The Family Christmas Vacation

a quiet dinner amidst the fields
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Pics here.

Q: So the question is, why Kota Kinabalu?
Ans: The wonders of advertising. Dad was extremely curious about Kota Kinabalu, and budget airlines like Air Asia. He wanted to try it out. Mom does basically what Dad wants, and me, I also wanted to see Kota Kinabalu. So there.

Q: How was it?
Ans: Great. The city of Kota Kinabalu is the capital of the province, and everything was modern and organized. There were shopping malls (though nothing in comparison with Manila malls), four-star hotels, budget hostels, well-paved roads and highways, night markets, seafood dining places, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Huts, Coffee Bean, etc. Women in shorts, women in Muslim wear. Lots of pinoys too, most coming from Zamboanga. They make better money here than at home. There were mosques, and christian churches. Overall, the city gave the impression that it was peaceful, well-organized and well-maintained. The environment was multi-racial, multi-religion, and somehow it gave the impression that everyone respected everyone.

Plus, the soft-shell crabs we ate were really heavenly. It was my first time to eat a soft-shell crab, and it was like a giant crispy crablet. You eat everything including the shell, and it was really yummy. Just for that, I'd go back to Kota Kinabalu again. (Not that they have a monopoly on soft-shell crabs).

Q: Where did you stay?
Ans: We booked the Le Meridien hotel through Air Asia's Go Holiday site. The hotel was great, staff were very helpful and courteous. Considering how my dad kept bugging them, their patience and helpfulness was really great. Nice rooms, with a flat TV and DVD player. Nice lap pool, buffet breakfast included (although the breakfast menu rarely changes). Drainage was a bit poor, but what the hey, overall it was a comfortably nice four-star hotel. Concierge was very helpful, hooking us up with touristy-tours (forgiveable, since my parents though adventurous in their own right aren't really young enough to endure harsh travel conditions), and making sure we got safely back from the midnight mass at the Catholic Church nearby. The Caucasian manager can even speak Chinese, and volunteered to take our picture by the lobby's giant Christmas tree.

Q: Aside from that mountain, what else can we see at Kota Kinabalu?
Ans: Sabah is full of natural adventure. There are white water rafting tours, great dive sites and beaches as well. Rare flora and fauna thrive here. Survivor filmed a season in one of the islands (Palau). Also, Sipadan resort was where the Abu Sayyaf snatched hostages way back then. Of course, security is supposedly tighter now. Temperature is also similar to Manila -- there are two seasons as well, wet and dry. We went looking for proboscis monkeys and visited the Poring Hot Springs and Mt. Kinabalu park. Heard that snorkeling is great here, and from the air, white sand beaches dotted most of the islands.

Q: Now, about that mountain...
Ans: Yes, Mt. Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia. According to the guide, Kina-balu means "Chinese Widow", and there's a legend that explains the tale. Long ago, Chinese immigrants went to the island and married the native women. Well eventually the Chinese men returned to China, for trade or whatever reason. The local women stood on top of the mountain, looking out into the sea, waiting for their husbands who would never return. Another explanation of the name is it's derived from "Aki Nabalu" - meaning 'The revered place of dead'. Mystical and distinguished, even from the plane, I couldn't see the peak as it was covered in fog.

Q: What happened when you got back?
Ans: The airport at Clark had 8 immigration counters I think, and when I came down from the plane, there was only one counter open to handle the loads of people coming in. The airport isn't really as busy as NAIA, so it's a bit understandable. When booking the Philtranco bus going back to Manila, staff were also friendly and helpful. It was when we got to Megamall that my temper soared. Well, it just happened to be raining, and you know what happens when it rains. The taxis overcharge. They pick passengers. They don't use the meter. Plus, they also saw that we had luggages and had come from the airport, and boom, they overcharge some more. These taxis prey on helpless people. It was very frustrating to see that, but for every dark cloud there has to be a silver lining. Eventually, after waiting a while and walking another block, a kind honest taxi driver stopped for us. And yes, we gave him a tip too.

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