Hopping Clouds

*This post will be mostly words as it was pitch black during the climb so couldn't take any photos anyway.

We woke up around 1am for breakfast and the final push up the mountain. By 2am most hike were done with their breakfast and leaving Laban Rata in order to make it for the sunrise at the top. The rest of the girls had sausage and eggs while I stuck to a couple of bowls of porridge for the needed carbo. Plus, if I took more than what I usually take and hiked uphill, I would probably be regurgitating it halfway up. I quickly filled my small thermos with fragrant Sabah tea and suited up.

I must say that my Columbia jacket, though unassumingly thin, provides really good insulation. It was a SGD150 well spent!

It was a nice 8°C out and no strong winds threatened us. An and S quickly ascended the steep stairs up the mountain while I took my time. My knee had swollen during the night with liquids so I decided give myself plenty of breaks. Many hikers wore headlamps to illuminate the pitch black path. Looking upwards, the bobbing trail of lights on the face of the mountain was an interesting sight.

The climb to Low's Peak is only 2.2km away from Laban Rata but it felt like 22km! The first km was mostly steep steps and rock. The walking stick really came in handy for this part to relieve the strain from my knees. Then came the scary part. Well, it was pitch black so ignorance is really bliss. When you head back this way down in broad daylight, you would probably think how did you even get the nerve to do it.

After the first flight of stairs, VL had a bout of altitude sickness so John made her turn back. Luckily she turned back as well. I don't think she could have made the second part.

There is a length of rope anchored onto the cliff surface where climbers have to use upper body strength to haul yourself up a 70° incline and then hang on to the rope while you precariously balance yourself on a slip of a rock to inch forward. The human jam is right about here because it is quite dangerous but the guides, who were probably part mountain goats will hold hands of those having difficulty balancing during this part of the climb. Luckily I brought ski gloves. Otherwise the normal gloves would have been soaked through by the damp rope.

I ran into S here as she rested to catch her breath. We got to know a couple of guys who were kind enough to haul us over a few portions of this climb so that we did not hold up those behind us.

We finally reached the final checkpoint - Sayat Sayat Hut @ 3810m. The rule is that if you don't reach this hut by 5am, you have to turn back. John checked us in and we continued trudging on. We stopped climbing stairs and hanging on ropes when we reached a plateau. Here the air was noticeably thinner and I had to stop to catch my breath every 50m. I wished I had more time to lie on the ground and stare at the stars. It is plain amazing. The clear night sky was literally peppered with constellations. The glow from headlamps from the hikers ahead of me turned into a stream of light heading up to the peak. The landscape has changed to barren granite rock. The reality hit me that I was really up here on the rock.

Kota Kinabalu is 90 km away under the clouds

The sun began rising at 4.45am. I knew I was going to miss the sunrise. But catching the sunrise on the plateau itself was already amazing.

Donkey Ear Peak and Tunku Abdul Rahman Peak as the sun rose

I reached the 8km mark on the way up at 5am. 500m more to go. The sun was climbing higher in the sky. S was looking pale from the exertion and we slowly made our way up with John behind us, with words of encouragement. At the foothill of Low's Peak, it is another 200m climb upwards. It was pure will power and An's shouts of encouragement from the top that made us stumble the rest of the way.

Barren landscape somewhere around the 8km mark

We reached the top around 6am in the morning. The sun was high in the sky with the cold wind blowing. I uncapped my thermos and took a swig of hot tea as I sat on the highest point of Malaysia.

Finally at the top!

At 6.45am we started heading back down. In the daylight, everything looked more daunting.

I really wondered how I managed to clamber over some places in pitch black just a few hours earlier where a slip could have me tumbling down the hill to a serious injury. By 10.30am we reached Laban Rata where An (who had reached earlier) thoughtfully helped S and I to pack some breakfast as the cafeteria closed at 10am.

