I wanna be like you-hoo-hoo... and Dr H to the rescue

For me, Borneo has also brought one image to mind - hairy orangutans swinging through trees - so a trip to the Sepilok sanctuary was therefore high on the agenda! Seeing these placid animals in their natural habitat was a very exciting prospect and they did not disappoint.

However our visit to the sanctuary ended up being a little more eventful that we'd anticipated.

The 1st drama:  As we wandered along the boardwalk, I spotted a pretty sizable snake which I casually pointed out to our guide (I've seen a fair few over the last 6 months so have become quite blase about them!).  

Our guide on the other hand started pointing and shouting.  In a matter of seconds a crowd of snap happy tourists gathered to photograph what turned out to be a Copper head snake - (AKA a very dangerous one!).

We continued to the feeding platform and I was in my element watching the orange mother and baby duos gracefully swinging from tree to tree.  

The 2nd drama: This moment of being 'at one with nature' was quickly interrupted by an elderly Swedish woman who collapsed on the boardwalk.  Dr Huntley sprang in to action as onlookers stared in the usual 'car accident on motorway' kind of way.  'Suzanne' was finally well enough to stand after a can of coke, a packet of mentos and an hour of Dr Huntley's undivided attention.  He assisted her on to the tour bus where 47 other elderly Swedish women practically swooned at his feet.

We certainly got more than we bargained for but thankfully we were able to return to Sepilok in the afternoon to watch another feeding session...without any snakes or fainting Swedes!

Extreme sports: tea drinking & driving

The next stop on our agenda was Sabah, the Malaysian province of Borneo.  We booked 2 nights in the capital with the cool name (Kota Kinabalu) and decided to use it as a base from which to do a day trip into the mountains.

Introducing ‘Jalah Sport’ (our latest travel companion):

Now this little car should not be underestimated.  To our surprise, this rusting tin can had central locking, electric windows, AC and… Sports interior.

We ventured to Sabah tea plantation and had a fascinating tour of the factory.  

As a true Brit, I am big fan of tea and finishing off with a cuppa sounded just lovely.  To my dismay, it tasted like it had been brewing for about an hour.  I added a dash of the white stuff to weaken it, which turned out to be condensed milk. It made me physically gag.  It was one of the worst cups of tea I’ve ever had!

Sadly, I exited the building with a sour taste in my mouth (though I’d still recommend a visit to the plantation!), only to discover Jalah Sport’s battery was flat as a pancake. Before I knew it, I was hurtling down a steep hill with Martin and the tour guide pushing me in Jalah Sport, trying to jump start the car.  I turned the key several times. Nothing happened.  I finally braked with my heart in my mouth and let Martin take over.  Eventually Jalah spluttered back to life.  I hadn’t put her in gear. 

We journeyed on to hot springs and Mount Kinabulu before thankfully, returning to the capital safe and sound and with a new-found level of respect for our speedy little vehicle.

The beautiful mountain ranges of Borneo

Trouble in paradise!

Four days in the idyllic Perhentian islands sounded like heaven. I mean, when every beach looks like the setting for the Bounty chocolate bar ad… what could possibly go wrong?

Throw torrential rain and gale force winds into the mix and you quickly find you have a problem.

We were transported to the island by a rickety old boat that bounced off every wave so forcefully we were constantly thrown from our seats.  I’ve stayed dryer on the rapids at Alton Towers.

But 3 constant days of water falling from the sky was not enough to deter us from scuba diving, though maybe it should have.  We geared up, boarded another tiny boat, rode out on the choppy ocean and plunged into freezing water where the visibility was around 2 metres.  On dive 1, martin went missing.  On dive 2, I went missing.  Needless to say when we couldn’t even see each other, we didn’t see many fish either.

Martin in less than ideal diving conditions!

When the sun finally graced us with its presence and the murky sand turned to gold, we went for a walk. 

Sadly, just a few metres off the beaten track, we discovered a shocking amount of rubbish.

Not quite sure where our 'island conservation fee is going'!

So our trip to the Perhentian islands was not exactly what we’d expected, but on the plus side we ate some great BBQed fish and I made very good progress on my book.

R&R takes on a whole new meaning

Not a bad spot for breakfast...

If the luxury of a 12-month holiday wasn’t enough, we decided to push the boat out and stay in the stunning Bon Ton resort, a boutique hotel comprising of 8 original Malay houses that have been transformed into the kind of places I usually look lustfully at in glossy magazines, wishing I could visit. 

Our very own Malay house...
which was much bigger than it looks!

However, Bon Ton not only provides R&R for humans, the resort also doubles up as a rescue centre and looks after a whopping 300 cats and over 100 dogs!  

Feline friend catching 40 winks in reception

Thankfully, not all are left to roam amongst the palms and landscaped gardens freely, as I think that would be a bit chaotic, but every now and again, a tail-less dog or a 3 legged cat hops by.

Surprisingly, this fusion of retreat and rescue centre works… as long as you are a cat lover that is.  Not only do you get your own Malay house, but you get to make a new feline friend or two as well. ‘Peter’ was evidently the resident of our house.  This handsome chap (who was fortunate to have all body parts in tact) came and went as he pleased, was extremely affectionate and even Martin became very attached to him!

Martin / new-found cat lover and Peter getting acquainted...

It's backpacking Jim, but not as we know it!

