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'Can Can'
After the SE Asia mithering championships (shall we? shan't we?), the four of us set off on a long boat with Mr 'Can Can' (Yeeees Can Can) to visit a longhouse. Mr and Mrs Chief did a tribal dance for us and we enjoyed the rice wine. 28 longhouse communities - houses and the land that sustained them were destroyed to make way for the dam and reservoir for hydro electric power. Compensation that was promised never came and the people were moved in to new concrete longhouses near a town.
The lake is currently low, you can see the levels it reaches in the high season. Amy had a blonde moment when she commented that "It's a good job that the water isn't higher or we would get wet"!! ?? !! Not sure she's grasped the concept of floating yet...
Lazy rest of our time in this beautiful Hilton jungle hotel lazing by the pool. I was very brave doing the canopy walk - froze with fear over a ravine, perhaps won't enter 'I'm a Celebrity'!
Saturday we returned to Kuching by boat and mini bus. Our intelligent and articulate driver Toni was very interested in travel but sadly feels he will never have a hope of travelling because of the cost. Even though the standard of living appears much higher in Malaysia/Borneo than other areas we have visited they are still not considered in the 'First world'.
'How the Mighty have fallen!'
After a hasty re-pack, Amy and I left Jess and Mrs Mence enjoying cocktails at the Hilton and headed off for our flight to KL (3rd time). Arriving at midnight we prepared to spend the night at the airport. Amy knew the best place to sleep, even who to get the cardboard from and........... yes, I slept on the airport floor!! There was quite a little community of us and actually I slept quite well until the alarm went off for our 6am check in. From the Hilton to cardboard city in 24 hours, oh my!
Back in Bangkok (3rd time) we shopped around the bus destinations before finding ourselves by 1pm in the little island of Ko Samet after a bus, mini bus, boat and pick up taxi journey. The first night we stayed on a lovely beach but rather a 'get down and party with the kids' sort of place. We stayed in a bamboo hut with en suite and air conditioning. It sounds idyllic but really it wasn't - small, dark, scruffy and overpriced. So, yesterday we hiked over to the next beach and did a reccie to see what was on offer. We are now staying in a lovely wooden two storey complex right on the waters edge of a pretty cove. This place has a lovely laid back atmosphere with hammocks, massage beds and little restaurants every 50 yards or so along the beach. A chap walks up and down with a little charcoal stove cooking corn on the cob and chicken.
This will be a good place to chill out in the last few days I have before coming home...
Going for a trip today on a 'peed boat' - yes that's right a peed boat! Should be fun.
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