Panoramik

Gambar ni tak pasti sangat samada Gunung-ganang Ranau atau Kundasang. Tetapi yang pasti dibelakang saya adalah Taman Kinabalu.

Aku Dibawah Bayu (3)

Tinggi-tinggi Gunung Kinabalu, 

Tinggi lagi sayang sama kamu, 

Biru-biru hujung Kinabalu, 

Tengok dari jauh hati saya rindu. 

Apa guna pergi luar negeri, 

Naik Kinabalu hati saya rindu.. 

Saya telah membuat keputusan untuk melihat Gunung Kinabalu pada hari berikutnya. Memandangkan tiada bas shuttle yang bertolak awal (7am) ke bandar KK, saya terpaksa menaiki kereta sapu seperti yang dibuat oleh orang lain. Antara bas dan kereta, kedua-duanya pergi ke destinasi yang sama, Plaza Warisan. Tambangnya hanya RM1.50 sahaja. Dari situ saya berjalan kaki ke stesen bas ke luar bandar.

Tibanya di stesen bas, ramai yang datang bertanya "Mau ke Kundasang? Mau ke Sandakan? ...." pastikan anda mau cari bas yang pergi ke Ranau sahaja.

Bas macam ini...

Pukul 8 saya telah berada di dalam bas. Tapi bas ini takkan bergerak hingga penuh penumpangnya. Saya terpaksa menunggu selama 1 jam lebih untuk itu. Kalau nak cepat, kenalah naik Unser, kena tunggu 7 orang saja. Tapi saya tak berani sebab saya hanya seorang saja ke sana. So, tunggu lah.. sambil tunggu sambil bersembang dengan penumpang2 yang lain. Penduduk di sini hanya memanggil gunung yang tertinggi di Malaysia sebagai "Gunung" sahaja. Kalau ditanya, cakaplah "Mau ke Gunung".

Kanak-kanak yang menaiki bas ini akan dapat plastik setiap seorang, kiranya mereka mau muntah. Hehehe.. it's going to be a very long ride to Ranau kids...

Tiba di Taman Negara Kinabalu lebih kurang pukul 11 pagi. Sayang sekali kabus sudah naik ke atas dan menutupi Gunung Kinabalu. Saya pun terus masuk ke kedai mencari poskad yang ada Gunung tanpa kabus.

Sayang Kinabalu disebalik awan

Macam ni pun boleh lah.

Agak kecewa, saya pun pergi berjalan2 menerokai Taman Kinabalu, ikut trek-trek hutan yang pendek, masuk ke dalam galeri dan muzium serta ke Taman Botani. Cadangnya nak habiskan masa, mana tau mungkin petang2 sat lagi kabus akan hilang jua.

Saya masuk hutan....

Anak sungai. Sejuk sampai kebas kaki.

 Saya jalan2 di tepi jalan, dan jumpa rafflesia.

Jumpa Rafflesia yang terbesar disitu.

 Saya masuk ke dalam galeri dan muzium.

NOPE! Chuck Testa!

 Saya bersiar2 ikut Jalan Kinabalu, pusing satu round, jumpa pokok seri pagi yang besar-besar. Terfikir saya, dulu sering jumpa bunga seri pagi dirumah pada setiap pagi, tapi sekarang jarang sangat. Mungkinkah sebab suhu sekarang sudah panas? Di Gunung seri pagi kembang hingga ke tengah hari...

Seri pagi yang kembang di tengah hari.

Saya pun pergi makan dan minum teh panas di tempat ini (lupa pula namanya) yang menyediakan buffet tengah hari pada kadar RM50.45. Saya pun makan lah sebanyak-banyak yang saya mampu.

Jam menunjukkan pukul 4 ptg. Kabus masih lagi enggan beredar, malah kadang-kala mega mendung datang menjenguk. Risau saya kalau-kalau tiba-tiba hujan lebat turun, kerana ia mungkin akan menyukarkan saya pulang ke KK. Maka saya pun buat keputusan untuk pulang.

