We packed up again and after breakfast went out to photograph Mount Kinabalu. It is a beautiful sight across the rainforest with the peak visible above a band of mist. On then to a national park and a waterfall, Air Turjun. The government is trying to promote this area to tourists but it is very isolated and so still pretty quiet. In fact, when we arrived, we had the place to ourselves.
It was completely natural and unspoilt.
Lynn was insistent that we get in the rock pool under the waterfall so I got changed and went into the water as far as my knees.
Compared to the warm air, it felt really cold but Lynn was determined to enjoy the experience. There was a group of butterflies of different colours resting on a boulder in the rock pool.
Cynthia had bought some pots of local handmade sweets, almonds surrounded by crunchy biscuit in chocolate, a sort of soft shortbread dusted with icing sugar and a sort of spring roll covered in sweet sticky something from a stall on the way so we could have a snack.
We wandered back through the rainforest to the car park where the coach and Cynthia's boyfriend were waiting. I need to explain that any driver, porter, barman, receptionist of any kind is referred to as her boyfriend by Cynthia. You will have seen from her photo that Cynthia is a larger than life character so we are assuming that the boyfriend thing is a joke. But she is absolutely great fun and a brilliant courier.
Lunch in the national park and the usual Chinese menu including melon. Then we settle down for a one and a half hour ride to Keningau. We stop on the way to drive down a long dirt track between some rice paddy fields to visit the memorial of a tribal leader who led his people against the British and died while under arrest in 1900. Oops. The people from the village were very excited by our visit as we were the first tourists to visit them. Possibly the first Westerners they had ever seen as we are deep inland in Sabah now. That said the children, although shy at first, told us their names and ages in an attempt to have a bit of conversation.
Continuing on to Keningau. Now this is where we start to get a bit unhappy. We had booked to go to Sellingen Island to see the turtles on the beach. It seems that last year a couple were abducted and murdered and the British Gov advised against all but essential travel there. Fair enough. Keningau it seems is the substitute destination but it doesn't seem to be a place of much interest but Cynthia assures us that we will find tomorrow interesting. Anyway the hotel is ok but nothing special. We unpack, have a rest and put on the TV for the first time this holiday. There are 7 channels, only one we can understand - BBC World News but we catch up on the Malaysia flight story. At 6.30pm I decide to have a shower and although the bathroom has been refurbished and is very nice, there is no hot water. We finally make the receptionist understand that yes there is water but no it is not hot, remember that this is not a tourist area and the hotel staff do not speak much English although they do try. By the way, Lynn and I have learned how to say Thank you - terima case, Danger -awas Do not smoke -dalerang merokok, Ticket office -pondok tiket, Man-orang, Proboscis monkey - malapi, milk -susu. All spellings approximate. Their script is the same as ours and there are a lot of English words in the language, albeit spelt more phonetically. When it is time for prayers, the TV goes blank and we hear the Imman's call to prayer. Incidentally, we noticed that in every bedroom there is an arrow on the ceiling and it took several days of scratching our heads till we realised it is pointing to Mecca.
Anyway back to the cold water. No, it was not possible to mend the water madam so we had to move to another room. We replacked, at which we are now experts, and moved down 2 floors to a smaller room, Un refurbished bathroom but at least there is hot water. The view of the sunset from our room is spectacular.
However there is no time to shower or change as we have to be in the restaurant by 7.30pm. We are all served at the same time with the same meal as usual. After dinner we repair to the Peppermint Lounge (where are they getting these names from?) for a game of darts and then pool. Am rubbish at both.
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