Santa comes to town......

Well, it was great to be back in civilisation but after only a couple of days I was getting the 'wunderlust' and looking for my next trip. The plan was to stay in Miri till the 17th December then we are all going to Bali for Christmas. After that the only plans on the agenda are a few days diving in Sipidan, one of the best dive sites in the world.
My extended stay in South East Asia meant that I needed to get my post shipped out. Wayne and Vicky had kindly agreed to visit the house and post this, together with my dive computer, to one of Lesley's friends who was returning to Miri on Christmas day. That would give me the opportunity to pay any bills that were outstanding.
Before that I had another surprise. I was to be Santa Claus at the nursery party!
It was great fun. There were about 20 kids, all under 4 who I had to give Christmas presents with. This caused much amusement on Facebook, I can tell you.






During the evening we all went to a Malay birthday party. Very interesting, I met a loverly lady, Malaysian, who gave me some good ideas for trips within Borneo. I shall look into that as a potential for early January.

The weather in the UK continues to be very wintery. Some 2 ft of snow in Chesterfield which has brought the town to a standstill. I'm so pleased I am missing that.

Today I have been into school and listened to a group of P1 kids read. That is a great experience. While I have been doing this with Finlay for the past couple of months it was interesting and fascinating to hear kids, all under 5 years old reading in their second language, English. Very impressive. Later on in the morning I went to the school sports day to watch Ross play soccer. It had pissed it down again during the night so the pitch was a quagmire. Consequently Ross needed another pair of shoes for the afternoon.

As we will be away for Christmas day Lesley is going to cook a Christmas dinner on the 15th. It would be daft to take gifts to Bali because of the excess baggage so I need to get my finger out and get some Christmas shopping done at the weekend.

You can't get away from it!!!!! Ho Bloody Ho ......


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Location:Jalan Pantai,Miri,Malaysia

Back where it all started.......

So here I am, sat in the departure lounge of KK airport, back where the Philippine adventure started. I have decided to fly back to Miri as an easy option.
Fuck the greenhouse gas issue, just for today, I'll make up for it God. Honest.

It's hard to believe it was just over a month ago when I turned around in the check-in line and saw Sabi's huge smile, Liz telling me she wanted a shit and Kipp (AKA Jack Reacher) kicking off because he was being told he couldn't get on the flight to Manila unless he had a return ticket.

The night in Manila and Benji's hospitality in the friendship hostel. The week in Boracay sitting on the beach till sunset listening to playlists drinking Caiparinia,
The fantastic lightning shows across the horizon, drinking ourselves silly till the early hours then playing 'Peter Pan' in the sea, naked, making the sea sparkle with the florescence .
Watching the ferry depart from Caticlan and deciding that we would go on it despite having no fucking idea where it went.

The trip around Mindoro, ''The Long Way Round' or was it 'The Wrong Way Round'. Roxas, a night to remember drinking cheap gin. The long and exciting jeepney ride to San Jose and the disgusting smell of dried fish. San Jose, 'show me the way to' and the schoolboy error of not believing the Rough Guide when it said there were no ATM's.

The ride to Sablayan and the stop off at the prison. Holding a guards fully loaded AK45 (for the uninitiated it's a automatic weapon). The natives in loincloths and their shocking teeth.

The terrible food in Sablayan (excepting the fried rice on the island of Panadan) and the fantastically friendly people.

The Jeepney ride to Alba and renting the fishing boat around the mountain range to White Beach and Puerto Galera. Arriving on the beach, jumping off the boot like Captain 'fuckin' Cooke laying claim to wherever it was.

The BBQ tea's, the Lady Boy shows, the Fire Dancers and when pissed, asking for (and getting) lessons in fire dancing.

The anxiety of running out of money and having to spend a day on pot noodles. Pouring very cheap gin into coconuts because beer would have been a luxury. The ecstasy of finding a money changer that accepted credit cards (for a ridiculous fee).

Having to go all the way back to Manila to get to Palawan.

Puerto Princessa and a great birthday. I don't think I'll ever get three live bands sing happy birthday on the same night again.

THE RIBS ! Glen an Amelia's hostel and his wonderful hospitality. The subterranean caves and a great day out at another of the Asian 8th wonders of the world

The trip by jeepney to El Nido and meeting up with Andrew and Jono. El Nido, the jewel of Palawan. The hostel, Mr John, The Gin and the Rum, the loaded gun on the last night.



Kev and Rosie and the nights of listening to travellers stories (and Kipp's stories again! and again and again.... Only jesting mate!!)

