November 4-11, 2008: Atlantis Women Tour Borneo

1.  Tuesday/Wednesday: Long Trip and Kota Kinabalu

Team on trip to Manukan Island to commune with nature ... and practice!
Top, L to R: Emil, Jess, Sarah, Fion (liaison), Holly, Tracy, Jane
Bottom: Casey, Tresia (liaison), Christina, Mike
Missing: Michelle (photographer) and Elena (en route from Kenya)

The final 5 hours of our trip: from A (Seoul) to B (Kota Kinabalu)

  
Left: Christina and Mike at Arrivals in KK
Right: Jess likes being welcomed to Borneo

  
Left: Persica gets hat from proprietor and becomes a Pirate of Borneo,
Right: Sarah with sign at our residence.  I don't remember if we obeyed.

     

Left: Holly stocks up on ringgits (Malaysian currency) // Center: a local breakfast // Right: team enjoying local breakfast
Below: All meals are prepared by Muslims (and therefore Halal)

After breakfast, we headed to Manukan Island, part of a Malaysian marine national park, just off the coast of KK. It's a really nice place with several beaches, dense vegetation,  amenities for tourists ... and a soccer field, where we practiced.  Following practice we were able to jump in the water, wander through the jungle - where we saw lots of little creatures (and one medium-size one).

When we got back from our walk, Fion and Tresia, who were watching our kit and listening to the radio, told us that Obama had won the US presidency.

  
Left: Gathering for the boat to Manukan // Right: On the way

  
Prior to practice, my explanations seem to elicit rapt attention (honest, it wasn't posed:)
We practiced the rest of the morning

  
Left: after practice we jumped in the South China Sea to cool off
Right: there were lots of little fishies near the shore

  
Left: Palm tree cover on beach just before starting jungle walk
Right: Iguana-like creature.  Never found out if it was an iguana, and if not, ... what is it?



  
Two creatures - among many - that we came upon during our walk

  
Left: Group reaches top of trail
Right: Tresia and Fion have been guarding our stuff; when we return they tell us Obama has won

      

Borneo was a World War II battleground and these bomb remnants were found on Manukan Island
Later in the week we visited an old POW camp in Sandakan - nasty experience for the mostly Aussie prisoners

     
Two tables typical of food available at the market.  Tracy looking unsure about what she was seeing.

  
Food being prepared at 2 different stands. At top right of left stand it says "HALAL"; I can't imagine any stand there that wouldn't be.

   
Left: we got into a brief discussion with the two people opposite us ... turns out the one on the left had studied at the University of Iowa
Middle: It was Sarah's T shirt that initiated their interest
Right: Tracy's found something she enjoys

  
Left: Don't be fooled by the label. "MIX FRUIT JELLY" is actually a case of Tsingtao.
Right: Indulging my need to buy postcards everywhere

Final picture of the evening: a reaction to some ridiculous fine, I'm sure

Continued:
2. Th/Fri: Travel to Sandakan & Orang Utan Sanctuary