I now know what the people from Brunei do at the weekends - they go to the Malaysian islands just offshore, including this one. Booze here is very cheap. I've come for the wreck diving though.
Labuan is tax haven that's had loads of money shoved into it. My first impression from the boat isn't great, the port is horribly industrial. The LP says it's an uninspiring place full of expensive 'duty free' shops and overpriced hotels. Combine these 'facts' with my first impression and my seemingly inability to go diving and I feel quite dejected. It makes it sound so easy in the tourist brochures. The reality is only one dive outfit on the island, and virtually no one has heard of them. When i eventually find them, surprise, surprise, I am the only customer. It will cost me twice as much as the going, (expensive) rate. I would like to move on, but I've already booked an onward ticket due to my Brunei troubles. I decide to say stuff it, and I book 4 dives - one to each of the wrecks. They are a combination of early 80's sunk cargo ships and WWII victims that lay around the 35m mark, in supposedly good visibility. I'm hoping that as I make my way on the speedboat that i feel I've probably just bought.
The first day of diving is nice but quite a shock on what is known as the Blue water wreck. There are 100's and 100's of dead fish - all over the wreck and the ocean floor. They are victims of dynamite fishing. It's only the second time i have seen the results of this while in Asia, and it is quite a common occurrence. Countless coral reefs have been destroyed...
My second day is great - the water is like a mirror and I'm joined by a fun Aussie couple (hoorah!). We have some laughs, especially at the the expense of Eddie who's a bit nervous on his first dive and somehow manages to empty his tank in less than 10 minutes (frightening really). At one point while we are descending I have him 5m below me hyperventilating and his girlfriend 10m above me not being able to equalize. We all enjoyed it though, and the wrecks are fascinating, one still has a bunch of armour shell casings on its deck and the damage caused by a mine - ironically to the mine sweeper is incredible..
So my mood by the end of the 4th day has picked up considerably, as does my enjoyment of the island. It's actually quite a nice, pleasant and beautiful place with lots of greenery, parks, sports facilities, and beaches. I feel it would be a good place to bring up children and to live in. The cheap booze helps too...