Kundasang town

We were so tired that everything was tasteless but eat we must for we had to descend at 11am. We decided to go by the Timpohon trail instead of the initial plan of using Mersilau due to time consideration. After eating, we changed our clothes and packed up. If you have time, you can actually send a postcard through the cafeteria counter where they have a special stamp to signify that it was sent from Laban Rata. As we were rushing off, we decided to forgo that novelty.

I sent the girls ahead while I gingerly made my way down. John stayed behind with me and followed my tortoise pace. S had a flight to catch that night and I told her to head off first if I did not make it down by 5pm. Swollen knee made me sprain my ankle as my knee could not support too much weight on it. My muscles were really strained as I had to shift my weight to the walking stick and my other good leg.

Halfway down the mountain it began to rain. Luckily it was when we were up there, the rain gods were kind towards us. Going down the mountain in the rain is more dangerous than ascending as everything becomes more slippery. Water, mud, loose stones and mossy branches are hazards that I had to be very aware of. This slowed me down even more!

By 6pm we reached the entrance of Timpohon and hopped onto the waiting van to bring us back to Park HQ. We collected our certificates (RM10), our packed "lunch" from Balsam Restaurant and waited for our taxi back to Kota Kinabalu. By that time, my ankle had swollen considerably. I hobbled to the taxi and slept almost immediately once I sat down.

We reached HotelEden54 aroud 8pm and the thing which greeted us was a flight of stairs! We forgot all about it! S left immediately for the airport to catch her 10.30pm flight.

I made my way gingerly up the steps while gripping the banisters. The first thing I did when I reached our room was to soak my ankle in hot water and take some pain killers. It lessened the ache considerably. We decided to call it an early night at slept at 10pm.

We met John, our guide, at 7am the next morning. The parking area in front of the Park HQ was full with day tourists and hikers alike. It's Labour Day so it seemed like everyone wants some fresh air. The first thing we had to do was to obtain a porter for our bags. An was carrying her own 10kg bag. So that left VL, S and my bags which weighed 25 kg. The going price for the porter is RM90 for every 10kg.

After breakfast, we gathered again at 8am. John couldn't find an available porter so he will be the guide cum porter during the duration of our hike. We felt sorry for him and tried to remove some of the water to carry on our own.

We took a van from the Park HQ and it drove us 5.5km to Timpohon Gate. During booking, you have to state which gate you prefer to go up by and which gate do you want to return to. We opted for the Timpohon (shorter but steeper) trail for the journey upwards and Mersilau (longer but more gradual) for the trip back.

After the obligatory picture, we suited up for a long 4km walk in store for us.

Just after the gate where you sign off at the ranger station, Carson Falls will greet you. It is a mini waterfall which signals the point of no return.

Steps going upwards during the hike and how it gets foggy real quick

Local wildlife and the 3km mark RTM station

This hike is known for being popular but the sheer number of people made me feel like I'm walking in Bukit Gasing! The first shelter is at the 0.5km mark. That is where we saw the ground squirrel looking animal scurrying around in the bushes. There are water tanks set up at every shelter but the water is not treated. Unless you are desperate for water and have no Aquatabs, do avoid drinking it at all cost.

Shelters are spaced out around 1km from each other but when you are going upwards, it feels like 2km instead. Rain started pouring at the 4km mark, Layang-Layang Hut. We took cover and ate our packed lunch. It was cold and not pleasant at all. At the shelter, we ran into An, who was having her packed lunch. S was somewhere way ahead. Our group scattered out around the 2km mark as I stayed behind with the porter and to pace myself. Over time, the shelter started to get claustrophobic as more and more hikers took refuge against the relentless rain. After her lunch, An decided to head out while VL and I took the decision to wait until the rain has slowed a little for safety reasons.

Muddy path

The view near the 5km mark. The white lines on the surface are rain water pouring off the surface of the mountain.

When VL and I passed the 4.5km mark, we kept a look out for the Paka Cave. It is the cave that the early hikers took refuge during storms and as a rest stop before pushing the final 1km to Laban Rata. However, the cold wind, rain and misty conditions made it difficult to spot any signboards or indication that the cave even exist. At 5km, you can see a big change in vegetation. Moss hangs off trees and grows in clumps.Reminded me of a scene out a fairy tale, where you can expect a talking gopher to pop up at any minute.

