UK Agro Farm

After my Mt Kinabalu blogs, I thought I'm going to hibernate for at least a month or so.  I'm running out of time for my study, assignment and project.  And I think my brain is currently under 'construction', need some time to rejuvenate from all the exhaustion.  So, let the pictures 'speak' to you instead of written words.

I came to know about this UK Agro Farm from my sis.  She has been there a couple of times.  After browsing through the web for some reviews, many recommended this place.  So, I purchased 6 tickets from Matta Fair last year.  The tickets have been collecting dust since then.  Couldn't find the right time to go until this school holiday.  After all, it's going to expire by the end of April!

It was a two-hour journey from Melaka to UK Agro Farm.  We reached there around 9:30am.

We saw a few cows as we turned into the farm premise.  The sight of these creatures triggered some excitement in my children after a long drive.

Upon arrival, Andrew purchased two bags of feedstock and corn to feed the goat and ostrich during the tour.

 While waiting for our bus, we walked around the reception area and saw this iconic sheep statue.

Since it was still early, we dropped by the mini zoo and saw this beautiful peacock showing off his feather. 

Not a lot of animals there though.  So we went back to the reception and waited for our bus.

The bus was here but not the driver... 

The 3 hours tour is guided by a in-house-guide to visit feedstock processing factory, sheep and goat pen, goat milk processing centre, tropical aracde and fruit farm, turkey and ostrich farm, Jakun village, and mushroom farm.

Our tour guide spoke in Mandarin, so hubby, my FIL and the children couldn't understand much.

You may upgrade your ride to a horse cart with an additional fee.  We saw one on our way and took a picture with it.  Of course, the children wished they could ride on it.

The first attraction is "Sheep Grazing".  You will see the herds of goats galloping towards the grassy land for food.

Our next stop: Goat and sheep pen

Feeding time!!!

Such a hungry bunch of lamb and goats... they finished the bottle of milk in a blink of an eye!

The lamb is so so cute!!!  And it's very light compared to my children.  Apparently she's very hungry also, sucking a corner of my blouse while I was carrying her.  Erwyn dared not to carry her though.

After the feeding, we proceeded to the next station: Feedstock proccessing factory.

The field of grass could not satisfied the hunger of these goats and sheep.  So more food is processed here when the herds are back in the barn.

The milk proccessing factory is where they milk the goat, using air pressure machine to suck the milk out.

Slurp... milk is my favourite!!!

A cup of goat milk ice cream in a warm weather like this is definitely a must!

Looks like the bird in the farm doesn't mind a close encounter with my boy

An awesome scenery of the grassy land with the herds

Our fourth stop: Turkey and Ostrich Farm.  Only one ostrich was there and all the children fought to feed this big fellow...

On the other hand, these turkeys were not hungry at all and refused to eat any corns offered to them.

Moving on, the Jakun Village where the 'Orang Asli' demonstrated to us how they catch a prey up on the tree.

Tree house

Can you spot the two little kiddos?

Chill out time!  Refreshing coconut water at the fruit farm.

Finally, the Mushroom Farm.  Something else attracted the kids more than mushrooms itself.

My two kiddos love climbing.  Where there are stairs, they climb...

Presenting to you: the Lingzhi mushroom

Mushroom snack

The last activity of the day: Sheep Challenge!

Seriously, it is no joke chasing after these four legged creatures.  Fun but tiring.  After 2 minutes, my boy was so exhausted, he gave up.  So hubby took over.  We did not even managed to touch the fur on the sheep, let alone catch it coz they were really fast.  The staff told us that 5 people stand a better chance of catching them.  Anyone interested?

We left UK Farm around 1pm and headed for lunch.

