Kota Kinabalu

This is long overdue.

I just realized that this has been the first real holiday (company trips don’t count) of this year so it certainly deserves more than a mention. But rather than giving a blow-by-blow which will tire everyone out (especially this writer), I thought I’d pick out the things that struck me most.

I’ll admit that I didn’t know that KK was on the seaside, I somehow imagined it to be somewhere in the interior of Sabah. Yeah, my geography sucks dog’s balls.

Nexus Karambunai was a revelation, breathtakingly beautiful even when experienced on a very wet day. It was isolated, with a long coastline and a generous strip of white sand ending in clear blue waters. One of the best beaches I’ve ever been to. I’m glad you were there too to experience it, especially since you haven’t been to a beach in years!

The seafood dinner was good, am still wondering what that delicious mollusk with the uni-claw is called. Even the traditional dance performances, which I know bored the hell out of you and your family, were interesting. And when that white lady gave a war cry in response to the dancers, that just killed me. You do realize that your parents decided to go there for my benefit even though it was to celebrate your birthday?

On KK roads and traffic:

- there are a lot of 4-wheel drives on the road,

- there are a lot of U-turns and

- quite a number of “KK-ian’s” use their hazard lights when making a U-turn!

- On the way to Kundasang there was wildlife on the road and a strange number of cats that seem to have died of dehydration :!. This I assume because they were not splattered on the road like the usual road kill.

The trip to Kinabalu Park also afforded us some of the best views. The rain (yes, more of it) only enhanced the spectacle with heavy mists covering the hills and shrouding the valleys.

Sunset at Pantai Dalit was almost as gorgeous as Karambunai. A pity our foray into the water had to be cut short. A word of advice, recently shaven legs + salt water = stings like hell!! I hope some of my enthusiasm about beaches and the sea has rubbed off on you hun. But even if you’re still impartial towards them at least you know how I feel.

But mostly hun, it was how your family was so accommodating of insignificant little me. I felt that they made so much effort to go out of their way. I was both touched and a little shy at the fuss. You know how I prefer to fade into the background and blend in with the furniture, right? They made me feel welcome, and for that I am grateful.

So will it be Sepilok, the islands around KK, Sipadan and a traditional Kadazan wedding mid-next year hun? ;)

Thank you for the wonderful trip hun, if you didn’t already know, I had a great time.