The traffic is still crazy out here in BFB. It is amazing how many cars are out here on these little narrow roads, ripped up in spots for construction of huge retaining walls. It takes us another hour to traverse the 38 kilometers to the Poring Hot Springs. We pass these old dilapidated houses and low slung aluminum sheds that Mr. Hamid tells us are mushroom plantations. Wow – that’s cool! We pass a huge fruit and vegetable market that I’d love to stop at, but we can’t bring anything back to the ship, so there really isn't any sense to it. So, onward we press to the hot springs, finally reaching there a little after 10. We’re covering some ground, that’s for certain!
Mr. Hamid parks the van and leads us into the complex, stopping at a bridge over a rushing river that originates up on the Kinabalu mountain top.
We flash our tickets and walk into the facilities, with Mr. Hamid leading the way. Its a lovely place with tons of hot spring areas – pools, little tubs, places to soak your feet – if you’re into that sort of thing, it would be a great place to spend a few hours.
And its huge. In addition to the springs, there is a butterfly park, a garden where they grow the largest flower on the planet (not in bloom right now), a series of hiking trails leading to waterfalls and a bat cave, and of course, our destination the canopy walk.
It costs another 10 ringgits to get into the walk – and another 5 if you want to take pictures (so Mr. Hamid tells us to hide our cell phones to avoid the fee – he says its too much!) – so we dutifully listen to our guide, pay our 10 MYRs and head up the trail. Just to get to the canopy walk is a hike in and of itself. It takes us almost 10 minutes of climbing through heavily forested trails, up crudely carved out steps, and avoiding escaped butterflies and before we reach the top.
Finally, we are there. A park employee checks our tickets and admonishes us that it costs money to take pictures, and we head out on these awesome, little rickety wood and mesh walkways strung between the trees. They are totally creepy and scary, and swing and sway as you walk across to the platforms. I’m sort of into it – which is totally surprising since I won’t even walk on grates in the sidewalk – but Ed is totally not into it. So I go out on a couple of the walkways, surreptitiously snap a few pictures, and then we head back down the way we came.
Since we have a little bit of time left, we decide to strike out on one of the paths and go to the nearest waterfall. It’s another slog through really wet forest trails, but we’re rewarded with a beautiful waterfall (which at this point I’d love to just jump into!).
We hike our way back out to the car park, only a little muddier and worse for the wear! Mr. Hamid is of course waiting, so we hop in, cool off in the A/C and hit the long road back to KK. Oh, and what a road it is. Ed is sitting up front with Mr. Hamid (because the seat belt in the back didn’t work) so he has a bird’s eye view and isn’t bothered, but being in the back is a different perspective, and I’m telling you this guy is the Malay version of Baby Driver, just without the music. Oh, and then an hour or two into the drive back, he puts on music. Now I know he is Baby Driver. Holy cow – I know we are on a tight timeline, but he is running his own version of the Daytona 500 – flying down straight aways, taking corners with the wheels screaming. I’m practicing my meditation and deep breathing in the back just hoping we get off the mountain in one piece. I mean, he’s good, don’t get me wrong, Ed was fine up in the front watching it all (except for the semi that had to slam on his breaks coz we were passing and in the oncoming lane right in front of him – there was that). But, boy, I’m surprised I’m not more gray right now. We stop once so I can take some long view photos and I’m so happy to get out of the car I don’t see the guardrail and smack the door really hard on it. Oops. Sorry.
After that little breather, we asked to stop at a grocery store for snacks – but he misunderstood and stops at a restaurant for us to get lunch. There is no way I can eat and not get sick in that car, and Ed had a full breakfast, so we pass on the lunch, and do end up stopping at a hypermart to pick up some peanuts for the room and a little present for our cabin steward's birthday later this week.
Then its back down the mountain, finally reaching KK in one piece – and Mr. Hamid thanking Allah that we made it safely (he told me he prayed this morning for a safe and peaceful trip). Back tracking into town the traffic is still pretty bad – not as bad as in the morning, but it is still impressive. Because of that though, we get stuck in a traffic jam which allows me to take some great photos of the KK City Mosque, built on a little island with water all around it.
And then we’re back, safe and sound. A lovely day out in the middle of the Borneo wilderness. We bid Mr. Hamid a fond farewell, telling him we’ll recommend him to anyone we know coming to visit and walk back through the pier to the ship in anticipation of some nice cool A/C and our Ultimate Balcony dinner tonight.
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