BSB, Brunei

hi from Brunei,

some important facts:

- only the Sultan is rich, the rest of the people live like in Malaysia.
- there are no nightclubs, but they play party music on the radio, so there is a big tension (also sexual) in the youngsters that have to party at home. They meet girls at the shopping mall.

we met Christian, a 45 year old swedish guy when we arrived at Brunei, and he suggested us a nice hotel in the main shopping area in town. Things are not luxurious at all here, and we went to the house of his brother in law, who is a policeman and we had dinner with his family. They are so amazingly friendly that is awesome !! they even washed my dirty laundry !! nice one !! today we've been around the city, to some tilting houses on the river where old Brunei was until they discovered the oil (then they kind of rebuilt the city in firm ground), to a beautiful mosque, and to the Empire, a posh hotel built in response to the one built in Dubai (the one with 7 stars). But this one will never break even coz it's empty !! the marketing manager must be such a dumbhead !!

all good, tomorrow towards Sarawak in Malaysia,

O.

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hola desde Brunei,

dos cosas:

- solamente el sultan es rico, la demas gente vive en condiciones muy normalitas
- no hay discotecas, pero ponen musica disco por la radio, o sea que la gente joven anda alteradisima. Como no hay manera de ligar, los chavales se ligan a las chicas en los centros comerciales !! pffffffff.

cuando llegamos a Brunei ayer conocimos a un tipo sueco muy majo que nos indico el hotel donde se quedaba el y nos fuimos con el. Se llama Christian, tiene 45 tacos y esta casado con una chica de Malasia. Bueno, fuimos a cenar a casa de la hermana de ella. Me temia una noche haciendo el canelo con desconocidos, pero resultaron ser supermajos, hablamos con todos e incluso me han lavado la ropa !! encantadores !! ayer fuimos a jugar al billar con ellos a un sitio de superlocals !! esta manyana hemos ido a ver una mezquita preciosa y unas casas flotantes en el rio que pasa por Brunei (donde estaba el palacio del sultan antes de que descubrieran petroleo y se volvieran ricos de repente !!). Luego hemos ido a un hotel de lujo a verlo, pero esta vacio pq es supercaro. El director de marqueting del hotel debe ser un melon pq seria facilisimo llenarlo !! En fin, Pilarin, manyana a Sarawak !!

O.

Mount Kinabalu, 4.095m, Sabah, Malaysia

hi from Kota Kinabalu !!!

after diving in beautiful Pulau Sipadan and getting my Advanced Open Water certificate there diving with turtles, we (met with the swedish Roberth again in Sempurna for his 20th birthday) came to the base of mount Kinabalu yesterday. We stayed in a guesthouse and prepared for the climb to the highest mountain in SE Asia, foggy and beautiful mount Kinabalu !! I set up early in the morning, went to the base camp, booked a guide (James, very cool) and we started climbing. I went up with Roberth, who didn't book accomodation and had to do it up and down in one day !! Anyway, we were very energetic and climbed from km0 to km6, where the guesthouse Laban Rata is in only 2h40m !! that was really fast and we got there before anybody esle and the guides were truly impressed !! Then I stayed there chilling and Roberth did all the way up and down. Today people who slept at Laban Rata we woke up at 2am !! and because I was climbing so fast the day before, I stayed chilling and having hot chocolates with a southafrican couple, Megan and Alan, who were really nice. At 3.30am we set up with hats and torches and we started climbing up to the summit in order to see sunrise there. We were climbing solid and overtaking some people who couldn't cope with it !! We got there at 5.20am, just 10min before sunrise. I was with running shoes and shorts (everybody else was so prepared with boots and all the rest of it !!) and they were so cool to let me a windbreaker which was highly useful !! Anyway, after taking the beautiful pictures of the awesome sunrise we started descending down. I went really fast and got the base camp at 10.30, picked Roberth from our guesthouse and went to Kota Kinabalu !! I am really exhausted now, but really worth the effort !! Tomorrow Brunei !!

all great my end !!

O.

