Pirates and a night time ride in Kota Kinabalu

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“We are skipping the port of Sandakan, Borneo, Malaysia,” the Captain announces over the loudspeaker. He explains that we will pass too close to a number of palm islands where pirates can hide and easily attack us. Capt. Dag has chosen a wider path through the ocean which will increase our sailing time. So, we spend an extra day at sea and arrive one-half day earlier in Kota Kinabalu, Borneo.

There always seems to be a silver-lining when our cruising plans are changed. The late afternoon arrival gives us beautiful views of the northern coast of Borneo. Alan and I sit on our balcony watching tree covered islands with long, sandy beaches and isolated resorts pass by. It’s a relaxing way to spend a cloudy afternoon but the gray day means no picture taking.

At 6:00pm we have a dilemma. Do we go to the “Liar’s Club” with comedian Kenny Smiles, always a fun time, or go to the Observation Lounge to watch our arrival in Kota Kinabalu. When we ask ourselves the question, “How many times in our life will we arrive in Kota Kinabalu?” the answer is obvious.

Sitting in the Observation Lounge with our glass of champagne, we watch the Voyager approach the city. Small boats whiz back and forth to an island fishing village where ramshackle houses hug the sea. Tall buildings rise in front of us. In the crowded lounge, many are remarking on how modern the city seems.

After dinner, I am checking email in Club.com, the computer lounge. Alan has decided to go to bed early. Vicki finds me, “Meet us at the gangway, we’re going on a late night adventure. Alan knows all about it.” I rush upstairs to change clothes and find a confused Alan. He doesn’t know all about it, after all. I convince him to get dressed and off we go to the night market.

We meet Vicki, Tyler, Stephanie and Phil at the bottom of the gangway to wait for the shuttle bus. When we board the bus, our driver says, “Sorry, but the night market has already closed.” Well, now what do we do since we are dressed and ready for adventure?

“Let’s at least take the round trip on the shuttle,” Vicki says. So, we take a night ride in Kota Kinabalu. The city surprises us. It’s clean and very modern. Most of the billboards and road signs are in English. We drive by a luxurious hotel with a lighted golf course for night time playing. Most of the people on the streets are dressed in western style clothing although many Muslim women wear short headscarves. After about 30 minutes, we are back at the ship. It’s not much of an adventure but at least we’ve had a preview of Kota Kinabalu.

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