a ridiculous hour and the working day starts soon after. After a breakfast of banana pancakes and fruit we got ready for our jungle trek. First we were shown the pepper plantations (Sarawak is one of the world’s largest pepper exporters) and then, as we climbed higher up the surrounding hills, we passed many rubber trees and wild pineapple plants. As it was a very warm day and the climb was quite steep, it was with some relief when we headed down towards the river.
Following the river for a short distance we arrived at a swimming area, which was also to be our stop for lunch. Entalai and two others quickly had a fire going and set about wrapping fish, chicken, rice and edible ferns in palm leaves and then placing them in bamboo tubes that would be cooked on the fire. I had a go at folding the packets of rice, but it has to be noted that when I handed it to Entalai, he unfolded it and did it again. So far my chances of being welcomed into the tribe look slim! After failing at the rice folding I was given the task of filling all of the stuffed bamboo tubes with water and then handing them to the cook; this I did with great success!
Before too long we were dining on an extremely tasty meal cooked entirely in bamboo, with our plates made of folded leaves and our cutlery and cups from bamboo. They had even brewed tea and coffee in the tubes. The meal was one of the best experiences we have had, and our longhouse trip was definitely looking up! With no dishes to wash, we packed up quickly and followed the river back to the longhouse. The onset of rain put a slight damper on the journey, but by the time we arrived back it had dried up and blue skies were again visible.
The rest of the day was spent swimming in the river eating another very nice meal with Entalai and consuming quite a large amount of rice wine. The inhabitants of the longhouse did appear to be getting more used to our presence and we were able to watch pepper being sorted and dried, rattan mats being weaved and fishing nets being repaired. Obviously a lack of English makes communication difficult, but from the previous nights craft sale we had encountered more than a few people who did speak English reasonably well. Unfortunately those people never seemed to be around when you wanted them or interested in talking, and so many of the inhabitants remained either shy or disinterested in our being there. Perhaps it was too much to expect to be welcomed with open arms. It could be said that if the roles were reversed and six strangers turned up in most western homes they sadly might be sure of a lesser welcome. It is worth saying; however that Lalang longhouse and Entalai have been having visitors stay for over 10 years, so our being there could hardly be described as a shock. Perhaps six people is too many? People have been known to stay for a lot longer, in which case they would stay in the apartments and help the Iban work, therefore integrating more with the people.

Day 3
Another early start and our final day in the longhouse. We certainly will not be missing the cockerels! After breakfast we went another short jungle trek to have a better look at rubber being collected. Debs foot was still sore from our last hospital visit, so decided that she would give the trek a miss. The trek took us through the rubber plantations and up until we reached a viewpoint over the rolling hills of the Sarawak countryside. The climb served a double purpose, as Entalai had come up here to try and get reception on his mobile phone! Having to walk for an hour to be able to make a phone call, recalled the memories of my first mobile phone back home!
Returning to the longhouse we had some fun shooting my mini blowpipe and then having a go with Entalai’s real one. After a final swim in the river it was time to pack our gear, wave goodbye to our hosts and with a certain amount of trepidation get back in the boat for the journey down river. The boat was again piloted with consummate skill and the journey turned out to be something of an anticlimax. It would appear that travelling down river when the water is low is considerably easier than the other way round. Safely back on dry land we waved goodbye to Entalai, got back in the car and set off on the long return journey to Kuching.

We were really glad we stayed on a longhouse and overall the experience has been a good one, which we will always remember. Whether or not the stay should be longer would really be up to the individual; for us it was long enough and while we have no major travel plans, we do have at least some time constraints. What we can definitely say is that we got to stay on a real, living, breathing, working longhouse, which was after all our original hope.

