I have been both busy and undisciplined the past couple weeks since getting back to China, so my forays to the blog have been rare, but as today would have it I stumbled upon some luck and can access the blog in full, so hopefully can productively tackle the second part of my Borneo expedition before my window closes. My arrival into Kota Kinabalu (KK) was simple, and the airport is relatively small though carries a good number of international connections to Asian capitols. After a quick cab ride, I was set into my downtown hostel and prepared to explore the city for the evening.

KK sprawls across the countryside, leaping hills as development pushes outward, but the central city itself is a compact, long strip wedged between the sea and some green hills, and as such the setting is fairly pleasant and easy to walk. It is a city on the verge of becoming a full-blown tourist hub, as recent mall openings and the gentrified boardwalk with Irish pubs and Italian restaurants crowded with Brits and Aussies will testify to. As such, some of the city’s character is lost, but my stay at the Step-Inn Lodge proved enjoyable, and I was caught out in the night markets that filled the streets all around the building. Owing to the low season for tourism, my 4-bed dorm room turned into a private as well, and this was much appreciated.

Sandakan is wildy different, and though it exhibits the same sprawling nature, is much less touristed and presents a rougher town with some grit and character that was appealling to me. Again, its a strip of land between the hills and the sea (funny how topography works) but here it is full of local shops and restaurants, scattered with a few hotels between. The city is beginning to embrace its role however as a launch point for jungle and island vacations, and a new waterfront destination consisting of several buildings was under construction and nearing completion during my visit.

Perhaps my favorite thing about Sandakan was the atmosphere, the pleasant, slow pace that forces relaxation upon a traveler who has only a scant and insufficient amount of time to spend there. The hotel staff where I stayed was embarrasingly friendly and polite to me, where I was known as Mr. Zak, and at one point I was talking with half of them at the front desk for a good 20 minutes answering their questions. Next door was a good Malay restaurant where I would sit, eat, drink tea, and read the English papers, which made dinners and breakfasts very quiet and pleasant events.

A note about the Malaysian people- they are awesome. Just great. After leaving the airport, I was trying to find the bus in the heat of the day with little success. Finally walking down the road away from the airport, I see a bus a few hundred meters ahead steaming by. It stops and begins to back up, while the driver is making hand signals to me if I need a ride, which I confirmed with a happy thumbs up. All throughout the country, at every turn, I was greeted with smiling faces, good English, and treated like some special guest, for no real reason. Fantastic.

My final day in Malaysia I was back in KK, with an early morning plane awaiting to return me to Shenzhen. At this point, I was dangerously low on ringgit and felt another ATM trip was a waste, so instead indulged in free activities such as walking about. I took to the hills above KK, making an observation post on my map the goal. After a little bit, I found it and enjoyed a quiet, private view over the city center along with a refreshing breeze. On my way down, I passed several Malaysians. The grungiest looking one stopped to shake my hand and say ‘Welcome to Malaysia’.

So in sum, I think its a great thing to be able to go on a trip and say that you’re only regret is that you just didn’t have enough time to spend there. For all that I did do, there are still islands to enjoy, diving, snorkeling, sea turtles laying eggs, interior villages that live in communal longhouses, a 14,000 foot mountain to climb. Borneo offers so much to the traveler for so little cost, and I will be quite happy to return someday.

Disclaimer: Nature shots are hard! The animals move constantly and my camera is old, so don’t set expectations too high