aimi azmal: Sabah - Weekend vacation

Salam to all. Yes..as usual, my blog is left unattended, unupdated. It's been a pretty busy start of 2013 I would say. Alhamdulillah, still breathing and doing fine, cukup makan cukup minum, so...it shouldn't be a problem isn't it? Just want to update about my recent company trip to Sabah on last 11 of January. This trip was actually for 2012 but we couldn't make it then thus postponed to 2013. It was a short trip but would be memorable to me because it was my first to set my feet in Sabah land. Borneo, here I come!

Our flight was scheduled on 9.25pm on January 11. So after office hour ended, my fiance fetched me and colleagues to LCCT. Had our dinner there (freaking expensive with lousy food) while waiting before checking in. As expected, our flight was delay. As usual, it's not that comfortable flying with Air Asia, but you got what you paid for right? As long as I'm safely arrived, it would be fine to me. Luckily, it's only 2 hours journey to get to Sabah or I might as well become restless just like my previous journey to China (where I got a bad headache and puke few times!).

We arrived at Kota Kinabalu airport about 12.30am and after checking in at our hotel (Gaya Centre Hotel), we went to get some supper at nearby cafe or I shall say it's Kopitiam. Had a dim sum (it's too salty!). I shared my room with my partner in crime, Lydia. I would say it's pretty comfortable room despite the name and ordinary looking building (haha, how judgmental I am!).

Us, just arrived at Kota Kinabalu airport

Having our supper

our beds

1st day itinerary 12 January 2013
We woke up as early as 6.30am because we planned to go to Mount Kinabalu today and the journey took quite a time. Had my breakfast with a beautiful view, facing the sea. Hmmm..I love the feeling where you sniffing a fresh sea breeze while filling your empty tummy.

I'm so loving the view!

We rented a van there and our driver would be our only man in my office, Abang Talib. Thanks so much, you did a wonderful job driving us here and there safely while some of us sleeping in the van. Jeez. Poor him, it must be very tiring for him as driving in Sabah, Kundasang and Mount Kinabalu area especially could be quite challenging because the road is not that good and our van is heavy and it's manual! I take my hat off to him!

Abang Talib, our hero!

The journey took about 2 hours, and I slept about half of journey! Yeah, everyone were lack of sleep and couldn't help it though. It's freaking cold while we were driving up to reach Mount Kinabalu base. Luckily Dila my colleague advised us to bring a jacket/sweater. It's so beautiful and cold up there. No, we didn't climb Mount Kinabalu that time. Maybe someday :P Too bad, we weren't lucky enough to see clear view of Mount Kinabalu as it was too foggy and covering the mountain :( But, nonetheless, the photo activities were still on! Haha.

Being silly what we do best

Add caption

Up there, we had our break to have cuppa of hot drink for ourselves at one of the restaurants. It was freaking expensive and we had a joke on that still.

On our way to restaurant

Earl Grey :)

Yeah, check out the price

After drinking, we continued our journey to Kundasang Dairy Farm which aren't too far from the Mount Kinabalu base. It's actually a cows' farm and they also producing dairy products from here like milk etc. It's such a breathtaking view there. We Malaysians would call this place as New Zealand because it's cold, it's beautiful, surrounded by mountains, green and the cows are black and white! Yes, just like cows in New Zealand haha! I really love the fresh air here and I'm inhaling them as much as I could! haha, gila punya statement. But, while inhaling the air, mind you, sometimes the breeze would smell of cows' poop! :P

cows!!

more cowsssss!

We took this opportunity to try out the fresh dairy products there. I had an ice-cream, it so yummss! Yes, I know it's cold out there but I just didn't care. Haha. I wanted to buy their fresh milk but my tummy was full because of ice-cream I just had :/ I bet it would tasted good and fresh.

fresh milk anyone?

yeah, we just love the cows' poop smell right? hehe

the clouds! gosh!

I reallly love this shot!

cows queuing for perah susu time!

