We arrived in S'pore after a very uncomfortable night with no sleep and checked into the airport hotel which proved to be an oasis of calm and peace despite the runway outside our window! Slept for 10 hours. On Thursday afternoon we checked in for our Air Asia flight to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysian Borneo. Air Asia is the Easy Jet of Asia but with smiling, courteous staff-perfect. Landed in KK in the dark and took a taxi to the hotel and so we had absolutely no concept of where we were. Our hotel is across the road from the famous Night Market and so we wandered over there after checking in. It was then we realised just how far away from home we were. It was a total assault on the senses; visual, auditory and olfactory. We could have stayed there for hours absorbing it all. Fish of all colours, shapes and sizes, chickens and other meats, huge vegetables piled high and stalls selling things we couldn't identify. There was a whole area where you could eat from stalls with smoking grills and it made us want to try it all but we were just too tired and so with a vow to return we went to bed.

I was woken at 4.55am by the call to prayer ringing out across the city from the public address system. I looked out of the window to see the place buzzing with traffic-busier than when we went to bed 5 hours earlier. Most of it seemed to be heading for the fishing docks to pick up the daily catch.

After breakfast we walked up the hill behind the city to an observation area. It was incredibly hot and humid and we didn't see another person on foot at any time. The view was almost depressing. The city is a sprawl of concrete but has the most amazing outlook over the South China Sea. It was completely destroyed during the war with Japan and has not had any beauty built back into it. The money is around but not for architecture-most of it seems to be going into expanding the airport to take the new A380! We sought out a tourist 'must see' clock but, again, it was pretty uninspiring (Hilary-it reminded us of d*** Turpin's Grave in York!!(Not our editing!!!)). Came back to the hotel to rest and cool down.

Kota Kinabalu is world famous for its sunsets and we were treated to a great one this evening. The we walked over to the market so Paul could have his chicken and we had the storm to beat all storms. Even the locals were taken by surprise and we all huddled together under the little shelter there was and giggled. Eventually we made a run for it and got back to the hotel, drowned.