KOTA KINABALU, Sabah – Ocean blue and mountain green – heavily forested green – define the essential Sabah.
And where sea and mountain meet, there most surely springs the greatest adventures. In nature.
So I hugged the trees, smelled the flowers, fondled the leaves at the Kinabalu Park botanical garden. And found some spiritual serenity.
So I jigged at the canopy walk, just to convince my unbelieving peers that I had no fear of heights. And did a Tarzan too with some vines on the way down to the oooh-so-soothing hot springs at Poring.
That well sums up the green mountain adventure of my Day Two in Kota Kinabalu.
Day Three. Off to Jesselton Wharf, five-minute ride from Gaya Centre Hotel boarded a passenger boat to island hop around the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Park.
First stop Sapi Island. Right at the pier, a most delightful sight: pulchritude in myriad shades from Southeast Asian brown to European white in revealing beach togs. Heaven to the yogi with so many navels to contemplate!
Into the water, an even greater delight: schools of fish swarming around you, nipping here and there. To swim with the fish, one fond wish fulfilled.
For the more adventurous, a scuba dive – complete with instructors and the latest gears – at nearby reefs. Or an underwater walk even for novice swimmers made possible with bubble like diver’s helmets.
A quick indulgence in foreign relations: a Latvian mother and her 15-month daughter turn close acquaintances after the first hello. Friendly poses for the cameras with Anastacia. Building castles in the sand with Maria.
Travel and tourism fostering amity among nations there.
One hour in the water, then off to the next stop: Manukan Island. Yeah, named after the domestic chicken.
The fish are more aggressively friendly here. Feeding frenzy ever at the ready with but a dip of a bread crumb.
Time for lunch. Buffet table groaning from the weight of the arrayed dishes – all tanggung halal, but of course: an assortment of grilled fish, prawns and alupihang dagat, grilled steaks and kambing with mint sauce to die for, satay ayam, sop ayam, salads and fruits. Food, glorious food!
Siesta time under lush, lush pines lining the beach. Cool, cool breeze whistling through the pine needles as a lullaby to lull one to sleep. But no time for even a nap though, or else miss the pageantry continuously unraveling along the shore.
Fantastic daydreams cut abruptly by the call to pack up and take the boat back to Kota Kinabalu. Sapi and Manukan images will always be there not only stored in flash drives and SD cards, but engraved in one’s own un-virused hard drive: the human imagination.
Sapi and Manukan, along with the three other islands of the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Park, definitely did not have the sugary white sands of Boracay but they better the Philippines’ best beach in greenery – the islands are lush with trees, and absolutely best it in their pristine state. But for single restaurants, there are no commercial establishments on the islands.
Quick showers at Gaya Centre Hotel then off to Monsopiad Village, some 30 minutes from Kota. Monsopiad was a legendary Kadazan warrior who lived 200 years ago.
Getting to know a bit of the life and times of the warrior took us first to the Siou Do Mohoing or the House of Skulls where 42 bleached human skulls – trophies from Monsopiad’s head-hunting days – hang from the rafters.
Displayed there too are old ceramic jars – housing the spirits, bamboo items, antique utensils and the costume of Bobohizan Inai Bianti, direct descendant of Monsopiad and acclaimed high priestess of the tribe.
At a traditional long house, cultural dances were performed – one with bamboo poles akin to our own tinikling.
Of interest too in the village is what I called the “moonshine” hut where rice wine is distilled using indigenous implements.
Back to Kota Kinabalu at near-dusk to have our fill of bak kut teh, literally “meat bone tea,” a famous dish of principally meaty pork ribs, some offal and bits of innards simmered in broth of herbs and spices and served with dried or fried tofu and rice.
No pork-eater for a long time, I felt a wonderfully woozy fullness after the meal, necessitating cups of espresso at the Coffee Beans and Tea Leaf this time.
So ended Day Three. In time to start writing the Sabah stories and get ready to leave for home the next day. A sense of bitin, of something still undone, of someplace still ungone to – feelings that always come over me at every departure.
In Sabah, there is Mount Kinabalu yet to climb, Sandakan to immerse in, Sippadan to perfect the art of doing nothing. And the rafflesia flower to see, to smell in full bloom.
O can only acquiesce to the counsel of a seasoned traveler: Don’t overdo it the first time. Or there will be nothing more to look for the next time around.
