Crafts and railways

Day 9 Saturday

Oh wow!  We have just arrived at our 5 star all inclusive hotel in Kota Kinabalu.  I cannot believe the luxury.

But before I describe the hotel, I must record what we have done today.  We left Keningau in a downpour.  I had not been able to publish yesterday's blog because the iPad kept dropping the signal. So two posts today hopefully.  We went first to the Sabah Craft Centre.  We weren't sure what to expect but it turned out to be really interesting and great fun as the people who worked there were so pleased to see us, their first Western visitors.  In fact they normally worked Monday to Friday but had come in specially to meet us and demonstrate what they did.  The centre is part of a government initiative to teach young people traditional crafts like batik painting, embroidery, weaving, making baskets and furniture from rattan and fern leaves, glass beads, traditional headwear and clothes. The people, young and old were really excited by our visit and wanted us to try our hand.  I made a new email pal, Nelly.

I try painting Batik

Weaving an intricate cloth 

Lynn basket weaving

My new email friend, Nelly

Lynn in a traditional headdress

Me in a head hunter's headdress

Modelling the latest Malay outfit

Group photo with all the lovely staff.

We bought some souvenirs and said goodbye to all the lovely staff.

Off again and stopping for lunch at a typical Malay restaurant.  Nothing fancy but good food - fish, aubergines in coconut sauce, vegetables, fried fern leaves, beef in chilli and things I didn't recognise.

On to the train in Tenom for a ride through spectacular scenery.  The train hugged the river bank and on the other side the rainforest rose steeply into the hills.  

The engine was like Percy out of Thomas the Tank Engine

I can't upload the photos of the carriages which is a shame.  We travelled first class which consisted of  plastic covered benches with sliding windows but no aircon.  Second class was like a cattle truck and people sat on the wooden floor, no windows but with sliding doors.  It was very, very hot.  The engine set off with much loud hooting and tooting and reached cruising speed of about 30mph.  It was fairly full and stopped regularly.  Half way through the journey we all had to get out and we wondered whether we were going to have another authentic experience of building the next bit of track like our ancestors.  But no, for some reason we got on another train and the first train went back. The buffet service got on the train in the form of a man with a box and a bucket filled with snacks and drinks.  It was all too much for the passenger next to Lynn who took advantage of her shoulder to nap on.

We passed a wedding in a field and some of the guests got on to go home I expect.  After a few minutes a man said loudly, " I am not speaking to your shoes". He repeated it so we turned round and nodded aimiably and he seemed happy with the acknowledgement.

A view from the train

Although we had enjoyed the journey, it was good to get off the train at Beaufort and back into the aircon of the coach which brought us into the capital of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu and our luxury hotel.  Lynn couldn't resist taking photos of our room.

The louvred window looks Into the bathroom where you could hold a barn dance.

The view for the sunset rom our balcony.

Huge choice of wonderful food in the 5 Sails Restaurant overlooking the pool and so to bed.  Ahh.