I arrived at Kota Kinabalu airport after 16 hours travelling and met lots of my project group on the other side of customs. We had a short mini bus to the hostel and were shown our rooms for the night. We had local Asian dishes for lunch and dinner was at the waterfront. It was so hot and humid, luckily I have become more used to it now! Everyone was knackered by about 8 so after a queue for the showers we slept.

At 9 the next morning we were picked up and taken to our camp. 3 hours later we arrived at camp tiangol where we were spending the next 3 weeks (near Kudat). The toilets are squat and self flush and the showers are a knee-high tap with a bucket, you get used to it quickly! We sleep in a longhouse made of bamboo with mosquito nets, you definitely feel like you are sleeping out in the open.

On the 2nd day we went to the project site where we are helping to build a kindergarten/community hall. We are spending a lot of time mixing cement by hand and making concrete blocks. It's very tiring and sweaty work but worthwhile! It's in the middle of a village and today we walked through and all the children were waiting for us. The girls asked my age and what was my ambition. I then asked them and they told me that they were 12 and that they wanted to be doctors! So cute!

Last weekend we went for what we were told was an orchard walk. It turned out to be a mini trek through a muddy jungle! On the Sunday they ran a jewellery workshop and we all threaded beads and made bracelets.

I am very lucky with the group I am with, everyone is lovely and we get on well. I'm having a great time! I'll post next week while I'm back In the capital for my fun dive!

Lots of love,
Sam