May 7 - Breakfast at 8:00, followed by a two-hour minivan ride from here to Sandakan. Uneventful and bumpy, and I notice that the built-up area around Sandakan is extensive. It feels like we go through urban space forever before finally arriving in the city proper.
Our hotel is a real backpacker’s hostel, with a shared bath and kitchen. The walls are covered in graffiti and paintings from previous clients. From here we could have organized many excursions, but nearly everything interesting for us has already been done.
The downtown area is crowded and basic, with some guys selling black-market cigarettes at the corner. There is a gritty feel here, the poorness of Sabah state coming through. Stand in line at the pharmacy to get some migraine medicine. The waterfront has restaurants but the area has a garbage smell and the ocean is littered with floating plastics.
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