Sandakan

9 October

Awful drive back to Lahad and then long bus journey to Sandakan during which the rigid framed day pack with the laptop and water in it fell from the overhead shelf as the driver threw the bus recklessly round another bend on the wrong side of the road. It smacked onto my head as I sat listening to my iPod. I'd only just peeled off the scab from smacking it in the cave at Mulu! When we got to Sandakan I smacked it on the metal door to the luggage store when I reached in to get out my backpack. Paul shouted at me for being careless with my head-he got fairly short shrift! Got a taxi into the city as the bus station is an unhelpful several miles out. Arrived at Nak hotel-a favourite with backpackers. Great roof-top bar where we sat in the cool air for a couple of hours. Went to bed to realise that we were in the noisiest city in the world and it was like the TT races outside the window. Earplugs helped a bit.

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10 October

Left hotel early to get to the orang utan sanctuary. It was a really great thing to see as some of the rehabilitated animals came back at feeding time. We saw about 6 including one with a tiny baby. Watched a good presentation as well which puts the time to extinction at 10 years despite, the best efforts of the centre, if logging continues at this rate.

In the afternoon we went all English and headed for the English Tea House up the hill overlooking the town. Had full works and enjoyed the cooler temperatures and the general ambience. Walked back down the 'hundred steps' and back to hotel before the rain.So noisy again with same man shouting outside the bus station opposite our room for 12 hours, although it quietened down when the rain came.