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Published: July 11th 2009
Shoppers inspect the produce
Only the freshest is good enough Kota Kinabalu
We fly two hours east from KL, touch down in Kota Kinabalu (KK) and head straight into town.
You can't miss Mount Kinabalu. On a clear morning, the mountain dominates the skyline. In the afternoon, it is usually covered in clouds. Mount Kinabalu is the highest peak in the whole of Malaysia. The Crocker mountain range is an ever-changing background to the bustling city of Kota Kinabalu. The clouds are always changing position and hiding different mountains. So, it looks different every day. I don't think they get clear days with bright blue skies like in Australia.
Kota Kinabalu is the capital city of Sabah province in East Malaysia. Sabah forms the north-eastern corner of the island of Borneo. The taxi driver tells us that Sulu sultan based in The Philippine Islands once ruled Sabah. And that "sea gypsies" are floating people who live their entire life out on the water. We see coastal houses perched on stilts right out in the water. Anyway, the sea is important to life here.
Central Market
Whoa! Stuff is happening here. The Central Market is jammed with tiny stalls. And crammed with people! Buying and
KL to KK
Boarding our plane selling lots of stuff. The smells are full on! I don't really care what they are selling. My nose can't handle it.
But Dad looks excited. Can he even smell stuff? He guides us along narrow alleyways and gently pushes through the crowd. We pass the fruit and vegie stalls first. Whatever those weird-shaped fruits are I don't know. Even the round ones are strange.
Next, there are giant-sized conches and other seashells. Then there is MEAT. Pong! No fridges here. And fresh fish straight from the trawlers. Phwoar! I'm not getting too close to that stuff. Next there are craft stalls and fabrics. OK. And men with sewing machines who can make a pair of pants for you on the spot. Wow? Haven't they heard of factories?
But worse is to come. The barbecue grills... Sizzling seafood! Smoke galore. Splutter, splutter! We quickly retreat to the far end of the market. We are confronted with oodles of plastic packets hanging from the rafters. What the... dried fish ready-salted for take-away convenience. No thanks! Lemme out.
The Waterfront
We escape from the market to a long pier called "The Waterfront". As you might guess,
it is right on the water's edge. We look out at the fishing boats anchored in port. There are seafood restaurants here, too. Expensive ones. Also, there are plenty of bars and cafes. But it is still whiffy!
So we retreat a few metres to a different cafe. Not so smelly. We get soft drinks and iceblocks. That is good. I am forever hopeful that one day we will find milkshakes. Not likely! Dad says dairy cows are few and far between in tropical countries. So, he has "creamer" powder in his coffee. Or long-life milk on a lucky day.
We use the public toilets around the corner. Mum hands a few coins over to a small boy sitting alone at the entrance. He carefully counts out the change for her. He must be about eight years old - the same as my brother Benji. He is also selling a few things to help his family - stuff like tobacco and cigarettes.
Fish in the pan
Sabah is famous for its seafood. Mum and dad go crazy for it. I can take it or leave it. But I must admit there are many different ways
Waterfront cafe
Pre-dinner drinks at "The Loft" to get it in this town. Tonight we go to a restaurant that is all about FISH. The decorations are fishy. The waiters have fish on their t-shirts. there are fish pictures hanging on the walls. You can choose any dish you like. So long as it is fish. Young Rohan doesn't like fish. So we order him some "chicken nuggets". They are really fish fingers. He loves them!
I order a kid's meal with fish and chips. The waiters serve all of the food in fish-sized frypans. It is OK. I even sample a tiny bit of my parents' meals. Mum has a seafood platter, including mussels. Dad has a fish called wrasse. Both are spicy! I give them both back.
Fish tank to dinner plate
We stay right beside an unusual open-air seafood market. It only opens to the public at night. In the morning, we see people cleaning out giant fish tanks full of sea creatures. Those aquariums are not just for show. At night, people flock to the market to eat out. There is even a stage for dancers to perform on. Mum cases the joint and a nice Chinese lady arranges
Fishing boats
Fresh deliveries to the "wet market" a table for us. We sit a few steps from the giant fish tanks.
Dad walks over to the tanks with our hostess. They chat away, then Dad comes back. A few minutes later, huge prawns and fish start appearing on our table. Dad says something about animals swimming around a few minutes ago. Anyway, I tuck into my satay sticks and fried rice. Not too spicy!
Fish-free zone
Dad promises us that no fish will be seen at lunchtime today. We are on a break. We go to a pizza place in an air-conditioned shopping mall. Our special chef's helper today is Benji. He rolls out the pizza base. He has free choice of ingredients. He ignores the seafood and reaches for the chicken, cheese and pineapple! Phew! Lunch is good today.
Seafood buffet
The next night we slide back in comfy cane chairs in the Lobby Lounge. We gaze out to sea over the palm trees. All is calm.
Then we head downstairs to another deck-style restaurant. They hold a seafood buffet just once each week. It's on tonight! We are in luck!? Mum and dad are happy. They try a
Wet market
Chicken and fish stalls on the water's edge bit of everything. I get some fried rice. Which is way too spicy! I wish that tonight was "Italian night". I like pasta.
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yhfung
Y.H Fung
Good day!
Good day, mate! I have to say that I'm really impressed with the travel blog entry that you wrote about my hometown, KK. To be frank, your blog made me miss KK now. :-) It's fun to read your blog, it's enjoyable, informative and candid, and that's what I call style. Keep up the good work! I'm also amazed by your enthusiasm to explore, learn and experience new stuff, given the young age that you have. And I believe that you will go far with that kind of attitude and enthusiasm. I have to say that you made a brilliant destination choice by choosing to explore Malaysia, which I think you would agree with me by now. :-) Good luck with your travel and I hope you would enjoy the rest of your stay in Malaysia. Cheers! p/s What made you choose Malaysia as your holiday destination?