We pushed on. The rain started to get heavy at 3pm again. Hiking in the rain, with freezing winds trying to blow your cap off, your freezing hands trying to hold on to it and your body baking from the heat of the poncho. Our breath started to condense but we started from a tropical jungle 4 hours ago. Mind boggling!

Finally around 3.45pm we heard S's voice! She urged us on the last few steps. Luckily she had the foresight to boil hot water because my hands were freezing and I warmed myself up against the kettle. Her hot water also beckoned to other hikers when they saw the steam rising from the spout. Waras Hut is the first any hiker will encounter before reaching Laban Rata so quite many stopped to refill their water and warm up before the last 100 m in the freezing rain to the main building.

Path to Waras Hut

Our hut finally!

After getting my fingers to work, I quickly went into the dorm room (was too messy to take a picture) and took off all the frozen clothing. An and S were already huddled under their blankets with their hot water bottles. Luckily for the heat packs. I slapped a few on me and immediately felt warmer. No point to wear those pads during the hike as it would get wet anyway.

Here is my description on Waras Hut.It is a building consisting of 2 rooms and each room has 2 bunk beds. Bedroom slippers are given with pretty decent bedding. It is a wooden building so expect it to be horribly cold when night falls. There is no hot water in the shower when we were there. The shower and toilet is in a separate structure just left of the building (if you are standing facing the hut). There is a small pantry where you can boil water to drink and a washing sink at either ends of the building. Because the water was freezing, we used the pantry to boil water to wash our face and brush teeth.

View before dinner while warming up frozen digits

R - Laban Rata guesthouse.L - The restaurant where you will have your breakfast, lunch and dinner. B - scenery around the building

The picture above was taken on the last day as when we climbed the hill for dinner, the heavens decided to waterlog us. Visibility was 10 feet in front of us with the fog and wind so couldn't get any decent photos.

We headed out for dinner around 5.30pm, loaded with walking sticks and headlamps in case nightfall decides to come early. There is lack of space to put any gear in the cafeteria so we stored it in a corner where it will be out of harm's way. The buffet meal is really decent considering everything has to be carried up by porters including gas. The tom yam soup was godsend when you can't feel your nose.

The estimated meal times for Laban Rata are: (1) Dinner from 5pm-7pm, (2) Supper - 1am- 2.30am, (3) Breakfast 7am-10am. So if you happen to reach after these times, you should call ahead and let them know to keep some food for you. When we were done eating, we managed to catch the sunset.

Although the sun was setting, it seemed like it was giving us energy to face the next day. We went in and got ready to sleep. Sleeping at 8pm in the freezing cabin was no easy task. Slapping on a few more heat packs made things more bearable and we dozed off.

Sunset from Waras Hut

Update: I find the complaints below silly but will address them anyway :

1) No wifi - of course there is no Wifi at 3,200 m! I'm sure you won't curl into a ball and shrivel away without wifi.

2) Overpriced food - Have you seen the amount of work the porters have to go through to bring up supplies to Laban Rata?! Here's a tip to save money - bring your own food and water. Don't cheat by going to the canteen to get hot water.

We woke up at 8, packed all our stuff to leave at the hotel and went out for breakfast. S will only arrive later in the morning so we had to kill some time. Breakfast was at Kedai Kopi Kinabalu. It was a typical rustic kopitiam, with typical KK food, beef noodles. The best part was it also sold Sarawak laksa :) Yes, I miss Sarawak and it's food. Childhood memories you may say.

We needed to do a bit of shopping before departing KK town. VL wanted to go to the Filipino Handicraft Market to buy freshwater pearls. Filipino Handicraft Market is the structure just next to the salted fish market. Yup, follow your nose. It is the same place where the Night Market is held.

