Karen and I are currently staying at the Holiday Inn Damai Beach resort, which is on the coast near Kuching. We got here last night after our trip up a river to stay overnight at an Iban longhouse. We’re both quite glad we went to see the way these indigenous people live, but we both felt like we shouldn’t have been there.
It was quite strange to see how their basic way of life is being changed by the on set of technology. Their children are sent to a school down river and only come back every two weeks. Because of this they get to see what the outside world is like and not all of them then want to live the traditional life.
We were treated to a spot of traditional dancing and fed some of their home brewed rice wine stuff; not as nasty as sake, but it would definitely put hairs on your chest. The following morning we all got to have a go with a blowpipe; I was pretty crap, but Karen managed to hit the target. After a quick walk through the jungle we were back off down river and on to the current hotel.
We’ve got two nights here before we head of to Kota Kinabalu to see the Orang Utan’s.
I'm currently standing in the lobby of the Holiday Inn, Kuching, using their free internet access terminal. We arrived from Singapore with out a hitch earlier this afternoon. Kuching is a funny looking place, the guide bok reckoned it was a really nice place, but what we've seen of it it looks a bit run down and forgoten about...
The Hotel is like anyother Holiday Inn you've ever stayed at, except they gave us a suite as it's our Honeymoon. So we've got a three roomed suite with living area, sleeping area and work ares, all very nice indeed.
After a stroll along the river we went out for dinner to a vegitarian restuarant that we'd past. I was a bit shocked when the menu was full of chicken this, prawn that and pork the next thing. As it turned out it was all fake meet and was trully all vegetarian.
Karen had some prawns that tasted suspiciously of bacon, but there you go. I went for the safe option of tofu, which was very nice, although the plain noodles I asked for tunred out to be a meal in them selves with loads of vegetables ands a sauce. It was very good though and made up for our final night in Singapore.
We'd decided to go to Boat Quay, just to the North of the financial district, to have a meal and some beers. We picked a restuarant and had some food, which was decidedly average and very overpriced. They even charged us for the green tea they poiured when we sat down, the sauce to dip the spring rolls in and the face towels, wouldn't recommend them at all.
Tomorrow we're off to stay in a "Traditional" Long House after a walk through the jungle and a dug out canoe ride up a river. It should be quite cool, although there's is the small matter of 225Km in a van before we get to the forest and river...
All being well we'll be installed at another Holiday Inn for a couple of nights after that, so there maybe another update then if they've got a terminal.
I'm writing this on a "Free Internet Access" terminal at Chaqngi Airport in Singapore. We're waiting on our connecting flight to Kuching, which will be leaving in just over an hour.
We've had a great time in Singapore, which is an amazing place. It truly is a cross roads between East and West with loads of different races and cultures present. We've been to China Town, Little India and Arab Street which gives you just a little flavour of what kinds of sights and sounds we've seen.
Last night we went to Harry's Bar, where Nick "Rouge Trader" Leason used to hang out before breaking the bank. We've also had quite a few Singapore Slings at Raffle's Hotel, which are a must if you ever visit.
Don't know when we'll next have 'net access, but hopefully some of the hotels will have it, so I might beable to make some further updates in the days to come. Anyway, we're now off to catch our flight to Borneo...
Gone on our Honeymoon, back in three weeks…
P.S. Thanks to everyone who made our Wedding day so special, we both hope you had as good a time as we did.
One week to go and everything is sorted apart from the beer, which I'm working on as we speak. Starting to get a bit nervous I suppose, but only when I think about it. Can't wait for the honeymoon...
Marlon Brando has died at the age of eighty. We have lost one of the true greats of acting. The horror, the horror...
So David Millar has finally admitted to taking the banned substance EPO (Erythropoietin) to boost his performance on the bike. Quite rightly has been removed from the British Olympic team and banned from this year's Tour de France. It also calls into question his Individual Time Trial success at the Worlds last year. To think that I supported this cheat is really galling; I hope they throw the book at him.
