19/06/2014

Woke up the next day and got a swish metro to Batu Caves, a spiratural Hindu site. The metro goes straight to it which was super helpful. Me and a Japense tourist lass who got off the train at the same time kind of went round together and explored it. To get to the caves you have to walk up hundreds of steps. There was so many monkeys everywhere. Surprisingly there wasn't an entrance fee either, which was cool. The cave was massive, and me and this lass got blessed by some Indian dude in the small temple at the top with paint being marked on our head. We walked back down and a monkey stole one of this Indian woman's bags. She was well freaking out and screaming, and everyone was laughing lol. There was also this crippled dude who couldn't walk crawling all the way up to the top of the stairs just on his knees. He kept just pointing to the top and kept on going. Major respect to this guy, was so inspirational.

At the bottom everyone was feeding the millions of pigeons. I got some feed off this dude and got another tourist to take loads of snaps of me and all the pigeons attacking me lol. Back on the train and had my first major hiccup of the trip…. Tapped my pockets and my ipod wasn't there!!! I checked the seat, the floor. Was gone. By this time I was well into my journey and couldn't be bothered to go all the way back to look for it, as well as climb the hundreds of steps back up to the top. I came to three conclusions. It had either slipped out of my pocket when I was climbing over the fences which diving the stairs into three lanes, I had been pick pocketed whilst the pigeons were attacking me, or I had left it on counter as I bought my ticket. Looking back it could be either, but for some reason I really wouldn't think I would be pick pocketed. There was only really one Indian guy about who I borrowed some feed off and loads of Malaysian women tourists. I really wouldn't expect this from a hindu dude, as most of them take the whole karma thing pretty seriously. I suspect I might have just left it on the counter as I got my ticket, subconsciously not even realising I set it aside as I went for my wallet. Anyhow either option meant it had probs already been pocketed by someone else. I just resigned myself to the fact it was gone. I honestly could not believe it. I was gutted. I couldn't even be bothered to see the remaining sites and just went back to the hostel. I decided to open Glenn's letter which I was saving for the flight back, but I thought with my luck I'd probs lose that too, so I opened it. Was a real nice motivational style lots of luck letter. Glenn's good with s*** like that.

I waited around and eventually checked out, taking a bus to the airport. Checked my baggage and waited for my plane which was 30 mins late.

Arrived and all the local buses into town was now off, so instead I hitched a ride into town and food my digs, an expensive joint at £5 a night, but airconned dorm, breakfast and free coffee and tea, was ok.

20/06/2014

Murdered numerous slices of nutella on toast before leaving to scope out the trek to Kinabalu. Being a research nut I found the office in town straight away where I learnt the one night two day trek was fully booked until August. So instead the only option was the one day. The guy gave me the number of the park ranger and I gave him a call. He said to come to the Park HQ at the bottom of the mountain for a little interview, fill out some forms and I should be good to go. I went back to the digs, checked out, and took a bus to the mountain. There I met the park ranger who was really helpful and friendly. I filled out my forms I would hand in the next day. I found a cheap place just outside the park entrance which had a gorgeous restaurant. Met a disguting fat lass with sweaty dreadlocks who had done Kinabalu in 2 nights and 3 days. Like seriously wtf. How could you go that slow. She said I'd need gloves to hold the ropes as its cold and it will cut your hands. What a wet blanket this freak was.

My room on the night was a real horror story. Found a gigantic spider on the night. Went to go get the wifey to kill it, came back and it was ofcourse gone. She sprayed the room with detol, which god knows what that would do. There was also so many moths and other creepy crawlies. I woke up in the middle of the night too remembering I had my mobile with me which could be used as an alarm clock (as I had instead I told the wifey to wake m up in the morn), so I decided to dig it out and turn it on. I switched on the light and there was a cockroach on the other bed where I had left all my stuff. That fella didn't last long!

21/06/2014

Arose nice and early and scoffed some beef noodles down me, and picked up my beef fried rice for a packed lunch. I also had loads of bananas for energy too. I walked to the entrance, handed my stuff in and got my guide, a real funky dressed local in a kafkan shirt called Sigul. We drove to the start gate and set off. We started off at 1866m and walked non stop for 2 and half hours which took us to the accommodation spot at 3278m. The walk was real grueling, and was just non stop steps the whole way. There was honestly no reprieve. However I had a really fast pace and I lead the whole time, and at one point the guide told me to slow down. We eventually got to the accommodation, a real big building buzzing with activity. This place was the definition of a monopoly!!! They had the market stitched up, and sleeping here was over $100 a night. I bought a can of coke for £2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Cambodia it was 32p. We took a break for all of 10 mins and I scoffed a few of my bananas down. There was so many Chinese and Japanese tourists all kicked out in the most expensive designer gear you could imagine, as if this would some how make them go faster. It was all the gear zilch idea. It was so embarrassing it was funny. I've seen snails go faster than these folk. There's me in a primark tshirt, a pair of shorts, my trusty Serious Andes jumper and a knackered pair of SL72s, overtaking every single one of them.

