Dhahran British Grammar School Expedition 2006
Memories
AWESOME that is how I would describe this trip, it left me in awe and wonder. The places we went, the people we met and the things we saw were absolutely wonderful. As a teacher the trip was excellent -- the students were great, listened and followed instructions and were a joy to be around. I enjoyed getting to know the kids, spend time with them and see them accomplish challenges they at first thought were impossible. On a personal note the trip was unforgettable, the trekking was amazing, the guides we met were top notch and I would do it all again in heartbeat. Mrs Sheehan
SALAMAT PAGI. This means "Hello" in Bahasa Malay. The school trip to Borneo has been the best experience I have ever had. Everything I loved was there, trees, animals, flowers and insects. Borneo has been the fifth country I have ever been to other than South Africa. The day we went to the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre was the day I decided I WILL be going back. I asked the staff there if they accept volunteers. I was told that I could join the project but only after I was 18 so it is only 3 more years then I'll be back in Borneo. HOPEFULLY!!!! Jaco
BORNEO was the greatest experience of my life! It was great being with friends and doing fun things. I have loads of great memories. One of my best is of the leeches. They were the WORST thing on the trip! In total I had four leeches. The first was when I was tying my shoe while we were trekking- I stand up and find something around my finger. I thought it was a ring or something but then I realised that it was moving! Luckily Saad was right behind me and got the leech off with his 'anti-leech' spray. When we came to camp 5 (the place where we were staying) I saw that my hip was bleeding. Then a HUGE, fat leech fell out of my trousers and the wound wouldn't stop bleeding for ages... I found two more on my leg which were kind of small. I didn't get any sleep that night, I don't think anybody did. I was sitting there with my torch on checking everywhere for leeches!!!
Apart from that everything was great. I made it to the top of the Pinnacles and Mount Kinabalu, that was great. Going up the mountain, Freya and I had a guide each, who were practically dragging us up the whole way! On our way down from the mountain I was with E.J and Chris and I kept annoying them by humming and they made up all these jokes that I didn't get. But it was great to finally sleep in clean hotel rooms with clean clothes and get our laundry done! One night I was rooming with Megan and we locked ourselves out! We had to go down to the lobby in our P.J's. When the elevator door opened, Robert, Jaz, Mr. Hardcastle, Mrs. Sheehan and Adrian were waiting for a lift!!! We had a BRILLIANT time at Manukan Island except that most of us got badly burnt. Jacob and James got really bad sunstroke and me, Freya and Chris weren't feeling too great either! When we got back to Saudi, Freya called me and said that Holly was in hospital with really bad burns!!! Our guide Richard NEVER stopped smiling. It was actually pretty funny. At the top of the mountain, Freya and I were talking to him and he was really tired and worn out but he was STILL smiling!
But overall the trip was a great success and I think everybody enjoyed it! I would love to go and do the whole trip all over again... (as long as there were no leeches!) Caroline
I REMEMBER the plane flight when I was about to throw up and everyone was looking at me but eventually I didnt! At the start we all thought the trip would never end but we were also excited... When we were trekking and climbing the pinnacles Caroline and I were pretending that the trees were big Macs from McDonalds because we were so tired and hungry for junk food. It was so painful going down the pinnacles every second I would slip and scream and after a while Caroline, Robert and Saad did a flip because it was so slippery. My favourite part of this whole trip was climbing Mt. Kinabalu with Holly, because we both felt really sick but kept going and when we reached the top we were freezing but so happy that we made it! Then Freya and I fell asleep which was kind of disappointing because we didn’t see the sun rise. At the end everyone got to have some junk food Jazz, Megan and I went to McDonalds and ate so much! I had to take all of the rubbish to the bin and these Malaysian people were staring at me probably saying "sheesh she eats so much, she should be on supersize me" I was scared cause they were staring so I just walked quickly back to Jazz and Megan and then we left. I really enjoyed this trip because we got to experience the rainforests and wildlife and we also got to eat very healthy food for a while instead of McDonalds and junk food like that. Casey
HIYA! How are you, or apa khabar in Malay. When Mr Hardcastle first told me about the trip, I thought that it wasn't going to be as good as the previous trip to the Himalayas. Then a few weeks later, when Mr Hardcastle showed us the presentation; I started to reconsider about going on the trip. I noticed that if I was going to go on this trip, I would conquer and achieve much more than I did in the last trip. I would manage to climb the biggest mountain in Southeast Asia, Mount Kinnabalu. I would also climb the pinnacles of Gunung Api in Mulu, and at the same time I work on my Malay. So then I said to myself "Im going to climb Mount Kinnabalu babby!"
