2014 - Year In Review

One year about to pass in days time. Reviewing the past year in photos, hoping for a better one in 2015



First trip to the Taiwan & judging from the enjoyable moments we had, it's definitely won't be the last time there



Daytrip to Melaka - One of many countless moments I had with The Love. I can't stop thanking God for having you in my life, SL.



Last minute planned trip to Bangkok but definitely worth the effort/time

Welcoming baby Carlson to the Eng family & it's such a joy to see his smile & antics daily in da house

I left this seat of mine after serving 11 years 4 months with Nippon Express, seeking greener pastures with DHL Global Forwarding.

One of the gatherings with the usual Akurian gang. We should get the trip started again for next year...

CNY 2014

A summary of photos of the going-on during the last Chinese New Year 2014

Reunion dinner with loved ones. For a change this year, BBQ style !!

One of many "yee sang" tossing sessions with families/friends/colleagues/clients

Family photo before watching "The Journey" movie. Highly recommended !!



One part of a food feast had in Penang, where we went back for visits to relatives etc. By the way, this is fried oysters with eggs. Read me, fried oysters with eggs & not fried eggs with oysters 



Finally get to visit the now-world famous street art in Georgetown old streets 





Dinner with Akurians

2013 - Year in Review

It's a whole new year & reviewing back all happenings last year in my life & compacting them all in browse-thru photos. First thing to say has to be about this blog. Can't find the willpower to write for some time, thus the 2 years hiatus with only 3 posts. I sat down, I thought a while & got myself to write again early this year about my passions; food, travel, economics, sports, politics & philosophies. Writing, even about your passions is not easy really. One moment you're blank but next moment, a spark of a sentence & then a sudden overflow of thoughts to write about. Glad to say I found back my writing mojo & sincerely hope this will continue till my physical body tells me to stop.

HKR 112 Public Assembly - One of the public assemblies attended, held in Merdeka stadium. Not being busybody or a person, wanting to overthrow the government but to attend as a show of unity & pride for being a Malaysian who want a better nation for all. With the current political environment, assemblies like this will be a norm. Definitely won't be my last one. 

13th General Election - Exercised my right as a voter for the first time. Although the final result is not up to expectation, this would not dampen the spirit as I truly believe the day will come where common sense will prevails & true democracy will be achieved



Singapore trip with Akurians - Officially a trip for year 2012 but technically, made a 2013 trip. The annual trip with the usual suspects. We still act as if we're still in Form Five even though we're in our 30s & some even had kids in tow. Still, there's never a single moment of boredom felt with the peeps around. I pray that this friendship will continue till our last breaths.

Mount Kinabalu climb - This is one trip struck off my bucket list. Truly a test of willpower & strength. A battle of physical & mental toughness. A sense of achievement felt till today, providing myself a motivating sentence "If I can go up & down Kinabalu, what more I can't do??" each time I felt down.  



Cameron Highlands family trip - One of many trips with beloved family members. With the addition of a sister in law & a brother in law into an already happy family, now I understand the meaning of "the more, the merrier"

 

Foodie trip to Penang - My personal favourite from many foodie trips made this year. Great food, great durians, great company. Officially been made an annual pilgrimage trip up north together with my best bud 

 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE !!!!!!

 



Kota Kinabalu Bah !!

Continuing from previous posts of the climb to Kinabalu summit, we spent 2 days in the state capital before flying back to KL. It's already past 12 midnight by the time we finished dinner and shower. Slept soundly till next morning where we completely skipped breakfast to rest the tired bodies on the bed. The side effects? Not as bad as what I thought actually, not as claimed by some people that they're unable to walk for days. Only able to walk slowly & experiencing pains when walking up & down the stairs.

Because of our legs condition, resorted to visit & eat in places around the hotel vicinity only. The good news is Promenade Hotel is located in probably the best location in the city whereby foods & tourist attractions are pretty accessible by foot nearby. Took a cab ride to Suria Sabah shopping complex located nearby for window shopping.

One way to experience the local culture of a place is to visit the local market, which we did at Filipino night market located along the KK Waterfront. In one glance, the scene in the market just amazed u. U see unbelievably fresh seafood sold at unbelievably cheap price. Fresh vegetables from Kundasang sold as if they're for free. Imagine this, 1 bag consists of 10 pieces cucumbers costs only MYR 4.00 per bag. Multi racial people speaking to each other in local Malay accent. And all these happenings with the background of spectacular sunset scene. Besides the night market are the local handicraft market & dried seafood market.



