Sabah Trip

Just came back from Sabah on Wednesday. Our flight supposed to be at 8pm but it was delayed - at first to 9pm, but later it was further delayed. So we only took off at 1010pm and arrived Miri 57 minutes later on board a Fokker 50 aircraft (initially we expected a boeing 737 plane). When we arrived Miri, it was already 1115pm after we collected our baggages. Then, we waited for taxi - but because it was late and there were so many passengers who just got to Miri, there was not enough taxi. So we had to wait quite long before the taxi came. And because there are 5 of us in the family, the taxi driver only allowed 4 in the taxi in accordance to the traffic regulation which only allows 4 passengers per sedan taxi. So we had to take 2 taxis. We left for KK on the 18th evening (after my last paper for the semester), a 7pm flight on-board a boeing 737. We arrived around 745pm and when straight to Promenade appartment, in 2 taxis, and spent the night there. The room pricing here is quite cheap. Talking about quality, i'll give this apartment a 2 star rating. It will be ideal for those who want to just spend the night or those on a budget. Being an apartment, the room has a small kitchen. Why are we in Sabah? To attend my cousin's wedding. His fiancee is a Sabahan girl. I guess they met in University :) Their wedding will take place in Ranau, about a 2 1/2 hours drive from KK. The next day, on the 19th, we went to Ranau. That's the first time for me to actually travel on Sabah's road. My, my. What a journey. Basically, it's all about driving uphill :) And the scenery is beautiful! We were blessed that it wasn't too foggy (even though there was s short stretch that was). And along the way, there are so many Catholic churches! What i like is the signs for these churches are all standardised. Good work KK diocese! So we drove and drove - stopped once since the taxi driver wanted to ease himself. So we all got out for a while, since the place where we stopped had mount Kinabalu as the background. At that point, i realised that the air was so cool and fresh! we also took a few photos :) Our destination was to go to Perkasa Hotel (near Kundasang), then proceed to St. Peter Calver's church in Ranau for my cousin's wedding. Perkasa hotel is on top a hill - so you imagine the air there (hill on a highland). Sooo cool! we checked in, got changed, then went to Ranau. Ranau is a litlle less cool. St Peter's is beside tha main road, opposite the Shell petrol station. I guess that's the main church for the people near Kundasang and Ranau. The church is simple - no pews, but rather plastic chairs. And instead of a crucifix, there's a big painting of the resurrected Jesus (which i found quite odd for a Catholic church). It didn't even have a tarbenacle (i later found out that the tabernacle was recerved in the daily chapel next to the church's entrance). Thank God the altar was there, and when Mass began, the altar server carried the processional cross which resembles the cross-staff usually used by the Pope. Mass went well, the Priest was Fr. Frederick, a Kadazan fellow. He gave a good sermon in a loud voice :) Before the Mass, my cousin introduced us to the relatives of his fiancee. i felt so happy to have relatives in Sabah :) After Mass, we went for lunch in the parish hall. ok, time for me to give names to the people. My cousin is Hillary, his wife is Wilhemin or Wil for short. Then Wil's nephew, Andy brought us back to Perkasa in his red Wira Aeroback, where we spent the afternoon. By 4pm, andy picked us up to go to Wil's kampung in Bundu Tuhan. WOW! I didn't know i'd have the chance to go to Bundu Tuhan - a place i always wanted to visit. Bundu Tuhan is known among the Catholic comunity for its' retreat center. Anyway, we were here to attend the dinner reception at the Bundu Tuhan's community Hall. There were speeches from the from the boy's side as well as from he girl's side. Then was makan time. It seems that food just kept pouring in. according to my auntie, food will be offered from 4pm till about 9pm, themn more food will follow till midnite and in the mean time, the people will drink the 'tapai' or locally rice wine. Anyway, we left the hall by 8pm. Andy sent us again to Perkasa. By now, it was drizzling. Why we wnated to leave early was because the next day we wanted to go to Mass (and had no idea how to go) so we had to sleep early, since what we had in mind was t walk down from Perkasa hotel; to the main road, then catch a bus to Ranau using for the 8am Mass. Next day, we all woe up by 6am and prepared. By God's grace, after cheking with the hotel, dad manage to get someone to send us to church in Ranau. So while waiting for the transport which will come at 730am, we went for beakfast. Then went to church (Mass wa in KadazanDusun), then Kundasang to buy some fruits and also to arrange for us to go fairy Garden hotel. Meanwhile before lunch, we wlaked around the hotel - they had a nice short jungle trail so we walke dthrough the trail. By 2pm, the driver arrived and brought us to Fairy Garden hotel. Oh before o forget. there's no air-con or fan in Kundasang area, because THE AIOR IS SO COOL ALREADY, especially at night. Hot water is a must! Since we were quite near the Kinabalu National park, we decided to try to got there. we wanted to walk there from Fairy Garden, but it started to rain. So we took a bus. When we arrived the at the national park, we decided to stay there instead so that it will be easier for us to walk around the national park. So we cheked out from Fairy Garden, and then chekd in into the national park chalet. WOW! I never knew the national park here is so well maintained! The chalet we lived in has 2 rooms, a fire place, it even has ASTRO - i'll give this place a 5 star rating. The staff there are very courteuos. So if you ever are near the national park, make sure you stay there. Food wise, no proble, 1st class food served. If looking for cheper food, just walk across the road from the national park. good food at reasonable price sold there! It was a wonderful 2 nights stay at the chalet. In the morning, we wlaked around the national park and n the afternoon, we took a short jungle trail. what i love most is the cool and fresh air. it was time to go back to KK. we took a bus and left for KK at 1030am on Tuesday. We reached KK at about 1215pm and cheked into Promenade hotel. We walked to CentrePoint for lunch and ate at Mode Cafe. food there is good! Then we wlaked around CentrePoint. Later at night, again we wnet to CenterPoint and had dinner there, this time in a different shop. We also bought stuffs for breakfast. Next day, our flight back to Miri was 8pm. So in the morning, we had breakfast. By 11, we wlaked to Wawasan Plaza to have lunch. By 2pm, we cheked out of Promenade hotel (i'll give a 3 star rating). Thank God i have another cousin living in KK (her name is Molly) because she is married to a Sabahan. She lend us her car and so we first went to check in our things at the airport (we got to know that our flight was delayed to 9pm), then drove around KK, but too bad it was raining heavily, so we decided to go to KK plaza. Doesn't look that nice from outside, but there's plenty of shops there. The gift shop os one of the best i've seen and the music shop had lot's of things! b then, we to makan some thing again. We were suppose to meet Molly and her husband Jefri by 5pm for dinner. Finally met them at 6 instead. They brought us to Ocena Seafood, one of the most popular seafood restaurant in KK town. We ate until about 8 o'clock. Then went to the airport. By 9pm, there was still no sign of us to board the airplane. Then the announcer announced over the PA system that our flight will be delayed till 930pm. So the airport gave us complementary meal from KFC. So went to KFC and collected our complimentary meal. Then boarded theplane, but only left by 1010pm. I must say that Sabah has fascinated me - i actually fall in love with sabah. A nice place to holiday :) Don't mind going there again. This trip is my 3rd to Sabah. The first was when i was a young boy, then the 2nd was november last year, when dad had a course in Sutera Harbour Resort (i love this resort too! A 5-star rating also). ok, enough for now.

Comments

[jeEW]

Pulo & Wil's wedding i supposed?:)

[Adrian]

Yup that's right :)