Next: Back to Kuching

Kuching, Sarawak. Borneo

The second part of our travels around Borneo began in Sarawak (the largest Malaysian state) and its capital city Kuching (Cat in Malay). From first impressions Kuching is much older and more untouched than Sabah’s capital Kota Kinabalu.
From a recommendation from the guys at ‘The Haven’, we booked into a very nice guesthouse on Carpenter Street (the heart of the city’s Chinatown district) called ‘Carpenter Guesthouse’. The guesthouse has a really nice family feel to it and the owners Joseph and Paula were never short of any advice or information.
As we arrived on a Sunday afternoon we weren’t treated to the full city experience, as many of the shops were closed or closing. It must be said that Kuching couldn’t be described as the most vibrant of cities; instead it maintains a friendlier village like atmosphere, somewhat akin to Chiang Mai in Thailand. The old city is centred round the Sarawak River and most of its sights are within easy walking distance of Main Bazaar (the oldest street in the city). The existence of present day Sarawak and indeed Kuching is largely down to the influence of the Brooke family. James Brooke, a young wealthy Englishman, arrived in Sarawak in 1839 and immediately, at the request of the Sultan of Brunei’s uncle, assisted in the putting down of a violent rebellion with the help of his well armed Yacht ‘The Royalist’. As a reward for his service the Sultan made Brooke the Rajah of Sarawak in 1841. His successor and nephew Charles Brooke, while not the adventurer that his uncle was, proved to be an excellent politician and administrator who established a proper system of government and then set about extending his area of control, until it formed the Sarawak of today. On Charles Brooke’s death in 1917, control was handed to his son, Charles Vyner Brooke; he expanded on his father’s good work and in 1941 established a State Council to oversee the passing of new laws, thus bringing the first taste of democracy to Sarawak.

One of our main aims while in Sarawak was to stay in an Iban Longhouse; the Iban people are the original head hunter tribe of Borneo, who are renowned for their warmth and hospitality. Completely by chance, the opportunity arose as we headed down to breakfast on our first morning. We were lucky enough to bump into a guide who was organising the trip for one of our fellow hotel guests. On learning that it would be a small group (6 people) and that we would be going to a proper longhouse (not one set up for tourists), we quickly signed up for a 3 day trip starting the next day.
With the longhouse trip booked we headed out to have a look around the city, starting with the Sarawak museum. The museum was described by the ‘Rough Guide’ as being one of the finest in SE Asia, so we were expecting big things. After chuckling our way round the moth eaten collection of stuffed animals on the first floor it has to be said that it wasn’t looking good! However, the ethnology collection on the first floor more than made up for the shaky start. We found the museum to be both charming and interesting and would recommend a visit to anyone staying in the city; the fact that it is free only helps its appeal. From the museum we visited the aquarium which again had free entry, but did rather come across as a restaurant’s holding tank instead of an actual aquarium. You could practically see people smacking there lips with anticipation as they looked at the fish! From the aquarium we had a brief look at the national monument and then headed toward one of the main shopping streets for some lunch.
Truth be told, the hot weather rather ended our Kuching tour there, as we elected to spend the rest of the day back at the guesthouse sorting our bags and getting ready for our trip to the longhouse.

Next Lalang Longhouse

A return to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Arriving back at the guesthouse it was really good to see Debs. While I had been climbing the mountain she had been having a restful time. I managed to drag myself upright long enough to go out for some food, but by about 9pm I was fast asleep.
Waking up early the next morning, feeling refreshed in mind but not in leg, we boarded the minibus bound for Kinabalu Park and Poring Hot springs. After dropping some other people from the minibus off at the start of the climb (it was a nice feeling knowing I didn’t have to climb again) we returned to the park HQ to begin a short nature walk. We paid to have a guide and were pleased that we did as he pointed out many things that we would have missed on our own. During the brief walk we saw the world’s tallest moss, the world’s smallest orchid (Pinhead Orchid), several squirrels and lots of trees that are still to be identified. From the trail we then visited the botanical garden, where we met another guide who showed us several more varieties of orchid and some very small pitcher plants. Unfortunately heavy rain started to fall bringing the tour to an end, so we headed back to the minibus ready to go and get some lunch.
After lunch we got back on the minibus for the 40 minute drive to Poring Hot springs and a jungle canopy walk. By now my legs were aching badly and Debs had been feeling slightly ill all day, so it was with some relief when we finally arrived at the hot springs. The hot springs were established by the Japanese during their occupation and are basically a collection of small thermally heated pools (ideal for weary legs). We spent a very relaxing, if somewhat hot, hour or so soaking in the pool watching the rain fall around us. Unfortunately our intended canopy walk was rather stopped by the heavy rain, so pink skinned and wrinkly toed we once again boarded the minibus for the return journey to Kota Kinabalu and our guesthouse.
As it was the FA cup final we thought it would be good to go to the Stadium sports bar, have a few beers and watch the game. The ‘Stadium’ is owned by the same people who own the guesthouse, so the shuttle bus runs to the door. When we discovered that the match wasn’t on until 10pm and that we were the bars only customers, we decided instead to head back to the hostel. I did see some of the match, but I have to confess to going to bed half way through (I did see the result on the internet the next morning). Debs had already taken the smarter option of missing it altogether, choosing to pack before we left for Sarawak the next morning.

