Into the deep

The bargain basement Sipadan trip is on. I leave tomorrow for 4 days / 5 nights of diving in the Celebus Sea. RM 990 (~ US$250 ) is still fair chunk of cash but I think I can swallow it. No way could I deal with the RM 1510 that it would cost to stay in a resort on Sipadan Island. Nor was I keen on trying to squeeze 6 dives into each day so I could cut back to 2 nights. Even the 3 boat dives/day I am getting in this package is more than I'm used to. In Australia, Zanzibar, and Dahab, I always just did 2 dives/day.

I will be lodged at a homestay in a village on nearby Mabul Island. Mabul is famous for "muck" diving though nowhere near as well known as Sipadan. The homestay brings the cost down and adds elements of risk and adventure. I hope it works out. I won't have internet, that's for sure. I don't know if I will have access to a phone. It would be nice. My camera is due to arrive at Sepilok Rest House while I am on the island. It would be good to be able to check up on it.

I've spent the last couple of days wandering around Semporna, checking out dive companies and generaly chilling. Well, only in the figurative sense, as it has been blazingly hot here. It's an interesting place. Despite the legions of tourists that pass through on their way to Sipadan, westerners are still a bit of a novelty around town. A large part of the town is made up of water villages. Some structures are quite far out into the bay and can only be reached by boat. Every day seems to be market day, all day and into the night. Quite a bit of rubbish.

The digital has been giving me some trouble recently. I thought it was developing an intermitant short much like the Minolta. But now I see that it is quite consistant. At maximum focal length, nothing works. At anything less, it is fine. Weird, but I can cope. I took pictures of the bay, and waterfront today. A telephoto would have been useful but I think what I have is ok. There was a small water monitor scurring around the stilts and the water between. For comic relief, I have a shot of the sign for "CCKFC". The logo and color is exactly like KFC and yes, they do serve fried chicken. There is a real KFC just 2 blocks over so it is pretty amazing that they get away with it.

Oh well, I better send this while I can. Internet is misserable in this town.