Sunset at KK Waterfront

Fish market, u can see fishes delivered directly from boats to the stalls here

Fresh vegetables on sale. Notice the packed bags which are to be sold in bulks

Pearls sold at handicraft market

One reason of increasing repeat visitors to Kota Kinabalu is its famous fresh & cheap seafood. And to have the best seafood dinner with a reasonable price not necessarily need to be in a seafood restaurant with big aquarium. Few minutes walk away, makeshift restaurant stalls with "u pick, we cook" style, sprouted over a parking space. We got into this Seri 3 Rasa Seafood, displaying the largest choices of seafood I've ever seen on a single table. Fishes like seabass, trouts, pomfrets, groupers, all of them surprisingly are priced at fixed MYR 3.00/100 gram while others are also cheaply priced. Lobsters, are priced at MYR 15.00/100 gram while the rare jumbo-sized tiger prawns are priced higher but still cheaper by 40% I think than in KL.

We chose a coral trout fish (locally known as kerapu merah), big-sized prawns, squid & sayur pakis, local greens available only in Sabah to satisfy our hunger. A famous chef once said, when u use freshest seafood available, 70% of the work is already done. When we get it cooked with the simplest way, the natural texture & taste of the seafood will be enhanced. In this case, the seafood done the all the talking & not the chef. Price? MYR 85.00 for the food. No specific name for this place but all these stalls are located besides the Kota Kinabalu wet market along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens. A definitely must-try place for all budget-conscious seafood lovers out there !!!!

Arrays of fishes & lobsters on display

Crabs, squids, crayfishes, prawns, cockles, mussels etc. U name it, u got it
 



Crunchy Sayur Pakis cooked in Belacan style, I can have this all by myself !!! 



Coral trout steamed to perfection in Thai sauce. Fantastico !!!

The next day, walked to the Kota Kinabalu biggest wet market & bought local Tenom coffee powders for souvenirs back home. A stone throw away from the wet market is the fish market. Was told that this is the place where fish mongers take their daily stocks & distribute them to multiple places around the city. Sneaked into the place, hoping to catch a glimpse of the so-called auction. Didn't got my wish granted but still manage to buy frozen fishes to be brought back to KL.

Scene at the Kota Kinabalu wet market. Clean & well organized stalls

Local fishermen segregating the catches of the day

Tip to be shared for those wanna pack the seafood back home. All packed seafood for airfreight need to be of frozen types. Malaysia Airlines allowed frozen seafood to be checked in but Air Asia only allowed them to be hand carried at maximum weight of 7 kilogramme per person. We flew home to KL in the evening, bringing home the sweet memories & hope of returning again. As a seafood lover, it's a sin to the Food God (if there's any) if I don't come back !!! Not forgetting of course, the other attractions yet to be visited like the islands, highland resorts & others. KK, I will be back !!!

The Climb: Akinabalu Day II

As mentioned in earlier post of Akinabalu Day I, woke up early at night due to experiencing signs of AMS & couldn't put myself back to sleep. Plainly killing time till 1.30 a.m. on the bed to get myself up. Most people staying in the Gunting Lagadan Hut have got up by then & prepared themselves. One glance at the people wearing winter clothes, u could have mistaken yourself being at Switzerland, preparing to hike The Matterhorn.

What I wear? A beanie, a surgical mask (to replace with scarf as I can't stand the wool when put close to the mouth), 3 layers of clothes (yes, 3 layers-singlet, an inner tee & a long sleeve tee), a jacket, hand gloves & long cargo pant. Not forgetting the most important of all, the head light. After fully dressing ourselves & equipped with headlight, we went out to Laban Rata resthouse for early breakfast and met up with the guide. With the cold weather outside, regretted for not bringing my bottles of hot sake bought from Japan, which could help in warming up the body. By now, the sneeze has stopped, breathing difficulties has stopped but still, the headache was still there. Each of us took a Panadol Activfast tablet to help with that.

Our wear for the climb

Started the climb towards the summit at 3.00 a.m. sharp. The distance covers 2.5 kilometres from Laban Rata till the summit. There is this rule, all climbers are to report to the checkpoint at Sayat-Sayat hut at 1st kilometre point by 5.00 a.m. Those reported after that, will not be allowed to proceed further. Our guide didn't actually explain the reason for this.

The first kilometer trail to Sayat-Sayat are mostly rocky surfaces with stairs at ascending 45 degrees. Clarence n myself were huffing, puffing & stopping throughout the way, possibly due to the AMS effect & being exhausted from the climb the day before. Here is the starting point of judging your mental strength. Doubts begin to creep into our minds. Here is the time where we start to ask ourselves what are we doing here, why are we doing this, is it worth doing this, can we just turn back etc. Too dark to take photos of most paths but at the 500 metres point, we are told to hold tight to a long strip of rope, connecting all the way to the summit & climb up the rocks. At one point, looking down below, it was so dark that ur grateful ur not able to see it. Otherwise, u probably scared to death with the height. Here is also the point of "end of forestation" whereby the temperature is so low n cold that tropical plants would not be able to survive with the weather.



