Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

After flying over the South China Sea high above many nameless Philippine islands, we landed on Borneo at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. The granite peaks of Mount Kinabalu loomed in the distance as our short taxi ride brought us into the city to the King Park Hotel. The King Park was a big step up from the ramshackle mustiness of the Swagman. Likewise, Malaysia itself looked to be a step up in wealth and infrastructure. Malaysia's per capita income is $6,540 per year, roughly four times as much as the Philippines. This rise in income however seems not to have allowed for KK to replace their old open-air roadside sewage drains. We walked to the waterfront amid a stench of exhaust fumes and human waste. Though the Lindso nearly collapsed from the smell, we managed to discover a vibrant bar scene at the waterfront. As Malaysia is a Muslim country, alcohol is heavily taxed. A can of a local beer like Anchor will set you back 10 ringgit ($3). This is a high price considering how cheap food is, with an entree at a restaurant also around 10 ringgit.

The next morning we awoke at dawn for a run past the Signal Hill lookout. In contrast to yesterday's run, we saw exactly one runner. (This would be the last runner we would see until Singapore!) Lindso's popularity continued as she got several honks, thumbs up's, and "Hello, Good Morning!" greetings from schoolkids. Borneo is very humid, and towards the end of our run we were as wet as if we had jumped in the ocean. In the morning light from Signal Hill, KK looked and smelled a lot better than he night before. After running we walked the streets of KK, sweltering even in the shade, and searching for air conditioned shopping malls to take refuge in. KK is a modern, busy, small city with no major sights to see. The city once known as Jesselton was completely demolished by Allied bombers targeting the Japanese occupiers in WWII. We found little of interest here and the heat forced us into Starbucks, the omnipresent global escape hatch for Americans.


We returned to KK after a night in Brunei. Back to the King Park Hotel. This time we spent our day on a white-water rafting trip. Actually scratch the white-water part. It was billed as "mild adventure", and that it was. It was fun to get out into the nature of Borneo though. We had a pleasant few hours floating along, seeing a monitor lizard, jumping in the river, skipping rocks.
We passed this beautiful mosque just outside KK. It was surrounded by it's own moat.

By now we had had quite enough of Kota Kinabalu. The place has no redeeming value really. It's a place you pass though on your way to climb Mt. Kinabalu, or to go on a Borneo jungle tour, or on a layover for another flight. I can't think of any reason to come here. On to Bali!