Verdi's Trip Report

Posted by Philippa McQueen on Nov 08, 2016

Borneo Stew with thanks to verdi van Beek

Ingredients

Assorted Van Beeks

White tee shirts (one for each person)

Camera

Pristine rainforest

Amazing topography

Assorted exotic animals

Accommodation: dubious and snazzy (some of each)

Poison dart blower

Smiles, sun and fun (plenty of each).

Method

Assemble all available Van Beeks in Sandakan

Dress in white tee shirts (Sally, please note)

Play with the orangutans at the Seplok rehabilitation sanctuary

Head south to the rainforest

Observe the palm oil plantations en route (but don’t worry, Malaysia preserves its rainforest)

Head up river to the Borneo Nature Lodge

Embark on nature watch trips by boat

Soak in a kaleidoscope of birds, monkeys, snakes and crocodiles

Have a poison dart blower at the ready (just in case)

Don’t get caught up in huge spider webs or fishing nets

Venture into caves

Important: don’t steal the edible bird nests made with bat spit!

(Alternative method: outsmart the security guards, steal the lot and hock them off lots of cash)

Head for Kotu Kinabalu on the coast

Enjoy the happy local families, with their houses suspended over the

Jump on a dodgy ferry

Check into an awesome beach house

Dive from the lounge door straight into a pool

Don’t swim in the ocean (unless you are immune to jellyfish stings)

Spare a thought for that hapless tourist who did not heed the advice (R.I.P).

To Cook and Serve:

Apply lots of sunscreen, stir, then stew for many days under the tropical sun

Garnish liberally with good food and beverages

Take loads of photos, crack lots of jokes and enjoy every experience

Reflect on the good times and the joy of togetherness.