Flashpackers Rule!

I've been telling everyone that I'm backpacking around Borneo, but you see I lack a critical backpacking accessory - a backpack. (And an STD, but as one friend pointed out, both can probably be arranged before I leave). I've got no intention really of carrying anything I don't have to - that's why rollerblades were invented. (If you thought they were for sunny St Kilda afternoons - you were wrong. That's so 90's. It was so we could rip them apart for the little wheels to go on luggage). So I've done a little more research and apparently I am in fact a "Flashpacker". Wait. I have references.

How to Travel the World (fairly broad topic I would have thought)
Sydney Morning Herald - Flashpackers do it in style!
Wikipedia - Backpacking (travel) (Wikipedia is never wrong)

So according to that first site, a flashpacker is in their late 20's to early 30's (tick), doesn't want to wear the same shirt every day (tick - I have SIX!!), doesn't want to cook pasta in the hostel every night (double tick) and carries a helluva lot of technology with them. At last count I'd packed a laptop, iPhone and camera. As a bonus, I've got a spare hard drive with me. Tick.

I still, however, do not own a backpack.

Just ask...

I'm beginning to think that if you want something in Malaysia, you pretty much just have to ask for it. First there was the visit to the Sun Bear Centre, and now airlines. In my planning I discovered that half decent accommodation can be had in Borneo for around 10 bucks a night, and $20-30 if you want your own room. I started thinking that 3 weeks wasn't enough, but unfortunately I bought a cheap no-change, no-refund ticket so I thought I'd just buy a one-way back on Air Asia if necessary.

I rang up Malaysia Airlines anyway, thinking there might be some outside chance I could upgrade to a flexible fare or something "just in case" I wanted to stay longer. I spoke to the lovely Louise in Adelaide, who told me that not only could I change my fare, but it would be free to do so. What the...?? I thought about it for a few days and called back - lo and behold somehow managing to reach Louise again (I love call centre roulette!). I half expected her to say she'd made a mistake, but sure enough I now have a ticket for 5 weeks away. Which I can change. For free.

Mad. Love it.

Planning and Preparation

HOW am I going to get through the next 4 weeks without jumping out of my skin with excitement??? Luckily I have plenty to do to keep myself busy - 2 more weeks at my final school placement, and then the last 2 weeks of uni.

If I can just keep myself away from Google I'll be fine.

Two years ago I got to go on a dive trip to Sipadan for 3 days. It was fantastic, but as it was just a quick side-trip from Singapore, I didn't get to see any of Borneo. A 4 day trip when I was 10 didn't add any to my cultural experience either, since me and my sisters spent the entire time in the hotel pool.

This trip has morphed many times but I have actually booked it now so Borneo it is. Here are the other iterations:

1) A trip to North Carolina to go to a Batmitzvah, but the budget blew out within the first week for that trip so it was shelved pretty quickly.

2) A return to Fiji, which I enjoyed in May, only this time to the Islands. Problem was, last time I just needed to chill out and do nothing. This time I want a bit of adventure!

3) A dive trip to Palau! Thwarted by an airline that, depending on who you listen to, either:
- bought the wrong plane
- has no money and is trying to sell
- leased a plane and didn't think to work out what to do when the lease expired, or
- hasn't got regulatory approval.

4) A dive trip to Indonesia with my Doppelschwester, a completely made-up pseudo German word that could mean "twin sister" in a bad online translator. I met her in Borneo last time and although it would have been great to catch up with her again, I was after more than a dive holiday.

5) Borneo - a mix of culture, nature and diving. Right on!!

So I have planned to go to the jungle, the orangutan sanctuary, muck diving on the islands around Sipadan, and diving from Gaya Island in Kota Kinabalu. There are many days with no official plan and I'm hoping to rent a car and drive up around Ranau in the hopes of finding a local who knows where a Rafflesia flower is in bloom.

One thing I am really looking forward to is an impromptu visit to a Malayan Sun Bear rehabilitation centre. It's not open to the public and I feel pretty lucky to be visiting!

Well there isn't likely to be much update for the next 4 weeks although, if it's between doing a uni assignment and writing a blog entry saying "I am taking 4 t-shirts, 2 pairs of pants..." then sorry but I choose option B.