Look at how tired my little boy was!!!  How can I miss this candid shot... :p

Overall, I think the farm is only average.  I was quite disappointed that the mini zoo is truly 'mini', only one peacock, a few ducks and a pig; there's only one ostrich at the Ostrich Farm and even the herds of goats aren't that many.  Maybe our timing was wrong.  Many other reviews mentioned that they saw hundreds of goats and sheep at the 100 acres of grazing land and the view is simply magnificient.  hmm... or perhaps my expectation is too unrealistic?  I was thinking more like the New Zealand kind of scenery.  So long, farewell, UK Agro Farm.  I don't supposed I'm going to visit you anytime soon.

Mt Kinabalu - Part Six: Home Sweet Home

The journey down was a long and tiring one.

Donna and I at KM8

We left nothing but our footprint in this awesome place

Couldn't imagine how we made it up, and now down

We descended back to Laban Rata for breakfast and packed our bag.  We were supposed to reach Timpohon Gate by 3pm but it took us forever to get there.  The hike definitely seemed more pleasant than the descend.  Perhaps it was the adrenalin rush.  We walked and walked and walked.  Though it was less tiring, it was unexpectedly arduous and seemingly an endless trail.  My legs were wobbling like mad and I vowed that it was gonna be the first and the last climb for me.  In fact, the last 3km Robbi had to hold Audrey and my hand all the way.  Audrey's dizzy spell was still lingering around whereas my knees were so weak that it was as though I was going to fall anytime.

When we reached the gate, we were welcomed by the applause of the staff.  hahaa... such an honour!  Poor Donna and Chu!  They have been waiting for us for an hour at the gate.

Robbi gave us our certificates from the HQ office; Donna and Chu took our packed lunch from the restaurant while Audrey and I rested at the bench.   

Yes, we did it!

We were so thankful with the perfect weather right from the beginning till the end.  I couldn't imagine how slippery and tough could it be with even the slightest drop of rain.

Soon, we boarded our tour bus and headed back to Marina Court with mixed feeling.

I called up Amazing Borneo office to make sure we were not 'forgotten' again by the Marina Court person-in-charge.  Thank God for the call.  By the time we reached KK town, the PIC had left but she made some arrangement with the guardhouse to give us our apartment key.  However, our luggages were left in her office.  There goes another drama where I made umpteen calls again.  Finally, she brought our luggages to our doorstep and apologized to us.

Audrey and Chu volunteered to buy KFC for dinner while Donna and I stayed at the apartment.  (Told you my teammates are awesome!!!)  I took the longest shower ever; just enjoying the water running down my smelly and tired body.  We rested early for the night and the next morning we boarded the plane back to KL.

Throughout the past few days, I am surprised to find myself not homesick or rather 'childsick'.  What amazes me more was my children did not miss me either!!!  Looking at the bright side: Perhaps this indicates that I could travel more often next time.  Andrew took good care of the kids.  A good father indeed.

The aftermath effect of the climb: I was limping for the next two days and in pain for a week.  But till today, I am still at awe, reminiscing the moment where I was at the highest top of Mt Kinabalu - a mountain standing so mighty at the height of 4,095 metres in East Malaysia - Sabah.





Sidenote:  I am so grateful to have Audrey, Chu and Donna as my climbing partners.  Thank you so much for everything!  Everything here means: The 100+ that Chu offered me after I reached Timpohon Gate; the 'scarry' stairs that Chu and Donna had to take after the climb just to get our packed lunch; the KFC dinner that Audrey and Chu bought after the climb; the Secret Recipe cake that Audrey went all the way out to buy for me... and the list goes on.  

Disclaimer:  All the photos in the Mt Kinabalu blogs are mostly taken by Audrey and Chu; with only a few from me.

Mt Kinabalu - Part Five: Top of the World

Chu and I woke up around 9pm with a headache.  We both took paracetomol to ease our pain and praying that we would feel better the next morning.  I did not fall asleep until 11pm.  Oh gosh... only 2 hours away before the climb.  Would I be ready for it?

The final attack took place in the early hours of the second day in order to catch the sunrise.  We woke up at 1am.  I was relieved that the headache was gone.  It was freezing cold and I put on 4 layers of clothes.  We climbed up to Laban Rata Resthouse for supper.  Gotta fuel ourselves for the final push.