Reached the Sayat-Sayat hut checkpoint at 4.55 am, 5 minutes before the so-called cut off time of 5.00 am

Now, it was all wider, rockier surface, all the way from Sayat-Sayat point. The temperature probably reached 3 degrees by now. With such a wide area, there is no way u can run from the wind blowing at approx 25km/h to u. There's no other choice but to hang on & keep walking. Legs were still able to make the walk but the thin air made it more difficult to breath, needing myself trying to control the breathing to slow down the heartbeat. This was done while walking, actually caused it more tiring actually. Stopping at every 100 metres by now. And with the mind keep asking when are we gonna reach the summit, it's really mentally torturing not able to see the end of the trail.

Close to the 8 kilometre point

If there's a time to call the name of God, this has to be it. If there's a time to scream for your momma, this has to be it. I was holding to my pendant most of the time, reminding myself that I don't come all the way here to give up. Although three of us were walking at different timings, we kept stopping n wait for the others, as sign of encouragement n telling ourselves we can do it together.

Finally able to catch the sight of the Low's Peak once arrived at the 8th kilometre point. However, the worst has just begun. Never in my mind have a thought that arriving at the last 150 metres point, just below the peak is actually the most heartbreaking moment. If there's a perfect example of "being so near, yet so far", this is the one. Like what's Clarence described it, it's like a mountain within a mountain. With combination of rock formations, the steepness rise up to almost 60 degrees I think. With just a strip of rope as a guide, we are practically rock climbing to the top. With tired legs, prayed for one last push to the top.

The famous sight of Low's Peak, highest peak in South East Asia

At the point of last 150 metres to the top

Reached the Low's Peak summit at approx. 7.30 a.m. And yes, as what others said, it was an exhilarating feeling to finally reach the top, triumphing over multiple physical & mental barriers. This was the time when images of all happenings & challenges faced from the first day climb onwards being played in my mind & gratitude naturally comes. Gratitude to Him for giving me the divine strength to overcome the challenges to reach here. Gratitude to both Maj & Clare for the encouragement & advises shared before & during the trip. Gratitude to other fellow climbers for the encouragement given along the way.

Reached the summit finally !!!

The descending walk below was a painful experience. With a flat rock surface with slight dampness, it was a slippery walk downwards too. By the time I reached Laban Rata to check out from the resthouse, I was already crippling & it was a painful walk all the way as got blisters at all my toes. After the lunch, we started to walk back at 11.30 a.m. Realised I made a bad decision to buy wrong size of shoes, causing the toes turn swollen along the way down.

This is the one of the dangerous rock paths we need to take to reach the summit & again, back to Laban Rata. One slip & heaven's door opens for u. 

On the way down

We reached the Timpohon gate at 5.30 p.m. By the time, we reached the Park HQ to check out, it was already dark & no more transport back to city. No choice but to take a RM 200.00 cab ride back to Promenade Hotel in the city. It's a standard price really. Everyone was so tired that we slept  throughout the journey back to hotel. So, to answer the usual questions below after the climb. Will write about our sojourn at Kota Kinabalu in next post.

Q: Is the climb worthwhile?
A: Yes. Can't describe the feeling in words, u need to be here to experience yourself

Q: Will you do it again?
A: Yes but not in near future

Q: Any advise to the climbers?
A: Please practice & exercise before you come. It's a battle between your mind & body, so please don't forget to pray for divine intervention.

The Climb: Akinabalu Day I

Continuing from previous post, woke up at 5.30 am & greeted with the morning breeze, coupled with birds chirping. Sabah, being located at the east end of Borneo, means u get to witness sunrise earlier than anyone else in the Peninsular. U can see bright sky at 6 am here. Can't really sleep the night before, probably being overexcited about this climb. Still, the mind is so fresh & heart is so willing to take on the upcoming challenge ahead.

By the way, no typo error on the title of this post. Akinabalu is the name of the mountain, derived from a Kadazan Dusun word "Aki Nabalu", meaning "the revered place of the dead". So, when guide say, "Don't curse the mountain", u better listen. We had breakfast & met the mountain guide assigned to us, a young Kadazan chap named Fazilin. Each of us got a rented walking stick at MYR 10.00 per stick.

Our individual climber's ID tag, to be worn at all times, while the guide will keep the climbing permit

Group shot outside Timpohon gate entrance

Proceeded to Timpohon gate entrance by van & started our walk at 8.30 am. The whole walk from the Timpohon gate till Laban Rata covers 6 km. The other trail used by climbers is Mesilau trail which is 2 km longer. There's practically every shelter hut provided for climbers in each kilometre. Each completed with water tap for water refills, & toilet. As u slowly walked up, u can see the changing climate at the highlands allowed different floras thrive in its habitat. This allowed us to witness different dimensions of sceneries altogether on a single trail, besides providing different challenge levels of terrains for the climbers. I find it fascinating to see this, completely unspoilt, probably just the way it is when Sir Hugh Low made the first Kinabalu expedition way back in 1851. Just let the photos below do all the talking.

