Kuala Lumpur to Lahad Datu - March 11th

View from the plane near Lahad Datu

Today we flew to Lahad Datu via Malaysian Airlines.  I had reserved exit row seats for the extra legroom but upon checking in at the airport in KL, we were told that they don't allow elderly people to sit in exit rows and thus gave us other seats.  I have to request a refund online for the extra amount I had paid.

We had a short layover in Kota Kinabalu.  The airport in Lahad Datu is very small, essentially one small room where they bring the luggage on carts and put in on a low counter...all by hand...no conveyors.

The policeman standing by the door, called a taxi for us and it was about a 15 minute to our hotel.  Our hotel is okay, clean, with air-conditioning and WiFi.  But we seem to have a disco next door....hopefully not playing too late.

Hawker market near the hotel

We walked about 5 minutes down the street heading to a restaurant I had found online.  There was a sign on a building but no restaurant!  We were told it had closed.  A nice young woman walking by asked if she could help.  We told here we were looking for a restaurant and she recommended a restaurant just around the corner.  

Restaurant where we had dinner

It turned out to have good food.  Ordering was interesting as no one spoke more than a few words of English but a menu with pictures and a few words got us a chicken dish and a shrimp dish.  Both meals came with soup and rice.  The total bill including a bottle of water and an orange soda was 21 RM ($4.63 - US).

90% of the women we saw were wearing hijabs.  Goatees are popular for the men.

After dinner, we strolled through the local supermarket which was next to the hotel so Chris could buy some chocolate.

More later...we are supposed to be picked up by the eco tour company at 9 AM tomorrow.

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