Even though from Timpohon Gate to Laban Rata is 6km, and from Laban Rata to the peak is 2.72km; the latter was so much harder and challenging.  What we experienced the day before was nothing compared to this.

It was pitched black and everyone had their headlamps on.  I could see a trail of lights ahead of me moving higher and higher, giving hints of the route I was about to take.  The first kilometre was all steps and rocks.  And then there comes a part where you hold on to a big white rope, climb up a narrow path of steep, large rocks.  At some point, the level of inclination was almost 70 degrees, with only a rope separating us between life and death. 

Robbi, our mountain guide was with us all these while.  He was very helpful in instructing us where to put our foot on, even holding our hands leading us the way.  Did I mention he has been a mountain guide for 11 long years?!  No wonder he is so experienced.  He doesn't even need to hold the rope while climbing.  If anyone of us lose our balance, he'd pull us back up. 

Finally, we reached Sayat-sayat checkpoint.  Climbers need to check in here to report for the summit climb.  We took a break for awhile before continuing the hike.  Beyond this checkpoint, it was all rocky boulders.  Perhaps the scariest and the most dangerous part of the climb was over.  Our dear friend, Robbi, left us on our own, again!

Although Chu has acrophobia, Donna and her hike up the mountain like a rocket.  Audrey and I stayed slow and steady.  At one point I was practically walking every five steps and stopped...  It was less than 10°C, and on top of that the wind blasted like crazy.  It was insanely cold.  The strong wind causes the white rope to sway from the left to the right.  As a result, Audrey felt dizzy and uneasy.  She stopped while encouraging me to move on.  I felt so terrible for leaving her behind in such a condition, but I couldn't stay still with such a strong wind.  The weather up here is icy cold and although I was wearing four layers of clothing, it was impossible to stay warm and focused.  I moved slowly forward while hoping Robbi would find Audrey and assist her.


Eventually Robbi found her.  Audrey told us later that she tried to move forward without holding the rope but at some point it was rather impossible.  Robbi brought her back to Sayat-sayat checkpoint, and she rested in the container with a number of others who wished not to proceed further.  But she managed to catch a glimpse of the sunrise.  In fact, Robbi told her sometimes the view at Sayat-sayat checkpoint is better than the mountain peak.  I certainly believe she has made a good decision.

As for me, I continued to wrestle with the cold wind while taking every step with all my strength.  It was hard to concentrate.  I was coughing and my nose became watery.  I wasn't sure when did that happen but I was all alone at the mountain.  I could see lights ahead of me and way far behind me.  But no one was next to me.  It was at this point my headlamp began to... and suddenly it turned off by itself.

Does this sound like a movie scene to you?  Well, it was happening to me.  My first reaction was:  What am I going to do now?  Two options: Continue the climb until I meet someone; Or descend back to Sayat-sayat checkpoint.  I was very hesitatant as both options require me to climb in darkness.  I did not have a torchlight with me except my headlamp.  Perhaps I should stay still and wait?  But the wind was killing every bit of me.  Even with a pair of water resistant winter glove, I could feel the wind blowing strongly on the palm of my hands.

I am surprised to find myself calm and not afraid at all.  I tried several times to turn off and on my headlamp but it refused to work.  It was at this point I looked up and realised there were so many stars in the night sky.  The scene was awesome!  I have never seen such a beautiful night sky before.  I regret not taking any pictures then.  Perhaps I was too distracted on what should I do next than snapping away.


Then I remembered I have my mobile phone with me in my pouch.  I brought along hubby's old hp coz I did not expect any reception at Laban Rata.  And this old mobile phone may function as a torch light.  It may not be very bright but it was more than enough for me to see where to climb.  So, slowly I moved forward with one hand holding the rope, the other holding the mobile phone.

