Exploring Sandakan: Sepilok and Kinabatangan

I just can't let the precious 2 days Keamatan holiday passed without a real plan. Movies? Karaoke? Urgh.. Cliche'~ So.. I text Z about a month ago whether she has a plan or not. And fortunately she doesn't! I text her at lunch and voila bought a 2-way tickets to Sandakan before dinner (^^)

So, what were we up to in Sandakan??

Visit this fella!!!!!

Okay, the details. On the first night we spent a night in a budget hotel, watched The Amazing Race latest season finale and slept very late! Woke up late.. Had pancakes a.k.a tumpi for breakfast and it was 9.30 a.m. when we were already set for Sepilok. Z asked the receptionist how to get a taxi to Sepilok. We got a very demotivating answer instead. Not helping! 

"Feeding start pukul 10 pagi. Xsempat ni nak pegi sana"

"Xpa.. Kami try jak la.."

"Tapi taxi die RM  40 tau.. Mahal~"

*Urgh! we are okay with that because we really wanna go & the driver from the lodging where we're staying tonight will fetch us there* (-_-") dalam hati~

So, malas mo dengar kenegatifan itu, we just went straight to the taxi station and went straight to Sepilok. Taxi driver tu lagi postif! "Sempat ni.." Dengan muka selamba :p

We arrived in Sepilok at about 10.15 am. Paid RM 50 for taxi. And the entrance ticket is RM 5 for adults and RM 10 for cameras *masih x bole accept kenapa camera selalu lebih mahal dari orang!*. They provide a free spacious locker for bags.

We were late. The feeding already started. We walked slowly towards the feeding area at first. But then one of the ranger passed and said the Orang Utan is almost done eating, so I literally sprint! haha Luckily he was still there.

We were surprised to see only one Orang Utan. We thought they were all extinct. Later, we found out that Orang Utan are solitary creatures. They like to be alone rather in group. In Sepilok, there's about 150 Orang Utans left.

GG: Patut la dorang di ancam extinction.. Nda bekerjasama..

The pic on the left is a tree on which another Orang Utan is resting inside a temporary nest. We can't see him at all from the bottom. But he's there. I saw his hands haha

On the left is a female Macaque with her baby. The Macaque came to eat after the Orang Utan left. They came in a huge group. There was one huge Macaque who I think is the leader of the group. Very intimidating looking. You can see his pride as he strut on the deck towards the feeding area. 

Seriously minta puji!

So after that, we went straight to Kinabatangan which was about 1.5 hours drive from Sepilok. The scenery along the way was boring. Palm plantation all the way.. There were some gravel roads and we have to use a boat to go to our lodging because the road was blocked by a truck. The above is the small jetty to our lodging

Me, in front of our twin sharing room

We were surprised to find out that we were the only guest that day. In the middle of nowhere and we only have each other. Z, "Haziah, kalau kita ni sbenarnya mangsa penculikan pon kita xtau ni.. suda la lose connection~" 

This is the pic of our room. I was so impressed with the toilet that I can't resist taking the picture :P

But, I say, the toilet in Sepilok is the cleanest and the most fragrant toilet that I've ever been into in my entire life. Siap air-conditioned! when I entered, I was confused "eyh?? toilet ka ni??" (@_@)???

After putting our bags and prayers, we went for the evening river cruise \(^^)/

We saw this small shack floating on the river with a narrow wooden bridge connecting it to the river bank.

Z: eyh?? tandas ka tu??

The question left unanswered~ Mystery~

There were other resorts along the river. According to one of my staff, we got a very good price for a one-night package. Hers was a 2-night package that worth almost a thousand ringgit

There were some wires like this one for the primates to cross the  river. A friend of mine once saw the Orang Utan hanging on it. During our time, it was the Macaque. 

Before I came, I was expecting to see something like I saw in Pangi. Untouched.. But Kinabatangan forest actually suffered too much deforestation before that they have to do reforestation program a few years back. They call the project something like "The corridor of life" Sangat kesian. The jungle is only a few metres thick; definitely less than 200m thick because you can always see the palm leaves among the trees!

It rained heavily that evening but we insist to continue the cruise. Terpaksa jadi tele tubbies. We even stopped once to pile out water from the boat.

Tips: Continue your cruise even if it rains because the animals will come out after the rain stops! 

The above pic is actually a tree with lots of hornbills on the branches. Sorry camera x canggeh :p

The Proboscis monkey love the rain! We saw lots of family sitting on tree branches like this :)

That night, during dinner, we were still hesitant about going for the night trekking. I was just lazy and want to rest and Z don't want to wear this ugly looking leech socks that was given by her sister

Z said to me on the first night when she showed me the socks "Aku rasa ni bukan stokin bha.. Xda rupa pon. Mungkin aku kena prank ni.."

