Thirty Cents

While walking my nephew to his kindy today, we passed by a streetside vendor selling cakes. My nephew stopped to check out what the vendor has in her cake basket. A little while after that, giving me all 30 cents he's got, spontaneously, he asked the vendor for 3 pieces of his favorite cake. I looked at the 30 cents in my hand and told the vendor, 'I need to get my handbag left inside my car' (as I usually don't carry my handbag with me when I drop my nephew in a hurry) my nephew's 30 cents reminds me of how we used to go to school with only 50 cents pocket money during primary school days.

Remember those days, when you can still buy a lot of things with the cents? like, 10 cents for 5 sweets. 20 cents for a bowl of 'kueh tiaw' soup and 10 cents for a bun. Now with the dropping of ringgit value, things have becoming expensive. Today, even that piece-of a dough fritter (2 tbsp of flour mixed with water, few pieces of chopped chai) is 35 cents a piece! Leaving you thinking, no wonder those street hawkers selling fritters and cakes can afford a tour to China at year end.

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We found seashells while snorkeling at shallow water.

With this, the conclusion of our 5 days Kota Kinabalu trip. I know I've written a lot like we've been there for a month. We spent a total of 5 days 4 nights in Kota Kinabalu and Kundasang and flew back feeling fulfilled although tanned by the hot scotching afternoon sun during our Manukan trip, and unfortunately I caught a cold on the next day which worried me a lot especially with 1 imported case in Kota Kinabalu recently, passengers were given health-alert AH1N1 card and a form to fill in upon arrival at the Sibu airport. I was telling myself, if the flu persists after an antiviral medication, I may need to check myself in a hospital presenting them with the health-alert card given at the airport. Nevertheless the whole trip to Kota Kinabalu was a great breakaway!

In regards to eating, Kota Kinabalu mouth watering attraction is its seafood. But since we were at 1Borneo which is quite a distance away from Kota Kinabalu seafood centers, we opted for reasonable meals at 1Borneo except that we missed Sabah's lobsters.

We decided to go with tour because we knew we might not be able to move around on our own when we reached Kota Kinabalu. So, we had an agent who is also someone we know from Sarikei at Sensational Holidays to arrange us a tour in Kota Kinabalu.

It was an arrangement at the end of it, we find it's worth the money for a great vacation. The package including; upon arrival, we were fetched and transferred to a 4 star hotel (Grand Borneo Hotel) a big room with two queen size beds for 2 person. Breakfasts provided.

Fetched from 1Borneo the following day for our one day island excursion and water adventure with a tour guide (babysitting our belongings at Manukan island while we were enjoying our day snorkeling, water parachuting and water scooting) arranging our boats and entry to the parks (all boats and entry fees were included in the package)

Then from 1Borneo, we were transported to Kundasang and a resort with a view of majestic Mount Kinabalu for 2 nights. It was awesome!

Following on with tour to several places including Poring Hot Springs and at the resort, our 2 days breakfast, lunch and dinner were provided. Although at the end of our stay at Kundasang, I wonder why we didn't visit Kundasang War Memorial which is just some walking distance away from Kundasang market which has significant history to learn compared to plants and butterflies we get to see often even in our own area and backyard.

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Super Ice Cream Potong

Eh, what is ice cream potong ar?

Potong means cut. So, it must be the ice cream that cut out of a block of big ice cream and stuck with a stick each before selling them to kids. Hence the name ice cream potong :))

I've always wondered why they called it 'potong', and was only guessing its meaning when I stated the above about 'potong'. Then, curious about it, I searched through and discovered the fascinating facts about ice cream potong that got its name from Malay's Popsicle where in the past, these Popsicles were cut out from a big block of ice cream into individual portions and stuck with a lidi each. Somehow, despite the truth, I still haven't got the idea of how then an ice cream man managed to cut a block of ice cream into smaller pieces and poke each with a lidi (spines of coconut leaves) before selling them to the children as I can't remember ever seeing an ice cream man on a bicycle selling ice cream potong in the early days like how it was mentioned, except for the one on a motorbike that went around from street to street at the housing estates with 'peddle pop ice cream theme song' blasted from loudspeakers attached to the motorbike and they still do today.

From the traditional ice cream potong, today, ice cream potong come in pre-cut and individually packed and lidi is replaced with wooden stick. It's now known to everyone everywhere throughout Malaysia as Ice Cream Potong.