The sun was beating down on us so was totally not in the mood to take photos. Trick to the Filipino Market is that the deeper into the market you go, the better prices you will get. I got a pearl bracelet for RM5.The storelady claimed that it was real freashwater pearls from the Philippines. She also sold real saltwater pearls and those cost in the hundreds depending on the size. Since it was rose colored and only cost RM5, why not? I was not going to do a pearl test and rub them on my teeth to test the grittiness and I don't think the lady would have liked to have my drool on her merchandise. VL went for earrings. The price of earrings varies depending on the size of the pearl. Prices start from RM10 onwards.

There was this freaky thing we saw being sold at every market in KK. Dried bullfrog pouches. Real bullfrogs, dried, emptied out and then made into pouches with feet, legs and warts. I wonder who buys these sort of things.

Anyway we headed back to the hotel at 11.30 by cab (RM10) because it was too hot for VL to walk (-_-) and gathered our stuff. S had reached the hotel during our shopping romp. Our cab came around 2pm to pick us up for a 2 hour long journey to Kinabalu National Park. The cab cost us around RM150 for a single trip to Timpohon Gate. That is where the entrance to the park is as well. I mostly slept along the way since I can forsee the lack of sleep for the oncoming nights.

The next thing I knew was that we were at Kinabalu National Park! Mt. Kinabalu is set at 4000m and the park HQ is already at 1558m. So you don't really climb the entire 4000m. This mountain is a strange one. It raises up away from sea trenches and no points on continents colliding. No hot spot either unless you count Poring Hot Springs but that is not enough to raise a mountain. Mt. Kinabalu is also relatively young at 1.5 million years old and it continues growing 5mm every year. So if you keep putting off your trip, you may find fin yourself hiking a little bit further each passing year.

The temperature has dropped considerably and I was thankful that I had the senses to keep my micro fleece with me. The taxi driver, Amin, left his card with us and told us that he will be back to pick us up in a couple of days at the same place. We checked in at the main office, sorted out with them our porter, John, and a van took us to Nephentes Lodge.

We were very surprised at the size of the lodge. It was a double story structure with toiletries in every bathroom and coffee/tea making facilities in the kitchen. It even has cable TV and a working fireplace! We did not bother unpacking because we will be leaving early next morning anyway. Instead, we went out to look around.

I think this was the most expensive lodge on the grounds

Caterpillar with antennas

That is where I will be in 2 day's time.

At 7pm, we called for pick-up to ferry us over to the buffet at Balsam Restaurant. Although 7pm is the time where we normally have dinner in the city, it was as if it was 10pm at night with darkness falling so quickly and the restaurant virtually empty. The restaurant was built in the 1970s where you can imagine early trekkers sat around hot steaming mugs of coffee. Now it serves intercontinental and local foods. The dinner buffer ends at 9pm. You have to remember to bring a voucher from the main office to eat here. Otherwise, get ready for a really pricey meal.

An and I carbo loaded. The next few days are going to be tough and I needed to conserve as much energy as I can. The cold weather made everything nicer. Tom Yum soup was great! It rested in my gut and gave off a warm, fuzzy feeling.

We got back and started fiddling with the fireplace. The park maintenance guy came by and helped us light up the fire using some gel type fuel (like those you see places under steaming plates of fish). But that did not work for too long because the fire started sputtering out! S and I started tearing up paper towel to keep the fire going and blowing air at the base of the flame. Highly suspect that the wood was a bit too damp. In fact the whole house felt damp. So we huffed, and puffed and smoked the entire house until An had to open the glass doors. After 1 1/2 of fighting, it was alive!!

The before huffing and puffing and after photo

The house warmed up considerably after that. So it was really a matter of drying all that wood before the fire caught hold. I did a last round of checking whether windows and doors are locked before turning in. You know those horro movie, where a lone girl goes to check the house after hearing some unusual sounds... *yesh, I heard creaking* then a crazed psychopath appears from behind her prior to clamping her mouth shut? Definitely had those thoughts in my mind. So I left all the lights on.

It's Sunday and our hotel is right on the street where the action happens. It's the Jalan Gaya Sunday Market!