Then when we were in Sepilok, we burst into laughter when we saw it was displayed and worth RM 30 per pair. It really exist!

Macam kasut Son Goku kan?? Just it's white instead of black :P

So, what did we see? We saw sleeping birds!

This was my first time seeing the birds asleep so I have no idea they put their heads under their wing when sleeping. Siap tanya soalan bimbo lagi..

"Kenapa dorang x balik sarang untuk tidur??"

Okay, sarang hanya untuk bertelur (-_-")

This is a dove

Ayam hutan

And I don't remember what species this is :P

Bergaya dengan leech socks and boots!

The next morning, we went for another river cruise. Nothing much except that we went into this narrower part of the river and found a family of Proboscis monkey searching for food. They panicked when they saw us and ran off, jumping from one tree to another. One was too panic that he fell! Kesian sangat.. Tapi x mati la. We saw him jump onto a tree after that.

Z, "Mungkin dalam mind setting dorang, kita pon tengah cari makanan ni.."

And we found this beautiful plant (^^)

We left Kinabatangan at 8.30 am and went straight to Sandakan English Tea House which is set on top of a hill overlooking the deep  blue sea. I like the garden (^^)

And after after that we went to Agnes Keith House which is in the same compound. Paid RM 2 for the ticket. It's free for students

We spent two hours inside the house. Very spacious and beautiful inside. We read through the histories and watched a video about Sandakan. Back in the 30's, Sandakan was the major town in Sabah. It was destroyed badly by the Japanese in 1945 and was fully restored in 1948. :) Sangat cantik la pulak zaman colonial British :P

At the end of our trip, we made some conclusions..

Lelaki yang x suka komitmen = Orang Utan

Orang Utan is a solitary being. They like to be lonely and only calls the female to eat fruits on a tree when they feel like mating. 

Lelaki yang family guy = Proboscis Monkey

They always move about together as a family and the biggest one is usually the leader of the family.

All in all, I think if Kinabatangan is not looked after, it'll become a mere legacy. I salute those who fight for its protection; that's a very noble cause. After all, protecting all creatures on earth is the duty of the khalifah :)

PS: We saw an Orang Utan making his nest during the river cruise too! (^^)v

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Padas River White Water Rafting 20 May 2012

So.. Finally!!! \(^^)/ 

Okay.. I've been trying to make this rafting trip a reality twice but both were cancelled. So, this was my third attempt. I was praying hard a few days before that especially when I heard that the antique train broke 2 days before the trip. Alhamdulillah it was all fixed on that hot sunny Sunday.

I woke up at 5am and asked my dad to send me to Wisma Sabah; we were suppose to meet up there at 5.20 am. Yup, it's that early because we have to catch a train from Beaufort to Tenom that'll depart at 7.50 am and the journey to Beaufort from KK is about 1.5 hours, depending on traffic..But.. there were two late comers so we departed at 6.30 am instead.

So this is the antique train that I was so excited about. It is still pulled by a locomotive that's powered by steam. According to a local that I met there, a few years back this train was still using coal for power! There were only three coaches and this is actually the last coach. "This is old.." I said to Z when the train start to move. It jolted and rattled throughout the journey. That's not comfortable is it?? But that's the bliss of being in an antique train (^^)

So along the way, the passengers were alighted at train stops like the one in this pic. The most amazing thing is that this train can just suddenly stop to pick up passengers too! Macam taxi!

The scenery was superb. You can see local houses if you are seated on the left side; unpainted, rugged-looking, isolated BUT with ASTRO! And if you are seated on the right, you have the flowing Padas River to accompany you along the journey.

This is a picture I took from the right side of the coach. See those steam emitted by Mr. LOCO! (I named it Mr. LOCO :P) The first stop was in Halogilat station where we moved into a two coach train that looks twice ancient than the first one. I was so shocked! (excited punya shock). The first coach have seats in it and the second one only have a wooden bench in the middle. When I stepped into the last coach my jaw dropped because it was all rusty and the door was jammed and wide opened. Told Z, "Tau suda aku apa rasanya naek train dalam filem Shah Rukh Khan.."