I was so delighted when I heard voices that sound like Chu and Donna.  They should be way ahead of me?!  I called out their names a few times but they did not hear me.  Finally they saw me and reached out to me.  I explained to them what happened and they expressed their desire to return to Sayat-sayat checkpoint.   Then a group of people moved passed us and their tour guide encouraged us to moved forward.  Sometimes a little support is all we need.  Moving quickly, Chu followed behind the tour guide, while Donna stayed with me to light up the way as we continued the climb.

At last, we made it to the top before 6am.  Donna and I snuggled behind a big rock, hoping that it would shield us from the freezing cold wind.  Chu was all the way at the peak where the sign was.  The tour guide led her there and left her there.  She dared not to moved around as she was afraid of height.  After assisting Audrey, Robbi came to look for us and he found Chu.  Later, he found us, too.

The very reason we climbed to the peak at the early hours is to catch the sunrise.  Before the climb, I imagined how awesome it would be to witness the glorious sunrise ever in my life.  Many described God's glory like the sunrise - so magnificent, so splendid.  But I was so so so cold, I couldn't take pleasure in it.  I did not pay much attention, in fact.  Every part of me was fighting the cold wind.

Soon, the summit became a little bit crowded as more and more climbers arrived.  As the day became brighter, the various peaks began to light up around us.

Rock face plateau - can you see it?

The beautiful clouds were underneath our feet... perhaps this is what we called 'Top of the World'

The rocky boulder

Robbi showed us the summit rock pool at KM8.5, where ice was found

To be continued...

Mt Kinabalu - Part Four: The Quest

The Kinabalu Park covers a staggering area of 754 sq. km.  Translated, it is bigger than Singapore island!  Established as a state park in 1964, this botanical paradise is blessed with an astonishing variety of flora and fauna that ranges over 4 climate zones.  It is Malaysia's first World Heritage designated by UNESCO in December 2000 for its 'outstanding universal values' and being the world most important biological sites.  (Information derived from malaysiatravelpedia.com)

Notice there are 2 climbing routes, one travel from Timpohon Gate; the other from Mesilau Trail.  We took the Timpohon route which is 2km less than the Mesilau trail.  If you are a more adventurous climber and possess an average fitness level (able to hike up to 3,200m in 6 hours), you may try via Ferrata route.  It is definitely a more exciting experience.

We reached Timpohon Gate around 9:15am and our mountain guide, Robbi, gave us his 'final' words and we checked in at the guard house.  Let the quest begin!  Mt Kinabalu, here we come!

Interestingly, the climb began with descending stairs.

400m later, we came across this beautiful waterfall.

From here onwards, the trail winds up a steep staircase.  And it is all the way up.  The climb will take approximately 4-6 hours depending on each one's fitness level.

Chu and Donna were always ahead of Audrey and I.  I preferred to stay right at the back.  After all, I seemed to be the slowest of them all.  *shy

We completed the first 1km hike within 25 minutes.  Oh boy, that's pretty good right?  Well, it may sound that way.  But it's another 5km walking up and up and up the endless stairs.

Along the trail, there are 'pitstop' to rest and answer nature's call.  The shelters are about 500m - 1km distance from each other.

And there are friendly mountain squirrels to greet and entertain you in each shelter.

We usually rest for about 5 minutes in each shelter before proceeding.

Wooden stairscase

More stairs

Audrey's gorgeous smile even after all the sweat... notice the peak of Mt Kinabalu at the background?  Such a magnificient view, ya?!

Finally reached 2km!  This time it took us around 40 minutes.  Well, there's nothing much to look for unless you are a fan of fauna and flora.  So, these markers and shelters become our short term goal.  I was looking for the insect-eating pitcher plants for which Kinabalu is famous for but I found none.

We met many porters along the trail.  I simply adored these people.  Look at the weight that they are carrying at their back.  And their speed were immeasurable!  In fact, you could hire these porters to carry your backpack with only RM10 per kg.  If there's a need, they could even carry you!  hahaa... of course with a substantial $$.

Personally, the first 1km was a bit tough for me as my body adjusted to the momentum.  But the second kilometre was easier.  However, it didn't last long.  Soon I felt tired, exhausted, and every step is a power of will.