At Kundasang, not only the ice cream showcase placed next to the ticketing counter caught our eyes on our way in, but a group of tourists slurping, licking and chomping down ice cream potong with blissed-out expressions on their faces made us salivate. Within a seconds, the children uttered out, 'ice cream!' and followed by, 'can we have ice cream?' That was when our tour guide started a brief promotion on Sabah's Super Ice Cream Potong.

At RM1 a stick. Sabah owns Super Ice Cream Potong is a must-try! Don't look for King's Ice Cream Potong when you're in Sabah.

After the children insisted that they want to have the ice cream first, we eventually strolled around the Rose Garden with a stick of an ice cream potong each to slurp and chomp while walking.

At the airport on the day of our departure for home, we saw a shop displaying the ice cream banner ads, we walked in and bought ourselves 2 dozens (conveniently packed in foam box of a dozen per box) to be taken home. Among all flavours, I love durian the best!

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Kundasang Barbequed Chicken Wings

A tourist bus pulled over to the side of the road and a group of Chinese tourists came out of the bus, the tour guide then pointed to a direction and the whole group of the Chinese tourists walked with no hurry to a stall located behind a row of the fruit market.

During our stay at Kundasang, we dropped by several times to this market area each time for a grab of ready cut fresh fruit for our daily natural fiber supplements. Somehow we were told, there's a stall famous for its barbequed chicken wings, chicken livers and bishop's nose skewers, an only stall where the smell of aromatic barbequed fills the air as you stroll around Kundasang market in the afternoon.

I saw a group of tourists surrounding the stall and I wondered what excites them about those barbequed chicken wings and skewers :P

As I walked closer, I observed that it was no difference from any other chicken wings stall we have around Sibu. This stall however, has probably been around for years. By looking at the barbeque pit's condition, it seemed like it has been collecting waste charcoal dust, dripping barbeque oil for a long time. It may not suppose to be seen that way by the tourists if you would to ask me but, somehow the chicken wings caught their attention.

Like have fell under the spell of its tasty chicken barbequed, some say it's famous and a must-eat chicken wings if you're happen to be in Kundasang.

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Sabah's Philippines Market

After had seen a little part of the Pulau Gaya Philippine migrants' houses built over water on stilts while on our water scooting around island parks, I'd got to frankly say their life as refugees isn't a pleasant one.

With the breaking of dawn comes the promise of a new day in Kota Kinabalu.

We returned to Kota Kinabalu city centre early morning after our breakfast at the resort so we can get to stroll around the Philippines Market for some souvenirs and seafood produce before taking off and back to the land of the Foochows and home of the Kampuas.

We had cooling coconut juice at the coconut market where every stall under one roof is selling the same thing, that's coconuts and coconuts products from fresh cooling coconut juice to coconut jelly and cakes.

At the Philippines Market, it seems like the daily routine starts immediately after the sun has risen over the horizon and the sky is still red. Vendors can be seen arriving on boats in Kota Kinabalu from Pulau Gaya to sell fish and vegetables at the location provided for them.

Here is where the rarity of middle aged men with their sewing machines ever ready to mend or make new clothes outside row of the market.

Our tour van dropped us right at the entrance to the market leaving us for about an hour to tour around the market area. The boys just love the Philippines tidbits seeing the variety of cakes and crackers for finger snacks.

The Handicraft Market, a bazaar hawking a hodge-podge of things that ladies would normally desire. Inside, the stalls are really packed, with aisle just wide enough for a person to shuffle along.

We were told most items were shipped from the Philippines to be sold in the market to mostly tourists who would visit the market as one of the must-visit destinations in Kota Kinabalu.

At one of the stalls I was introduced to tiger eye stone for the first time by a young female vendor who spoke fluently Malay language with Philippine accent. Besides agate, crystal, jade and turquoise beads, gemstone beads are also available tagged very high but still very negotiable. In fact, there were too many of them, I reckon I won't be able to recognise between the genuine and the fake stones.

Jewellery items like sea water pearl or south sea pearl are plenty at the market to choose from, we were told to practice bargaining skills before coming here. "You could get up to 50-70% off for pearl items if you're good in bargaining." said our tour guide.

My nephews got souvenir key chains for RM1 a piece the same items I'd got at one of Poring Hot Springs handicraft stalls for RM3 a piece. Apparently he was telling the vendor I got it for RM1, hearing that the vendor agreed to settle for RM1 provided he's buying more than 3 pieces of the items.

Next to the Philippines Market, is the Dried Sea Critters Market. Looking at the dried shrimp (weigh in kg) and selling at RM60 per-kg surprised us!

The market selling dried seafood from shrimp, anchovies, sea cucumbers, scallops, salted fish to dried fish stomachs.