After that, we continued our journey to Kundasang War Memorial. I would say, the journey from one place to another in Kundasang was something to be mesmerized by the view. It's so pretty. Subhanallah. The air is so fresh, so green. I felt so calm and my mind was so relax, free from all the stress I faced here. Well, back to Kundasang War Memorial, it's actually a garden built by locals here as to cherish to those lost Australian soldiers during Japanese rule in Malaysia. It's quite saddening to read the story especially when I read the names. Yes, I managed to hold back my tears there :P You can google it up and read.

welcome to kundasang war memorial. Guess we expressed a wrong feeling here :P

ignore that diva

paper cuttings

There were few gardens in there, like English garden, Australian garden and few which I can't remember the name. This place is planting flowers which can only be planted in cold weather like roses etc. It's a beautiful and calming place. I guess, if I'm alone there, I could just sit there all day imagining the sacrifices and suffers those people faced during those times. Err..sounds creepy lah pulak. Nanti terjumpa hantu mat saleh Australian. Maybe no :P

yes, they shall be remembered..

I'm being silly

the lost ones..

Then, we continued our journey back down the hill. It was quite a challenging drive as it was raining. It must be tough for Abang Talib to drive in such weather :/ We stopped at Gerai Pekan Nabalu to buy some souvenirs. I bought my fridge magnets here :>

local delicacies

Ikan sungai perkasam! I bought this though. But it tasted quite weird :/

Weird looking durians. They claimed it's durian bukit

After that tiring journey, we got back to our hotel to rest before continuing our night activity. Oh, just to inform, our hotel is situated next to Suria Sabah Shopping Mall. Yeah, I keep reminding myself that we got all those stuffs in KL whenever I see a 'SALE' signage here and there :P That night, it's the time we've been waiting for! It's DINNER time! We've been dreaming for Sabah's seafood and it's the moment of truth. We've ordered like thousands of food and yeah, we couldn't finish them all. But they're all goooooooooooooooooooooood! Ahh..looking at these pictures making me craving for them..hmmph :/

Fresh seafood!

Butter prawn!!!

Hungry faces. Don't mess with them

Half of it. HALF.

We were so full that I thought if anyone poke my stomach, I would puke! After dinner, it's time to burn the calories!! We went to one of the pasar there. Forgot the name though :/ It's located between the building blocks there. Most of the stuffs sold there are pearls!! Yes, that's what I've been aiming for! Hehehe. I bought some of the pearl products here like brooch, Baju Melayu brooch, tasbih and necklace set. I would say I've got a pretty good bargain, but actually my senior colleagues got the best bargain. Yeah, they're all mothers thus it making them more experienced in bargaining though :P

Choosing and thinking

2nd Day Itinerary, 13 January 2013

On second day, the itinerary would involved walking around the area only because we need to return our rental van in the morning. But, it's ok with us because there are many shopping areas around our hotel. That morning, we went to nearby Pasar there. Again, I forgot the name. The pasar is so hugeee! They sell almost everything. You named it. Pets, food, plants, antiques, traditional music instrument, aquarium, yada yada. I bought some more stuffs here (need to control my budget..jeez). But Lydia and I weren't there quite long. After getting what we wanted, we went back to our hotel because it was so cramped and hot.

I felt like in Italy! hahaha

I laughed because I was so shocked to know that the bracelet here cost RM130!

If the bracelet is RM130, I don't dare enough asking for this price :P

Gong and gamelan

there goes little birdie

After checking out, we continued shopping (again!) at Filipino Market. But, price here would be quite pricey compared to the pasar we went the night before. I just bought some more fresh stuffs like dried shrimp (a must!), dried anchovies and Terubuk fish for my mother and grandma. Oh ya, mind you, if you bought food items here, ask them to pack it in a box. So it would be easier to get through the check at airport.

Local kuih

It's sea horse!!! Dare to eat?

After done with our last shopping, we had lunch and shoot to airport because our flight was scheduled at 6.00pm. We arrived LCCT about 8.30pm. It was a tiring journey because our days were so packed with activities while we were there. Yet, it was memorable indeed. Yes, definitely I would come again next time with new mission; to climb Mount Kinabalu!!