1st September - still lin Kudat - off to Philippines tomorrow - Malaysian National lDay

Monday 1^st September

Today there is a photo shoot at Kudat marina – the first one we have seen here.  The main model has already appeared in a most sparkly bride dress; she is now decked out in purple and blue…

No we are not in the Philippines!

Not yet…It is a public holiday and the marina office is closed – we can’t pay our bill, or get our (very big) deposit back.  Tomorrow!

Yesterday Pete and I decided to walk to the nearby sports ground, which was all bedecked with flags, for the Malaysian National Day celebrations. Or so we thought… Pete didn’t want to take the bikes – they might stray, in the huge crowds…

No crowds.

Nada.

Nothing in town either… The only indication that it was the National Day was…lots of flags on cars.  I was all prepared to take photos  of festivities, games, FUN.

Instead I took a photo of some trees which I like very much – not sure what they are?

And some dubious looking thingss in plastic bags, for sale on the footpath…

Great big SNAILS!

And of a bit of nothing happening in the street, just to show that although they had fairground attractions set up…nothing was happening!  We asked Jesse, from the marina café, and he said, Maybe next year there will be celebrations!

Some of our neighbours on the marina have just come back from 19 months in the Philippines.  They just loved it.  But they said it would be imperative not to go anywhere NEAR Jolo Island.  Bad things are happening there…kidnappings, fighting, insurrection, threats to behead US yachties and post the proceedings on YouTube.  That sort of thing.  Golly and GOSH!  I told Pete and we tried to find Jolo on our many maps and…guess where Jolo is?  In the Sulu Islands, where we have just come from…These islands are all very close together and at some stage an arbitrary line was ruled separating the Malaysian ones from the Philippines ones.   No wonder we had so much armed escort around us…And no wonder some of our American rallyfriends were just a teensy bit…ummmm…nervous….

Nothing much happening in this part of town either...

In the early afternoon we went for a bike ride in the opposite direction to the own centre, hoping to find lunch.  Everything was closed. TUTUP!  Except for the little golf clubrooms, where we got nasi goreng.  We were the only customers – a large table was just being cleared – and it took nearly an hour for our very simple meals, made from Maggi packet mixes, we can recognise the distinctive same same same taste by now - to arrive.  It was quite pleasant sitting there, and we were able to watch a mother dog being reunited with her very young puppies.  We had seen her in the street over the past few days, wandering around very confidently, followed by one very adventurous and lively little pup, but now we had found her home base.  She fed the pups and then stashed them in a cosy lair she has created in the middle of the golf course…

I thought she would be bothered by our presence so close to the den but out she came, followed by her most adventurous pup, very happy to be in our presence.  I asked the café owner if they were the ones feeding her, and he smiled radiantly and said, Yes, but you can take her on your boat!