Next Kuching, Sarawak

Climbing Mt Kinabalu, Sabah

• Woke up at about 6:45am, checked I had everything, said morning and then goodbye to a very sleepy Debs and then went through to the lounge to wait for the 7:30am minibus.
• Find out I am the only climber as the other people I am sharing the minibus with are going to visit a hot spring. Settle down for a pleasant 2 hour journey to the national park.
• Arrive at Kinabalu National Park at around 10:00am via a small market town, where I got my first good view of the mountain (looks very high!).
• Meet my guide Wilter and get given my climbing pass. I could have sworn my guide said his name was Walter, so that’s what I called him for the next two days. He, much to my annoyance and prompting, refused to call me anything but Sir!
• 10:30am get dropped off at the Timpohon gate (1866.4m) to begin the climb. Discover the first 70m is downhill, so we are off to a good start.
• Some idiot decided it was a good idea to cut steps into the trail; honestly some of them are nearly 2ft high. 1km in and my thigh muscles are already burning, my guide being a friendly soul has disappeared somewhere to have a chat! I continue unguided.
• 3.5km (2634m) decided that exercising my legs by walking to the restaurant/bar and my arms by lifting a fork/beer has not been great preparation for mountain climbing! My legs are protesting and I still have 2.5km and about 600m in altitude to gain until I get to the lodge.
• About 4.5km in and we make a brief excursion from the main trail to look at some Pitcher plants (very strange looking things). Somewhat strangely my legs have started to feel better, no sign of any altitude problems yet.
• The next 1.5km passes without too much incident, but the trail definitely gets rockier and steeper.
• After about 4 1/2 hours of hard slog, I arrive at Laban Rata Lodge (3272.2m); my home for the evening. Check into my room (sharing with 3 world champion sleepers from Japan) and have a very welcome shower.
• 3:30pm fall asleep in the restaurant with all the other climbers while waiting for the evening meal to be served at 5:00pm
• 5:00pm have a really good although very expensive evening meal (can’t really complain as my stay is all inclusive) and then watch a beautiful sunset from the balcony.
• 7:00pm say goodnight and head up to my room with the intention of sleeping as we have to be up at 2:30am to begin the summit climb.
• 9:00pm the heating cuts in and is set to roast! At one point the headboard on my bed is too hot to touch. Wide awake and sweating, I leave the room to cool down in the hall.
• Suffering from heat stroke brought on insomnia, I finally switch off the heater (ignoring the sign telling me not to!), on the off chance that I get 1 hours sleep as it is now 1:00am.
• 1:30am the noise of people getting up ends any chance of sleep, so I get dressed and join them. Am pleased to note that my Japanese room mates have slept like babies, oblivious to my plight.
• 2:15am a cheerful Wilter arrives to guide me to the summit. Incidentally, he has slept very well!
• 2:30am stuck in a very slow procession of climbers, as we negotiate the narrow steps on the first part of the climb. I eventually get past with a sudden burst of speed and start to make better progress.
• As we get onto the main part of the mountain we have to follow guide ropes and the path opens up and becomes wider. Really starting to suffer from lack of sleep and fitness!
• Still no headache from the altitude, but start to feel a bit nauseous as we pass the 7.5km mark (3668m). My progress has started to become very slow, beginning to wonder if I will reach the summit by 5:45am (sunrise).
• Through willpower more than strength, I reach the 8.5km point at about 5:00am only to be greeted by a steep climb to the summit of Low’s Peak.
• Decide that I can watch the sunrise from here. No reason to exert myself by heading up the last little bit!
• Decide that I have to climb that last little bit!
• 5:20am Arrive at the top of Low’s Peak and jostle for position with everyone else at the very small summit.
• True to my guide’s word, the sun does rise at about 5:45am and we are all treated to a truly amazing experience as the whole of Sabah lies before us.
• Have a photo session with Wilter, who miraculously appeared beside me. I hadn’t seen him at all for the last hour. We take in the view for a bit longer and then head down.
• The descent is more painful than the ascent, but we make good time and arrive back at the lodge for breakfast at 7:30am. Wilter suggests we leave the lodge in 1hr but I persuade him there is no rush and 2 1/2 hrs will be fine.
• 9:30am feeling better for the rest and food, I gather my belongings, check out of the room and begin my return journey to the Timpohon gate.
• I have the company of a very nice Australian couple on the way down so the journey goes relatively quickly. We make a brief stop to see some more Pitcher plants and then continue on our way.
• The steps have really started to hurt, with no strength left in my legs every one of them is jarring. I find myself wondering if getting down to the bottom might be a bit of a problem!
• I finally pass the 1km mark at 12:40pm and gain a little strength in knowing that I am nearly down.
• 1:10pm remember I said the first 70m were downhill? Well now it’s bloody uphill!
• 1:15pm slightly late for my lift back and thoroughly exhausted I find my minibus, which is parked as far away as possible and go to the park office to get my certificate.
• Certificate in hand, I say goodbye to Wilter, climb back in the minibus and doze through most of the journey back to the guesthouse.
• The climb had been an amazing experience and tougher than I could ever have imagined, but definitely worth it.
• The world record for climbing and then descending is 2hrs 36minutes and 59seconds set by Marco de Gasperi during the 2003 Mt Kinabalu Climbathon. If you take longer than 4 1/2 hrs you are automatically disqualified, so that rather leaves me out!

