19.01.14
Sadly I was coming to the end of my Bornean vacation. I had returned to Kota Kinabalu (which I love) for my final night before returning home. I snuck out of the hostel for a farewell cocktail. And found myself in El Centro.
It’s a bit western and filled slightly too predominantly with westerners (unsurprisingly). But it sells a mighty fine daiquiri, which I demolished contentedly.
Farewall Borneo.
18.01.14
Today I found myself on the beautiful island of Pulau Mantanani and staying at Mari Mari Backpackers. Mantanani is a stereotypically idyllic tropical island, exactly as you imagine it right now.
Throughout the day’s snorkelling/sunbathing activity I met an amazing couple of Germans. Simon and Tini. They were awesome, and it was Simon’s birthday. So that evening I obviously insisted on having a beer with them.
We sat under the wooden awning, us three and Angie, and talked about stuff I can’t remember. It was grand.
If I met people with as much social worth as them every day I would be a happy man.
A very happy man.
16.01.14
DAY 100 MOTHERFUCKERS!
For this ground breaking drinkattack I was sipping a cold beer at Manana, watching the sun set over the open ocean.
Manana is an isolated tropical resort off the coast near Kota Belud in Borneo. Accessible only by boat, it is the only place to see in the next drinkattack century. Bring on the next 100!
13.01.14
In Lahad Datu, a nothing-of-note kind of place, I needed a daytime beer while waiting for a bus. I went to an interesting little chicken restaurant, open-plan with small plastic tables. At the front of the restaurant on the pavement an old lady had a ramshackle chef set-up. Gas bottles in open air heading to a hob with a wok full of boiling oil. Into the oil she would thrust an entire chicken, boil it, then pull it out. She would then hack it into strips with a massive meat cleaver and dexterously slide it onto a plate. It was impressive. Unfortunately I wasn’t hungry, so I just got a can of Heineken.
The lady taking my order seemed pretty unimpressed that I wasn’t ordering food. She narrowed her eyes and concentrated her eyebrows. If not food then a platter of beer? 6 cans for only 20 ringgit? She was even less impressed at my further refusal, and turned to comment as such to the chicken lady.
The beer was delicious and cold, perfect in the baking midday heat. Angry lady ended up having a long and pleasant conversation with me. She was actually quite nice.
After my beer I had a long trip to the heart of the jungle. The jungle of Danum Valley. It was here I did many treks and saw many animals. But the only thing of relevance to drinkattack was sitting on the research centre veranda, looking over the rainforest at night, drinking a chilled can of 3 Amigos lager. It was grand.
06.01.14
I had made my merry way to the jungle outskirts at Sepilok in order to see some orangutans. Obviously this was an exhausting day, so after an afternoon nap I joined a couple of my dorm room bussies for a couple of beers. We were staying at Paganakan Dii, an amazing little safe haven hidden amongst the trees and away from the main road. The barely concreted entry slope was so steep and bumpy I had been surprised I’d even made it in the ramshackle local bus. But I was there, staying in a long wooden dormitory, built on stilts and accommodating 20 people. The only thing between the sleeper and the jungle were slats of wood and the mosquito-proof mesh in between.
So myself, Catherine from Canada and a chap from London who’s name I can’t remember wandered down to the open air wooden seated bar/dining area.
We drank a few tiger beers and talked about general shit. As the noise of the jungle erupted around us in the coming darkness.
04.01.14
By my next beverage I had made my way to Sandakan. An interesting little waterside town, though nothing particularly special. It does however have an excellent cocktail bar, Balin.
On the 16th floor of a random tower, it is a grand little rooftop bar. It has friendly staff, comfy seats, and jungle vines climbing through the ceiling. I ordered a lychee martini, and supping it gently, was immensely chilled.
Mikey's Escapades 