Mount Kinabalu

The cloud clears

A rainbow over the mountain
A river hike
Obscured by the clouds

Back to Sabah and this time it was just a short one and a half hours flight from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu - goodness knows how long it would have taken me if I had decided to go by bus! Time enough for a fuel stop and a reflexology foot massage (ouch!) in KK and I am on another bus and heading inland for Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain between the Himalayas and the island of New Guinea at 4095m. Not that I have any intention of climbing it - I like to hike, but I don't like hiking up so much and in this humidity it would be shear hell for me. With the park entrance at over 1000m the temperature is refreshingly cooler than elsewhere and down right cold at the 4095m mark no doubt. I do however feel like I need to have a little rant about the park set up, there haven't been too many rants over the last 9 months so I feel quite justified for a little one now. I was going to stay in the park itself, however they wanted RM120 for a dorm bed. Now, we are not talking huge amounts of money here, (for ease of calculation 1USd=4RM), but in comparison I have been paying on average RM50 for a private room with bathroom. I thought maybe it was because it was last minute and close to Easter so I just chose to stay outside of the park - not too difficult, a lovely private room with bathroom and a balcony looking out to the mountain for RM80. I then went on a very nice hike through the forest and following a river. I arrived back at HQ, very hot and sweaty and needed a drink. I then thought I would have lunch and chill out in the park for a while. However, lunch in the cafe was RM50 - 5 0 as I repeated to the cashier. I have been paying an average of between RM5 and RM10 for very decent food which often included a drink. So I think the private company that is running all the accommodation, food, guides and hiking permits for the park is taking the Michael - big time. I hate to think how much it costs to climb the mountain. I head back to my hotel and balcony and have a very nice late lunch there. As if the mountain felt my angst it later showed itself from behind the clouds and put on a spectacular display as the sun set and a rainbow formed - now that was worth paying for.