The train was not full so we can sit on the floor. Hadie sat at the door. I'd wanted to but it seems like everybody wanted to sit at the door. I guess, It's like a first class since you'll get the prettiest view there

The scenery along the way was splendid.. Everything look so pure and untouched. You can hear the gurgling sound of the river rapids. The sounds of birds plus all the greenery all around. Z said, "Actually train journey ni pon suda cukup meanigful.." And she's damn right! (^^)

 So, before we reach the starting point, we stopped in Rayoh station to put our stuffs there. From this point you're only allowed to bring waterproof stuffs. If you have a non waterproof camera, the guide will help you to keep it in their waterproof bag.You can bring your phone if you want but there's no use of doing that because there'll be no signal. 

Rayoh is a very beautiful place and the air is like extremely fresh. 

"Bole ka aku buat holiday home di sini?"

It is in no doubt far from all the modern stuffs that you can get in the city but this place is a perfect getaway place. When I was there, I feel so content with what's around me and my shoulder feels lighter. Superb.. memang superb.. except for the dogs that wander around and scared the hell out of me la hehe

So for the last leg of our journey, I rushed to the train to get the 'first class' seat \(^^)/ berjaya!!!!!!!

This time there were no train stops. The locals just stand beside the railroad, wave their hands and the train would just stop! The train was DEAD SLOW that the locals can just jump out from it at their destination. 

DEAD SLOW 

This is one of the rapids that I manage to snap from the 'first class' seat. it doesn't look that intimidating, right? Wait until you're in the boat.. Then you know how strong the current is!

This is the group that I went with and this is Pangi where the starting point is. They're actually students and one of them did her internship in Z's place.

We geared up; wore a life jacket and a helmet. Listened to a simple briefing and then off we go. See how they carry the boats. The put them on this plank that have steel wheels and just push it to the starting point

We got the brand new yellow boat. I think it is named Cobra because I overheard a guide from another boat asked "Kamu pakai Cobra ka?" Yup.. So I guessed that's the boat's name :P It is one sturdy-looking boat. "Tagap boat kita ni Z!" 

There are some 'warm up' rapids in the beginning and there is one spot where they allow you to go for a swim. It's like for the water confident. This picture on top is another spot where the current is much stronger than the first spot so I was drifting very fast and I told the guide I want to always be beside him (romantic kan?? hahaha). There were small rapids too where we did body rafting! \(^^)/

 Below are some pics at the rapids

There are 7 rapids all together.

Headhunter, Lambda, Cobra, Washing Machine, Mickey mouse.. Can't remember another 2 :P

Below is the picture in Washing Machine.. 

I also fell into the river :P 

According to a friend, the rapid was only grade 3 when I went so I'm planning to go again during the rainy season. It's good though to experience the first one while it is in the smaller rapid mode because I get to enjoy the surrounding more since it took a longer time to finish. If it's in grade 4, the rafting will only take about an hour plus while the one we did took a good 2 hours to finish :)

So, here I am.. All tanned.. These days I just refuse to apply sunblock because I know I'll add them melanin up every two weeks.. Can't wait to explore more of Sabah.. Borneo is a stealer of hearts

GG: Z, kalo tempat ni kena develop, I'll be against it..

Z: Ko wat la petition.. Suruh orang sign

GG: Ya.. Lepas tu menang Nobel Prize :P

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Kundasang & Ranau; Mother's day trip

I'm never good with dates.. So I actually don't remember the date for Mother's Day. Heard it on the radio and since my mom was coming over the weekend for some reunion and I extremely miss the mountain so I made a last minute plan to have an overnight in Kundasang with my dearest Mom. But then, she told me to bring along my cousin because according to her "We are always the three stooges!" (-_-") I was like, "What!??"

Anyway, I made this trip a leisure one. No muscle straining activities, just a little bit of sweating. So advice number one, book your accommodation EARLY!!!!!!!! Since this was a last minute plan, I tried to book the hotel room a day before the trip. Bijak kan!??? It was a weekend so ALL of the cheaper lodgings were fully booked! At first, I thought they only deny phone bookings and I asked whether I can just walk in and ask for a room on Saturday.. The reply I got from ALL of them were.. *Sabahan slang*

"Miss. Kalau kita datang walk-in pun kami tia buli jamin o.." So, there was no chance for me to get a room even if I walk in. Ces! So I have to search for the more expensive ones. My mom said we could just stay in Ranau but I insist that I want a room that face the mountain and the mountain should be the first thing I see when I wake up haha I can be this demanding, you now :p So finally I booked online a room in Kinabalu Park Hotel

We departed from KK quite late that Saturday because of my mom's reunion so it was a relief to have booked the hotel online.. BUT, when I got there, there were quite a number of cancellations that day so they've reduced the price of the room to rm300 and I've paid an extra rm140 online (-_-") urgh! but never mind... (^^) O ya,, this price includes breakfast. 

