We got up about half past six as usual, had breakfast on the roof. I went and packed the rucksacks, then went on the computer to try and catch up with the blogging. We have been a couple of days behind since we were in the jungle. I managed to get half of Saturday's written before the taxi arrived. We had a taxi driver who called himself Ringo Star (you guessed it, another Liverpool supporter!) He made us feel much better by showing us the entrance to the Rain Forest Park (about 200 yards from the entry where the security guards had told us it didnt exist!) Booking in for local flights is very simple and we piled onto the plane which left at about 10 past one for the 45 minute flight back to Kota Kinabalu. We had ordered our meal on board with the tickets and remembering what had happened on the outward flight when we had received our meals after they had told us to put on our seatbelts for landing, I told that stewardess that we had ordered meals as we got on the plane. So within a few minutes of take off we were given our meals and then panic! We hit turbulence, S***, well that was it I thought me number was up, while John carried on eating,(typical) he reckoned it was only like a train on a bumpy track, well if it can get worse than that I'm staying here, never to get on a plane again. (Suits me! Iain, Justin, Sorry about the festival and that! J) We landed, thank god, went and colected the bag's then got a taxi.

I didnt mention this plan earlier but since we have roughed it so much over the last two weeks we decided that Mandy deserved a bit of proper R & R and we are returning to Kinarut, to the Seaside Traveller's Inn, where we had booked a Deluxe room, the best in the hotel, AC and en suit. It is beautiful, manicured tropical gardens, a swimming pool and a beach restaurant right by the South China sea, heaven. ( the best bit about it is that it costs 8 pounds a night each!)

We unpacked then took a stroll to the beach bar/resturant I needed alcohol after that flight. We just chilled watching a thunder storm and lightening lighting up the sky, then John got bored ( suprise, suprise) so he went off for a wander along the beach to see if he could find someone to take him fishing ( I did but the theiving Australian git wanted to charge Rm 2.500 - 400 pounds so I politely declined. I walked on about two miles along the beach, past more tin shacks intersperced with quite luxurious housing projects. I found a stand of mangroves and as the tide was out rooted about underneath them fascinated by the creatures scuttling about. I was particularly fascinated by the mud skippers made famous in recent Guinness adverts. There were thousands of them. I asked an old boy back at the hotel later if they were any good to eat but he said they weren't What they were good for though, according to local custom, boiled into a soup, was as a cure for asthma)

The hotel is wonderfull and we have been fascinated by the colony of swifts nesting on the landin outside our room and the usual gecos on the ceiling. We went back to the room for a shower and change and a sit on the balcony before dinner. We had a lovely meal with a couple of beer's, and watched storms moving backwards and forwards out at see, occasionally lighting up the sky with huge flashes of lightening. Two lads from the hotel were out fishing with a cast net just off the shore and we would occasionally hear their whoops of joy as they cought a fish floating in through the thick hot darkness. After a while we retired to bed. ( It's a hard life lounging around)