We left the jungle terrain which was full of the rocky steps and eventually came to the top part which was smooth steep rock. There was ropes to hold on to as we ascented up. Slowly but surely we could see the part I had been waiting for, this mad as f*** horn which stuch out of the top! On the other side was two horns which are known as the donkey ears lol, they really were. Makes you think how mad things like this form.

We got to the horn bit and I waited for Sigul to catch up so he could take some snaps of me. He was a bit pissed off about the whole thing and complained his fingers were cold. I was just in a thin tshirt and couldn't be arsed to get my jumper out my bag, yeah the wind was cold but you were walking so it was ok, it wasn't that cold!!!! We then continued to the very top of the summit of 4095m. Which with all summits seemed to take much longer than it should have done. The vantage point wasn't very good as it was cloudy up there. We came down and passed a Russian couple who was also doing the full day, who we'd seen throughout the day. Coming back down I made Sigul take more photos of me, I wasn't going to roll over after I had came all the way to f***ing borneo and climbed this mountain just to have some s*** photos of it.

Back at the accommodation Sigul said to take another small rest. I asked if I could eat my food and he wasn't too keen on the idea. I couldn't really understand what he was saying but I think he was going to head straight down. I went in whilst he disappeared somewhere. I scoffed my gorgeous food and headed back out along with Russian couple. We both couldn't find out guides so we just decided to head down. We knew the gate closed at 5pm so we had to get going.

If there's one thing I hate its going down. After over 5 hours of climbing your knees are in pieces. So the last thing these shock absorbers need is hours worth of decent down massive steps and traversing boulders. I was seemingly flying down the mountain, at times literally running down the steps, but I still couldn't keep up with the Russians. On and on and on and on and on it went for eternity. It was the one of the horriblest things I've ever done. I was also getting worried about making it back in time. I knew I was making 0.5km in distance every 15mins, and going at that rate I would just make it back at 4:45pm. I passed loads of people coming up who were starting their two day, as well as eventually catching loads of people who were going the two day and were going down. these folk start at 3am in the morn to catch the sunrise, by this time it was afternoon and they were still descending lol!!! So slow. I overtook so many people, and I though if I'm worried they should be!! Some of them were really really fat too.

I eventually ploughed on were I seen a porter coming behind me, look round and it was Sigul transporting some rubbish on his head back down the mountain. Turns out he was behind me!! He was flying down it though. Guides are always mint at going down, as its not a case of strength, just basically how strong your cartridge in your knee is. We walked the remainder back to the gate.

So in total I had Climbed an increase of 2200m up to 4095m, then 2200m all the way back down again, across a distance of 17km in total, which is around 4km short of doing a half marathon… all on pure vertical steps with no reprieve! Went like a man possessed and only took me 8hrs 40mins, stopping only TWENTY mins for the whole day. The only thing I could liken this to is doing a 8hrs 40min session of Penshaw steps non stop, but twice as steep and in a Borneo jungle humidity. Now that's what I call a challenge! Had a nice blood blister when I looked at my feet. This really was the ultimate thigh and knee tester. Felt so good about myself at the end, its always a nice feeling finishing a big physical feat, kid of like a high.

Rounded up my stuff from the hostel and en route I seen the English I did the Annapurna with!!! Could believe it, was really nice seeing them and they were an amazing couple. Walked to the bus stop, there parked was the Russians, who had their own hired car. They offered me a lift back to KK, and were really nice people. The man looked the spit of Richard Barley, and drove like a mad man down the windy roads. I felt really sick after my long day and it felt like a rollercoaster. I thought I was gonna whitey out the window at one point. It took us 2 hours going up, he made it back down in one hour lol. Hobbled back to my hostel and got some well deserved coffee. Craiced on to some Swiss dude who I met the day I left, hit up KFC as a treat.

22/06/2014

Wrote blog all day. Missed the day market in doing so but hay ho.

23/06/2014

Chilled. Ate more KFC for an end of trip treat. Went and bought my ticket for the ferry to brunei, a two boat journey would get me there. The price had went up since the last bit of info on it got posted, which always seems to happen! I also needed to bring my passport just to get the ticket. On the way back I popped into the big shopping centre in town just to see what it was like. I mooched into a levis and it felt odd having a retail experience again. An actual shop, just like back home, with the same prices. The shop was only small and I covered all the rails in minutes, and out I popped. Didn't last long! Not a chance I was spending that money on anything. Tried some more stuff from the KFC menu, its nothing like back home, you can get rice on a plate and all sorts. I also passed the smallest McDonalds known to man. It was a small chatty counter in the shopping centre with real suspect signage, and they only done McFlurrys too lol! It was definitely real though.