If you thought that a mole-hill like Kinabalu would scuttle the rest of the travelers' weekend plans, you would be only partially right, but mostly wrong. The switch to the Best Western turned out to be a stroke of genius, and the hot showers that night surely drained most of the hot water supply for all of Kota Kinabalu.
In Borneo, however, there is no rest for the weary, so after a (somewhat painful) bone-tired sleep, the travelers psyched themselves up for the next adventure: a day of snorkeling on tropical beaches.
This plan was a further stroke of genius, as about the only physical feat Nicole and Jesse could accomplish the day after hiking the mountain was drifting aimlessly on the current and crawling out onto the sand to work on their suntans.
In the gorgeous turquoise waters off the coast of Kota Kinabalu lie several tiny islands that make for ideal day-trips. The travelers booked an excursion with a local tour company and the day would not disappoint.
We started with a boat ride to tiny Sapi island, little more than a bump covered with jungle and a pristine beach. Although Nicole and Jesse were skeptical that all snorkeling would take place within about 50 meters of the beach, their concerns were more than assuaged with what turned out to be an overwhelming diversity of marine life just feet from the shore. As soon as they walked the first few meters into the water, schools of colourful fish swarmed them, and the fish were not shy at all! A few meters deeper and the divers entered a full-out coral reef just feet beneath the water's surface.
As the tropical sun beat down on a perfect beach day, the travelers enjoyed the aquatic show for hours. They saw bright coral, angel fish, and even Nemo-esque clown fish at home in their protective sea anemones. The visibility was great, and the water was shallow enough that they were able to witness the full spectacle.
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| Incredible diversity of fish on the reef |
Returning to shore, the wildlife show did not stop. One of the main selling points of these day tours is the all-you-can-eat buffet lunch (again, much to Jesse's liking). The smell of cooking meat attracted a massive monitor lizard from the forest, who begged for and then ate scraps. This was easily the biggest lizard that Nicole and Jesse had even seen, and certainly would have sent Jesse's mother and Aunt Phyllis into fits, once they came to.
From Sapi Island, the tour moved on to Mamutik Island, just a short boat ride away. It was on Mamutik that the travelers enjoyed their buffet feast, and, after a brief constitutional to aid digestion while doing a bit of exploring, it was back into the water. The fish at Mamutik were even more numerous, and the travelers really enjoyed being a part of the school as the fish were far from shy.
The tour wrapped up with Jesse and Mike joining the locals in a game of beach volleyball, on a net strung between two trees. Jesse really enjoyed getting back on the court, and his native teammates were thrilled to have some imported talent. It was a far cry from his professional days, but the stakes were high (three beers per person per game), and this was more than enough motivation for Jesse's team to throttle their opponents.
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| Given the hike the day before, it is shocking they achieved this altitude |
Returning to the shore, the group took generous advantage of the good exchange rate and cheap local labour by indulging in much needed full body massages, which cost only $11 for an hour. Although Nicole was far too sore to let anyone lay hands on her, she treated herself to a manicure/pedicure - a little pampering was in order after conquering that peak!
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| A fishmonger with a massive lobster |
From the massage parlor, we hobbled towards the night market, which is fast becoming one of Nicole and Jesse's favourite photo spots on their trips. The sights and smells were overwhelming, and the locals were eager to show off their wares - perhaps too eager. As alluded to in our last post, Nicole's craving for sweet sweet mango got the best of her, and she ate a huge bite of the fruit from one of the market stalls...likely a fruit that had not been washed. The fever started about a full day after this small indiscretion, and poor Nicole was sick as a dog for several days after our return to Hong Kong. She is fully recovered now, but has learned a valuable lesson about eating in foreign countries!
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| Tempting but deadly. You can see the culprit being cut in the top right. |
The next morning we took in the Sunday street market before heading off on another jungle adventure. Nicole kept her hands to herself this time, and the group enjoyed the crowded scene. The girls bought beautiful sarongs, and Mike found his girlfriend some kind of trinket to send by mail.
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| Nicole in the Sunday street market |
The travelers made it back to their hotel in time to prepare for their next adventure, this time to the Klias River, some two hours from Kota Kinabalu. The river is known for its population of proboscis monkeys and the late-night spectacle of fireflies.
These monkeys look ridiculous, with bulbous noses that get bigger as they age. The dominant males have massive snouts that flap down over their mouths. After a few minutes of futile searching, our guides happened upon their first troop of monkeys and there was no looking back. This river is apparently lousy with simians and we could drive more than a couple minutes up river before stopping to snap photos of another troop.
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| A troop of proboscis monkeys at the Klias River |
Our weekend in Borneo coincided with a Chinese national holiday, so there were many many Chinese tourists around delighting in the monkey-show, not to mention Nicole's Caucasian good looks and Jesse's trans-mundane height.
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| Just a hunch, but I think these Chinese tourists have spotted something in the trees. |
After a brief stop at a river lodge for dinner, it was back onto the river to see the fireflies. Again the travelers were skeptical because we have fireflies back home in Ontario. However, like most things in Borneo, we do NOT have fireflies like this. There were so many fireflies that the trees seemed to dance with lights; so many fireflies that the group was certain they had been dosed with LSD at dinner; so many fireflies that...well, you get the point. Sadly, fireflies do not photograph well, so you're going to have to take our word for it.
Nicole spent our final hours in Borneo in bed, while Lyndsay and Jesse picked up some souvenirs and sent some postcards. Departing Sabah, we got one last look at this totally wild and rugged island from the plane. The ominous clouds still shrouded Mount Kinabalu, and the tropical sun still beat down on the tiny coastal islands. Even with the sickness, the soreness, the fatigue, the exhaustion, and the sun burns, Jesse and Nicole still consider Kota Kinabalu to be their best trip to date, and would gladly go back without hesitation.
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| Nicole and Jesse exploring the coral reef |
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