Last day

We were supposed to wake up at 4am, because our Timeshifter app told us to, but 5am was a compromise that I hope buys us some energy late in the day.

We are highly caffeinated and currently on the train from Bordeaux to Paris, having won the battle of lugging our luggage up the station stairs and then up the train stairs before lifting them onto the luggage racks.

Luckily Emma does her own timeshifter routine and woke up just after us, so we got to see her absolutely demolish her milk at breakfast for one last time.

We got in the car and headed straight to a boulangerie, for what I somehow doubt will be the last visit of the holiday. It was closed. Damn the train departure, we will find another. Armed with a bag of buttery goodies, we made our way to the platform.

What we have planned after our midday arrival is storing our bags, finding lunch, seeing a movie, buying dinner and getting to the airport for our 10:35pm departure.

We are allowed one hour of sleep when we get on the flight and then none till we depart Singapore. That sounds like mission impossible but Singapore Air does promise Live World Cup action. 

If all goes to plan that is the holiday done.

What actually happened ...

If the plan was walking through Paris in 36 degrees, going to a movie to get some air conditioning only to find the one theatre in 25 without it was ours, spending 50 minutes crammed so tight in a 45 degree carriage to the airport and searching for extra, extra clothes because you are drenched, then mission accomplished.

At least dinner at the chosen restaurant was sensational. 

Thanks to the young Swedish ladies for fanning me when it looked like I may melt entirely.

Thanks to the Editor, for without her I would probably still be standing at Holsworthy Station trying to figure out where we were going. However without me she would be walking in and out the same shop over and over again due to her sense of direction misgivings.

Thanks for reading, next chapter is Borneo.

My apologies

With the running festival being sponsored by our current hotel and this morning being the start of races outside the front door, it was a bit noisy. Even though the start line was where our bus was supposed to be, the WhatsApp message said to go to the front of KFC a block away and all would be good. It was. 

Adam our bus driver did some great reverse parking where we picked up some of our group from a memorial service and then sped off for the Proboscis monkey feeding at 9:30. We were running a bit late so it was delayed for us. This was a real hit. Monkeys everywhere. Proboscis monkey eating

Then the other monkeys turned up (help needed here for a name, Editor (Silvered leaf monkeys)). There were bird sightings and it was a perfect start to the day.

We followed with a 3 hour drive to our forest lodge by the river, stopping 30 minutes before arrival for petrol and the demolition of the service station's chips, confectionery and ice cream stocks. I have never seen this much junk food purchased by a tour group. Another buffet lunch of rice, vegetables, fish and chicken was followed by a brief rest before hitting the river to see what we could see. 

For 50 Malaysian ringget extra, we were advised that a longer trip may mean elephants. I think it was a good way to get our cash, but there were indeed elephants, as well as crocodiles, many monkeys and birds to see. 

Returning as darkness came, a lightning storm threatened. Of course I stopped filming and then the lightning bolt lit up the sky. It was big. Luckily we beat the storm, ate a buffet dinner and slept after managing just 4,000 steps in the day.

I do apologise. The crocodile pic was from today as was the kingfisher. 

Hills and valleys

The highs and lows of the day started at the buffet breakfast. Hot noodles, a make your own soup section, baked beans and sausages etc etc. So much food. My pet hate is people not eating everything they take. They should be sent home immediately.  

Onto the bus and to the orangutan sanctuary we went.

The 9:30 feeding in the nursery had one orangutan that ate some food and then was out of there.

The 10am feeding was worse. No primates showed. Then we went back to the nursery and there had been a crowd but they disappeared as we appeared. A low for sure.

Across the road we walked to the Sun bear sanctuary. Much more luck here and even a t shirt purchase for the Editor. 

Another high.

The highs continued with a buffet lunch, followed by a forest walk, where we were advised to keep our expectations low. However we saw mum and baby orangutan in a tree, climbed a high metal lookout with thunderstorms looming, nearly got hit with lightning at the next tower (lucky I was wearing my brown undies) and then saw what the tour guide said was a "once in a lifetime experience". 

The oncoming storm and winds coupled with leaves of a tree being ready to fall made this amazing scene. It's hard to describe but hopefully the editor can do some YouTube link thingy. Flying leaves

The rain then set in and we made shelter for the worst of it. 'We' was actually me, as Annette, although in front of me when the lightning struck, somehow ended up behind me on a seemingly one way path. Was a Delorean somehow involved with the storm?

From here, to finish off the day on a sombre note, was a visit to the Sandakan Death March memorial, which is highly recommended. 

Back to our hotel The Elopura and then to Momo for a Thai dinner. For those planning a visit, this was the most expensive meal so far at 52 Malaysian ringgit for 2, or about $17 Aud.

We headed back and the Ghostbusters pictures that I had been eyeing off since arrival became mine. The girl in the shop was so excited to sell them -  "finally" she said. They had been there for some time. 

Oh I forgot to mention, and I can't say a little about it, but Annette managed to slip and fall off the steps of the bus yesterday. Our lawyer is on the case.

There is significant bruising and our second lawyer has advised to not use a balm.

Meanwhile back at home ...

I'm not the only one. On the floor, underneath the printer, are our conversion rate sheets, so we don't accidentally buy a $20 Pepsi. Now I have to divide by 3 to figure out conversion costs.  

I am an excellent multiplier as my former 1st class teacher, Miss Ayles, would attest. Yes, best teacher name ever.

Breakfast on plane gets a reserved thumbs up. The frittata didn't really hit the spot but there was plenty of food and that's all that matters sometimes.

We arrived at 5 something am, figured out we had to transfer via airport train to Terminal B and decided to use the facilities. 

Sometimes when you make the decision that you have to go, there is no turning back, even when cubicle 1 is a hole in the floor.

It's a good thing I have been practising my bidet skills during the recent blocked drains drama.

I survived, and if I can share with you one important piece of information, it is to not place your bags in a direct line of the hole in the floor at cubicle 1 as there is significant splashage from the exceedingly strong flush.

Five hours of waiting equalled 2 packaged cakes that we struggled to open due to tiredness and lack of food, one can of Starbucks iced coffee and what has been described as a cup of tea at the perfect temperature. 

Finally we boarded our flight to Sandakan and lunch was almost chewed. Sometimes getting the meal with mashed potato pays dividends.

Not sure what occurred with our bags but zippers are broken and luggage tags gone.

The afternoon was free so after finding our room we headed for fabric shops.

Whoever would have had me in the betting pool daily double for the first purchase of the holiday, and it being fabric, would have been a rich person. Alas, nobody would ever have picked that combination. 

We checked out the nearby restaurant scene and, as we headed back to our room at 5pm for a quick rest before dinner, 2 drops of rain fell.

40 minutes later, a tropical storm hit and rain jackets were quickly retrieved.

For about $9 Aud we had a meal with a twist.

I just picked what was clearly noodles with chicken in the picture on the menu.

The editor chose curry beef brisket noodles with no picture of a red chili signifying a heat problem.

My chicken was prawns and fish and her mild curry was not.

Swapsies it was and we were both eventually winners.

The hotel is interesting in the amount of movie and music posters all over walls and some great displays of iPhones through the years. 

One piece of art from Ghostbusters has pleased my eye, and before we have even purchased the land for our new house, I may be purchasing more art for walls that are already fully booked by pictures and posters we already have.

It could be that the garage will be the place for leftovers.