Articles from this Category
21 December 2021
Above: Putrajaya, the administrative capital of Malaysia. My flight to Kuching leaves at 1405. There are so many reasons to go to the airport early: Christmas rush, possible flooding along the way, reduced bus and train schedules due to the pandemic. I checked out from my hotel around 0900 and had a rather spicy thosai […]
16 December 2021
Above: The jetty at Uncle Chang’s. It was my last dive day this trip, starting with a 0445 wake-up again. I hadn’t bought anything for a quick brekkie and took a couple of biscuits with my coffee. I reported to Scuba Gen before 0600 and got picked up by boat, this time, around 0620. I […]
15 December 2021
I set the alarm for 0445 for my 0600 report at Scuba Gen a couple of minutes walk away. I stuffed down a coffee and muffin before heading there ten minutes ahead of the report time. Rather than a boat pickup from the dive centre’s private jetty, I was collected by car for a short […]
14 December 2021
Above: A mountain of shells from consumed seafood. Today is my spare day, having shifted it from yesterday. I had allowed for in case of flight disruption. So much can happen suddenly with travel arrangements in a pandemic. I intend to make it as restful as possible after yesterday’s cacophony. Having slept before 2000 last […]
13 December 2021
Today I started my dives, with all three done at Mataking Island. My fun dives were meant to be tomorrow, with today being a spare day in case of flight disruptions. But brought it forward to today as I could join a group as a favour to the dive centre, Scuba Gen. They had been […]
12 December 2021
Above: Scenery on my short flight from Kota Kinabalu to Tawau. My favourite Malaysian city I take sleep for granted because I normally sleep very well. My few nights in Kuching before this sub-trip hadn’t been so. So, my second night of awesome sleep in Kota Kinabalu was very welcome. The weather had cleared up. […]
11 December 2021
Above: Dry moment on a largely wet day in Kota Kinabalu. I had my first good night sleep in three days. Just as I was about to leave my room for a morning walk in Kota Kinabalu, it started pouring. I returned to my room where I stayed till around 1000. The plan had been […]
10 December 2021
Above: Jerry’s catamaran. Flying to Kota Kinabalu Today I am travelling for pleasure again, to Kota Kinabalu on the way to my dives at Sipadan. Friend Stephen took me out for lunch before dropping me at Kuching airport about 2h before my 1525 departure on Malaysia Airlines. A friend Elena had commented that this trip, […]
9 December 2021
Since my Mum passed away in mid-September, her helper had stayed behind to look after my step-dad, who has since moved into a care home. We returned Nani to the agent on 30 November and she was transported by car to Indonesia on 2 December where she quarantined for 6 nights at the border town […]
7 December 2021
My alarm rang at 0430 so I could partake in the roughly weekly Managed Isolation & Quarantine (MIQ) room release lottery so I can return to New Zealand. I had been doing it through my travels around Europe but at times having a friend do it on my behalf. The randomised entry into the booking […]