Terry,
As promised i would like to take the opportunity to thank you for a great time when we visited you in KK earlier this month. There are a few things in particular that i would like to mention, and I assume that you will pass on my comments to those concerned.
1. I loved the riding. The roads that Bryan chose for us were unbelievable, although next time can you arrange it to be a little bit cooler??? It was an interesting experience to ride with someone of the experience and capability of Bryan. Although he only offered tips after I requested them, I learnt so much from following him, the lines that he took, and how effortlessly he made the bikes perform. I want to go back and learn more from him, perhaps in his true element, on gravel!!
2. I loved the bikes. It was a little different riding a single cylinder and it took me a little while to learn the strengths and weaknesses of the machine, but once you get used to it, it was great. (would have been great to have a little stronger rear suspension, but the solution to that is to lose some weight myself!!) Since I am used to higher revving multis, a quick brief on the power band etc would have helped, or maybe i am a slow learner. I know that Bryan usually does the rides in a different order to allow a better chance to get used to the machine, and i understand that there were good reasons for the change, so this is not a complaint.
3. I was pleasantly surprised that there was nothing more to pay other than the overall cost. I expected to buy lunch and other things from time to time, and as you may be aware, I took some ringgit to cover those costs, but actually spent almost nothing.
4. Your staff were fantastic. Robbie was great fun and worked very hard to make our time fun. Auntie Eulie (???) was good fun and her smile and help and the condition she kept your home (and our room etc ) was impeccable. I do not know whether to thank her or luck for no scorpions while we were there, but you scared us with the specimin in the fridge!!!
5. Your home is unbelievable. Views, privacy, security, and the fun of taking your dogs for walks in the morning was a great experience.
6. We would have liked to spend some time in KK. I understand the difficulties, and we were able to spend a couple of hours there after our day on the boat. It is not a great town, but the visit to the markets on day 1, and the short time we spent on our own, was worth it.
7. The day on the boat was an unexpected bonus. Worth every cent, and one of our highlights on that day was a visit to Ben’s (?) village. A great day inspite of the sunburn.
8. I would like to do more gravel. I know that I specifically asked to stay on the tarmac, but after being there, I am going to have to come back and do some gravel.
9. I found the 50km of highway in to and out Kudat, to be a little boring. If one wants to go to the tip of Borneo, then that is the price one has to pay. Having been there, I would not choose to do it again, although the entertainment of the Chinese restaurant was a highlight. How can I experience that again, and miss that part of the road????
10. We really enjoyed the local restaurants that Bryan chose for us for lunch. Great local feel and the people there made us feel welcome, even though we were obviously tourists. And the food was great.
11. We asked to go to the Death march memorial and the Orangs. Both were a valued experience for very different reasons.
12. We did not expect to meet Garry either, but he was also great fun, and I learnt a lot from following him as well. He was much more experienced than I on gravel, and that showed on the short sections of gravel we experienced. Good fun too!
Overall, we loved every minute of our stay. it was worry free, and we were made to feel very special. Thank you.
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