Rice Is Nice...

Day 8. My "leadership" pointlessly continues! The river waters had subsided slightly by morning, leaving river debris perilously close to where we slept last night. Adam told us this morning that the waters had come EVEN higher during the night whilst we were asleep. That is higher than when we were awake and on the brink of abandoning our outpost!
After checking that all our kit hadn't been washed away, we left the relatively luxurious centre, climbed a never-ending hill and clambered aboard yet more mini-busses! We were on a return ride to Kota Kinabalu and the ride was very much humbling. We saw and heard of the destruction last night's 11-hour long heavy rain had caused - 3 dead, cars submerged, houses obliterated (literally), petrol pumps strewn about. Indeed, I'm sure it happens fairly often in Borneo, in the tropics, but it was something none of us had seen before. If such an event occured in the UK, there'd be chaos! The whole country'd stop! Think of how much everyone focused on Boscastle when it was flooded - and no-one even died!
Once back in KK, it was time do to some more organising! This was to ensure that we had transport and accomodation for the upcoming week, but our actions only resulted in chaos! With me in charge, things didn't go smoothly! I can NEVER decide anything! We also did some eating (yet more rice!) and drinking (lumpy cinsau!)
In the evening, we went to a restaurant in close proximity to our Planet Kinabalu hostel. When I say A restaurant, I mean several, as it was one large sprawling complex of them! It was then time for another night out - to the "Cock & Bull" pub again! It was great fun, as usual, of course! At the pub, we met Sampson, THE Borneo man, and promptly gave him a fair few cans of Boddingtons that we'd smuggled with us from the UK. I couldn't give him my can, as it got destroyed on the plane - damn baggage handlers! It equally covered by kit in a moist, yeasty smell!
Boddingtons was Sampson's favourite tipple, and he had great difficult buying the Manchester beer in Borneo! Sampson was a large, friendly, girthy man whom my older brother Robert had previously met when he came to Borneo on a simliar trip. However, my brother's trip was with his school and over 10 years before me! That didn't stop me using the same rucksack as he did though...!

This place is wonderful. And no squits yet! Added bonus.