First 2 kilometres with walk on mixture of flat surface & ascending steps

 

Next 2 kilometres are all ascending steps like this. Imagine walking up Batu Caves for 2 kilometres

After stop at halfway Layang-Layang hut, the gradient is now higher with more uneven surfaces & curves 

Energy gels - Helped in providing the much needed push. No one seems to care of having this but I could have made a profit by just selling them at the huts !!!

Next kilometre is now filled with drier clay surface, with cooler climate & higher gradient of course

The last kilometre to Laban Rata is filled with rocky paths & totally depending on walking stick by now to avoid using more energy of the already tired legs

At point of last 300 metres to Laban Rata, u just need to stop & gasp momentarily at the beauty of the weather & mountain. If there's a time to show gratitude to Him, this has to be it. Priceless

Laban Rata resthouse at 3,272 m - The resting place for the night before the ultimate climb up the next day

Had early dinner at 4.30 pm in Laban rata resthouse. All 3 of us got into bed almost immediately after checking into Gunting Lagadan Hut at the same area. Don't even ask me if taken any shower or not. The water here will surely freeze u to pain. Just merely wiped the body with cloth. Woke up momentarily 3 hours later because of constant sneezing, had this annoying ache at the temple side of my head & found myself not able to breath properly besides, having faster heartbeat. Altitude sickness or widely known as acute mountain sickness (AMS) has probably found its way into the body. Cant get myself back to sleep by now....

The Climb: Eve Arrival at Kota Kinabalu

Back from Kota Kinabalu yesterday night & still recuperating from sore pains all over my legs. Some of u peeps have already pestering for me to share the experiences here. Gonna do it for sure but in few parts. This trip around, with fellow Akurian Majidah & Clarence (a truly muhibah gang indeed) is planned with fairly reasonable budget & I shall share with u guys on this. Hopefully, this will serves as useful tips for wannabe Kinabalu conquerors without burning their pockets.

We arrived at Kota Kinabalu International Airport Terminal 2 at 12.00 pm & proceeded to the 4- star rated Promenade Hotel. Booked online at MYR 230.00 nett per night for this & will be staying in this hotel once descend down from Mount Kinabalu. We brought 2 sets of luggage & here, we offloaded 1 luggage & took only our backpack. The luggage was kept in the hotel till we check in 2 days later. This practice is rather useful to avoid carrying unnecessarily heavy luggage during the climb later. Most hotels, including the budget ones will obliquely provide this service.

Hotel Promenade - Strategically located at KK waterfront & within walking distance to many KK attractions

Practically, there are 3 ways to reach Kinabalu Park from the city capital. First is by driving on your own in a rented car. However, the distance of 2 hours drive to the park makes this an unfeasible idea, especially when u are descending down with sore legs later. Second is by bus, costing RM 15.00 per pax & takes approx 3 hours of journey. Lastly, is by MPV taxi which costs RM 20.00 per pax & takes approx 2 hours of journey. We took the last option. We went to this taxi/bus station at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in a taxi ride, costing RM 12.00. Same as practiced in most places, all taxi drivers here don't charge u by meter fare. Be prepared to accept this culture unless u have transport on your own. There are also MPV taxis to other cities such as Beaufort, Kudat, Tenom, Ranau, etc at this place.

Stuffing our bags in a Toyota MPV taxi for a ride to Kinabalu Park

Using the Firefly flight style, the MPV taxi driver will try to gather 7 passengers & once all are onboard, he will departs immediately. We waited 50 minutes for him to consolidate all persons. Took us 2 hours to reach Kinabalu Park entrance. Checked in ourselves at the Park HQ for the overnight stay at the Park area & for the climb next day. The costs of hiring mountain guide is RM 128.00 for a group of 3. There are at least 10 different places of accommodation with different rates available in the Park itself. It's highly recommended that climbers have an overnight stay at the Park area on the eve of the climb to acclimatize to the cool weather.

The gang at the entrance of Kinabalu Park

We checked into a dormitory-style Grace Hostel , sharing the room with an Australian lady & 2 KLites. The hostel facilities are rather true to its name, gracefully simple, blending nicely with natural environment in the area. The lodges & hostels are managed by Sutera Sanctuary Lodges, same management as Sutera Harbour Resort. So, u can expect a respectable standard of facilities & service here.


Grace Hostel, Kinabalu Park

Our dormitory beds

Surrounded with greens like this, who needs air-con for the rooms?

Haze or mist? Only God knows...

True to the Sutera's standard, dinner was good at Balsam cafe, serving western & continental cuisines. Had a hot shower back in the hostel before setting the lights off early to rest for the penultimate climb the next day. Prayed hard that night that weather will be clear & not as hazy as what been reported earlier.