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I may be being a bit premature here, having only been in Sandakan for a day, but I could very happy settle down and live here. I actually just love it. It's just the right size - not a massive characterless place but not a tiny town with nothing in. It's on the sea with a port, which I love, and its a cool mix of old and new with one or two funky earnest asian style malls, and then some awesome colonial and religious architecture. Today I was the biggest nerd and did the heritage walking trail, which takes you round all the best buildings and sights, and I was an even bigger nerd because I actually really enjoyed it. And because it's ramadan, from about 4 until sunset at 6.30 there is a HUGE bustling local market, with everyone gathering up all the types of food and drink and sweet things they want to eat as soon as sun sets. Everyone was so excited and bustly,it was just great to walk up and down the street.
Anyway, that's my little piece over. I'm sitting watching a tv for the first time in over a month and we're being taken outto see the 'nightlife' later, although I doubt anybody will be able to afford it at malaysian alcohol prices!
(Next morning) Had a great time last night - local chinese restaurants for drink, then to a bar with a raving live band performing to tiny, tiny audience. The locals know where to find the cheap beer! Only 6 ringgit for a large beer (about $2) rather than 15+ ringgit! We consequently all went a little mad, having not been able to afford drink anywhere else in Indonesia or Malaysia, and woke up feeling rough this morning.
Headedoff out of town on a highly efficient bus system the Australian Memorial Park, a beautiful place which commemorates the POW victims of the 1942 death March from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu. After taking a second highly efficient bus back, I took a third highly efficient bus to the Sepilok centre for the afternoon feeding session, and to take the rare privilege of seeing wild orangutan. It's a rehabilitation centre, but open to the wild - wounded/orphaned orangutan are nursed, but fed a monotonous diet to encourage them to seek their own food, become independent, and leave all reliance of the centre. They are amazing animals, and really do look like hairy humans - they walk, move and act just like us... I then took a fourth highly efficient bus back and crashed and watched a film with coffee from the highly efficient hostel for the first time in a long, long time.
I maintain that Sandakan runs in a highly efficient manner, and I would happily live here.
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