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The Life of Sloth

(Previously) Wandering amongst the mountains of New Zealand in search of cheese

November 2005 - Posts

  • Sloth and Sarah-Jaye conquer Mount Kinabalu

    Well it was a long long climb up - 4.5 hours, 2500+ steps on day 1 from 1500m to 3300m. Early to bed because we had to get up at 2am, get all the winter gear on, headtorches and powerbars for the climb to the summit. The FEAR pushed us up most of the way, scrambling up slippery granite holding on to ropes for another 3.5km.

    All was looking great for sunrise until we got to the very top at 5:30am when the damn clouds came in and it rained. Big time. Quick few pics up there then descent in what had become freezing rivers.

    Back to mid station at our lodge (Gunting Lagadan - what a name), quick breakfast then once the weather sorted itself out we headed straight back down. 2 days later still unable to walk properly - aching everywhere.

    Went to Poring Hot Springs the following day, saw monkeys and all sorts of weirdness. Chameleons actually do change colour, right in front of me. Should have been wearing my tights. Ok, so we could go to the Orchid centre for RM10, the tropical gardens for RM3 or both for RM7. Figure that one out then.

    Journey back last night was mental - fog so thick couldn't see more than 3m in front - v. close to head on with car. Then came the floods - stuck on road/river for 2.5 hours - cars abandoned everywhere - up to a metre deep. Never seen anything like it.

    Back in Kota Kinabalu now staying in some mad hostel or someone's house it seems. Rainforest 3 metres outside balcony. Confronted by monster in the toilet last night - 50cm shoestring crab. Like a dinosaur!

    Right, that should do you for now - may get photos up as well - we shall see.

    P.S. I apologise to everyone for letting Jarmarl loose on the GnarlyBoarders photos - seems to have "Jarmarled" them as well as his wrist!!

  • Malaysia photos

    Here's our first lot of photos from Malaysia:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/le_sloth/sets/1418085/

    Looks like Sloth might have to buy a new camera - damn thing not focussing too well sometimes :(

    Posted Nov 22 2005, 12:53 AM by le_sloth with no comments
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  • Selamat Datang from Malaysia!

    Sloth reporting in from Pangkor Island off the west coast of Malaysia. Loving it here in our few days of luxury. Resort occupies whole massive cove - private beach, 2 pools, just had massive breakfast. Going out snorkelling in a bit then bit of jetbike action with Robski. Keep it up!

    Cameron Highlands was amazing - very chilled. Went on a full day mission in a land rover - tea plantations, jungle trekking, visited an Orang Asli (Original People) village - bamboo huts, blow darts and swimming in waterfalls. Tres tres bon. Almost got stuck in jungle on way back bcos heavy rain had caused landslides - massive tree took out a bridge - 2 hour detour back again.

    Right well must crack on - have an appointment at the beach. And tomorrow gonna sort ourselves out with massages.

    Hope you're all enjoying work ;)

    Sloth

    Posted Nov 21 2005, 01:00 PM by le_sloth with no comments
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  • The Grand Plan begins!!!

    Right so here we are at Heathrow about to begin our Grand Plan. Been a long long time coming and there's been a hell of a lot of cheese, wine and goodbyes in the last few weeks.

    Alan is very very tired and needs to get thru to the other side.

    Miss you all but hope to see one or more within the next few months / years...

    10-4 for now

    Sloth and Sarah-Jaye

    (soon to be Shane Sloth and Sarah-Jaye the Born-Again Aussie)

    P.S. Keep it up and love your work...

    x

    Posted Nov 16 2005, 01:01 PM by le_sloth with no comments
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  • Leaving Party Photos

    It's already been a couple of weeks I think so have finally got round to putting the few leaving party photos up on t'interweb.

    They're up on Flickr bcos that's wot I'm gonna be using for the all-new Gnarlyboarders photos when i get some time to get it together.#

    Well, it was great to see you all - amazing turn-out and a wicked send-off for us. Shame I can't remember too much about the last couple of hours!

    Gutted about losing all my DVDs and various clothes, but I spose that's less stuff for us to carry.

    One week today and we're at the airport.

    What about the schnitzel?

    p.s. if anyone else has got some pics of the party we'd really like to see them bcos haven't got too many! Cheers

  • Miss Piggy

    Received this little beauty this morning from Wing Commander Winky. Seems he's not best pleased that his little darling piggy has been taken hostage!

    Dear Richard, 

    This whole horrible affair has come as such a frightful shock and now I find that you are also participating in terrorist activities. How has a nice lad like you got mixed up with a bunch of unscrupulous bounders? I thought better of you and demand that you return my beautiful darling immediately. 

    I will hear nothing of this wonderful new life you are promising her and if I find that one once of her lovely scratching has been harmed or interfered with in any way, then there will be trouble!!! O and that includes her curly tail if you had any thoughts on that!!  

    In the words of the great Winston Churchill “we will never surrender” and from a leaf out of Margaret Thatcher’s book “up the Belgrano you Argentinean mud wrestler” we will succeed. 

    You all know perfectly well that I cannot afford 10 bows let alone 20 and even if it was possible to raise such collateral one should never bargain with the dark side of life. 

    So GIVE MISS PIGGY BACK

  • How Aussie will Sloth be?

    Well, it's not long at all now - only about 1.5 weeks and Sloth and Sarah-Jaye will be out of your way.

    But there's a fair bit of work Sloth's gotta do over the next year or so as part of his visa application - he needs to know answers to all of these questions for a start.

    Posted Nov 04 2005, 01:03 PM by le_sloth with no comments
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