Here is what we did on our trip day by day.
Day 1:
We left school at 3:20 all excited of the days to come. We checked in our luggage which took a while with 25 sets of baggage to be dealt with. We then had about 1 hr to walk around the airport before boarding at 8:00 then departing at 8:20. We had to make a stopover in Brisbane for about 45mins then we took of again onto KL (Kuala Lumpur); it was a straight 7hr flight to KL.
Day 2:
When we arrived in KL at around 5:30 we were able to exchange money. Then caught a train that ran inside the airport to the domestic terminal and spent the next 2hrs waiting in the departure gate all quite tired our next flight was a 2.5 hr flight to KK (Kota Kinabalu). When stepping out of the airport at KK we were hit with a heat wave and our first breath of fresh air in 1.5 days. Here we were met by our guide (Abel) and driver (Justin). We then took of at a rate of knots swerving in and out of traffic, beeping horns and a bit of road rage as well. We arrived at our hotel (Beverly Hotel) a short time later and sat down in the lobby and were given coke by the lady at the bar. After a briefing of what will happen over the days to come we went to our rooms. After a shower we all went out for a walk to a nearby shopping complex (Center point) to find some lunch and for a bit of shopping. After about two hours there we went back to the hotel for a swim in the pool. We then went into our rooms for the afternoon then came down for dinner, then up to our room’s then bed.
Day 3:
We awoke at 7:00 for breakfast then jumped in the bus for a full day of touring the city and its surroundings. After a twenty minute drive we arrived at a two huge buildings which were the parliament offices. We tried to get pictures that looked like Will Orchard was holding the building up. Then it was off to a huge mosque we weren’t allowed in but were allowed around the outside. Next stop was a Chinese Temple. It was very spiritual and smelt heavily of incense, we had to take our shoes off to go inside for a look. We were then off to the Kapung Warisan Heritage Village and state museum. We took a tour of the village which was kept in the traditional way with all the houses being made of bamboo. We ventured further into the village to find that there was a harvest festival going on which a man (Tommy Jones) singing in a large pavilion. I got up and started dancing then everyone joined in and we were asked onto the stage with him so we did and kept dancing. Sadly after the song we had to leave for lunch was ready. We had lunch inside the village then went into a large house and were given a lesson in Malayan Language and Customs. In the house there were ladies selling homemade jewelry made with beads, we all gave that a workout. In the State museum we walked around it learning about the history and animals of Sabah. We then went back to the hotel for a swim then went out again to the Malay Fisherman’s Market Floating Restaurant. We had very nice food and we then entertained by cultural dancers we were asked to come up and dance in the Eagle Dance and in the Headhunters Dance (which was jumping in between Bamboo poles). Some of our group then used a traditional blowpipe to burst balloons of the ceiling. IT was then back to the hotel for bed.
Day 4:
Today was a jam-packed day. We awoke at 5:00 for a 6:00 breakfast then jumped in a bus to the airport for a 7:30 flight to Sandakan. The flight took 40 mins which would have been a six hour drive otherwise. After arriving we got our bags then drove straight to the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. We paid 10 Rm to take a camera in to the centre. We then stepped into the park. Almost immediately we were met by an Orang Utan who came lazily down from a tree, jumped into the middle of our group, took a wander around then went back into the forest. We then walked on and came to a feeding platform, at 10:00 the Orang Utans are fed so we waited about 10 mins. An Orang Utan came out of the bush onto the boardwalk then grabbed onto a mans leg and started to bite it. The rangers then shooed him away and he climbed back into the forest. It was then time for the feeding. There was about 5 Orang Utans eating away at bananas and milk.
We then left the Centre. We drove down the road and got some lunch at a food court and shopping centre. We all then went into the supermarket for some supplies. It was then a 2 hr drive through palm pine oil plantations to the village (Bahtu Puti). On arrival we were entertained by a musical ensemble and were given a tradtional style pancake to eat. Then we received our fashionable, linen leach socks to keep the bag guys out before boarding our boat and travelled 20 mins downstream to the rainforest eco camp which would be our home for the next 5 nights. It was on an oxbow lake filled with crocs, fish and a water weed called water hyacinth or salvinia. After a tour around we unpacked and went n a cruise looking for monkeys. We saw Long- tail Maccaques and Proboscis Monkeys. Then it was time for dinner and then time to ourselves then bed on our elevated platform shelters.