But first order of business is food. VL cam across this place when we were heading to Tong's yesterday and thought it would be interesting to try. After last night's heavy seafood dinner and nasty squid, this was a welcome change.

The shop is Kedai Kopi Melanian 3 with its famous 生肉面(Shang Yuk Mee). Shang Yuk Mee is lean meat noodles. You can have it in soup or dry. The dry version will be tossed in oyster sauce and black sauce and comes with a bowl of soup on the side. I chose soup because I needed something bland in my system. We were wondering about the tofu sumbat listed in the menu. We thought it would be like the "yong tau fu"in KL, with the fish paste stuffed into a fired beancurd. It was a surprise to see that it was minced meat and soft boeancurd instead. Oilyness factor went down by 50%. The tofu is RM0.70 a piece and the noodles should not be more than RM4 per bowl.

With filled bellies, it is time for morning shopping. We were planning to head out to the islands later in the day but I left my sunnies and cap at home in my flurry of packing. I was more worried about the climbing gear.

The market has a certain vibe to it, where both locals and tourists come to get their shopping done. Huge shells were being sold and I bought a couple for a pretty good price. Mine were palm-sized shells so they could fit into my bag without the risk of breaking. Pets, potted plants, handicrafts were at every corner. This place is cheaper than the Filipino Handicraft Market if you are looking for bags, keychains, table runners or barios. The puppies were so adorable! I wished I could have taken more pictures of baby animals but I was worried about pissing off the shopkeepers.

The Sunday Market starts at 7am until a little past noon. It is a great place to slowly walk and explore the interesting wares. Local artists set up stalls here to sell their art. There is a store with an antique tobacco pipe which I really wanted but it was out of my budget :(

We made a quick pitstop back at the hotel before heading to the jetty to lighten our load. I told myself that I only wanted sunnies and a cap but ended up with more stuff than I bargained for. Ling Ling told us to look for Counter 8 at the ticketing office at Jesselton Point Waterfront to get a discount as they had a tie-in with HotelEden54.

Gateway to the boats

For those who are interested, Jesselton is the old name for Kota Kinabalu.

We paid around RM50 for our snorkeling gear and transportation to 2 islands, Pulau Manukan and Pulau Mamutik. Boat transfer fees are around RM33 for 2 islands. The tour operator told us that entrance fee for the islands are paid at the first island you land on. They will try to sell you a bunch of other stuff like banana boat rides and para-sailing but you have to be firm and tell them no, if it was not part of your plan.

Heading out to open waters

Skimming over the waves

The first island we went to was Pulau Manukan. It's a 20 minutes boat ride from the Waterfront. Once you pull away from the fishing vessels docked near the jetty, the air gets fresher and the water is darker blue compared to the sickly blue nearer to KK town.

When we reached Pulau Manukan, we had to go to the visitor centre to settle our dues. Since the islands are part of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, the entrance fees (RM3) goes towards maintaining the parks. We all know governmental budgets are a bitch. The ticket issued has to be kept with us at all times and show it to any island's visitor centre which we will go to next. Losing it will mean paying the fee again. RM3 fee is for Malaysians and foreigners are charged RM10.

Us on the Pulau Manukan jetty.

A little slice of heaven in our own backyard

Luckily we wore our swimsuits beneath our outer wear as we have no idea where the changing room or toilets were! We found a shady place on the beach, rolled out our mats, stripped and strapped on our gear. The corals were sparse on this island mainly because of the human traffic. We could see that it is one of the more heavily visited islands and it may be taking a toll on the ecosystem. We swam on the right side of the jetty and were not impressed with the dead sea bed. An went to the left side and later informed us that the corals looked better there with more fishes as well. I was too lazy to go all the way over there so I enjoyed swimming for 2 hours before we packed up, and headed to the next island.

Fishes you can see with the naked eye even without going into the water

Our next stop was Pulau Mamutik. It did not seem as commercialised as Pulau Manukan although the human traffic was high as well. Pulau Manukan had a resort on it, so it would probably explain the upset seabed. We went to the nearest warung for a quick lunch. The prices were tourist prices but portions are huge. I would advise anyone looking to eat maggi goreng, not to. There is only so much Maggi Mee that one can eat before getting sick of it.

