12th May 2012 Heading home today. Started the morning with a hearty breakfast of lamb and chicken curry, plus a few other local delicacies I couldn’t even begin to pronounce. I decided it was safer to experiment with my taste buds here, where medical help is at least a short taxi ride away, rather than… Continue Reading

12th May 2012 We woke to yet another glorious, sun-drenched morning. After breakfast, we hopped on the monorail to visit the Bird Park, proudly billed as the world’s largest indoor aviary. Both of us are suckers for anything bright, feathered, and noisy. The walk from the hotel to the station was mercifully short, and we… Continue Reading

10th May 2012 Breakfast was at 7 a.m., and in the interests of gastrointestinal harmony, we opted for European-style dishes, though I’ll admit the curried fish heads were calling to me in a rather persuasive way. After fifteen minutes in the lobby, our mini-bus rolled up, already carrying about ten other guests from the hotel.… Continue Reading

9th May 2012 We woke bright and early at 6.30 a.m., breakfasting on melon and pineapple we’d stashed in the fridge the night before. At 7 a.m., a bell boy appeared to collect our suitcases, and we ambled down to reception to settle the bill. While Sue waited for our taxi, I popped into the… Continue Reading

8th May 2012 At precisely 9 a.m., I handed the car key to the reception desk, awaiting the grand arrival of the rental car representative. Twenty minutes later, with no sign of said representative and my patience evaporating faster than the morning dew, I left the keys with the concierge and retreated to our room.… Continue Reading

7th May 2012 Today we set out with noble intentions: to explore Kota Kinabalu and indulge in a spot of shopping. The sun blazed down, the sky was postcard-perfect, and the heat could have cooked an egg on the bonnet. I was deeply grateful for the car’s air-conditioning, something I’d entirely forgotten to request when… Continue Reading

7th May 2012 The following morning dawned bright and sunny, the sort of weather that makes you feel vaguely guilty for not doing something outdoorsy. Inspired, we set off for Kota Kinabalu, the capital, at 9:30 a.m. Barely fifteen minutes into the drive, a roadside sign advertising a seafood restaurant caught our eye. We made… Continue Reading

6th May 2012 Last night, we took a short ten-minute jaunt from the hotel to a nearby Chinese restaurant. Sadly, the mosquitoes decided Sue was the evening’s all-you-can-eat buffet. At the same time, I made do with a rather disappointing plate of “lemon” chicken that had misplaced the lemon. The language barrier stopped me from… Continue Reading

3rd May 2012 The day began with a bang, or more precisely, a rumble of thunder at 4 am. Sue, entirely unbothered, slept straight through it. My second “alarm” came at 9:50 am when I realised, with a jolt of panic, that our hire car was due to arrive at 10 am. What followed was… Continue Reading

2nd May 2012 Our Borneo adventure began with a scenic, if rather soggy, Sunday drive to Heathrow. The rain came down in sheets for most of the journey, but in a show of comic sympathy, the skies cleared just as we checked into the Holiday Inn Heathrow. After finding our room, we wandered the nearby… Continue Reading