Another 45 minutes to reach the 3rd kilometre.  Thanks to Donna who kept track of our time.

Slowly, the path we trudged on changed from soil to rocks

Throughout my climb, I couldn't help but think of friends that have walked this path before me.  That reminded me of Hebrews 12:1  Therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

The path may not be easy.  We may not know when it would end.  However, many have gone before us.  Many have ran this race.  We are not alone in facing the trials, challenges and difficulties in life.  Rest assured that God is with us.  Persevere on.  We will receive our crown of glory in no time.
 

We stopped for lunch at the next shelter.  Took a longer break, munching our sandwiches, replenishing our energy.

As we ascend higher, the forest becomes shorter.  Thus, allowing superb view of the mountain as we followed the trail upwards.

The next kilometre took us more than an hour.  Our legs were sore and every step just seemed to get harder and harder.

The mist-irous path

The temperature was dropping but we were sweating profusely.  However, you do feel a bit chilly when the wind blows. 

Our mountain guide was no where to be found all this while.  He was supposed to walk behind the last person in the group (that's me!).  We noticed other westerners' guides were with them all the time but not so if the group made up of local Malaysian. 

Another one hour plus to reach the 5th kilometre.  Just one more kilometre to reach Laban Rata where we rest for the night but it seemed forever to get there.

As you can see, climbing up Mt Kinabalu is pretty easy.  Just stairs, and stairs and stairs....

Finally, after five and a half hour of trekking, we reached Laban Rata!  You have no idea how happy we were.  Chu and Donna were already there waiting for Audrey and I.  Donna was so cute, she was on the look out for us at the edge of the cliff all these while.  And when she saw us, she was overjoyed and shouted aloud "They are here!  They are here!".  My teammates were awesome!

Located at an elevation of 3373m, Laban Rata Rest House is where all climbers rest overnight before continuing their climb to the summit the next morning.  We, however, were given the key to our dorm at another rest house called Waras Hut.

A non-heated room with 6 bunk bed, very basic but it felt like paradise after a 6km hike up.  It is located 2-minutes away from the reception hall where we will be having our meals.  Since dinner is served at 4:30pm, we decided to just hang around the hall for another one and a half hour before descending to our little cozy hut.  Our guide finally appeared! He gave us a short briefing of the climb for the next day.

You'd be surprised to find Maxis reception is excellent even at this altitude.  As we were climbing, I overheard a Malay lady answering her call explaining to her 'whoever' where the iron was.  It was quite amusing to me.

Perhaps it was the thinning air, or the lack of sleep, I developed headache on my way up the mountain. There is a Grocery Counter in the resthouse where we could purchase food and beverages, and limited stuff.  I purchased a can of 100+ with a price of RM11!!!  Well, everything is marked up here.  It is expensive but bear in mind that everything have to be transported by foot via the porters.  So I guess it is reasonable.  I felt much better after drinking 100+ and eaten triple the amount of food I usually take.  Yes, you read it correctly - TRIPLE!!!  I was surprised by my own appetite.  hahaa...

Waiting for our dinner to be served

Audrey and I with our ID

The porters and the mountain guides having fun after a day's work

After gobbling up the food and filling our empty stomach, we descend to Waras Hut to rest for the night.  Nope!  None of us bathed as the water was icy cold.  We simply used the wet wipes to freshen ourselves up.  It was only 6pm but all of us were far off in our dreamland.

To be continued...

Mt Kinabalu - Part Three: The Quest

We woke up as early as 5am the next morning ready for the adventure of a lifetime.  Our tour agent was supposed to pick us up at the guard house around 6:10am.  After washing up, packing and having had our breakfast, we marched to the guard house to fulfill our destiny!