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hola a todos desde Kota Kinabalu !!

despues de sacarme el Advanced diving nadando con tortugas en la fabulosa isla de Sipadan, me encontre otra vez con mi amigo sueco Roberth, y nos dirigimos juntos a la base del monte Kinabalu (4.095m) el mas alto del sureste asiatico !! como el melon del Roberth no tenia alojamiento en la montanya, tenia que subir y bajar en un solo dia, o sea que empezamos prontito por la manyana, y llegamos al guesthouse Laban Ratan (6km despues del campo base) en tan solo 2h40m, superrapido !! luego el siguio subiendo hasta la cumbre y yo me quede alli tranquilamente, esperando al resto de la gente que tenia que llegar. Hoy por la manyana nos hemos levantado a las 2am !! me he juntado con una pareja surafricana majisima, Megan y Alan, y hemos subido como los grandes, a pinyon y adelantando a la gente por el camino !! Hemos empezado los ultimos y hemos llegado a la cima los primeros, a las 5.20, 10 minutos antes de la salida del sol. Es un espectaculo alucinante, con unos colores sensacionales, y te das cuenta de lo escarpada que es la montanya, que no se veia antes pq ibamos de noche y con linternas. Alli arriba hace un frio que te cagas, y yo he subido como un toro, con deportivas y pantalon corto (todo el mundo iba superpreparado con botas y toda la mandanga) !! pffffffffffffffffffff !! menos mal que Alan me ha dejado un jersey que sino me muero de frio. Bueno, despues de las fotos y los hastaluegos, he bajado en plan toro hasta la base. Luego he ido a buscar al ceporro del Roberth y nos hemos venido a Kota Kinabalu, donde estoy ahora. Manyana por la manyana prontito para coger un ferry a Brunei !!

estoy divinamente !!

O.

Pulau Sipadan, Sabah, Malaysia

hi from the best place to dive in the world !!

I am staying in Sempurna, but today I took a small boat and we went diving to Pulau Sipadan, a small island one hour away. It's a beautiful small paradise, than can be walked around in 20 minutes over white sand beaches. There is a small police detachment coz 6 years ago some pirates hijacked some tourists here ... Luckily today all went fine, and in my 3 dives we've seen so many sharks, turtles (been swimming next to at least 10 and touched one just to feel her skin and they are well gorgeous !!), fish (several Napoleon fish, a 2m big green giant that has small fish cleaning his teeth, like the hippos !!) that is umbelievable. We dive in a wall that is 600m deep and is only 50m from the island, so during the surface intervals we've been snorkling and laying in the beach and it's paradise. Only very few people can go there every day, and although it's a bit expensive, I've decided that I like it so much that I am taking my 'Advanced PADI course' there !! starting tomorrow at 8.30am and can't wait to swim with turtles again !!

O.

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hola desde Pulau Sipadan,

es una islita a una hora en barca de Semporna, donde duermo, y es sencillamente un paraiso. Es tan pequenya que se le puede dar la vuelta en 20 minutos, y es como en las pelis, que te acercas con una barca motora y ves una isla perdida en medio de la nada, pequenyita con la arena superblanca y rodeada de coral !! esto es Sipadan, pero con la mejor fauna marina del universo !! hace unos anyos unos piratas secuestraron a unos turistas, pero hoy todo ha ido bien !!
a unos 50 metros de la isla hay una pared de 600 metros, o sea que no se ve el fondo, y es alli donde buceamos, en una pared !! hay tantos tiburones, peces (Napoleon, un pez supergordo de color verde con pececillos en su boca que le limpian los dientes !) y tortugas (por lo menos hemos visto 20, y hemos nadado al lado de varias y he tocado a dos, y son preciosas !!) que es sensacional !!! estoy tan impresionado que le he dado patada al presupuesto y me quedo aqui dos dias mas buceando y sacandome el 'advanced PADI' !! empiezo manyana y estoy super emocionado pq nadare con mas tortugas !!

este sitio es sencillamete divino,

O.

Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia

hi from the fishing village of Semporna in Sabah !!

today I left Sandakan after being with stomach problems and recovering there like a lion. The first thing I've done when I got here is booking three dives for tomorrow in the mecca of the scuba diving of Asia, Pulau Sipadan ... will see !! just installed myself in a very basic dorm called Dragon Inn, with squat toilets and buckets of water as shower !! and been out talking to the local people. Discovered that there are many filipinos, typically all who sell fish at the fishmarket, who emigrated here coz it's very dangerous in their home country (people carrying guns and shooting). Most of them come from the spanish speaking part and they talk in 'chabacano'. I talk to them in spanish and we can comunicate !!! pretty cool, but bored sometimes like now. Anyway, not happy happy every day, but like a kid (I talk to them a lot and today I've been wandering around a filipino village with no tourists ever !! awesome !!) : always smile, say always hi to people, look at things with the eyes wide open and let things surprise you. My four rules that I try and apply !!

all good my end !!

