Labuan is a sleepy, relatively idyllic, industrial port with a tiny downtown replete with a KFC, merchant market, and a large dollar store-like mall, full of (mostly) junk from China, some traditional medicine folks, massage therapists, salons, travel agents, and a food court. The downtown shops are a ghost-town because all the successful merchants have moved into the mall. Interesting that it seems trade is what is doing in indigenous cultures, taking away their arts and crafts and replacing them with cheap consumer crap. D’s here consulting for a firm that owns a power barge right across the bay from the hotel (I can see it from the window).
I’ve been, well, “challenged” the the food...I think I’ll write a book about weight loss and exposure to SE Asian cuisine!
Trekked through the small town's market in the hot, hot, hot. Skipped the fish-sellers, thankyouverymuch. Scored an awesome multi- string (mostly real!) fresh water pearl lariat necklace and a trad Malaysia outfit.
D’s wrapping up work obligations and thus, we’re moving on soon...
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