Life As It Comes ...

Saturday, May 10, 2008

High Above The Trees

MONDAY 21 APRIL 2008

I had LOTS of FUN today ... well ... until someone puked on me. The day started bright and early for us as we had to be ready for the tour bus to pick us up at Tanjung Aru Shangri-La Beach Resort at 07:30am. We got there early at 07:15am-ish and we waited and waited and waited and waited more ... They eventually came at about 8:00am. I should've remembered that we are in Malaysia and people are never really on time. It didn't really matter as it was a nice resort and we weren't rushing for time anyway.

Our tour guide (can't remember her name LOL) was quite good. She spoke very good english and the mini bus took us for a tour around the city first before taking us us to Poring Hot Springs. The music they played on the other hand in the bus was um ... relatively bad (bit of a laugh really).

It was important for us to leave early in the morning as the mountain tends to get covered by clouds later on in the day. The road to the national park is pretty much a continuous uphill race for the number of mini buses carting tourists like us up to the mountain everyday. A truck with what seemed like a drunken driver also decided to join in the race this morning. It provided us with a bit of entertainment, following behind it and we were ready to see either a big head on crash or him driving off the road at some point. He eventually gave up and drove into a dirt track off the main road. Lucky bastard!

Not too long after the crazy truck driver show, we finally got to see the mountain

We took a brief photo stop and I was also brave enough to visit this high class toilet ...

It was surprisingly CLEAN believe it or not. I was more afraid of big scary spiders jumping on me rather than the cleanliness actually. I did see a massive one by a shack just right outside eeeeeeeee!

We drove past the mountain and headed off to Poring Hot Springs first (not that you need a hot tub soak in this weather). I was more interested in running through the rainforest, finding waterfalls and walking the tree-top canopy walkway. I was expecting the weather to be cooler because we are in an area that is relatively high above sea level but when we go to Poring, IT WAS STINKING HOT! We also had to climb up the track to get to the canopy walk. My shirt was soaked when I got up there (about 50 meters above ground?!?) but the experience and the view was totally worth it.

A few tourists did poo their pants while they were walking it because it is rather high off the grounds.

I also found a small but nice waterfall close to the hot springs....The big one is about 4kms away pass the BAT cave which I wanted to visit but did not have enough time.

It was nice to see nice crystal clear water after seeing all the brown muddy rivers that you see in the city.

I used my very foreign sounding Malay to buy souvenirs and then went for our expensive and crappy lunch at some crappy food stall that was included in our tour.

The driver went off wondering while we were having our crappy lunch and found out for us that the Rafflesia (largest flower in the world ... very very hard to see apparently) was indeed BLOOMING at that moment. He asked us whether we wanted to see it or not and being such a tourist that we are, we HAD to go see it. The lady at the little table outside the entrance to some random bush/forest area wanted to charge us RM$30.00 per person. That nearly killed us. After some more barganing and convincing us that we are ALL MALAYSIANS (which we are apart from the brother in law), she accepted RM$30.00 for all of us. Talk about money hungry village people!!

While I was wondering around the lady's very expensive forest/bush, I also found a very strange pineapple...

and a condom tree ...

Overall, the trip to Poring was rather interesting and somewhat educational. I studied and did an Eco-Tourism presentation about this area not so long ago so it was nice to actually be there, see the things I talked about.

The butterfly farm was closed for some strange reason which was disappointing. I did get to see this large stick insect though. Also didn't see any giant spiders, leaches and earthworms which the area is famous for.

Thats Poring for you!

A Nothing-ish Day

SUNDAY 20 APRIL 2008

Today was a bit of a boring day. The others went out and delivered invitations card for the wedding reception that is in 6 days time (wee bit late don't you think?? LOL). I was smart enough not to follow them and drive around the whole city, trying to find a house that belongs to someone they haven't seen in 5 - 10 years. I took a walk around the neighbourhood hoping to find something exciting annnnnnd ..... there was nothing.

I've booked a tour up to Mt Kinabalu National Park and Poring Hot Springs tomorrow with the sister and her husband. I better not tire myself up too much today and save enough energy for the long walks that I will be taking tomorrow.