O.

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hola a todos desde un pueblo que se llama Semporna, perdido en la frontera entre Sabah (Malasia) y Indonesia, en la tercera isla mas grande del mundo (Borneo). Bueno, despues de recuperarme en Sandakan de una indigestion, esta manyana he llegado aqui. Me he instalado en un chamizo con dormitorios para 20 personas y donde los banyos son de agacharse en el suelo en plan campo y las duchas son un barrenyo de agua !! da igual, pq me gasto el dinero en bucear, que manyana voy a la meca del buceo, pulau Sipadan, ya contare !!
en este pueblo hay mogollon de familias filipinas que emigraron de su pais pq alli la situacion es muy inestable y la gente lleva pistolas y hay mucha violencia. Muchos son los que venden pescado en el mercado del pueblo. Son majotes, y muchos hablan una cosa que se llama 'chabacano' y que deriva del espanyol de los primeros colonos espanyoles. Tienen un humor muy parecido al nuestro (espanyoleeeeeeeeeeees !!) y manyana los vere otra vez.
Hoy he pasado todo el dia solo, pero no aburrido, sino dandome cuenta de la suerte que tengo. He visitado un pueblo de filipinos que viven en chozas encima del mar, hablando con los ninyos, y me he dado cuenta de que hay cuatro cosas que tenemos en comun los ninyos y yo: tener siempre una sonrisa apunto, decir hola siempre a la gente, mirar a las cosas con ojos superabiertos y dejar que las cosas te sorprendan !!

estoy sensacional,

O.

Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia

hi from the beautiful village of Sandakan !!

it's a small fisherman village in the east of Sabah, Borneo. I arrived here two days ago from Kota Kinabalu and I am staying at Mayfair Hotel, the best place in town coz it's in front of the fishmarket and has DVD and cable television in the room, all for 50 MR !! today when I was waiting for the bus to Sepilok (the orangutan sanctuary) I met Roberth, a swedish guy that is cool and we've been hanging out together. We went in a local bus to Sepilok and we've seen the orangutans !! that was awesome !! we also wanted to go and see the long nose monkeys, but there were no buses there, so only orangutans and a two houre trek in the jungle !! We just had dinner in the local fishmarket and still don't know what I'll do tomorrow, stay here one more day (people greet you in the street like a pop star coz there are no tourists !!) or leave for Sempurna and hit the beach ... will see !

all good my end,

O.

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hola desde Sandakan !!

supongo que de aqui venia el tipo de la tele de la serie que mirabamos cuando eramos pequenyo !! es un pueblo de pescadores cerca de la selva en Borneo. La gente es encantadora y te tratan como a una estrella de pop porque no hay turistas y todo el mundo te quiere hablar !! estoy alojado en un hotel con dvd y television para mi solo, solo por 50 MR !! alucinante !! es tan dificil salir de aqui, que igual me quedo un dia mas, ya vere !! hoy he conocido a un sueco de 19 anyos, Roberth, y hemos ido juntos a Sepilok, una reserva de orangutanes, y les hemos visto de cerca !! espectacular !! luego hemos caminado por la jungla pero en chanclas, como los grandes !! y ahora acabamos de comer en un chamizo superlocal, encima del puerto, con los locals !! ya vere que hago manyana, pero este sitio es maravilloso !!

estoy bien, espero que vosotros tambien,

O.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

hi from KL,

second time I visit this city and I must say that I like it !! Got here yesterday at 4pm and started raining heavily, so I took a taxi to my guesthouse and after a long time we found it. Significant improvement with respect to Taman Negara in terms of comfort. Anyway, I met an old colleague from BT for diner, Robert, in his swankey hotel. He had plans already for the evening so I went out for a drink on my own. After asking the doorman of the hotel, he recommended me the shithole 'Beach', close to the twin towers. I must say it is not too bad, and I was dancing and drinking with 9 aussie guys who I met !! for the first time in the trip I came home at 3am and not sober at all !! It was a great party, and full of little asian girls who were very touchy and wanted to with you to bed for some money or shopping the day after (like Brasil, if you know what I mean...). Anyway, today I've been shopping (for myself) and walking around. Tomorrow off to Kota Kinabalu early in the morning, so today I will be good, coz need to save money and sleep !

O.

