Kota Kinabalu

 09/02/2012 4:26 PM

So it truly has been a while since I last checked in. I was going to write on the 6^th but ended up editing what I had written prior while I was in Mulu. So its the 9^th today and I’ve just come back from scuba diving, but let’s start from four days ago.

Hotel Room in Miri - Well needed!

So I arrived back in Miri on the morning of the 6^th and I wanted to see prior to leaving for Mulu, so all I really had any interest in doing was taking it easy and relaxing for a day well needed. So I ended up stay at the Park Everly Hotel and Resort, it was slightly above my budget, well, quite a bit, but I needed a night with a soft bed, clean room, big shower, air conditioning and TV.... all things I’ve had to go without, for the most part, while being in Malaysia. So I didn’t do much on the 6^th aside from hang around at the hotel. Its right on the beach with a swimming pool and much to do. I ordered room service that night and slept well. The morning of the 7^th I checked out around noon, having another relaxing morning and headed for the airport early due to the lack of anything better to do in Miri. 

Room Service - Malay Club Sandwich

My flight went well, there’s not much to say about it. Brad, the Australian who I hiked in Mulu with, emailed me while I was in Mulu to let me know that he was staying at the Rainforest Lodge, a hostel right in downtown KK, and that it was definitely worth checking out. So I took his word for it and headed that way from the airport even though I had no reservations. All worked out well and I ended up in the same room as Brad. The dorm sleeps eight, but there is just the two of us in it. 

So once I got settled in we when out to eat at the place on Beach Street. Now, Beach Street is a particularly cool place. Its a pedestrian street that is entirely covered and there are vines and plants all throughout it really giving in the feeling of an artificial rainforest. Its covered with bars and restaurants and there is always live music from 8:30 PM till midnight. So we had dinner here and ended up meeting a group of Kazaks who we spent much of the evening with. KK is a pretty fun place as a backpacker, there is much to see and do here, and there is much money to be spent. So that was the night of the 7^th.

Yesterday I spent the day wandering around the many markets as well as the sea front. Later in the afternoon I met up with Brad, who had spent the day diving, who helped me organize both my diving trips and my Kinabalu climb as he had done it the previous day. (He ended up here a day early even though we were on the same flight out of Mulu. Instead of spending a night in Miri, he went straight on to KK which is what I should have done had I not already booked my flight, but my night in Miri was well needed and well spent.) So I ended up booking a day diving (today) and my two days climbing Mt Kinabalu (tomorrow).

Interesting Poster I Saw on the Way In

So now we are caught up. So yeah, like I said, I spend the day diving. It was unbelievable. I organized it though Borneo Divers as they are the diving tour agency. So I was picked up this morning and shuttle off to the Kota Kinabalu Harbour where I was met by my dive instructor, whose name currently escapes me, she was nice though. We got on a boat which took us to a tinny island, maybe 500 m in diameter; it serves as their dive station and dock for all the diving boats. So after spending about 30 minutes trying to find a wet suit that fits me, and don’t ask me why they all wear wetsuits, the water temperature is like 28 degrees, but at least it prevents sun burn, so I was not complaining. So after that I was given a brief theoretical course. We then geared up and headed to the beach. The first dive is off the island and the second is from a boat. So that was pretty cool. We spent the first 30 or 45 minutes getting familiar with our equipment and then we headed out. The water is so clear here and there is so much to see, even if you are just 50 M from the beach. So this dive was not very deep, only about 10 M, but it was cool none the less as we saw lots of coral, huge numbers and sea creatures, as well as schools of hundreds of fish. It was quite spectacular to say the least. We then came in for lunch and a bit of hanging around.

At about 1:30 we geared up again and got into the boat to head out to some deeper water to do our second dive. This one was to a depth of about 18 M, the deepest they will let you go without a license, and made for a really cool experience. Sea cucumber are everywhere and they are huge. There are also thousands of sea urchin and numerous other plants and creatures I could not identify. So yeah, definitely an awesome experience and totally something I would do again. That said, I am considering getting my license when I get to the Gili Islands in Indonesia. I can do it over four days for a decent price. So that is something to think about. It would allow me to do some awesome diving while in both Indonesia and in Thailand. But I have not yet decided is that is something I want to spend the money on. It is quite spectacular to say the least.

So tomorrow I am off to Mt Kinabalu for the night. I will leave from KK tomorrow morning by bus, climb up to the lodge and then summit the morning of the next day. I will then descend and make my way back to KK. I opted to this as opposed to staying at the base of KK to both save money and because I don’t think, even if I stay another two nights, I will want to hike the day after Kinabalu. So I will book my flight to Bali tonight, and I will leave on the morning of the 12^th.

So that's pretty much it. I'll try to write more than I have been in the last few days, I`ve just been busy and all.

All for now.