We were early, so we thought.  But the tour bus was even earlier.  The tour guide greeted us and ushered us into the bus.  He handed over a bottle of mineral water and a sealed wet towel to each one of us.  There were another 2 groups of people staying in Marina Court that signed up for this climb as well.  Hence, we waited for another 10-15 minutes.  The bus stopped by a few other hotels to pick up more passengers thereafter.

Finally at around 7am, the tour bus headed towards Kinabalu Park Headquarter.  It took approximately 2 hours.  The road was very winding.  Usually I don't take motion sickness pill, but I gobbled 2 pills down the throat just in case I felt sick even before the climb due to the journey.  Thanks to Audrey.  She was indeed very well prepared.

The tour guide gave us a 20-minutes briefing on our way to Kinabalu Park.  Apparently he has climbed Mt Kinabalu 14 times!  Phew!  He was only 14 years old when he first hiked up the mountain peak.  His fastest record was to climb up and down the mountain within 6 hours!  However, a mountain guide is required to do so in 3 hours.  Incredible, isn't it?  The youngest person recorded that reached the peak was a 10-year-old child and the oldest was 87-year-old.  So, are you ready for such a challenge?

However, the guide also warned us of the acute mountain sickness (AMS).  If anyone suffers from AMS, he/she should not continue the climb as it may endanger one's life.

Soon, the 2-hour journey came to the end and we reached Kinabalu Park Headquarters.  We received a sourvenir tag that serves as an identification.  We were then introduced to our mountain guide, Robbi.  He helped us to rent the hiking pole (extremely useful!!!) at RM10 each.  Donna also purchased a headtorch at the cost of RM35.

A packed lunch consisting of a sandwich, an apple and a bottle of mineral water were given to us.  When all of us were ready, we hop on a shuttle van to travel to Timpohon Gate - the starting point to the stairway of 4,095 metres height.

The four young adventurers!

Isn't she beautiful?

To be continued...

Mt Kinabalu - Part Two: The journey has begun

After 10 months of anticipation, finally the day had arrived!  To my surprised, I wasn't very excited about it.  Perhaps talking about it, reading about it, preparing for it have worn my enthusiasm off.

Audrey flew over from Adelaide a couple of days before our departure to KK.  We stayed a few nights in Subang.  Since I always have a problem sleeping in new places, I did not get much rest prior to our climb.  That worried me quite a bit.

We left KLIA 2 on Sunday morning while Andrew and the kids returned to Melaka.  The flight was such a breeze.  We took a taxi to Marina Court Resort which was booked via Amazing Borneo.  Upon arrival, we checked with the reception only to find out that our names were not in their records for booking.  Apparently there are many private units in this condo, but only Promenade has its own reception counter in Marina Court.  We tried to call the Amazing Borneo office but since it was a Sunday, no one answered the phone.  To cut the story short, a security guard led us to a housekeeping lady, who finally gave us our room keys.  The housekeeping lady explained to us that the person-in-charge was off that day.  Looks like someone has 'forgotten' to make some arrangement for our arrival.

Marina Court Resort

Well, we were quite happy with the unit given.  It was a 3-room apartment.  This room was meant for 6 pax but it could easily accommodate up to 8 pax.  Very spacious, clean, complete with all kitchen utensils, washing machine, and air-conditioning in all bedrooms and living room.

The living room

The kitchen

Room 1

Room 2

Master bedroom with attached bathroom

The sea view from the balcony

Marina Court Resort is located at the heart of KK city.  Right opposite the condo is a newly opened shopping centre, Oceanus Mall.  Audrey and I took a 2-minutes walk to explore this mall.  We were surprised that this mall is quite upmarket, with HardRock Cafe being one of its tenants though they are still under construction.  However, the crowd is undoubtedly less for a Sunday afternoon.  There was a few performances eg traditional and modern dance, lion dance, acrobatic lined up to celebrate CNY.  We had a nice lunch at Nandos before returning to the condo to welcome Chu and Donna.