Pulau Mamutik definately had a more active coral life going on. We saw many pointy mature sea urchins, garfish, parrot fish, colonies of clown fish around anemones, and other kinds of fishes which I do am not able to name. Thank our lucky stars that no jellyfish were around. The fishes here are quite bold. One of them took a bite of P's finger when she wiggled it at them. They swim head on the collision path with you, and verve off the last minute, in a David vs Goliath chicken game.

Pulau Mamutik

The visitor centre

The girls taking an afternoon siesta after lunch. We used life vests as pillows

See how clear the water is? Totally amazing

By 5pm we were ready to head off. Thunderclouds seemed to be rolling in. Now getting back to KK is a little tricky. The boat operators will group you into boats which have seats left after picking other passengers from the adjecent islands. It's a first-come-first-serve basis so be expected to wait a bit until you get a boat.

We went back to the hotel and took a quick shower. Tonight we go Italiano!

Little Italy is a name we have been hearing for good Italian food in KK. The group has travelled quite a bit so we were cautiously optimistic about this place. What we did not expect was professional service, ravioli and great coffee.

We ran into the dinner crowd so had to wait for 20 minutes before we were able to get a table for 5. The experience started once we sat down. The retaurant smelled great, with the wood oven pizzas baking and the chatter of happy diners. I know some reviews out there gave them a thumbs down for service and price but for us, it was dinner time and servers are limited so expectations have to be reasonable based on circumstances. As for price, we thought it was comparable to that in KL with better service. I can name a few places in Bangsar with horrible service where waiters ignore you even though there are no other customers waiting to be served and they charge a bomb for your efforts in trying to get their attention to take your order.

Seeing that we were spoiled for choice, the maître d' suggested a few popular items to feed out hungry bunch. We started off with a salad with feta cheese, vinaigrette and baby tomato, followed by bruschetta . These were the okay items. I mean if you can go wrong on a bruschetta at an Italian restaurant, it is a sign that you should leave.

Following that was a wood oven thin crust pizza with lots of cheese and beef. A must try in this joint is the ravioli combo. Granted the plate for the ravioli could look a little nicer, the fillings in the ravioli were fresh and not overcooked. We tried this dish twice during our stay in KK with different fillings each time. No matter what we chose, the spinach ravioli with 4 cheese is a winner in our tummies.

Ravioli combo~ freshly made

If you go to an Italian restaurant, tiramisu has to make it onto the dessert list. Unfortunately we found the fudge to be wayyy better than the tiramisu. The warm thick fudge cake went very well with the ice cream and coffee I had. The tiramisu will not be missed.

We were appreciative of the service rendered. The dishes came out one by one and not all at one time. This way, we had warm food and hot dripping cheese. Cold cheese spoils everything. Water was refilled without being asked and the maître d' came around asking how were we enjoying the food. You can see that they know patrons are important and they strive to keep it that way. Compared to some so-called "upscale' restaurant you see in the big cities where the staff couldn't care less as they don't own the place.

Zuppe di mare and dessert

We called it a night and went back to the hotel to pack up for tomorrow. It's off to the hills!

With less than 3 hours of sleep after the packing, unpacking, cursing why my hiking bag feels so heavy even though there is less than 8 pieces of clothing in it... VL and I arrived at KLIA to begin our journey westwards on the 28th April 2012.

The morning sun never fails to amaze me whenever I fly. You know how poets, bards, those people who say pretty things (it's 3 am now and my brain is not working) describes the sun? Here it is.

The famous MAS nasi lemak. Sure packs a punch!

We reached Kota Kinabalu airport around 10am in the morning and proceeded to wait for VL's sister. IMPORTANT ~ AirAsia does not land at Terminal 1 in Kota Kinabalu. It lands at Terminal 2! We actually went around looking for a non-existent KFC in Terminal 1 until we figured out that she was at another terminal. Instead of wasting more time, we decided to meet at the hotel, own time own target, since most was paid for.

