A Meandering Random Post

Though I am just beginning this post, I am already certain it is going to be one of those all over the place trains of thought. I know this because I have no purpose to writing this post other than the fact that I am bored and Sven keeps encouraging me to write something on the blog because I am both driving him crazy with my constant need to do something and he wants you all to know about the end of our trip and F1 but does not want to write it himself. So for him, there are not one but two purposes to this meandering post but for me it is simply a way to avoid studying or work, which I have been avoiding since I arrived here.

So let's start with the long overdue conclusion to our vacation, which by now I have almost forgotten and you probably wish we had forgotten. After our adventure at Bako we still had three more days in Sarawak, which we decided to spend in the resort town of Damai Beach. Originally, I had chosen this destination because I had read or thought I had read an advertisement for a 'world tribal music festival' taking place at the Sarawak Cultural Village near Damai Beach. This is actually pretty strange because I saw this advertisement on not one but two notable websites - the website for Sarawak tourism and the Cultural Village- but when we arrived in Kuching we were told that no such event was planned. It is a mystery that I have yet to solve but oh well, it got us to Damai Beach and it was worth it.

Our stay in Damai was the absolute antithesis of our experience in Bako and even Malaysia for that matter. We chose to stay at a guesthouse recommended in the Lonely Planet and booked our accommodations before arriving so we were not sure what to expect. The cost was midrange about 30USD per night so I guess we thought it would be nicer than our cheap digs in Kuching but at the same time it was near the beach among expensive resorts so we also thought that it might just be the location that accounted for the price difference. Part of the reason we were so unsure was because you can never really trust the Lonely Planet for Malaysia. In our experience it is a pretty crappy guide, written by someone who did not really enjoy his time in Malaysia. In fact, I envision the author as some French wine drinking snob who never actually set foot in many of the places we visited. For instance, in regards to Bako, the book mentions leeches often but we did not encounter one and were even told that in that part of Sarawak they are rarely found. It seems much was just commandeered from brochures collected at tourist centers around the country (like the part where he says that the hike to Teluk Limau takes only 7 hours). The blurb for this guesthouse, however, did say that 'you might want to stay longer than the two nights required because of the beautiful jungle and beach views', which sounded like an uncharacteristic endorsement and a result of personal experience (but than again if you checked the website for the guesthouse you will probably find this exact phrase) so we decided to give it a try and boy were we pleasantly surprised.

When we finally found the place set atop a hill overlooking the beach and surrounded by a lush jungle, we thought we arrived in paradise. We actually thought we had made a mistake. It was a dream home, with a pool, beautiful gardens, an open concept, basically the house everyone dreams of living in. And then there was the room. A four poster bed with bleach white linens, a huge immaculate private bath, just perfect. We were certain that there was a mistake and it was going to cost three times as much as we expected but we were not leaving. There was no need to ask how much the room was because given our recent experience, this was exactly what we needed and wanted and we would have paid anything to stay.

The guest house was run by an English women and her local Iban-Chinese lawyer husband and it just so happened that on the day we arrived they were hosting the weekly Hash House Run. This is, as we were informed, a club for 'drinkers with a running problem'. Basically, every week around the world a bunch of expats and locals get together for a run through the jungle in this case, but it could be through plantations, the city streets, whatever depending on the location, a sort of paper chase and then they eat and drink for the rest of the evening. We were shocked to find this in Malaysia, since living in a Muslim neighborhood, we had come to feel like no one drinks in this country, let alone celebrates getting drunk and stupid, but we did find it. We also learned that the Hash House actually began in Malaysia, in KL to be specific, with a bunch of British expats who one night decided they were too drunk but who also did not want to end their party so they went for a run to sweat the booze out and resumed the party after. And this tradition has continued and grown throughout the world. So strange.

Let's Get This Show on the Road

Anyway, we found ourselves joining a bunch of mostly middle-aged Chinese men and women with a few younger ex-pats thrown in the mix on our first Hash House race. It was great, running along the trail with these older Chinese men and women, watching them throw themselves down steep hills and push their way to the end of the race. And afterwards, we got to drink, eat some of the best homecooked food I have had in Malaysia, and participate in some serious ridiculousness. Sven represented the US in a chugging contest and musical chairs and we were all harangued by a horny old Chinese women who was disappointed to discover that not just Sven but I was married as well and who told just about everyone to 'shut up you!' again and again. Sven, by the way, lost the chugging competition in a 'drink off' against a most impressive older Chinese man who might even rival Gilbert in chugging ability. It was truly a great and unique evening for us here in Malaysia. And the best part was that all the beer was FREE! In a country where beer is almost a luxury item because of its cost this is exceptionally phenomenal.

Are you stupid, do you have no brain? Shut up, you!

The best part was that after an evening of partying we had nothing to do the next day but relax on the beautiful deserted beach. So all in all, we concluded our trip to Sarawak in style and comfort and I would recommend the Damai Nganga Guesthouse to anyone planning to visit this part of the world! Also, anyone who thinks that they might like an excuse to drink heavily (though I know many of you are saying to yourselves who needs an excuse) you should definitely look to see if there is a Hash House in your city. I am actually curious to see how it manifests itself in different places around the world. So let me know if anyone does track one down.

Okay, so I stayed to the point but I only got through one story and I am exhausted and I am sure you are too. So I am not going to let this post meander any further. The good thing is though there will be no more about Sarawak I promise! We can now move on to the more mundane everyday questions like how is it that every week the police in Malaysia are able to bust up some giant drug cartel and brag about in the paper? Are they really that good? Is Malaysia a huge hub of drug distribution despite its guaranteed death penalty for trafficking? What about the US than? Do the police and government need some help from the experts in Malaysia?

All right, now I am beginning to go off task. Take care all! StB