Sunday 4th January 2015
We woke up late again, due to the efficiency of our black out curtains. After quickly squeezing in a few essential minutes of ‘Ice Cold Gold’ on the discovery channel and reading the Borneo Post (with probably the most disconcerting headline to read when travelling – see pics!) we leapt out of bed, because Gaya Street Market, the local Sunday market, was taking place right outside our hotel.
We skipped brekky, hoping to find something along the way.The first stall we stumbled into, still bleary eyed, was an innocent looking soap stall. By now, we should have realised things are not always as they first may seem, and we innocently began sniffing and fiddling with the samples. The owner of the store made a beeline, and congratulated us on enjoying the benefits that breast milk soap could offer….
We immediately stopped inhaling the fragrances. She talked for a while about how some people did not find this ethical practice, but how it really is very good for the skin…we nodded and tried very very hard not to explode with laughter…and escaped, to visit the many other interesting stalls.
A few highlights included knife sharpening, eels, snakes, bonsai trees, dried fishes, and a few less than ethical attractions, dressed up dogs, puppies and kittens, fish in plastic bags, and a chap who was 8ft 4, who you could have your photo taken with, for a small fee…..we picked up brekky in the form of rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, some ionised water dumplings (which tasted as wrong as they sounded) a carrot sticky rice thing, fried prawns, spring roll and some coconut rice. Or at least that’s what we thought we ate. Who knows!
We drifted about for a couple of hours and then headed back to our hotel to de-sweat before hopping in a taxi (we weren’t going to risk a walk after yesterday) and heading to Sabah museum. We spent a couple of hours enjoying this very interesting place (naturally paid a 7 x premium for not being a Malaysian, so it’s lucky it was good!). It had an interesting section on Malaysian history, a natural history museum, a ‘rural life’ outside bit where you could look in traditional houses, and a morbid display of an activity called ‘head hunting’. Real heads included….
Before our taxi came back we decided to visit the tropical fruit garden, and were only just off the beaten track when every stinging insect in Borneo decided to latch on to Rach’s legs. We did not go any further and headed for a quick look in the gift shop before heading home.
Back home, we had a nice cup of tea before heading back out, on the fruitless quest of finding Phil a t-shirt thin enough for this heat….obviously this item does not exist, but we enjoyed a few hours hunting anyway. We got a few bits in preparation for cooler climates to come. We then walked to the seafront and watched the sun setting over Kota Kinabalu, a few eagles were hunting on the water and we watched some police boats chasing a speed boat. Good fun. We then walked back and headed out for dinner, at the ‘Old White Coffee House’ opposite our hotel, where we enjoyed potato curry, noodle soup and spring rolls. We considered dining at the Chinese next door, but after seeing the menu (see white notice board! in restaurant on picture) we decided the first option was preferable, as we may at least have an inkling of what we were about to enjoy…..We then headed a little further along the road and found ZenQ, a Chinese dessert shop, and we had an interesting cold sweet soy tea drink, with added bits of jelly and red beans floating about in it. Luckily the blueberry waffle more than made up for the drink.
Loads of families head into town in the evenings, all spilling onto the streets, eating in restaurants which in the daytime look unused, and the whole town has a lovely friendly atmosphere. As there is no alcohol sold with meals, there is no drunken or rowdy behaviour here….
A good day! Will be sad to