Yes, expensive fish stomachs! However, prices of almost everything in Philippines Market are negotiable.

You'll only get to eat this special fish stomach delicacy at CNY, probably.

Sea corals, sea shells and starfish for your fish tanks.

We indeed bought several dried seafood items to be brought home and some fresh straight from Kundasang farm vegetables.

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Poring Hot Springs

After an hour of walking up the hill and back down the hill, we were back at the hot springs where we were told the springs deemed to have healing properties to de-stress and soak away the sores and aches of muscles.

Most tour guides usually recommend the soaking in the hot sulfuric minerals of these wondrous springs after the canopy short trek or after descended from Mount Kinabalu. Isn't it amazing how the wonders of mother nature treat us!?

What amazed us was the place was crowded on that day probably it was due to public holiday (Keamatan) or school holiday. On our arrival, every park shelter and every public outdoor tub was taken, the public pool was full and every private bath house was booked. Leaving us wondered where to go...

We booked a private bath house nevertheless and it was not available until after an hour or two later.

So we thought of we might just take a walk at the butterfly farm just a short distance from the Poring area.

Again, there was a fee to enter the butterfly farm. I'd imagined it's got to be like Cameron Highlands' butterfly farm I visited years ago where I've got a picture taken bending down surrounded by butterflies.

We entered in the park, few meters in front of us located an exhibition building showcasing all kinds of insects, arthropods, butterflies and an educational information of insect life cycles and social habits.

"Did you know the butterflies male and female wing patterns are different from one another?" One of my nephews told me. The boys indeed had a great time of learning.

Next, after an educational tour inside the exhibition hall, we proceed on to the garden through plastic chain curtains all eager to see butterfliesssss.....

I started to imagine the boys would be excited with butterflies surrounding them. We found... poor butterfly what happened to it?

There were only few small butterflies around and some plants in the garden.

At last, on our way out a butterfly flew across in front of us.

We proceed to the Poring and checked out our booking and were led to a house with private hot sulphur bathtubs inside. There were two bathtubs, a bath or changing room and a bench to sit on.

Both tubs are fed by hot water piped in from the source springs and has to be mixed with cold water from the other pipe before climbing into the tubs to soak. For an hour, we paid RM15 for a soak in the hot sulfuric minerals water and came out feeling refreshed.

The children sulfuric public pool with slides is located on the other side of the Poring area. It was full as well, so the children didn't get the chance to slide although they've been longing to. Next to the pool site, a cafeteria was such an inviting especially after a walk, a soak and hungry tummies.

We dropped by to check out their menu. Smelled the tempting aromatic BBQ chicken wings and decided to have lunch somewhere else.

Plants along the way:

Roses are red my love, violets are blueee... this is not violet though.

Can you spot the bunnies!? Bunny plant.

Pussy tails!?

BIG spider!

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Poring Canopy Walkway

The 6yo nephew who was excited even before the vacation started had been telling about reaching the mountain summit to touch the clouds. When we reached Kinabalu Park, he saw the pictures of climbers to the peak of Mount Kinabalu at the park's exhibition centre and he's been inquisitive about, when are we going to climb the mountain over and over again.

We had one fulfilling breakfast at Mount Kinabalu Heritage before departing for Hot Poring Springs one of the tourism destination located in Ranau. Our tour guide reached the front door of the hotel exatly at the hour mentioned.

On our way to Hot Poring Springs, we passed by few villages, the views were as wonderful as was our ride from Kota Kinabalu to the foothill of Mount Kinabalu, Kundasang except for its winding mountain road.

We were briefed about the 825 meters jungle trekking to the canopy walkway by our tour guide to prepare us for the walk as we were taking mom with us.

It turned out that it was a jungle trekking up the hill all the way until we reached the starting point to the 41 meters high of 157 meters long walkway.

It was a stroll amidst the lush canopy of the Menggaris tree, king of the forest and a sweaty walk. As the walk required stamina, we were worried about mom half way through. Nonetheless, we all made it there.

Finally, we saw the canopy walkway....

A small amount of fee were required in order to take pictures of the nature, trees, plants and anything along the way. I paid RM5 for my efficient digicam.

It's a strictly prohibited to destroy any tree or protected plant in the park.

The Queen of all trees met us on our way through the walk.

Looking down from 41 meters high canopy walkway.

And finally, finally, we reached the exit point ending the 157 meters bouncing along the canopy walk. The rest of the walk was walking down the hill back to where we first started at the ticketing hut.

This is how they looked like after the 825 meters jungle trekking up the hill. Ah! so tired after a great experience of canopy walk up the 41 meters high in the tree tops :)

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