Sabah...Cuti-Cuti Malaysia

Countdown

Done with Christian Teachers' Day, S'wak

19 days to Miri TCF Teachers' Day

27 days to 7th year

64 days to Cambodia (TCF)

138 days to Cambodia Medical Mission (GMC)

180 days left 4 me to meet the person

Wow! Looking at my countdown, my "mission" will be ending soon..I hope to be saying.."I've done what the Lord had asked me to do and brought glory unto Him...and now, I am ready to go." .....haha... I wish. Oh yeah...minus the last countdown, even if I did not meet that person, it does not matter at all....because I'll be meeting my Master....the best part of all.

Well, enough of some nonsense and introductory of my post for today.

I've yet to post about our trip to Sabah...cuti-cuti Malaysia.

It's like a dream come true for me. I've heard so much about Sandakan and I told myself, "I must go to this talk about place."

Finally, I managed to go there last holiday after my PTK examination, together with DL. What's greater than just going there? We DROVE there! And we drove a total of 1997km. I'm breaking my own record and wonder when will be my next breaking record again.

View from Kinabalu Pine Resort, Kundasang

Again, just a reminder to you, my dear readers (if anyone actually read-lah...haha...if not, that would be me, myself and I), it's all by His grace and enabling. I give no credit to myself but all credits should to One who were with us from the very beginning of our journey till the end of it. We went there by faith and He proved Himself faithful till the very end. Thank You! I owe it all unto You.

View from Fairy Garden Resort, Kundasang

Anyway, we took a total of 8 days to travel all the way from Miri right up to Sandakan. In between, we stayed 1 night in Sipitang, 2 nights in Kundasang, 3 nights in Sandakan and 1 night in Beaufort. We entered into Limbang, Lawas, Papar, Tamparuli, Ranau where we had our lunch when we stayed in Kundasang, Telupid and not forgetting the infamous Kota Kinabalu and Likas.

My faithful Myvi that we traveled with...Perodua Boleh!

I love the weather in Kundasang, cool and fresh, cold in the night. The scenic view was so lovely I could stay there forever. Mount Kinabalu was very visible early in the morning, bringing back memories back in 2004 and 2005, when I was once there and younger. Only one thing, new construction was heavily in process causing the Kundasang town to be jammed pack with cars, dust and deserting the whole shops in town. The whole place was so so totally different when I was there 5 years ago where the town was full of live but yet, peaceful and the freshness was there, unlike now. Sad...

Town of Sandakan...not the main town

Sandakan is indeed a lovely place after we were there a little longer but frankly, we were quite disappointed and regretted coming to Sandakan, when we first arrived at the town center. It was so old and ancient and it felt like as if we were in the wrong era. Anyway, our view changed after we know of the whole area of Sandakan. It is actually a very huge area with lots of people and cars. I like the most was The English Tea House...simply because it was so English...and I wish it has the weather of Kundasang, then it would be perfect.

Fishing Village...the house where we had our breakfast.
Photo taken from Restaurant Sim-Sim 88.

Food was the main attraction in Sandakan...especially seafood...cheap and fresh. I was so tempted to buy the huge prawns for just RM25 per kg. It was so cheap and it just came out of the sea. I dared not take so much prawns due to its high cholesterol but boy, it was really tempting...I love prawns...and all kinds of seafood. I am so thankful I am not in Sandakan, then I don't think I would be able to be the size I am today...no way...I'll be like double or maybe triple my size.

1 Malaysia...steamboat place where it's up a hill... Who would know such eating place existed..

Language was a huge problem to me in Sandakan and actually the whole Sabah. I do not speak any Chinese dialects except Hokkien, but I did relearned my Mandarin when I was Miri because everyone speaks Mandarin BUT...I was shocked that everyone speaks Cantonese in Sandakan!! I understand a tiny bit of it and spoke none. That's it, I was doomed in Sandakan. What's worse? This people should learn how to speak English and maybe our national language, Bahasa Melayu. I mean people and hawkers in KL are fast improving themselves, they speak English very well...or at least they speak and understand English-lah.

The nice and lovely St Michael's Anglican Church, Sandakan.

Then, when it comes to BM, aiyoh....begitu Indon intonasi mereka. Gue gak ngerti apa luk cakap. I tried to speak even more baku than when I speak in Sarawak but I still could not get their "song". Problem...but somehow I understand the important stuff, like when I asked for directions. Thank God.

Seafood fresh from the sea...cheap...very cheap...

We enjoyed our trip there very much and give our thanks to our Father and to many other people who made our trip a memorable one....and made us look forward to another trip to the Land Below the Wind...particularly, Sandakan, because I have yet to try my lobster, Ocean King Seafood Restaurant and UFO, and the Tip of Borneo, Kudat.