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hola desde Kuala Lumpur, la capital de Malasia !!

ayer llegue a las 4pm desde Taman Negara y estaba cayendo la del pulpo !! tuve que coger un taxi y llegar a mi chamizo de guesthouse (que es menos chamizo que el de Taman Negara). Despues por la noche quede con un antiguo colega de BT, Robert, que me llevo a cenar a su hotel de lujo y me comi un entrecot que se cago la perra. Luego el tenia plan y yo sali solo en plan supercapitan. Despues de preguntar al portero del hotel a donde ir, el tio me envio a un antro de mala muerte llamado 'beach' lleno de putis y tios que se las querian ligar en plan amor. Tela. Yo me hice amigo de 9 australianos superburros y grandotes y me quede con ellos hasta las 3 de la manyana y agarre un pedal de cuidado !! Hoy he estado comprando unas chanclas y un jersey supergay, y luego me ire a la guesthouse en plan tranquilo, que manyana me levanto pronto para ir al aeropuerto y coger un vuelo a Kota Kinabalu, en Borneo !!

estoy bien,

O.

Taman Negara, Malaysia

hi from the most amazing rainforest !!

I am in Taman Negara, a 130 million year jungle in the centre of peninsular Malaysia. We got here on several minibuses all the way from the Perenthian Islands. I met californian guy from San Francisco called Paul and we did the trip together. I am staying in the crappiest accomodation from my trip so far, but this is my lower limit, 25 RM per night on a mini chalet. Anyway, last night we did a jungle walk (we didn't see much though) and today we've done a walk through a cave, crawling along the wet floor and touching bat poo from the little buggers that were 10cm above us !! pretty cool !! and saw two snakes eating bats !! awesome !! then we walked along the longest canopy walk in the world, climbed 500m to a stunning view and walked 8km to a place where we swam in the river !! not bad, but pretty exhausted now !! I think I've done everything I wanted to do here, so off tomorrow to KL to fix some plane tickets and wash my clothes !!

O.

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hola desde el Taman Negara !!

es una jungla que tiene mas de 130 millones de anyos !! es alucinante !! despues de un viaje de todo el dia desde las islas Perenthian, llegamos un tio californiano y yo que se llama Paul a el pueblo que esta justo delante del Taman Negara. Estoy en el sitio mas chamizo que he estado hasta ahora ... creo que me dare un lujazo en KL... pfffff. Bueno, ayer hicimos un night safari, pero no vimos muchos animales, solo algun wildcat. Hoy hemos ido a una cueva donde habia que arrastrarse entre cagadas de murcielagos que estaban colgados literalmente 10cm encima nuestro !! vaya tela !! alucinante. Luego hemos caminado por los puentes colgantes mas largos del mundo, hemos subido una cima preciosa y luego nos hemos banyado en el rio. Un dia estupendo !! Creo que ya he hecho todo lo que tenia que hacer, o sea que tal vez me vaya manyana a Kuala Lumpur .... mas pronto !! ya vuelvo a estar bien !!

O.

Perenthian Islands, Malaysia

hi from the most beautiful place on earth !!

after being a bit under the weather for splitting up with my friends in Thailand, I took a 12hour bus that took me to the malay border, and then took a taxi under the rain to Kota Bharu. I stayed in a very basic accomodation and the morning after I took a boat to the Perenthian islands, where I am now !! It's the most beautiful place I've ever been. I am staying in a quiet beach where I can hear the ebb and flow of the sea in the evening and it's very relaxing. In the mornings they come to pick me up with a water taxi and I go diving ! I've seen so many sharks and fish that is amazing ! the water is so clear and clean that this is paradise. However, since I've been here to travel and move forward, I think I am off soon to the mighty Taman Negara, a 130 million year old jungle ... Will see !!

O.

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hola a todos desde las islas Perenthian en Malasia,

probablemente el sitio mas bonito del mundo si alguien me pregunta !! Estos dias aqui me han servido para reflexionar y darme cuenta de lo que quiero en la vida !! me he estado curando las heridas como un capitan en una casita al lado de una playa maravillosa donde hago snorkling con tiburones y me vienen a buscar por la manyana para ir a bucear a lugares espectaculares donde veo mogollon de peces !! Ya estoy mejor que cuando escribi el ultimo blog, asi que poco a poco voy a ser un tigre mas como antes, como Lluis, Sergi, el Mestre +, el Markie boy, Rogelio (ahora si), Quimo, Javitron, Chiqui, y otros mas que siempre estan conmigo en el camino !!
estoy bien, ahora si !!

