The joys of a warm shower and an updated budget!
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Limbang,
Malaysia
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Back in so-called civilization after the jungle adventures. A longboat ride of about forty minutes from the Medalam longhouse to Medamit where we got a proper rustbucket local bus on proper crap roads to Limbang - which is a proper town with a port. Our chief came with us part of the way as he's going to meet a government Minister and meet all of the other headmen in Limbang, but he headed off in a 4x4 from Medamit. It wouldn't do for a chief to take the bus! Headmen in longhouse seem to be like local councillors or low-level politicians here; they are elected and I think they've given up the old headhunting. Our chief was the chief over eleven other headmen, like some sort of local King Salomon he had to make decisions on local conflicts, even fining people and getting those who don't pay locked up by the police. He was a very nice guy though and this didn't seem to fit too well with him, I don't think he liked to make unpopular decisions.
Anyway, Limbang for a nice warm shower (first since Singapore), lovely clean en-suite room, splashing out at an immense 50 ringgits - about eight quid. Catching up with emails and that kind of thing...
Which includes checking the budget! Being a proper geek my spreadsheet has been telling me how long we've left to travel and unfortunately we have come upon a final date for the travels. I can't believe it! So we've booked our flights back to mainland Asia, to Bangkok, where we're hoping to catch up with Nikki and Jason for some Thai shenanigans before they head for Chiang Mai. Despite harping on about the benefits of not flying, I'm afraid this one's not one we can avoid! The vague itinerary now stands at Thailand, Lao, Cambodia, China, Mongolia, Russia, Finland, Sweden, and possibly Amsterdam to the UK by train or ferry (last bit's still unclear). Anyone fancy a weekend in Amsterdam in late August?
P.S. Check out our photo in the local papers:
http://www.kapitro.sarawak.gov.my/php/main/english/tourism/news.php?nID=n1429
And a Malay article:
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=17253