Yeah, to Sabah, I shall most certainly return.
And where sea and mountain meet, there most surely springs the greatest adventures. In nature.
So I hugged the trees, smelled the flowers, fondled the leaves at the Kinabalu Park botanical garden. And found some spiritual serenity.
So I jigged at the canopy walk, just to convince my unbelieving peers that I had no fear of heights. And did a Tarzan too with some vines on the way down to the oooh-so-soothing hot springs at Poring.
That well sums up the green mountain adventure of my Day Two in Kota Kinabalu.
Day Three. Off to Jesselton Wharf, five-minute ride from Gaya Centre Hotel boarded a passenger boat to island hop around the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Park.
First stop Sapi Island. Right at the pier, a most delightful sight: pulchritude in myriad shades from Southeast Asian brown to European white in revealing beach togs. Heaven to the yogi with so many navels to contemplate!
Into the water, an even greater delight: schools of fish swarming around you, nipping here and there. To swim with the fish, one fond wish fulfilled.
For the more adventurous, a scuba dive – complete with instructors and the latest gears – at nearby reefs. Or an underwater walk even for novice swimmers made possible with bubble like diver’s helmets.
A quick indulgence in foreign relations: a Latvian mother and her 15-month daughter turn close acquaintances after the first hello. Friendly poses for the cameras with Anastacia. Building castles in the sand with Maria.
Travel and tourism fostering amity among nations there.
One hour in the water, then off to the next stop: Manukan Island. Yeah, named after the domestic chicken.
The fish are more aggressively friendly here. Feeding frenzy ever at the ready with but a dip of a bread crumb.
Time for lunch. Buffet table groaning from the weight of the arrayed dishes – all tanggung halal, but of course: an assortment of grilled fish, prawns and alupihang dagat, grilled steaks and kambing with mint sauce to die for, satay ayam, sop ayam, salads and fruits. Food, glorious food!
Siesta time under lush, lush pines lining the beach. Cool, cool breeze whistling through the pine needles as a lullaby to lull one to sleep. But no time for even a nap though, or else miss the pageantry continuously unraveling along the shore.
Fantastic daydreams cut abruptly by the call to pack up and take the boat back to Kota Kinabalu. Sapi and Manukan images will always be there not only stored in flash drives and SD cards, but engraved in one’s own un-virused hard drive: the human imagination.
Sapi and Manukan, along with the three other islands of the Tuanku Abdul Rahman Park, definitely did not have the sugary white sands of Boracay but they better the Philippines’ best beach in greenery – the islands are lush with trees, and absolutely best it in their pristine state. But for single restaurants, there are no commercial establishments on the islands.
Quick showers at Gaya Centre Hotel then off to Monsopiad Village, some 30 minutes from Kota. Monsopiad was a legendary Kadazan warrior who lived 200 years ago.
Getting to know a bit of the life and times of the warrior took us first to the Siou Do Mohoing or the House of Skulls where 42 bleached human skulls – trophies from Monsopiad’s head-hunting days – hang from the rafters.
Displayed there too are old ceramic jars – housing the spirits, bamboo items, antique utensils and the costume of Bobohizan Inai Bianti, direct descendant of Monsopiad and acclaimed high priestess of the tribe.
At a traditional long house, cultural dances were performed – one with bamboo poles akin to our own tinikling.
Of interest too in the village is what I called the “moonshine” hut where rice wine is distilled using indigenous implements.
Back to Kota Kinabalu at near-dusk to have our fill of bak kut teh, literally “meat bone tea,” a famous dish of principally meaty pork ribs, some offal and bits of innards simmered in broth of herbs and spices and served with dried or fried tofu and rice.
No pork-eater for a long time, I felt a wonderfully woozy fullness after the meal, necessitating cups of espresso at the Coffee Beans and Tea Leaf this time.
So ended Day Three. In time to start writing the Sabah stories and get ready to leave for home the next day. A sense of bitin, of something still undone, of someplace still ungone to – feelings that always come over me at every departure.
In Sabah, there is Mount Kinabalu yet to climb, Sandakan to immerse in, Sippadan to perfect the art of doing nothing. And the rafflesia flower to see, to smell in full bloom.
O can only acquiesce to the counsel of a seasoned traveler: Don’t overdo it the first time. Or there will be nothing more to look for the next time around.
Yeah, to Sabah, I shall most certainly return.