The day island hopping and the wonderful beaches and snorkelling. The harassment at the Art Cafe for using the Internet and not spending enough money.
The wonder of watching one man eat hundreds of hamburgers in one day.

Wondering at the speed of the Internet, praying that the connection on skype just so Kipp could get his flight changed because the consequences would have been more insomnia.

Saying 'Au Revoir' to Sabi and Liz' as they fly back to the cold of Europe.

And then there's the cargo ship..... 16 hours cooked up with 21 buffalo and god knows what else. The rusty nail (unfortunately, not of the cocktail type), the Sea Dive resort, spending time looking at the photos of Andrew and Jono's trip so far.

The hospital, the pain of my infection and the wonderful drug induced dreams. The irony that the cargo ship ticket and the cost of the drugs was exactly the same price as the 'luxury' boat.

It was a fantastic month. Thanks guys, I owe you one.......

Sabi, Liz, Kipp, Andrew, Jono, Kev and Rosie. If you can add anything let me know.


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Location:Koto Kinabulo Airport. Sabah. Malaysia

Back to Borneo

Coron was a loverly place, marred only by the fact that I spent the whole five days hobbling around with a foot injury caused by stepping on a bloody rusty nail on the cargo ship from El Nido to Coron.

Kipp, Jono, Andrew and myself spent the time at Sea Divers resort which, as the name suggests, is mostly frequented by divers.












All around Coron are wrecks of the Japanese fleet from World War two, very impressive they are too. I had intended to do a bit of diving but, due to my foot and advice from the doctor had to cancel. It was a shame as it sounds from the rest of the guys that I missed a treat. http://www.coronwrecks.com/history.htm



By the third day of doing nothing but taking anti biotics, eating and reading, I was starting to get a bit stir crazy. Kipp was intending to spend a couple more weeks in the Philippines and travel via Manila to Malpasa to dive with the thresher sharks.

Andrew and Jono who had a little more time were going to stop of at Boracay and sample the beautiful beaches.

I had decided that I would travel back to Koto Kinabolu via Manila on the 3rd. Spend a couple of nights in KK and then take the 10 hour bus journey from KK to Miri.

My flight on the 3rd left Coron at 10.35. At least the journey to the airport allowed me to see a little more of the county side. The islands we had visited on the five weeks tour had all been very different. Coron was no exception. Rolling hills and jungle and some beautiful vistas over the ocean and the small islands. I will miss this country, it has been a great experience and I have met some great people with some great stories.

A small prop plane took me to Manila and then a airbus to KK. The plane from Manila was delayed a few hours, it was a strange sight looking out onto the apron and seeing an airbus having a tyre changed!

The Philippines didn't disappoint with the 'hidden' costs. Within a few weeks the departure tax had risen from 500ph to 750ph! The airport was like being in a fridge. After over a month of wearing little more than shorts it was very uncomfortable. At one stage I thought I was getting frostbite. I surprised myself by winning the game onboard the Manila KK sector with three colours beginning with 'P'. If nothing else Cebu are try to make flights fun!

I arrived in KK just after 8pm and sought out some budget accommodation for the two nights I would be staying. A very helpful lady at the information dest at the airport suggested heading to 'Australia Place'. It was quite odd getting into a proper Taxi after five weeks of Tricycles. It was even odder to have to pay the equivalent of £6 for a 15 minute journey. Back to civilisation egh!

Knackered I got a room at 'Lucy's Backpacking lodge' , the first one I saw as I alighted the taxi. £18 for two nights. Much more expensive than some of the places we had stayed in but clean and included breakfast.

I will check out the bus timetable. My understanding is that the buses leave early in the morning. I'm not sure of the cost. It's probably going to be more expensive than the flight with Air Asia but it will give me a change to see the Sabah and Northern Sarawak countryside and of course, it is much better for the environment.




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Location:Coron. Palawan, Philippines.

We're off to see the wizard

Coron is a nice little town, not that i've seen much beyond the hostel, hospital and the port.
The foot seems to be coming on fine and dandy. I can now put weight on it and don't look as disabled as I did a couple of days ago. I'll give it another day then perhaps venture out to explore the town.



There is a surprising benefit which must be attributed to either the painkillers or the strong antibiotics. It's the dreams.

Last night I dreamt I was being interviewed at immigration control in Brunei by an immigration officer dressed as a pantomime dame. She dissolved like the wicked witch of the East and was carted off by a group of munchkins.

This was all in glorious Technicolor.




Today I will be mostly skipping down the yellow brick road in search of the wizard.

The downside is I only have four of the painkillers left!!!!!


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Location:Coron,Philippines