We bought a taxi coupon for RM30 from the counter and went to the airport taxis parked outside. The uncles, or pakcik was a really nice man who told us what was going on in the KK town that day. The day I flew off was the day Kuala Lumpur erupted with citizens passionate pleas to change the electorial system. Another faction was campaigning against the raw earth plant (which I still think someone higher up is in cahoots with the corporate organisation to build the horrible place).News of police brutality flooded my social media sites but yet, in Kota Kinabalu, all was quiet even though there were police blockades. Everyone was civilized with smiles and all knew that if you know how to walk for your rights, you would be mature enough to know your limits. How I wished what I saw in KK could be imposed onto KL...

After a half hour ride, we arrived at Hotel Eden54. This Hotel has been voted as Traveler's Best Choice 2012 by TripAdvisor. We were not disappointed when we saw the place. However take note there are stairs leading up to the lobby, you will know why the reason for the warning later. The hotel is located right on Jalan Gaya, with Tong Hing and HSBC as a landmark. Tong Hing is a supermarket right next to Hotel Eden54 and you will see HSBC first if you are on the right street. Suria Sabah is a 3 minutes walk from the hotel.

There is free wifi in the room which the front desk will give you the password to, a reading lounge, a common desktop with a printer near the lobby with Internet. There is no breakfast provided at this hotel but you can always walk down the street to silence your stomach. This location is really ideal if a trip cuts through a Sunday as the Sunday Market is quite literally on your doorstep.

My room was RM120 per night

Rooms came with hot showers, generic shampoo, conditioner and soap, a really tiny wardrobe which made hanging clothes difficult, kettle, coffee and tea facilities, and a TV. Clothes hangers are a problem when you have 2 people to a room as there were only 3 available. Imagine after a day of in the sea, your wet clothes will probably need a good rinse and dry. There were no hooks behind the doors which we could make do either.

Once the other 2 arrived, we loaded up our cameras and headed out for food!

L-R: The old Jesselton Post Office on Jalan Gaya has been converted to Sabah Tourism Board.
Walking down Jalan Gaya

As we took our time exploring the famed Jalan Gaya, we caught a glimpse of the Atkinson Clock Tower. It stands on Signal Hill Road and was built in 1903 with no nails in the entire wooden structure. The tower build in the memory of a British District Officer, Francis George Atkinson. For such a structure to survive the WWII bombing and heavy monsoon winds is quite amazing. We thought we could take a closer look at a later point of our journey but alas, it did not come true.

We decided on a place that V's friends told her is a must try: Yee Fung beef noodles. It's right at the end of Jalan Gaya and housed in shop on the left side of the road if you are heading down from Jesselton Hotel and next to a chicken rice shop at time of writing. There are only 3 items on their menu. The laksa offered is the Sarawak version of the tasty fare (though I would say the ones in Sarawak is better but it's better than the ones in KL). Not spicy and lots of coconut milk. I went with the A2, the beef noodles. "Ngau Chap" literally means "Cow leftovers" in Cantonese. No, it's not what comes out of the other end of a bovine but the innards and bits. You can choose not to have the innards and let the waitress know that you want beef balls and lean meat. There is no difference in price if you opted not to have the "leftovers".

That's my beef balls with meat noodles with my tricolor-ed tea in the back.

After lunch, E & P decided to lie down as they did not get any sleep the night before. Meanwhile, VL and I thought it was a good time to go to the famed Tong's at Wisma Merdeka. There is a smaller outlet at Suria Sabah but we thought we would head to the flagship for more choices.

Wisma Merdeka is a confusing place. It is actually 2 buildings in one. From the road, it seems like it is 1 building but inside, certain stairs don't lead to where you think the next level will be. If you are facing Wisma Merdeka from the main road, Tong's will be on the left so keep heading left.