O.

Kho Lanta, Thailand

hi all,

after Kho Phi Phi (completely taken by the swedes) we took a boat and we came to Kho Lanta, an island south from Kho Phi Phi and with even more swedes !! it's pretty, but not as much as the previous islands I've visited. Plus it's low season, so not so good weather any more. Today it's our last day with Javi, Roger, Quimo and our new friend Carina. She stays here, Roger and Quim back to London and Javi to NZ. I am off to Malaysia, and since today I've been dumped by Chau by email, sounds like a very good idea to go looking for more sun and beautiful places. Sempre endavant. This is how things go in this trip, some days are good days, some days are not so good. Sometimes life sucks, but you just have to pull it together and move on with your chin up !! Will write more from Malaysia soon hopefully !!

O.

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hola desde Kho Lanta, una isla al sur de Kho Phi Phi y tambien llena de gente sueca !! Vaya tela. Estamos en temporada baja, y el tiempo no es tan bueno como hasta ahora, y tampoco hay mucha gente ya, por eso cuando nos vayamos todos manyana (Javi a NZ, Roger y Quimo a Londres y Carina a Krabi) yo me vaya a la costa este a las Perenthian islands en Malasia en busca de un poco mas de sol todavia. Ademas hoy me acaba de dejar la Chau por email, o sea que no es el mejor dia de todos los que he pasado. Esto de viajar no son vacaciones, pq a veces hay dias buenos y a veces otros no tan buenos. Lo que hay que hacer es tener siempre alegria en el cuerpo, levantarse, sacudirse el polvo y tirar para adelante !! Mas desde Malasia !! Sempre endavant, fins a la victoria.

O.

Kho Phi Phi, Thailand

hi from one of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand,

sharing a room again with Javi, and Roger and Quimo are in another room in a beautiful bungalow by the hill !! we've been watching the sunsets, swimming in cristal clear waters and today we went snorkling and swimming to many beautiful beaches and little islands. You can see so many fish here that is umbelievable !! Today I've reached my maximum leven of tan, I am so suntanned that is indecent !! Plus very fit coz this is so healthy !! went out for some beers last night, and probably today too !!
Anyway, this is a bit strange after the tsunami, coz things were rebuilt very fast and things are like back then, although they died 2,000 people or so. There are so many tourists here visiting the most popular beaches that is a bit annoying too, but these are just so pretty that I cannot blame them. Days here pass so placidly that we don't find the time to go ... will see.

all good. All great.

O.

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hola desde uno de los lugares mas maravillosos de Tailandia !!

ahora estamos ya los 4 en dos habitaciones muy cucas en unos bungalows en la ladera de una montanyita que da a la playa. Es un sitio precioso, reconstruido despues del tsunami que arraso la isla y mato a 2,000 personas. Esta tambien muy lleno de gente en botes rapidos y lujosos visitando las islas, pero son tan bonitas que no les puedo culpar !! Vemos cada tarde unos atardeceres divinos, nos banyamos en playas de pelicula y hoy estoy tan moreno como cuando tenia 8 anyos y me pasaba tres meses en Torredembarra !!
Estoy estupendamente, no se cuando nos iremos pero estoy disfrutando a cada momento !! y que me quiten lo bailao !!

O.

Ao Nang Beach, Krabi, Thailand

hi, just a quick update to say that two days ago I met Roger and Quimo at Ao Nang beach. We hired a small boat and went to Rayley beach. Pretty cool, lots of high mountains good for rock climbing and beautiful girls and beaches. Not bad !!! Only thing is that we moved on coz there was not much to do in the evenings !! So only one night there, sleeping in the balcony coz I didn't like the fan, and then off to Kho Phi Phi to meet Javi !!

all great,

O.

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hola, un update rapidin para decir que en Ao Nang beach me encontre con Roger y Quimo, alli estuvimos durmiendo una noche, y luego nos hemos venido para Kho Phi Phi. En Ao Nang alquilamos una barquita y nos fuimos a unas playas alucinantes como las de James Bond con cuevas y saltamos de un acantilado altisimo !! dormi bastante mal y en el porche pq no me gusta dormir con el ventilador puesto,vaya tela, y al dia siguiente para encontrarnos con el Javitron en una de las islas mas bonitas del mundo seguramente, Kho Phi Phi !!

estoy divinamente,

O.