Thursday, 1 September 2011

PXR Borneo 2011

I forgot to mention that I'd be out of the office for a month or so in Borneo, although those of you who read here regularly might have spotted clues in some of the July posts.

School-trip-tastic it has been. We visited these places, with the help of these people.

Some of the many highlights for me were - in no particular order:
  • Snorkeling amongst tropical fish
  • Conquering Mt Kinabalu
  • Trying Durian fruit (described as eating a mixture of over-ripe strawberries and raw onion in a room with a gas leak!)
  • Air conditioning!!!
  • Sleeping in a hammock
  • Watching the boys freak out when they got attacked by a leach!
  • Meeting orangutans and other wild life.
  • Being asked to speak at a local church - fortunately there was an interpreter.
  • Hearing the dawn chorus
  • Reading books - when I got the chance
  • Sharing a room with a retired Royal Marine, now Outdoor pursuits freelancer, and hearing many an anecdote about military life.
  • The food
  • Chinese films featuring jumping vampires
  • Members of the group who were prepared to laugh at my jokes
  • Saya oran putti gilla!
  • The people of Long Pasia
  • Being told by one of the boys that for a French teacher, I was "surprisingly intelligent." Read into that what you will! :-)
  • Writing cards to all the team on the last day.
Planning to go to Ethiopia in 2013. If all goes well, I may even be a qualified Mountain Leader myself, by then.

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