Pemandangan gunung-ganang dari Taman Kinabalu. Sayuuuppp sahaja.

Cabaran perjalanan pulang sama seperti perjalanan untuk datang. Menunggu kenderaan untuk penuh. Kali ini saya menaiki Unser untuk turun. Saya tunggu dekat satu jam juga dengan pemandu saya. Sambil menunggu, sambil bersembang hal2 geography, sejarah, gossip2 artis Sabah, tempat2 menarik di sini dan sebagainya. Better to get to know your driver than have an awkward long drive home.

Singgah sebentar di tepi jalan. Nampak air terjun keluar dari gunung dibelakang saya.

Aku Dibawah Bayu (2)

Sunday is a special day because it's Gaya Market Day (Pasar Gaya). Went there early, 8 am and the place was already packed! I was greeted by a crowd gathering at the entrance of the market looking at a stall giving opportunities to people to take pictures with a giant snakes. Those kids (pic below) are very brave in doing so.

You can see a lot of people selling various wierd and wonderful stuff. Apart from souvenirs and food (that's sold everywhere, everyday), one compelling theme was the selling of animals. If you're an animal activist, maybe you have to close both eyes. It's normal to see a cage full of puppies, chickens, cats, etc.

Birds, Ikan Laga, a large snake, cute puppies in a basket.

Penat jalan, rehat kat sini

As I was walking down Gaya Road, a faint memory came into mind... was thinking to myself, "this place reminds me of Las Ramblas in Barcelona..." Gaya Market stretches long into the end of the road. There's a water fountain in the middle break.

long stretch of road filled with stalls

The stalls are reiteration of the same stuff, over and over again. But you never get tired of looking at the things these people are selling. Once in a while, there's a unique stall selling different thing from others.

Sea shells are sold not by the sea shore. An uncle demonstrating his skills, flower seeds, plants and souvenir magnets and thingamabobs.

This is Gaya Street during the market (top) and after it's done (bottom).

Later that day, I went to see wet market next to the promenade. A lot of pictures, but mostly with me blocking the view, I should seriously stop doing that.

Zzzzz....

Saw these youths sleeping of fish boxes shielded from the hot sun by a large umbrella.They must've been knackered after hauling large fishes like these ones below...

Goreng pon sodap.

It wasn't long when the sun started to set. After all Sabah is 'technically' 1 hr ahead of Msia, but if you read history books, you know our leaders agreed to synchronise the clock between Semenanjung and West Malaysia. A visit to Kota Kinabalu is not complete if you do not walk down the Promenade during sunset.

Mostly people sit at the edge of the barrier to enjoy the sunset. Seriously, I think it's a tragedy waiting to happen. A child might fall off the edge into the water. The authorities should quickly finish their work, place fences and put more chairs.

 

People throw a line or two trying to catch fish here, despite the warning sign painted on the ground. Well, who cares?

Last but not least, spotted a solitary child sitting by himself on a boat enjoying the sunset (or maybe just waiting for his parents to come and fetch him home).

Aku Dibawah Bayu

This week I'm away. Been sending automated post since Saturday. Currently using internet from free Wi-Fi areas, typically OldTown. Thanks OldTown. I miss my camera. Brought along my old compact from 5 years ago. Taking pictures seems to lost its purpose with a small compact. Anyways, here are a couple of favorites:

Promenade has a Merlin (sans beard and magic staff)

Senjakala yang melarutkan.

Should have seen the later version of sunset. Dark, fiery, bloody red. Alas, the camera's battery 'kong-ed'.

One good thing about a compact is it's easy to take picture of yourself. Was really tricky to do that with a DSLR, now there's a 'Self-Potrait' mode. hehehe..

.... meroyan foto.

After looking at this and many more photos of me in it, I think it's better if I stop ruining the beautiful sceneries by inserting my face in each picture!