After experiencing even more technical delays at KL airport, we boarded a Malaysian Airlines flight for Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. We arrived in KK at around 6 o'clock pm.
The heat and humidity outside the airport were definitely palpable but not as bad as we'd anticipated. We attempted to get a bus but they all seemed to be privately booked so we got a taxi into the city. The driver was very nice and helpful and told us about some of the places we should see, including KK's famous night market. He dropped us off on Jalan Gaya outside the lodge where we'd planned to stay (The North Borneo Cabin). The NBC was booked out for the night and so were the next three or four places we went to. Exhausted from all the flying and waiting we made the call to book a hotel room at Hotel 63 (named after it's location on the street/jalan: lot 63). Later we had our first proper SE Asian meal, a vegetarian dish that included tofu, watercress, chilli, tea and other ingredients of which I don't know the name. It tasted very good.
Jln Gaya hosts the Sunday Market, an improvised street market where people sent up
marquees and sell lots of stuff. Steph and I got to walk through the market this morning and check out the stalls. I was struck by the high number of stalls that were selling 'Angry Birds' related merchandise ('Angry Birds', from what I know, is a very popular Finnish-made iPhone game).
Today we kept our wanderings pretty close to the hotel. We visited a large mall-like building called Wisma Merdeka, where we found a book store with the mystifying title of 'Borneo Books'. Here we bought a field guide of the birds of SE Asia. Wisma Merdeka also housed a big food court where I ate another great meal.
We check out of Hotel 63 and checked into the 'Stay-In Lodge', where we are staying in the lodge. It's cheap and nice and has free coffee and tea.
Now there's a loud group of school age girls and their teachers behind me and I think one of them wants to use the computer. Salamat malam!