There was a reason why we sought out this place. It is home to the cheapest selection of winter wear and hiking gear in Kota Kinabalu! We got out walking sticks for less than RM10 each. Those with attached headlamps costs a little more. I highly do not recommend the one with the headlamp as it won't be useful. Tong's is also good for beanies and hiking bags.

By buying the sticks in KK meant one thing less to bring from KL and worrying that it may get lost during luggage transfer.

On our way back to the hotel, we noticed some pillars with colourful graffiti on it. VL was wondering why were the graffiti so organised. No stray graffiti strayed out of the boundaries of the half ruins. Suddenly I remembered this site. It was the Old Welfare Building site that the local municipal council had decided to let Sabahan street artists have a free reign.

The Old Welfare Building was a Land and Survey Building and was one of the remnants of the British North Borneo administration. A proposal was submitted by the Sabah Art Gallery to reuse the building as an art gallery in the early-90s but that was never made possible as a mysterious fire destroyed the building leaving what still stands today. So local artists keep drawing on the same pillars, white-washing them when space runs out and starting on a fresh pillar.

By the time we reached the hotel it was 5pm and the whole group was due to gather at 6pm for the search for dinner. Ling Ling, the famed receptionist of Hotel Eden, gave us directions to a seafood restaurant but we realized it was too far. Instead we let our feet led the way.

Sights along the way to seafood dinner

Just as we passed the arch above, rain started pouring! We were all stuck without umbrellas and just a bunch of tour maps. These tour maps were quite good as water repellent as we used them to shelter our long trudge. Finally we arrived at Hua Hing Seafood Restaurant. Hua Hing sat in a cluster of seafood restaurants under a covered structure of some sort. We could see tourist buses starting to puke its contents. Mind you, the sellers in this area can be really pushy on trying you to get a seat at their stall but you wont because the price isn't right. Generally every restaurant under this place had a person drying to drag you into their store. We settled for Hua Hing Seafood Restaurant, which seemed to have more of a local crowd by 7pm.

Those are sea cockles that VL is holding up for size comparison. Really nice without the muddy taste

I would say that there are probably cheaper places in Kota Kinabalu but that would probably involve a bit of driving. Even the smallest fish went for RM70! With the 3 dishes (cockles, paku pakis and crab)there, it costs us a little around a RM130. If you have more time to spend in KK, renting a car would be a good option to get out of town for good seafood.

We made our way to the Filipino Night Market at Jalan Kampung Air, opposite the Le Meridien hotel. Just follow your nose, you will smell Eau de Diesel-Poisson Pourri Océan. To sum up what the Night Market looks like? It is like any other pasar malam with more seafood.

Digiman!

The market is made up of tents and it starts from 5pm until late.There is a portion where fresh fruits and vegetables are sold alongside normal pasar malam ware. There is a huge fish section where all sorts of fishes could be seen. Big tuna, stingray, cuttlefish are one of the more common sights. If you can withstand the stench of fish, then it will be an enjoyable walk through this section.

After that is the section with grilled and BBQ-ed seafood. Hygiene may be an issue for some here on how your food is prepared.

The food is displayed in the open air and vendors will ask you to choose your seafood. Haggling over the price is expected. Once you have selected the food, you will sit at the designated table with a small kettle to wash your hands and a pack of tissue. If you plan to eat here, bring wet wipes. The tissues given is not going to help you get the grease off your fingers. The thing with grilled seafood is that you won't know how long has it been sitting there waiting for the unsuspecting buyer. The whole night maybe? But you can't tell when everything turns red or brown.

P bought a squid to eat on the go but unfortunately it was not cleaned properly so she had to spit it all out and throw the entire squid away. We did not go back to the vendor because it was not worth the trouble and P was starting to look a little green from the nasty squid. This place is an eat-at-your-own-risk.

Foreign tourists should not pose with the food if you are not going to buy it. It's just etiquette that you should not play with food. Will you get sick from food sold in places like this? Unlikely if you are a frequent traveler.

We adjourned to another cafe for drinks before taking a 20 minutes walk back to the hotel. When we arrived, An had arrived from Singapore. Now our group only lacks one more climber.

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