Mt Kinabalu, Via Ferrata 2011

Arrive in Sabah, greeted by Jan's friends

Get into the van. Still got 2 more fellas will pick them up later.

Lunch time

Beef noodles

Laksa and claypot rice

Walking around the shops.... can boil the grass and mandi ...

Some shops nearby the restaurants

Time to move

Kota Kinabalu nowadays got jam also

Nice mosque

Stop to buy some mineral water

On the way to the Mt Kinabalu national park

Arrive at the National Park office

Get our permits and hire guides

Lots of tourists

Stop by at the Mountain Torq Office

The world's highest and Asia's first via ferrata on Mt Kinabalu

Who wants to buy t-shirt

Mud and tracktor

Buy some bananas, good for energy

Our driver for today.

Raining raining

Arrive at Masilau resort.

Raining... run from the van and get your luggage out

Put on backpack cover and raincoat

Short walk up to our dorm rooms

Wow, we stayed here last time, looks nicer

Nice and cosy double decker beds

Dinner time

Yummy steamboat... good for cold weather

What's the best way to cook the eggs.

Next morning, all ready for the trek up Mt Kinabalu. Leave some luggage here.

Breakfast... had to wait quite long.

American breakfast. You can also order nasi lemak.

Starting point here.

Our guides handing out the tags.

Still got many trees in the resort

Still raining

Photo

Ok, start trekking....

Too hot can remove raincoat ... better use umbrella like our guide.

Walk walk walk

No not stopping here

Up and up.... already mossy forest

Still got how many KM ?

Waterfall

Jambatan gantung

Photo at the bridge

Whew

Bleeehh..

Chia says this is her 3rd time climbing Mt Kinabalu.
Her friend ask her why she come here so many times.
This time want to try the Via Ferrata mah...

Nice little forest ...

Down down down

Rocks

Stairs ... got alot of stairs...

Leaf

Toilet... maybe no water

Ok, stop here for lunch.

Have some sandwich and cheesecake

Squirrel and rat also want to eat.

Nice trees

Ok, already back to Timpohon trail...

Rocks and mud

Rain coat, umbrella, backpack cover... good idea

Up some more

Stop a few mins.. trekking behind Shoo Chan

Up some more... "are we there yet section" .. very misty can't see much

Stop here to have a kit kat...

Nice tree

Waras hut... must be new

Ok, reach Laban Rata... where's everybody...

Via ferrata briefing at Pendant hut

Uuuhhhh ... Sit next to Alvin

Some more briefing by our Via Ferrata guide

We trek up to summit using the blue trail... and come down via ferrata the red one
Red one join back to the shorter green circuit...

Some mat salleh tourist trying out the gear...

Ok our turn

Shoo Chan goes first... loop the rope around the hook

Ok, dinner time and Laban Rata hut

Rice with some vege and curry chicken and eggs

Time to sleep, lights out
10 of us just nice fit into one room

Ok 2.30am wake up and get ready ... Sylvia all set

Everybody going up the summit trail... traffic jam

Not enough air...

Looks like neon pants can glow in the dark...

Donkey ears

Walk walk walk some more ...

Already reach the 8km mark lah... want to proceed to Low's Peak ?

Quite flat here.... easy walk.. just follow the white rope to be safe

Ok, Low's Peak is just up there another 15 mins... but, no time lah
Unfinished business....

That's the sunrise...

Ok, go back down

Amazing landscape... granite rocks etc... looks like another planet

Take some more photos....

Puddles of water

The famous wave thing.... South Peak

Donkey ears again....

Above the clouds

Walk walk walk...and enjoy the view

Looks like Transformers

Some grass here and there... the via ferrata starting point is just in front

Ok, get ready.. maybe have some cheesecake first
Toilet can do it somewhere around

Put on your harness

Guide help us put on helmet and tie the rope

Got 8 of us, split into 2 groups... 4 and 4.
Each group got a guide. Guide will be behind, and holding camera for us

Ok, whose turn to go down...

We are up next...

Ok, Jan go first.. I'm next... woah... very high up, can see Laban Rata

Arrraahhhh......

Wow... looks like really got the mountain climbing style....

If raining sure got waterfall here...

Down down one step at a time... uugghh I'm going to vomit again..

Got shaky bridge... piece a cake...

Ok, no more photos... after that raining.. and have to trek down to Timpohon gate
Tired tired....

Next morning, at Poring Hot Springs resort... drying off our stuff

Lets go try out the hot springs

Cross the bridge

Got some private pools

Get your swimsuit ready

Hot hot water

Ai yah, have to fill up ourselves... wait quite long.. some leaking one..
Ok lah just soak our toes first...