Backpacking conjures up some strong images for me – freedom, adventure, excitement, the unpredictability of never knowing where you’re going to end up or whom you’ll meet next.  It also makes me think of heavy bags, long bus journeys, staying in grim hostels and being hassled by people shouting ‘taxi, taxi’ whenever you arrive anywhere.

Well, it appears times have changed... or at least the way in which Martin and I travel has changed!

Not only did a highly organized Dr Huntley book most of our travel and accommodation in advance, a revolutionary approach that I wish we’d tried years ago, we are also staying in some pretty great places!

What differentiates these places from others we’ve stayed in previously, is one single consonant – ‘S’.  Yep, we are staying in hotels, as opposed to hostels and I’m loving every minute of it. 

A place that Martin feared may be a bit run down, according to a Trip Advisor review, had a lovely pool, complete with pool bar serving delicious cocktails….don’t mind if I do.  It’s certainly a far cry from some of the motels we stayed in, in California and the piece of 6ft x 4ft piece of nylon that had been ‘home’ for 2 weeks in West Australia!

So, while we are still technically ‘backpacking’, i.e. storing our clothes in rucksacks, we really are using this term loosely!

Taking the rough with the smooth...

And so, to Malaysia – the land of palm trees, turquoise waters, a surprising number of mountains and a population who enjoy spitting, burping and coughing up their guts in between their provision of warm smiles and excellent hospitality.

SO far, we’ve rick-shawed through Melaka, sweated profusely in Kuala Lumpur and spent 4 days lazing around in Langkawi. 

Rickshaws in Melaka

Langkawi is a very touristy island, with streets lined with shops and spas to welcome Westerners with open arms.  But while Macdonalds has already secured a spot to make sure it continues to ‘make your day’ and that you don’t stop ‘lovin’ it’ when you go away on holiday, KFC and Starbucks are yet to muscle in on the action... though I'm sure they are on their way.  

Furthermore, it’s certainly still a place that is a little rough around the edges.  The hire cars look like they’ve been chugging along since the early 80s, restaurant owners smoke in between serving customers and when I visited a convenience store for a packet of crisps, a huge rat scuttled off down the aisle!! 

The Tailor shop also looked like it needed a bit of a facelift...
there was a very funny mannequin in the window mind you!

Cars, cigarettes, rats & advertising aside, Langkawi was lovely.  The beaches were beautiful, the cable car ride overlooking incredible scenery is a must-do and the Sunday night-market is a real feast for foodies.

Martin tucking into a chicken roti

Singapore Fling!

A very happy reunion!

Having departed Australia, the first stop on our  Asian Odyssey was Singapore, to visit our lovely friends Camilla & Lewis, who live there.

It’s fair to say that aside from knowing Singapore is a clean country that forbids the chewing of gum and has a skyline to rival Manhattan, I knew absolutely nada about the place.

Enter Camilla & Lewis, not only excellent hosts with the sweetest cat in the world, but also fantastic tour guides!  From the Laksa lunch, to Lycee ice tea with Pearl – an excellent tonic in humid conditions, to cocktails and crabs, we ate and drank our way though the city in style.

We wound our way through the old narrow streets, explored the ornate Chinese temple and marveled at the super-slick skyscrapers that towered above us. 

Singapore may have been a speedy stop off and our gateway to Malaysia, but we had a damn fine time in a city that is not only clean, chewing gum-less and a playground for construction workers, but one that is rich in vegetation, culture and cuisine.

Hats off to Mr & Mrs Tam!

The wild wild West!

We spent our final 2 weeks in Australia traveling down the West coast. Giant rats, prison visits and camping hiccups aside, we had a great fortnight, full of first-time experiences, which included:

·      Visiting the Drive-In in Busselton – eating fish and chips in the comfort of your car, while watching a movie is amazing!

·      Having a champagne breakfast at a vineyard in Dunsborough

·      Meeting up with my lovely Mexican travel companion and coffee tasting in Margaret River

Meeting up with Daniela after 4 years = happy days!

·      Going ‘round the twist at the lighthouse in Augusta

·      Visiting Australia’s oldest whaling station in Albany (highly recommended!)

·      Walking amongst the giant tingle trees in Denmark

·      Getting drunk with the Irish in Rosie O’Grady’s in Perth

·      Climbing a mountain in the Stirling Ranges

·      Camping in Wiliams town (which is in the middle of nowhere), visiting the only pub and being served by a bar maid in her underwear!!!

Williams hotel - would love to have got a shot of the bar maid...
but didn't quite have it in me to take it!

·      Going to a quirky little Indian restaurant in Perth where you pay whatever you wish for your meal- what a great concept!

Martin tucking into his 2nd plate of curry and rice!

A not so 'enjoyable' moment was having breakfast next door to the scene of a stabbing! Little had we known when we ordered our scrambled eggs on toast that a man had been stabbed in the head, less than an hour before we arrived. By the time we got back to our car, the car park was crawling with police and TV cameras - never a dull moment in Scarborough it seems!

Scarborough, Oz is no better than Scarborough UK...

Oops!

I'd love to say our 7 months in Oz ended on a high.  Sadly, on the last day I managed to reverse our hire car into a metal post, wreck the door and cause $800 worth of damage to the vehicle. Hmm.  Well, at least this is one way of getting out of doing the driving from now on...