Better get those insect repellent ready :P It should be good fun.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Shopping shopping and more shopping

SATURDAY 19 APRIL 2008

Today was a shopping day and that was pretty much it! I figured that if I allowed the girls to shop all day long today, they might visit the malls less later on in the trip.....yea right! LOL

We went out for breakfast as usual...nearly got lost with all the new roads that appeared since 4 years ago. Then we headed to Centre Point Shopping Mall (This one is actually centrally located in the city so I won't shoot the person who named it). Unlike the other new malls that have appreared in the last few years, this one managed to survived and stayed in business. The other newer ones around the city seems rather empty compared to the last time I visited them, 4 years ago. Perhaps they should stop building them?!?!?

The Fila store caught my eye with 70% off most things YAY! .... Shopping just seems a lot more fun when you know that everything is going to cost you 2.5 times less that what it says on the price tag.

and LOOK! I found more animals to ride on! This time there is a squirrel and a pink dog as well! I think I might take the pink dog.

We then wondered off to another mall, Warisan Square where you can buy the labelled and expensive things (I didn't buy anything there because I am a budget cheapo traveller). I could've taken this whole stall selling bikini's though (There is a girls on the left, supposedly looking after this stall with a towel over her head LOL)

Now why would I blush if I walk into this store by myself?

It was quite exhaustive doing all these shopping in one go so I thought I might so at the 'TITS BITS CORNER' for some ice cream and juice. Or should I go for melons?

I also found a wholesale and retail MAST store ...

I think I smell a trend developing here ... bikinis, blushing, mast, tits and bits...There might be a bit too much naughty bits on offer in one day.

I might be safer just to eat with the Martians

We went out for a seafood feast tongiht with my aunt and her family(It won't be the last time. Like I said previously, we have no food in NZ). There were nice not so little fishies and lobsters in fish tanks that you could go and see which one is the prettiest and tell them to KILL IT FOR YOU! Its a bit sad really, 'Hey look, this one looks very cute, KILL IT NOW!' Hmmmmmmm .... I supposed no one wants to eat an mutated ugly one ....

annnnd FEAST!

Just in case you haven't noticed, please DO NOT SPIT in the restaurant. Like I do anyway!

Also just to make it clear, WE SERVE NO PORK!

To finish off for today, while I was wondering around town today, I found this rather...um disturbing place. Please visit here if you are not experienced with killing yourself. There is a centre to help you with it ;)

(p.s. I do not encourage and is not responsible for any suicidal thoughts!)

Finding THE OTHERS!!!

FRIDAY 18th APRIL 2008

Today, I was supposed to be going to my dental appointment. I have forgotten that Malaysians only work until 12pm on a Friday to allow for the muslim people to attend prayers at the mosque in the afternoon. Speaking of mosques, I also got woken up by the Mosque AGAIN! at 04:30am .... I hope its not an ongoing thing or I shall go and rip those loud speakers off LOL .... no....the ear plugs works like a charm (That's if I don't lose them while I'm sleeping)

Anyway, I turned up to the hopital at 11:00am and by then they have stopped giving out queue tickets and I was turned away ... grrrr .... never mind. With my not very cleaned teeth (Its not that dirty LOL) ... I went off to meet the others at ONE of the new malls, City Mall (which is not in the city, its located in the suburb. Who ever named it should be shot).

It seems that inside this CITY Mall, there are other cities too ... I looked in Bra City but all I could see was Bra and no one I was looking for.

I looked inside THE Giant too .... buuut I still didn't find anyone

I didn't recognise anyone that is hiding in the closette

I rang their cellphone, but there was no answer and I was starting to think that may be they have abandoned me. I decided to wait around and let Ms Starbucks give me free samples of some strange coffee slusshy drink. Anything free is good and I didn't really want to go in here just in case they've decided to pop my cherry :S

I also watch this kid ride his little elephant round and round in circle. I was tempted to take one out for a ride too.

I found THE OTHERS!!!! eventually so I am not LOST anymore.

As some of you may be aware that one of the reasons why I took this trip was to attend my sister's wedding (She is having 3 this year and yes ... its to the same person). Like all weddings, there has to be plenty of icky boring and time consuming plannig and blah blah blah ... We all went to meet the organiser person at the hotel and being the smart one, I escaped to walk around the resort and enjoy the sunshine while the others sit in and plan the wedding.