Day 3 Friday

Another day starts with us hanging around  Kuala Lumpur airport.  Mr Nasser of Royal Brunei Airlines has apologised profusely for the problems we have encountered, promised us that our luggage will definitely be put on a plane to Kota Kinabalu as soon as it arrives from Dubai and sent directly to the hotel and also that we shall all have 120 rinngits (£60) to buy essentials while we wait for our cases.  The plane takes off at 10.30am, 30 minutes late.  When we arrive in Kota Kinabalu and are met by Will, she tells us that we are not going to the hotel after all but that we have couple of hours to kill before catching another plane to Sandarkan on the east coast of Borneo.  We are a bit vexed as we will miss the all inclusive day at the 5 star hotel in Kota Kinabalu but we are all like the walking dead by now.  Our feet and ankles are like elephant's legs and we have been wearing the same underwear for 3 days.  Flies are starting to circle round us.  We go down to a small shopping mall to kill time and find a Clark's shoe shop, a Mango, Body Shop, Starbucks, you could have been at Westfield.

Back at the airport and Lynn has become like a professional airport checker.  She is giving points for cleanliness of loos, customer service and quality of free meals from the vouchers we keep getting.  Nul point for Delice de France for allowing us just a cup of coffee for our breakfast voucher.  But we did find an interesting shop selling Birds' Nests and big black things, both great delicacies.

The flight is due to depart at 6.35pm.  Lynn shoots off for a quick comfort break but forgets the time and pops into a shop selling Swarovski jewellery. I am left with all our hand luggage at the desk, everyone else has boarded.  The man at the desk is flapping and asks if my friend is coming, then dashes out to speak to the crew.  Lynn strolls up oblivious and we board at 6.34pm

So here we are, on a small plane with propellers, flying over the rainforest in the dark.  Cynthia, who looks like a jolly Buddha, meets us at the airport and takes us to the hotel.  It is fantastic, so is the outdoor buffet, the rooms, the pool, the Tiger beer, well, everything.  It's all going to be ok.