Backtracking on Borneo

I'm a few days late with this posting, but between surprise meetings in KT, getting a new class schedule, and the internet not working, it's a wonder that I even have time to do this now. So, I'm just going to show some pictures I took and explain about my trip to Sabah that way. I'm not feeling very motivated to write blogs right now. Enjoy.

This is the capital of Sabah, it's called Kota Kinabalu (KK). This town has been destroyed several times over the years by both the British and the Japanese, but despite all that, it's still a bustling little city that is now my favorite in all of Malaysia. The Lonely Planet guide book paints a picture that KK is boring and unlively, while saying another city on the East coast of Sabah, Sandakan, is the polar opposite. Well, Lonely Planet needs to edit the 10th edition by swapping those viewpoints. KK is awesome, Sandakan is dirty, the people are aggressive, and it's no fun. KK reminded me so much of a European town, but with great weather and nice water. Also, KK is pretty liberal and more relaxed than Terrengganu, so it was a relief to escape for awhile!!

Here I am at Kinabalu National Park. Mt. Kinabalu is the highest peak in SE Asia at a wopping 4,101 meters tall. It's fairly easy to climb, even a 74 yr old Japanese woman did it while I was there, but I didn't book enough in advance, so I just enjoyed the views from the ground.

Here is a view of the mammoth piece of granite. It actually grows about 5mm a year, which geologically speaking, is a lot. This is also the only place in Malaysia where I have been able to utter the phrase, "I'm freezing cold!!"

Near the mountain is an area called Poring Hot Springs. This is a site that has natural springs and the Japanese developed the area into a tourist stop in the 1960s while occupying Malaysia. Now, the idea of getting into STEAMING HOT water in an area where the temperature is like 35C (95F) and humid is not what I call brilliant. But as you can see from the picture, that is not the only reason I didn't get into the tubs.

For those not interested in bathing, Poring Hot Springs offers a variety of other activities. One is the Canopy walkway built for researchers and tourists alike. The Canopy walkway is a series of bridges linking tree tops. It's awesome being up there seeing the view. I think the highest point is 41m tall.

If you don't like heights, you can explore the jungle trails around Poring. And of course there are several waterfalls, and in true Malaysian spirit, I ripped off my clothes and jumped in. The water was freezing, which was wonderful. If I were given a dollar for everytime I've jumped into a waterfall in Malaysia, I would be rich.

The world's largest flower, the Rafflesia, only grows in Borneo and Sumatra (Indonesian island). They are parasitic plants that have no stems and root systems of their own, they just overtake vines in the middle of the jungle. These plants only bloom for 3 to 4 days, so seeing them can be quite rare. Also, the flower, when blooming, emits a smell of rotting meat to attract flies who will pollinate it. I was lucky enough to stumble upon 2!! The largest known Rafflesia was 9m in circumference and a replica of it is at Kinabalu National Park.

Here's the replica, it's big folks, big.


The world's most intelligent flower is known as the ZACHinASIA but there has only been one reported sighting of it blooming.

After the rock visit, I headed back to KK for some plain old fashioned relaxation. I walked around and took in the sights that are KK. One place I highly recommend is the GINORMOUS fruit market along the waterfront. There are fruits of all kinds of colors and flavors. I bought some pineapple and had the man cut it up for me... it was DELICIOUS! Above is my coveted melon shot.

KK offers a varitey of islands that one can visit. There are boats everywhere because fishing is so important to people's livelihood. There are entire groups of nomadic fishermen who only live in communities on their boats. It's incredible.

I went to Pulau Gaya to see a stilt village. There are literally thousands of homes built on top of the water, while the land on the island is not utilized. You can wander in and out of the wooden walkways for hours, but be prepared for stares and yells. Just put on some sunglasses and pretend not to notice!

Dude, the stilt village even has a stilt school! This school is so beautiful and the fact that it is above water is incredible. The cafeteria, the library, the offices, EVERYTHIHNG is on the water. The school field and playground area is the beach and the school has its own dock so students can roll into class on their boats.

I went to 2 other islands, Manukan and Sapi. I went snorkeling at both, but on Sapi I conquered a feat by walking around the entire island. It was remote and peaceful. Also, the first ever US Survivor was filmed in Sabah, so on the way to these islands I could see the island where Richard Hatch paraded around naked! I saw a Survivor island, how cool!!!!!!!


The last thing I did was fly to Sandakan on the east coast of Sabah. About 45 minutes from the city is the Sepilok Orangutan Reserve Center. This is one of only 4 Orangutan reserves in the entire world. Orangutans are the only great ape that live outside of Africa and they are humans 3rd closest living relative, sharing 96% of our genes! If they are found as pets or abandoned by their mothers, or whatever reason under the sun, they are brought to Sepilok. Here they are rehabilitated to enter the wild again so they can fend for themselves. They are trained to climb and find food. Eventually they are released into the wild. However, they still have the option of returning to Sepilok for food, at one of the various feeding platforms as seen above. Sometimes they never come back, sometimes they never leave. Anyway, it's a rare opportunity to be able to observe them in the wild, but at Sepilok, you do just that. One minute you're standing there seeing nothing, and the next minute about 20 orangutans appear from the jungle to come and eat some grub. They swing in via the ropes, and after eating, they disappear again. Final note, orangutan is Malay. Orang means person, and hutan means jungle. The translation is "person of the jungle." Interesting stuff!

Finally, the week before holiday, my school had a district wide track meet for 4 days. They did every event from hurdles, long distance, the javelin, shot put, and even high jumping. The heat was exhuasting. After each race, stretchers were waiting to carry off any students that collapsed. Let me tell you, hundreds of them collapsed... it was HILLARIOUS! They were totally ok and I feel it was definitely a dramatic performance that only happened because it was sort of expected, well, with stretchers waiting and all. There was a tent near the finish line that was the TRIAGE area for heat stroke and whatever else. Students were collapsing all over the place!! Sometimes in the middle of the track while relay teams were trying to pass over their limp bodies. At one point, I watched a teacher grab a students arm and drag her off the track, leaving her passed out and lying in a field because all the stretchers were occupied. I didn't take pictures, but I'm sure another event of that sort will take place, and let me tell you, I will be up in their faces snapping away!

My school didn't dominate this sport like we did for volleyball and cross-country, but it was still good fun. To escape the heat, some students and I went off into the jungle to go swimming in a river. Swimming in a jungle river is one of the most exciting activities I've ever done. There were no people around and you could here the sounds of Tucans, Parrots, monkeys, and whatever else was out there. I think the fear of being swallowed whole by a crocodile enhanced the experience too. The past 2 weeks for choc full of fun!