Borneo - Tu, We, Th
Tuesday, Nov 8. Arrived at about sunset, caught a taxi to my apartment and my first action was to complain about the cleanliness of the room. I was displeased, but the owner sent over a “different” cleaner the next morning and all is well. I was also extremely disappointed at the view out my window, but within a day I felt better about my place. I mostly don’t look out that window anymore and now that I’m settled in, the location is absolutely fantastic. I can walk to many restaurants, a giant mall and to the dive shop and to the marina to go diving!
I didn’t have the right power adaptor, so off I went to the big mall — I mean seriously, think the Galleria in your home town but with a mix of familiar (Kate Spade, Fossil, Apple) and inexplicable (can’t pronounce, sorry) stores. Including groceries and pharmacies and what I would buy at a pharmacy but only in the personal items section. The mall is close, just a hop over the skybridge.
Here we have the sign from the back of the bathroom stall at the Kota Kinabalu airport, then the rooftop pool at my apartment with its glorious, tolerant family diversity. The top right picture is where I’m sitting right now, then the kitchen and the view out the window. It’s a trashy, nasty floating village. I’ve been told it is “people who don’t belong here.” I don’t know more details than that.
Wednesday I walked to meet two dive shops, having interesting adventures, and also booked some tours and stuff, planned some things out. Got caught in the rain at the end so the girl at the scuba shop called me a ‘Grab'.’ I have the app but haven’t used it yet — like Uber. Anyway, got a ride home in that pouring rain and I’m prepared to “Grab” my own ride home next time.
Thursday, my second full day here I booked a half day city tour. I was the only person on the tour and while that happens and I’m usually comfortable, this guy made me uncomfortable. Still made it through the overview and I still think it was a good investment to get a look at the city and see a bit of museum history and famous sites. A few pictures. The city (the Sarah Maju Jaya is where the prime minister resides, the picture below it is where the PM used to live and now its a “thing” to get a picture like that, sort of holding up the building.)
And here we have also the Chinese Temple in town.
Last but certainly not least, the national museum. I could have spent much longer but … well. It was awkward. The first two pictures are of a display about planting and collecting rice. That wooden box thing would separate the rice kernels from the stalks, etc. Then we have some shrunken heads from the glory days of Borneo’s past and a couple more displays I thought were intersting.
