After waking up we head down for our buffet breakfast, enjoying the selection of western and Eastern foods. The unlimited juice and coffee a bonus. I manage to get all my photos uploaded for the first time on this trip. Technology still just a luxury. We head to Changi Airport and check in for our Air Asia flight. Terminal 1 not as interesting as the other 2 so we find a seat until our flight at 5:40pm. Looking forward to seeing what Borneo is like. In 1997, prior to the internet taking off, i had read that JRR Tolkien based Mount Doom on Kota Kinabulu. Now with the internet I can't find any evidence for this. The story even stretched to an albino monkey to which Gollum was based on. Its causing us some amusement as I've been telling everyone this for years.
On board, an announcement on the tanoy let's us know that we are about to be sprayed with pesticides and the airline is sorry for any inconvenience. Glad I'm not an airline steward having to repeat the process.
We arrive at the small airport and the usual Ebola heat scanner points at us. We get a taxi coupon from the small booth, humidity pulsating from the unseen jungle. The taxi takes us to our chosen hostel, Borneo Gaya Lodge. We make our way upstairs and book into an empty 2 bunk dorm. Air con being a luxury to the Borneo beginnings (LT). At £5 a night, its basic but can't complain. The WiFi is down so go out into the humity to find a decent connection. Monica is coming to meet us tomorrow so settle for the uncultured "Little Italy", that has strong WiFi. Hostel details sent, we head back. In the darkness there is not much to see or do. A Muslim country, so no obvious bars and my liver is thankful. I get speaking to a young Chinese guy called Neal at the hostel. He's travelling on his own and I let him know he can join us along our route to Sipadan when he's finished in Kota Kinabulu.