On Friday morning we set off for a tour in the jungle around Mount Kinabalu. The mountain is, with an altitude of over 4,000 metres, the tallest mountain in Borneo. It is surrounded by jungle, and one can take various tours. Amongst them is a tour up the mountain. On day two, one can watch the sunrise from the peak of the mountain. However, Mizzi and I had deliberately decided against it. We both did not feel in the physical condition for it. Moreover, we were more in the mode of relaxing and exploring than in the mood for challenge. Thus, we had booked a tour that would take us camping at the foot of the mighty mountain, with a few easier hikes included.
We left our hostel in Kota Kinabalu early, dropped off our rental car at the airport, and had breakfast at Starbucks where we were to meet with our guides from Sticky Rice Travel. Patrick, the guide, gave us a warm and introduced Terry, who would be our driver and cook on the tour. We left Kota Kinabalu for Kota Belud, a town about two hours north of KK. Patrick showed us the local market,
which was just awesome with all the groceries being sold there. Then we sat in a caf for a bit while he did some shopping on the market for the tour. At around noon we set off for another 90 to Sayap Substation. Most of the time we had a great view of Mount Kinabalu. It is massive, covered by trees up to a certain altitude, and usually surrounded by a layer of white clouds that make it appear magical. The colours are amazing too: the green mountain, the blue sky in the background, and the white clouds in the foreground. I can see why people used to believe that there are gods living up there.
Up in the mountains there is a village called Sayap where farmers live, and where tourists can do homestays. Just past this village there is the entrance to Mount Kinabalu National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Soon after entering the park, we arrived at the substation. It is located in a valley by a stream and below a waterfall. There are just a few houses there for the park rangers, a few small pavilions, a hut with bathrooms, and
an outside kitchen. We set up our tent in the large pavilion (I liked the idea of the tent being below a roof in case there would be rain since rain here is heavy downpour). In the meantime, Patrick and Terry prepared our lunch. We had it in the kitchen pavilion, and it was very nice Malay food including sticky rice in various shapes, made with coconuts and coconut milk.
After lunch, we had a bit of a rest and then set off for a small hike into the forest. The trail was steep and at times slippery and not too easy to climb; and walking down was sometimes even harder with the slippery rocks. It was helpful though that the air up here was cooler and fresher than down in the lowlands. We walked to Kemantis Waterfall, stayed there for a bit and listened to the sound of the water before walking back to the substation.
After dinner, we set off for a night walk. We did not walk any of the trails since they would have been too difficult in the dark. Instead, we walked down the road for a bit. We did not get to
see a lot of wildlife, except for a cricket, a sleeping bird, and many fireflies. However, this was more with a marvellous night sky. The stars were bright against the black sky, and we could see the milky way while listening to the sounds of the jungle at night.
When we got back to the substation, Mizzi and I went to brush our teeth, which was a most disgusting experience. The bathrooms did not have fly screens, and thus, with the lights on inside, they were full of insects. They were everywhere, on the sink, on the toilet seat, in the toilet itself, on the floor I did not spend more time than absolutely necessary in there. We had an early night, and it could have been a pleasant one with the sounds of the river and the jungle, but it was not.