I actually didn't regret paying extra money for the room since it is situated where I expect it to be; inside Kinabalu Park and facing the mountain. It was cloudy when we put our things in so I wasn't that ecstatic that evening but was happy that it was cozy and spacious. And most importantly, the soothing cold temperature (^^) Finally away from the city daunting heat! So, after putting our things, we head to Kundasang for some sight seeing

We went to the cattle farm in Mesilau \(^^)/ Okay, advice number two, if anybody (for instance your cousin) tells you that your car can't climb the steep hill, don't you ever believe them! When I said I wanted to go to Mesilau, my cousin was against it because she said, "Nda tenaek tu kreta ko..". Knowing her as a less optimistic person than I am, I said to her, "Kita naek jak. Jaga ko kalo kreta aku tenaek ah!" And then voila, my awesome orange myvi climbed the hill with ease.. "Uish gagah bha ni myvi aku!!!!!" 

So what can you see in the cattle farm; the black and white milk-producing cows! We were lucky enough to see the milking process. The cows lined up in two rows and was fed with some formula as the milking machine does ist work. The cows were very obedient but what amazed me most was when I saw a cow scratched its ear with its back limb!!!!!!! I was so surprised to see  it that I forgot to snap a pic. I always thought they cannot extend their back limb that far with all those fats on their belly haha

So what's so special about Mesilau is of course the scenery. You can see the other side of the mountain. I say, the view is even more beautiful from this side because this is actually the deep ravine and the pointed rocks that you can see from the peak. Breathtaking...

So this is the view of the cattle farm compound. Green green grass all around for the cows to feed on.. Right in front of this fence is actually a gravel road and just across are the staff houses. And why I'm describing this is because you can buy flowers at cheaper price from the staff. My mom was doing her flower shopping when I pose for this konon2 ayu pic. 

Next, we went  to the War Memorial. There's an entrance fee but I can't remember how much because my cousin went to pay it but it should not be more than RM3

What's inside? 3 beautiful gardens; Australian, English and Borneo garden. Newspaper cuttings; some about how they founded this war memorial and I remember seeing a picture of the first Dusun who conquered Mount Kinabalu peak. There were some memorial plates for the soldiers who died during the Confrontation and the Sandakan Death March. 

I have suggestion for this place (pandai2 jak kan :P) I think they should put the chronology of all the events so that visitors could really appreciate the sacrifices the soldiers made. The newspaper cuttings were all scattered so I can't really understand the flow and I think most of it was about the opening of the place rather than history. The memorial plates did mention the names of the events like the Sandakan Death March and Confrontation but I wasn't sure of the history until I googled it at home. They should have the chronology like the one written on this wall at Gaya Street. That'll make it be more interesting :)

After the war memorial, we went back to Kinabalu Park and had our dinner at this small restaurant situated right in front of the park's entrance. Surprisingly cheap and the food was good but I was too dizzy and nauseous to enjoy it. Swallowed one tablet Maxolon and went straight to bed when we reached our room.

So actually, I got what I wanted. The above pic is the view from our door. Just like what I'd imagined.

We can even see Laban Rata and Pendant Hut  \(^^)/

So from my opinion, If you want the closest view of the mountain , you should opt for the Kinabalu park Hotel. there are other cheaper hotels nearby, but you wont get this view. You still can see the mountain but not this close.

So I took my family for a walk in the park that morning. Walked the short trails to see flowers and some insects. And finally we had buffet breakfast in the Balsam Restaurant. Since the breakfast included with the room is for two, so I'd to pay another RM 45.40 for my cousin. The food is good. A mixture of oriental and american breakfast. 

Next we went to the Sabah Tea farm. Nothing much because it was not the time for the harvest and no tea processing was done at that hour. So we just walk around under the scorching sun and took some pics.

Next we went to the Tagal Sungai Moroli, Kg Luanti which is famous with the fish massage located just next to the tea farm entrance. We paid RM 5 for a 15 minutes session with the fish. I know they are huge fish before we arrive so I already said that I wont dip my leg inside the river. My cousin thought they are small and was excited. So finally, when we were there, my cousin just sit at the river  bank and watch and I went to have a dip. . But of course, I screamed a lot when I had my first dip and this time out of fear and not excitement. It was horrific at first with all those fish as big as my calf swarming my legs. But then I got used to the tingling as their slippery skin brush against my skin

Before we went home, I manage to pull my cousin into the river. She was too scared to even look at the camera.

We were suppose to drive to Mesilau trail after that but suddenly there was a heavy downpour. So, we decided to head back to KK to avoid thick fog after the rain.. (^^)

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