Ok, check out and back on the road...

Jan's friend give briefing about the fishes... don't grab...etc

What's this...

Distribute some fish food ... fish very friendly, already trained

Aaaahhh... fish attack

Haaahahahaha

Get some fish massage

Can go to the deeper area to play some more

Mr fish says hello to Jessy

Sucking or biting ? No more food for you...

Alvin poses for photo with fishes

The rest look on...

Ok, there's some food here.. eat something or else get hungry

Back in the van

On the road again...

More dark clouds ... farming area

Stop for lunch at Tamparuli

Chinese tea here free flow...

Tuaran Mee

Ok, bye bye...

Extended tour ........

Check in to Tune Hotel.. first time staying in Tune hotel
Good location near 1Borneo shopping mall

Very slippery floors and ads everywhere

Whaoh, what's this.... got 12 hours of air con left.

Bed... sharing room with Chia. Got one towel ...

Air con and hangers.. and more ads..

Big fan

Fast, easy and secure online banking.. very convenient...

Ok, need to rent a car for our Kudat trip

Proton wira ? No, looks like they are out of cars today...

Massage next to hotel

Will come back later for a foot massage

1Borneo shopping mall...

Plastic flowers shop... coming to KL soon

Dinner time... specialty is crocodiles, but no we don't want to eat crocodiles..
Ada apa makan ? Bak kut teh

Poor crocodile

Bak kut teh soup. It taste more like normal soup... Ok lah

Shop for some fruits, too green

Fridge magnet

Ok, kill some time, everyone go for foot massage...

Got time to watch some movie and relax after all that trekking
Oh, YK is here...

Next morning....
Chia busy making arrangements for the car and kudat trip..

Ok.... this looks good

Map to Kudat, tip of Borneo... no need GPS

Got via ferrata package also

Why I take so many photos of this shop.... good service mah
The lady recommended good place to eat breakfast....

Finally got our transport arrangements

MyV

Ok makan.... somewhere nearby, in front of Guardian

Nasi lemak, chicken rice, red bean soup etc

Ok, check out.... 58mins of aircon left

At least they had a nice sink with hot water to wash my clothes..

Store some of our luggage at Tune Hotel

Shoo Chan picks up her laundry ... weight the clothes

Ok, YK driving!

Sleeping cow

Stop for a drink

Kopi ais ... 4 of us lah...

Raining

Ok, arrive in Kudat...makan some noodles
Chit chat with this lady boss.. she says she's from Taiping

Yummy noodles....

Check in

Kudat small town, view from the Ria Hotel

Can see the sea

Aaahhhh.... nice and comfy hotel room! Must pamper ourselves once in while..

Hello at the balcony

This is what we came for... helicopter view of Tip of Borneo

Driving there...

Ok, looks like there's a nice paved road...

Round globe

Ok.. we are here, right at the most northern tip, of Borneo....
nope, didn't see any penguins or seals... just some waves and rocks

Black rocks look like Mt kinabalu rocks

Any tsunami here ?

Me, hehehe

They are taking photo of me jumping up and down.. huh..

Some handicraft

Coconut juice ... while waiting for the rain to stop

Stop to get some beer for tonight...

Aaahhhhh... sleep

Go out for dinner... some chinese restaurant....

Got some pasar malam also

Ok, next day........breakfast behind the hotel

Pau for breakfast

With some noodles, milo and lormai kai...

Soup noodles look better ...
Just trying out the local food......

Visit a temple next door

Ok, bye bye Kudat town and we visit other attractions

Wasps nest

Honey...

Either bee nest or waps nest

Get some water...

Long house

Can have homestay here

Long house.. with rooms...

Can buy some handicraft here..

Just hangout here for awhile

Ok.. Gong village in Mutuggong

Kampung house

Looks like everyone here specialize in making Gongs

Musical instruments..... some tourist will buy as souvinir

Biggest gong in the football field

Pesta Gong, officiated by YB Chia

Matunggong..... in chinese means "Everything also empty"
Maybe no chinese will want to stay in a town called Matungong

Back to Tune hotel to collect luggage

Check in to backpacker hostel for the night... next day already flying off

Looks like 2 of us have to sleep in the attic

Walk around Kota Kinabalu town

Pasar

Have some snacks

Can do some shopping here too

Stop at Chia's favourite coffee shop.... sanfrancisco coffee

7.30pm time for dinner, meet up with Chia's friends...
They bring us to a seafood restaurant somewhere 15mins away from town..

Ha, toufu, clams... yummy .. very fresh

Fish

Crabs

Snails

That's how you pull it out

Ok, next morning, bye bye. The rest fly to Tawau for some diving and snorkling in Mabul.

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