This was my first meeting with Chu and Donna but they are totally lovely.  We rested for only 10-minutes before venturing out to hunt for Chu's favourite 'bak gua' in town.  However, after all the hustle and bustle of asking for direction and walking for half an hour, the famous 'bak' gua' shop was closed for CNY.  But.... they would be opened on Wednesday!  Audrey and I would miss it since our flight was in the morning, but Chu and Donna could come back for this mouthwatering piece of meat as they planned to stay one more night for shopping.

It was interesting walking around KK city as this was my first visit to KK.  The 'pursue' for bak gua has led me through the side streets and the byways.  Audrey depicted this part of the city as Petaling Street in KL.  Generally I find KK quite a clean city.  We came across this sign that says 'Stick No Bills' and my Australian friends were quite amused by it.  They couldn't understand until they read the Malay translation 'Dilarang Menampar Poster'.

We headed back to Central Point for dinner.  It is only less than 10-minutes walk from our condo.  In contrast with Oceanus Mall, Central Point is a bit old but it is flooded with people.  We finally settled with Secret Recipe for dinner before returning to our condo to rest for the night.

To be continued...

Mt Kinabalu - Part One: The birth of a great adventure

Photo derived from beautifulkk.com

Another check off my life-list (aka bucket list) ......

Honestly, I have never thought of fulfilling this dream. The seed of climbing Mt Kinabalu was first planted 10 years ago when the Royal Rangers in my former church organised an expedition to this highest mountain in South East Asia.  My dear hubby discouraged me from signing up as he was very concerned that I couldn't make it (disclaimer: hubby has no recollection of this).  Well, it is quite true coz I'm not one who loves to exercise.  I certainly do not have the physical training and stamina.  I didn't pursue this dream since then.

In recent years, thanks to FB, I found out a few of my peers had successfully climbed Mt Kinabalu.  However, it was not until two years ago when hubby was 'forced' to enrolled in an excursion to Mulu Cave that my desire to climb Mt Kinabalu was rekindled.  This time, hubby was more encouraging.  His only condition was to find a partner.  It is not advisable to be alone in such an expedition.  Especially I'm both a newbie in travelling and climbing.

I started my 'hunt'.  It wasn't a smooth ride though.  After months of looking around, I found my 'soulmate' - my sister-in-law, Audrey.  She was excited and immediately gave me the green light to proceed with the rest of the arrangement.  Weeks later, Audrey's friend, Chu and her sister, Donna, joined us and we are finally settled down with 4 adventurous and ambitious climbers.

The 'human' factor is done, now let's turn our attention to the web.  I read many reviews on the climb to Mt Kinabalu.  Although it may be cheaper to book everything separately (accommodation, meals, permits, transportation, and etc), we have decided to book via Amazing Borneo, a travel agency.  Dealing with them was an absolute pleasure.  Hmm... after my Hong Kong trip, I admitted that I have quite a bad impression on tour agency.  But as for Amazing Borneo, their services and professionalism amazes me.  I am thoroughly satisfied and happy to book through them again should I plan for any future trips in Borneo (maybe Mulu Cave???).

Amongst us four, though I am the youngest, I am embarrassed to confess my physical strength is the weakest of all.  Later I found out Chu visits the gym 3 times a week and Donna has been consistently excercising on a weekly basis for years.  As for Audrey, ever since we embarked on this voyage, she has been going for hiking and walking at least 3 times a week.  Me?  Needless to say, I only started my exercise in Sept last year.  Stopped due to illness.  Then continued again.  And stopped again.  Of course, I am the only lady in the group that has 2 young children and this could easily give me the 'license' to not exercise.  But there will always be excuses.  So, I'm guilty.  It was not until December when I started my swimming lesson thatI began my training 2 times a week continuously.

Hubby was pretty nervous about me climbing Mt Kinabalu.  He was upset with my lack of diligence (not that I purposefully choose to laze around all day long).  Perhaps I know that I may not be as fit, but I do have the determination and perseverance to keep me going.

A little hiccup when I fell sick just about one month before the climb.  But thank God I was able to pursue my dream though I was not 100% healthy.

To be continued...