Showing posts with label Kota Kinabalu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kota Kinabalu. Show all posts

Friday, 24 December 2010

Kinabalu, what does that mean?

Photo: Old post office filled with graffiti at Kota Kinabalu - 12/12/10

Being rich with time, I was 'overstaying' in the city of Kota Kinabalu, so I've started asking around what means the word Kinabalu, used for both the City Kota Kinabalu and the mountain Kinabalu.

The first person was a father with who I was sharing my table at the bus-station restaurant during lunch, about 1 hour before the bus to which I bought a ticket,would be leaving, bringing me to the village of Ranau.
I had a conversation with him and he asked me many questions. He kept thinking I came from New Zealand, or maybe he kept saying I came from New Zealand, because I told him I am from Holland bur he didn't understand the name nor knew the country. So I wasn't surprised if he kept saying New Zealand not to be in the situation not knowing where I am from, or having to ask questions about my county in an awkward way without naming the name of the country. So he kept asking things about New Zealand, and I kept saying I couldn't answer his question as I had never been to New Zealand, "however in my country, in Holland, ...." is how I finished my response but he kept firing new questions about this country which actually carries a Dutch name.

Monday, 20 December 2010

Riding a wheel chair at the hospital

Photo: All wrapped up on Borneo, Malaysia - 19/12/10

Since I did not make it to the top of Mount Kinabalu, and in meanwhile I returned to Kota Kinabalu from a trip to Kuching, in Sarawak, I thought I'll give it another go, and to be more sure of reaching the top, I thought to climb to mountain in one day up, to the top, and down again. Because during the night there is a bigger chance of rainfall, and I didn't want to catch the same unluckiness as the previous time...
Earlier I was planning to go to Sandakan, as my flight to Kuala Lumpur would be leaving from Sandakan about 5 days later. Mount Kinabalu is on the way to Sandakan anyway.

So I took the bus, and after about 30 minutes on the bus I realized that I forgot my charger for the photo camera batteries! What could I do? Get off and go back? But from the bus station it is another 30 minutes and two buses to get back to the hostel....I could perhaps go to the mountain and return to the hostel afterwards or the next day. Could I ask them to send to charger perhaps?
I decided to continue to the mountain and see if it is possible to climb the next day anyway. In meantime I send a text message to Jennifer and Will who I met on the way and who I joined the visit to Kuching, asking for the phone number of the hostel so I could give a ring for them to check on the charger and take it from the room before someone would steal it.
I found out that Jennifer and Will, who where planning on flying to the Philippines, were not allowed to board their plane because it´s required to have a return flight to visit the Philippines...and they were sooo looking forward to go!

In meanwhile I reached to mountain, and I walked up the stairs to the head quarter.