Writing this date I realise it is Brexit day. 🤦♀️🤷♀️ Probably best to say no more!!!
A lie in, a leisurely breakfast and then it’s out for a wander before we need to get a taxi to the airport. Floors 2 & 3 of the central market beckon. There is that strong smell of fish again with an underlying something else that is unpleasant but that you get used to!!
Floor 2. Half of it a food court with little kitchens cooking I’m not sure what as I didn’t need food, and lots of plastic tables and chairs/benches and people preparing food.
The other half was stalls selling toiletries, clothes, material and jewellery. Each stall had been pulled out from a tall cupboard behind it, everything stacked on shelves ready prepared. It was nearly all women selling and they tried to engage you as you walked past. Nothing in the clothes seemed to be priced so I guess some sort of bartering would have been called for. I’m not good at that!!! Shoes were priced. A pair of probably copied Birkenstock sandals, called Birkenshoe’s, 38myr, about £6.00. Come with an empty suitcase and you could have a lot of fun!
Floor 3 was all food court so we didn’t explore that and anyway it was time to go back and finish the packing ready for our flights to KL and then Delhi. The forecast for Delhi today is 21 degrees and wall to wall sunshine, but by the time we arrive at around 10pm local time, it will be nearer 14, so it’s on with the jeans.
As we came out of central market with our nice hotel to the back of us an apartment block stood in front, where local people live, and I guess poorer ones at that, The contrast was stark.
Having adjusted to the heat here I have to say I have enjoyed it. OK, direct sun is too much after a short while, and the midday heat is oppressive, but earlier in the morning and after about 4 it really is a beautiful temperature if you don’t have anything to do!
I am sad to be leaving but what a week it has been. I probably need a bit more downtime to process all that we have seen and experienced, right from the moment we arrived. But we are unlikely to forget much of that! From here on in we are never in one place for more than 2 nights, and a few just 1 night! Not that here has been much different!! It’s all go!
A 2 and a half hour flight to KL took us along the northern coast of Borneo. You could see areas that had been cleared for oil palm, but as you got higher it was difficult to work out what was jungle, tree plantation or oil palm. We had a splendid view of Mt Kinabalu sticking out of the clouds, a huge piece of rock! It stands at over 4000 metres so is something of a climb! I’m sure it would have been an achievement to do and to watch sunrise as David has done, but it looked very steep from where I was sitting and I’m not sure I would have liked the descent!
Coming into KL there was so much more forest devastation. Miles and miles of oil palm with very little break. It even looked as if people were growing it in their gardens which I suppose is possible. You could also see where areas had been cleared with new palms planted. A sad sight.
At KL we had just a couple of hours between flights. Enough time to go through all the security, have a cup of tea and a wander round to look at the shops and buy nothing!
There are a lot of people wearing masks. More than when we flew out, which I am finding a little disconcerting, but we haven’t got them, don’t think I would like wearing one, and I don’t know if it does protect you anyway. Fingers crossed we will be ok!
The flight left over half an hour late which was a shame as it is already a late arrival in Delhi. There was a technical issue so it’s always best to get those sorted before you take off!!
It was a 5 and a half hour flight so I managed another couple of films. Palm Beach was fine and easy watching and then I chuckled my way through 102 Dalmatians. Right up my street!!
We were well fed again but 2 meals on planes in one day is enough, and neither of our seats would recline making having a doze a bit more difficult.
We landed about half an hour late, around 10.30, 1a.m. Malaysian time. We are now 5 and a half hours ahead of UK time. It was a long walk to immigration but we were glad of a bit of exercise after the flight. Immigration took a while but finally we were through. Then on to collect our luggage which was there for us, customs, and out to look for a driver with our name on a board. What a relief he was there!!
All through the process we have had our passports checked to make sure we have been through immigration, visa paperwork checked even though we have electronic visas, boarding passes checked on numerous occasions and it has felt very security conscious.
Once we had been met it was off to find our transport. It is now 11.15 pm but as we walked out of the airport door the noise hit us! Cars everywhere, horns blaring, so many people. It was crazy!! Welcome to India!
It was about a 40 minute drive to the hotel and even at this late hour the roads were so busy. Cars, lorries, scooters, taxis, everyone weaving their way in and out of each other, horns going all the time. As we got nearer to our hotel it quietened down, thankfully. The roads quieter, more tree lined.
We turned into our hotel but before we could drive up a barrier stopped us and the driver had to open his boot. Then at the hotel door Geoff and the person who we were met by were scanned with a metal detector as was all our luggage. All a bit disconcerting.
The hotel is lovely. A colonial building with a sweeping staircase, lots of marble and high ceilings. However it is now getting on for midnight and we are not really looking too much at our surroundings as we are still on Malaysia time where it is now 2.30a.m, I think! By the time we had registered and been shown to our rooms it was time for a cup of tea and a quick wash out of clothes and then bed at 1a.m.
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