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Borneo

Deciding to start our trip to Borneo in Sabah, we boarded an Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur bound for Kota Kinabalu (the state capital). The intention was to spend a few days in Sabah while I climbed Mt Kinabalu (at 4095.2m the highest mountain in SE Asia), have a brief look around and then head to the larger state of Sarawak. Having already booked some accommodation, we were met at the airport by our guesthouse staff and taken to ‘Borneo Global Backpackers’ in Kota Kinabalu.
As time was limited and having already heard that booking accommodation for the mountain climb could be a bit hit and miss, I decided to try and book a package climb. While more expensive than doing it myself, it offered me the best chance of being able to climb. As luck would have it, the staff from the guesthouse discovered there had been a cancellation and that I would be able to climb on the 17th May, only 2 days away. With the trip booked we decided to walk into the city centre for a look around and to find something to eat. From first impressions there isn’t very much to Kota Kinabalu, its sights are quite limited and coming from KL the shops are certainly not on the same scale. We did stumble upon a chiropractor who was able to realign Debs’ back and enjoyed a very good meal and cultural show at Sedco Square evening food hall. I can’t personally say I am much of a fan of cultural shows; they all seem a little fake. This one however was quite entertaining and the finale involving one of the dancers jumping between rapidly moving bamboo poles whilst blindfolded was extremely impressive.
The next day we headed into town to have a look around the traditional craft market. Like craft markets everywhere this one was a bit like passing a continuous conveyor belt, where every five stalls the goods repeat themselves. Not finding anything that we wanted to buy, we crossed the road to a nearby shopping mall just in time to miss the onset of torrential rain. Deciding that the change of weather was a good cue to get something to eat, we had a nice lunch in a pleasant coffee shop and then hailed a taxi for the return to the guesthouse. In typical fashion the rain eased just as we got back!
Later that evening we took the guesthouse shuttle bus into town, decided to have dinner in Pizza Hut (seemed like a safe option with my climb starting tomorrow), stocked up on energy giving food and then caught the shuttle bus back for an early night.

Kuala Lumpur

After a relatively short four hour journey through some beautiful scenery, we arrived in Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur (affectionately known as KL by the locals). Thanks to the recommendation of a couple from the Cameron Highlands, we checked into the ‘Haven Guesthouse’ on Bukit Bintang (as it turned out, the main shopping street in the city). The guesthouse has not been open long and has been designed in the style of a longhouse (tribal home famous in Sarawak, Borneo) with timber partitioned rooms. Once we had got ourselves comfortable and with the aid of Evan from the guesthouse, we located the nearest hospital and headed out to get Debs foot looked at. The Tung Shin hospital was only about 500m from the guesthouse and so couldn’t have been more convenient. Unfortunately, as it was Saturday the surgeons were all on half day and wouldn’t return until Monday morning, so we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the nearby area. Later that evening we had a look around a couple of the nearby shopping malls, found a restaurant for dinner and then went back to the guesthouse for the night.