My favourite part on the trip was when Jako and I managed to get to the top of Mount Kinnabalu, because when we were doing the last hour or so of climbing, we kept on stopping saying to our selves that we weren’t going to make it for the sunrise, but we were going to get to the top no matter what. So we tried to pace ourselves a bit faster, so we did, and we knew that we were last. But when me, Jako, Megan and Richard (tour guide) had made it to the top, we couldn’t believe it that we were just in time for the sunrise. That was the best part.
Overall, I was wrong from the start it wasn't only just slightly better, but it was ten times as better then the last one! So I would like to say thanks to Mr Hardcastle, Mrs Sheehan, Richard, Adrian, Philip, Rivers, Liene, Rosland, Jnr, and to any one else who helped making this a wonderful experience. William
This was my second school trip in DBGS. I found both of these trips Amazing and very well organised. I never had any problems with the group. I enjoyed the trip from the first minute until the last one. I enjoyed both relaxing and trekking days. My favourite part of the trip was when we climbed the Mount Kinabaulu, and the last two days in Borneo when we went had time to shop and had time to snorkel. As I said the trip was excellent, the group was good, and if I have a chance, I will go next year to China with DBGS.
One more time, thank you Mrs. Sheehan and Mr. Hardcastle for taking me! Mark Szoboszlay
This had to be one of the best trips I have taken. My favourite part of the trip was when we watched the Orangutan movie at Sepilok. I know I'll be going back there to visit the Orangutan's again, maybe to even help them. One of the moments I will probably never forget was when Aristo got a leech on his finger and started screaming and running. Another one of those picture perfect moments was when I finally reached the summit of Mt. Kinabalu, and of course I have to mention getting back down without falling! Megs
The best memory of course has got to be finally reaching the top of the pinnacles after all the sweating and moaning. When we got there though it was all worth it, the view was amazing. I’m glad I didn’t give up and turn back like I wanted to as it would of seemed I would have really missed out on a spectacular events which I properly wouldn’t have been able to do ever again in my life.
The most terrifying moment of this trip, I know it sounds daft but going into the sea on the island place we traveled to. As I’m not particularly keen on the little critters that live in the water, I'm pleased I went in. I may not have gone right out into the sea, but still far in enough to see the beautiful fishes. I loved the long boats. Hehehe another memory I won’t forget is when we were at camp 5 Casey and I stayed up half the night -paranoid that the bugs were going to attack us. We kept tucking in the mosquito nets, trying to lock the bugs out, but soon discovered that instead we had captured them in the nets with us! Overall it was a brilliant trip, I’m glad I decided to go again, and achieve goals I thought I would have never done. I want to say thank-you to all of the people who made this superb trip possible. Jasmine
One of my memories of Borneo is of the native children at the Iban longhouse, where we stayed one night. They kept throwing Cicadas at us, which we thought was horrible but they thought was extremely funny. I also remember climbing Mt. Kinabalu. The climb was fairly easy for me, and the views from the top were very good. Walking down strained my leg muscles more than the climb up, as I found out the next day – Mr. Hardcastle and Mrs. Sheehan even awarded me the ‘Old Man’ award for the way I walked! Another great memory I have is seeing the Orangutans at the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre. James
We woke up at five o’clock in the morning and we headed up the pinnacles. We walked for a long time on this on long trek, it seemed as though it would never end. Richard had told us about a signpost just before a steep sixty degree trek, that said if you don't reach this place by eleven o’clock then you would have to turn back to camp five to avoid any possible danger to yourself and your guide. To our greatest relief we just managed. That was my favorite moment.
Panorama hotel, Limbang Malysia. After a long boat ride we took a mini-van and went to the Panorama Hotel in Limbang. This was by far the best hotel we stayed at, because it had a shopping mall inside. It was not the most luxurious, though I had a lot of fun in the shopping mall's arcade center.
Borneo was the best and toughest trip I have ever been on I had many favorite parts but these two are my favorites. Aristo
