Travel Journal - The Long Flight and Settling In

There are no direct flights to Malaysian Borneo. There are direct Flights to Malaysia, but not to Borneo.

I chose the Singapore stop-over as the total travelling time was less than the other options.

But it was still 14 hours there, and 17 hours coming back......trust me, that is a LONG time when you can't sleep!

 

And once I landed in Kota Kinabalu, I had to catch a third plane to the other side of the island....however I missed the fact that I was landing in Terminal B and I was departing from Terminal A, which needed a taxi or bus to commute to! PANIC!!!!

Very hot and very sweaty, I collapsed into my seat and had the best 30 minutes nap of the whole flight.....only waking up as we landed.

 

I was met by my brother and his wife at their local airport. My brothers wife is Malay, but she greeted me in Afrikaans, saying :

"Hoe gaan dit my poephol?"

 

I just smiled as my brother burst out laughing.

 

I'll briefly digress.....this was the exact phrase my dad had taught my mom to say when she met his family for the first time.

 

Welcome to Malaysia, and the weird world according to Karl.

 

They took me to their flat in the main city (not where they live) to have a quick shower and change....it was a bombsite....I was a bit taken aback, but each to their own I guess.....

 

We drove around a bit, and finished the afternoon off by stopping at my brothers favourite street café.

Malaysia (and Borneo) have loads of little street-side cafe's where you can sit and eat and drink...

We had lovely crispy chicken and pork. Really fresh and tasty.

 

However, I also met my brothers 'drinking friend' and I can't say I warmed to him too much, despite seeing him another two times during the visit. Perhaps it's just because I see him as a bad influence on my brother.

I was also surprised (and disappointed) to see my brother drinking as much as he did.....

 

We then drove home, which is a good hour and 15 minutes drive from the main city, to the town where their home and petrol station are. It is a long drive, and the roads aren't the best, with a few really bad patches.

 

 I slept like a log that night....no time difference issues for me!

The next day we did some sight-seeing around Beluran.

 

This is a view of their petrol station.

How pretty is that view?

 

Really hate how I look in some pictures?!!! :-)

 

We ate at my sister-in-laws' uncles restaurant, situated in Beluran.

 

Table with a view....

 

And butter prawns......seriously delicious!

Beluran is know for it's prawns.

 

 

We went to bed relatively early that night....Tuesday morning was an early start....we had to drive back to Sandakan to catch the boat for Selingan Turtle Island.