With the hospital put on hold until Monday, we got a taxi to take us to the National Monument and Asean Sculpture Park, both of which were pleasant but not worth too much time. Debs did however display a fine command of gymnastic skill, when she commando rolled down the steps to the park, coming to rest some 20ft away from where I last saw her! Slightly more carefully, we walked through the park to the KL Butterfly Park which houses more than 6000 butterflies consisting of 120 different species. The most spectacular of all, was the huge Raja Brooke butterfly (the national butterfly of Malaysia).
From the butterfly park we went to the Orchid and Hibiscus garden (the hibiscus is known locally as Bunga Raya and is the national flower) and then took a taxi to Pasar Seni (central market), passing the huge state mosque along the way. Pasar Seni used to be the city’s wet market and now holds a collection of overpriced tourist craft shops in what is admittedly a very nice 1930’s Art Deco style building. In its defence, we did find some very nice Batik pictures and some equally interesting abstract elephant prints (no prizes for guessing who bought them); it also contains a very good food hall.
With our stomachs full of chicken teppanyaki and our wallets somewhat less full, we continued our tour of the city by visiting the Masjid Jamek (the city’s oldest surviving mosque). The mosque looks very nice from the outside, but when compared to the staggering scale and beauty of the ones we have seen throughout Turkey, Iran and Pakistan, it falls rather short. Debs did get the joy of having to don a shapeless robe again, when we ventured inside for a closer look. Starting to get quite tired, we made a brief journey to Merdeka square, passing a strange pitcher plant fountain on the way. Merdeka square is where the Union Jack was lowered on 31st August 1957 marking Malaysia’s independence and now holds, what is, at 100m high, reputedly the world’s tallest flagpole. It is also where we hailed a taxi and headed back to the relative cool of the Haven Guesthouse.

With the weekend over, it was time to go back to the hospital and get Debs’ foot looked at by a surgeon. The rest of the day went past in a bit of a blur; the surgeon said it was a cyst on the tendon that he would prefer to remove and that he could do it that day! So having seen the surgeon at 10:30am, she was admitted at 1:00pm, operated on at 2:00pm, recuperating by 3:00pm and discharged at 5:30pm minus a lump (she has still got it in a jar though!). Still a bit groggy but able to walk, we headed back to the guesthouse with the instruction to take it easy and return in one week.
We had planned on staying in KL for only a few days and then going to Borneo, but Debs had to take priority so we extended our stay in the city, not that it was any particular hardship. Eugene and Evan from the Haven are great and the guesthouse has a huge selection of DVDs to watch. With so many big shopping malls and good food courts nearby, there was no real difficulty in finding something to keep us, or more correctly me occupied! During the next week we treated ourselves to new bags (Debs’ fourth bag, my second), had a look at the Petronas Towers (both at night and during the day), and visited Petaling Street (a tourist market in Chinatown full of cheap tat and knock off goods).
On my birthday we made a somewhat ill advised trip to the Batu Caves. Debs was not really ready to climb 272 steps, even if there was the promise of monkeys and a Hindu shrine! To be perfectly honest I wouldn’t recommend the trip to anyone, there isn’t much to hold your attention and we got ripped off by a taxi driver on the way back (this time he put the meter on and then proceeded to take the most circuitous route back known to man). Fortunately we made up for it with a really nice meal at the Outback Steakhouse (not very Malaysian, but you have to have steak on your birthday!).
Before we knew it, a week had passed and it was time to go back to the hospital and have Debs foot checked over. The stitches were removed and she had to have it aspirated, but everything else appeared to be ok so there was nothing stopping us from moving on. Heading back to the hostel we sorted out our bags with the intention of leaving the big ones in KL until we returned from Borneo (Air Asia’s 15kg baggage limit is a real pain!). We then went to the nearby Berjaya Times Square Mall to watch Spiderman 3 at the IMAX theatre. Berjaya Times Square is quite a place, as not only does it contain lots of shops and two cinemas, it also has a theme park (Cosmo’s world) within its walls, complete with a looping rollercoaster!

With our time in KL over, it was time to say goodbye to everyone at the Haven and head to the airport bound for Sabah in Borneo, where I hoped to climb Mt Kinabalu (at 4095.2m the highest peak in SE Asia). Kuala Lumpur is a great city and our stay was made even better by Eugene and Evan at the Haven Guesthouse. We can’t recommend the place enough, going so far as to say it is one of the nicest places we have ever stayed.

Next entry: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah