Sandakan Vacation: Day 2

Monday, 20 December 2004

CARMEN: Today, we went to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in the morning. It was raining but at least we got to see 6 or7 orangutans coming out during the feeding time.

TESSY: At first..., at first..., it was..., it was..., boring. Waiting and waiting and waiting. In the rain.

CARMEN: And we forgot to bring our raincoat. Luckily, John, the tour guide, borrowed us some umbrellas. But it feels like a real adventure, right Tess?

TESSY: Yeeaaaah, Carmen. The orangutans were very funny, and dad said, they are..., they are..., our closest cousin.

CARMEN: As if...?

TESSY: Car, according to Stanley's "Great Big Book of Everything", they got..., they got..., 96 percent DNA same as human beings?

CARMEN: I like when the orangutan pee and pooh while hanging on the robes. That was funny I think.

TESSY: Then, we..., we..., went to watch a video about the orangutans and the Sepilok Reha..., Reha..., tion centre? Hmmm, I don't know. Its just too hard to say.

CARMEN: It's Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. Got it Tess?

TESSY: Thanks Car. Then..., then..., we went for lunch. Yipeee.

CARMEN: Eat, eat, eat again Tess?

TESSY: Never mind.

CARMEN: We ate our lunch at a beautiful restaurant up on a hill call English Tea House Restaurant. I like the place. So cool and...

TESSY: It was hot, Car.

CARMEN: I mean cool, as in cool, ok?

TESSY: Oh I see. We played the Croquet game I think? A bit..., a bit..., like golf?

CARMEN: And the lawn was so pretty. Dad said the theme of the restaurant is an English style during the colonial time, whatever that is.

TESSY: And..., and..., we saw a Thomas Edison's gramophone, and..., and..., an old telephone of last time.

CARMEN: Yeah, and then, we went to visit the Agnes Keith Newton House Museum, just a short walk from the English Tea House.

TESSY: Did you know that..., that..., Agnes Keith wrote the book "Land Below The Wind" last time? That is..., that is..., how Sabah, our home, got its nickname.

CARMEN: And its the name of our blog too... Cool eh? And the real house was actually destroyed long time ago during the war I think, but was rebuilt according to the same structure.

TESSY: It is a haunted house you know.

CARMEN: Yeah, and mom told us that the master bed room is where Agnes Keith and her family saw a ghost. A lady wearing a white dress with blood stain. Dad actually took a photo of us in that room. He was not suppose to take pictures but he did not read the sign I think. Luckily, the photo came out alright..., without the ghost standing next to Tessy. Ha..., ha..., ha...

TESSY: Carmennnnnn.

CARMEN: Just kidding Tess. After that, we went to a city tour of Sandakan. Not much there. Went to a shopping complex call Wisma Sandakan I think, and not much things to buy there, but it is better than Centrepoint mall. And we also went to the Water Village and saw the island across the sea where Agnes Keith was, in prison, by the Japanese. John, our guide told us that.

TESSY: It is called Pulau Berhala Car. It is..., it is..., a prisoners camp.

CARMEN: Then, we also went up a very steep and winding road all the way to a Chinese Temple. John told us that that road was the first road built in Sandakan long long time ago, before our grandparents were even born. I think the road is Jalan Tanah Merah or something? John said the area below Jalan Tanah Merah is Bandar Leila I think, the first Sandakan town. But we were getting really tired and didn't enjoy it too much. We just can't wait to get back to the hotel for more swimming.

TESSY: Yeah, and that was..., that was..., where we went once we went back to the hotel.

CARMEN: And I finally did the slide down to the swimming pool, right Tess?

TESSY: Very good Car. And someone in the recreation centre, told you..., told you..., you can be..., can be..., Miss Malaysia when you grow up?

CARMEN: Tessy, I know already that you want to tell everyone about the lady who told me I am going to be Miss Malaysia someday. And I want to join the Miss Malaysia contest when I grow up I think?

TESSY: Then dinner..., dinner...

CARMEN: Tessy. So excited about dinner, huh?

TESSY: That's correct, Car. We went..., we went..., to..., to..., Sandakan Garden Restaurant, up on a hilltop. We ate..., we ate..., a Steamboat meal.

CARMEN: I didn't see any boat there, Tess.

TESSY: Steamboat, Carmen. A meal where you throw in all the food..., all the food..., into a steam pot yourself to cook it?

CARMEN: I know Tessy. Just kidding...

TESSY: It is a good place to eat as we can see Sandakan town down there.

CARMEN: Then, back to our hotel to sleep, while mom read "Land Below The Wind". She bought it at the English Tea House.

TESSY: Dad told me that the price of the book is cheaper..., is cheaper there than in..., in..., Sandakan town.

CARMEN: That's it for Day 2.