Day 5:
We awoke at 7:00 and went ot breakfast then went on another cruise to find monkeys. We saw more of what we saw yesterday but we also saw Saltwater Crocodiles (not as big as the ones in Asutralia but still big) We came back for lunch then split into three groups and went out to find bugs and other creatures. We found Scorpions, Buffalo Leeches, Centipedes and Cameron Meany got acid spat at him by a poisionous Caterpiller he got a large lump on his arm. We then (in the same groups wen tinto the forest for time by ourselves with nature in scilence. THat only lasted about 10 mins before BOOM it started to Bucket doen with rain. we all quickly rushed back to the camp for cover. By the time we got back we were drenched so most decided just to have a shower in the rain. We then had dinner and went to bed.
Day 6:
This morning we awoke to the sound of gibbons so we went to go and find them after breakfast. We caught a boat into the village then croosed a bridge over the water and went into the forest. It was alot more hilly terrain then over the other side of the river and the previous rainfall from the night before made the hills in to mudslides. we didnt manage to find any gibbons but could hear them very close by. We then had to decend the hill and down we went falling over and sliding down the hils. We then had lunch in the village, then we went seed collecting in remote parts of the rainforest. Our group managed to get 4 narklea seed pods having over 1,000,000 seeds in each. We then had Afternoon tea in the forest and then went and saw Martin climb up a very larde tree to colect seeds. He used harnesses and pulleys and was just dangaling around getting seeds. It satred to get windy and BOOM the rain came down again. we caught the boat back to the camp and were all drenched by the time we arrrived back after a crazy boat trip in horizontal rainfall. After showers in the rain and dinner we sat on the lower deck and talked until bedtime.
Day 7:
Today we went trail making using a perung or machete. After Breakfast we were instructed on how to use the machete safely. Our task was to create a track from nearby our camp to a lake about 3 km away. We made a path about 1.5m wide and cut down anything in our road. It was very fun but tiring. We we in 3 groups. 2 were at the start and one was at the end. by the end of the day we hadnt quite caught up so we called it a day. We then went back to the camp for dinner and bed we were all very tired.
Day 8:
Today you had a choice of finishing the track or staying at the camp. Most people chose to finish the track. we finished the middle part in about 30 mins the went to the end of the track to finish that. WE went for about an hour but the hit water which had suddenly come from the heavy rainfall. We couldnt keep going for the water suddely got very deep so we finished there. We then went to a part of the forest that 80 years ago had been cleared for timber. Our job was to plant trees ther. Other groups in the past had also planted trees and they were growing well.We planted about 280 trees in 1 hr but we had to go back to the eco camp to pack up for tomorrows departure from the camp. We did this then went and had dinner. After dinner we all got together and said what we enjoyed about the camp and thanked the staff who ranthe camp. We all got up and sang songs and danced with everybody it was sooooo much fun. We then were given gifts and wen to bed.
Day 9:
We left early that morning for a day of touring Sandakan. We went into the village and said goodbye to all the people then went of in the bus. We first went to the Sandakan War Memorial. It was quite moving reading what the people went through in the POW camps. We then went to a Colonel Tea house for lunch it was very nice food but we diddnt get to have dessert because we ahd to quickly leave for we had a plane to catch. It Was a very quick flight. When we arrived in KK we went to our hotel then got changed and went into a different shopping complex for some more shopping. After that we went back to the hotel for Dinner and then walked out after dinner for a night of Hagaling in the Night Markets. THey were full of leather products and jewlery. After a late night we went back to the hotel for bed.
Day 10:
We went out to One of the islands in the South China SEa today for a day of relaxation we took a boat over then hit the surf for some snorkeling. There was quite alot of fish but the coral was mainly all dead. We then went in for a HUGE buffet Seafood BBQ. It was soooo good and you could keep going back for more. SAdly we had a plane to catch back home that afternoon so we had to depart. We went back to the hotel and had a shower then jumped in a bus to the airport. We said good bye to Able in the airport then caught a aplane to Labuan which took about 10 mins then the same plane to KL then another plane at 10:00 to Sydney. we were all very tired when we arrived home.
THE END
IF I have missed anything feel free to fill in the gaps.
Nick
