Published by Brett on December 22, 2007
under Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore
Dates Traveled: November-December 2007
Malaysia (State of Sabah) - Kota Kinabalu (KK)
We arrived in Kota Kinabalu (KK) around midnight, only to find that the airport transfer we’d arranged with the hostel was nowhere to be found. We eventually just grabbed a cab to the hostel, where we crashed long and hard. It had been a long day.
After a lazy start the following morning we finally ventured outside, only to find that the Sunday market was happening right outside our door. We enjoyed meandering through that for awhile before spending the rest of the day taking care of general stuff, since we were once again back in civilization. We were also lamenting the fact we were back in civilization - there were too many foreigners around! However, the good food and good vibe of KK made it worthwhile. I had been to KK 5 years earlier and enjoyed my time then as well. It’s a nice place.
We had been hoping to climb Mt. Kinabalu - at 13,435 feet/4,095 meters it’s the highest point on Borneo. Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is comprised of the Indonesian province of Kalimantan, the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the country of Brunei. Anyway, while in Papua and about 2 weeks prior to our arrival in Malaysia, we’d contacted the Kinabalu Park authorities to see if there was accommodation on the mountain. Unfortunately, there were no beds available until a week after we planned on being there, which was too late for us. I’d climbed Mt. Kinabalu back in 2002, but it became obvious that it wasn’t going to happen this time around.
The following day we spent trying to send all of our Papuan souvenirs back to our respective homes, before catching a cab out to the museum. Before actually entering the museum we took in the very good, and free, heritage village. There were representative homes from the various tribes in Malaysia, and it was an interesting, extensive, and informative glimpse into their lives and customs. When we later entered the museum we found it to be quite good as well.
Early the following morning we hopped a ferry for the trip to Brunei. Even the extensive rain couldn’t ruin the break we had in KK, but since we couldn’t climb the mountain we decided to move along fairly quickly. Continue reading…
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Published by Brett on December 20, 2007
under Christmas
Published by Brett on December 18, 2007
under Indonesia, Singapore
Dates Traveled: October-November 2007
Singapore
I left the vessel, and Rio, on October 24th for the loooong trip to Singapore. By the time my head hit the pillow in Singapore I’d been awake for over 60 hours, though only 42 of those were spent on flights or in the Rio, Sao Paulo, Washington DC, and Tokyo airports. Needless to say we didn’t exactly get an early start the following morning. As before, the other half of ‘we’ was Rhona - we met in the Tokyo airport on my way through and flew the last leg to Singapore together. Continue reading…
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Published by Brett on October 20, 2007
under Seismic Vessels
Four more wake-ups and I’m off work, off the boat, and off and running. This break is going to find me on Irian Jaya in Indonesia, and then probably up in Malaysian Borneo. I’ll fly from Rio to Washington DC via Sao Paulo, and then continue on to Singapore via Tokyo. A long day of roughly 55 hours. We’ll spend 3 nights in Singapore and then fly to Jayapura via Jakarta. From Jayapura we’re hoping to fly into the remote Beliem Valley. There are tribes back there, most notably the Dani, where the women wear grass skirts and the men wear nothing but penis gourds. I want one of those gourds. I’ve never actually met anyone who has been on Irian Jaya, let alone back in the valley, so I’m really looking forward to it. Events transpired against me in 2002 when I spent 2 months in Indonesia and I was unable to get to Irian Jaya, so now is my chance.
We’re not sure what we’re doing afterwards, but most likely we’ll be heading up to Malaysian Borneo. I spent time there in 2002 as well, but again found that I wasn’t able to get to some areas. We’ll have to see what plays out, but another hike up Mt. Kinabalu may be in order – we’ll see.
We’re basically winging it most of this trip, with the only deadline being that I have to be back in Singapore on December 3rd so I can fly back to Rio and work.
Plans are also falling into place for my next break from mid-January until the end of February. We’ve signed up for a 3-week Intrepid trip which will spend time in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. I’m most looking forward to seeing the mountain gorillas in Uganda – something I’ve wanted to do for many years. After the trip I should have time to try to get up Mt. Kilimanjaro, and I’d also like to head to Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas there. Should be another great adventure.
I hope all is going well in your part of the world, and I’ll catch you from the other side of my upcoming trip with another journal entry and more photos.
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Published by Brett on September 25, 2007
under Bolivia
Dates Traveled: September 2007
We caught a bus from Puno to Copacabana, on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. We had grand plans of doing a hike, and also visiting the Isla del Sol. However, as we had been on the go for over 3 weeks, and our time together was rapidly coming to an end, we decided to simply spend 2 days relaxing. We wiled away the hours eating good food - including chocolate fondue for breakfast, and watching movies that the guesthouse had available.
La Paz
The bus ride from Copacabana was scenic as the road wound its way along the shore of Lake Titicaca. At one point we descended a hill and entered a small village where the bus came to a stop. At first I thought we were stopping for breakfast, but then I noticed there was no road in front of the bus. We bought tickets and boarded a small boat which took us across the inlet, while the bus drove onto a rickety wooden ferry. I was happy to be off the bus as it made it’s unstable journey to the other side, where we once again boarded and continued our trip to La Paz.
We spent the rest of the day wandering around La Paz - climbing to a higher point to get an overview of the city, and visiting various plazas to watch the locals. Some of the most entertaining are the shoe-shine boys, who tend to wear gloves and ski masks - they look like thieves. The following day we set out walking again - this time exploring various markets. Several stalls in the so-called Witches Market sold shriveled llama fetuses. Evidently locals bury them under the porch of their new home to ensure good luck and fortune. Somehow I don’t believe the llama fetus will be replacing our trusty rabbits-foot anytime soon…call me crazy!
We parted ways that evening, as Rhona had to fly back to Japan for work, while I still had another week-and-a-half to travel. Continue reading…
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