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Indian Creek Prophecy from Mount Kinabalu, Sabah
By admin | October 18, 2007
This Indian Creek Prophecy poster caught my eye during my adventure to Mount Kinabalu on Nov 27, 2006. Whilst having our meal in the Kinabalu Park restaurant waiting for our food, this poster was displayed on one of the walls, I thought it was such a profound reminder for city dwellers like us.
Indian Creek Prophecy
“Only after :
the last tree that has been cut
the last fish that has been caught
the last river that has been poisoned
then will we realised that money cannot be eaten”
When you are in a natural environment with people respecting the fauner & flora, animals and enjoying the fresh air, this poster is definitely in the right place. A sense of uncertainty came over me. How could we balance between survival and destroying nature? We must be blessed to enjoy this. The waitresses were very pleasant, attentive and efficient. I felt very peaceful, grateful and rested. The food was tasty too!
We arrived at the restaurant to have dinner and rest before we attempt to climb tomorrow morning to Laban Rata. The plan was to rest for 8 hours in Laban Rata then conquer the summit! A goal I had set last year 2006. As you probably could hear how this sound? An attempt, does not sound very committed isn’t it? Yes, because this is a fitness goal combined with a goal to connect with family in an adventure. My husband, youngest daughter now 12 took that adventure with me. My husband had a managers’ conference held in Kota Kinabalu city so we thought it would be a good time to take action! We intend to go snorkeling after the climb. I had a count down with the days written in my diary, even though I swam everyday and climbed a few times up the stairs to my 20 storey condo; it was still challenging to climb Mt Kinabalu, the highest mountain in South East Asia.
After searching the internet and googling for information and comments I managed to connect with a very helpful tour agent who answered all my queries to ensure my family are comfortable with this journey. I have had a great experience interacting with people in Kota Kinabalu. I am really grateful to them for their fantastic hospitality.
My husband was as busy as a bee. He left all the planning to me. I suspected he underestimated the mountain. At home, he did not go to the gym nor did any exercises. He thought his mental ability could pull him through. He is a very determined person. I guessed we learned something everyday. This time his concrete jungle knowledge, strategies and actions cannot help him in the real jungle! There is the very rocky vertical path, the thin air and the damp air. His thigh muscles started to ache not very far after we started because it is an ascending path. He perservered and pushed on, we were all given a bamboo stick to help us with every climb up.
When you deal with property, its location, location, location! When you climb its preparation, preparation, preparation! Practice, practice, practice! Mentally prepared and physically challenged.
We started the climb with a guide, every group must have a guide. Started at 9:20am, there were toilet breaks & stops for water provided by water tanks every 1 km, that is if you are gamed enough to drink them. When I imagined the water that flowed through the pipes into the tank and imagined the rust if there is, I decided not to refill my water bottle. We had enough to reach up to 2pm where we had lunch. A packed lunch of rice, hardboiled egg and a chicken wing. Of course, by the time we stop for lunch break, the food was cold! The wind was getting chilly because it was drizzling off and on and I guessed it could be the cloud that were around us. As soon as I stop walking, I cannot rest for more than 5 minutes. Beyond that the cold and tiredness set in.
I remembered groups of Singaporean students walking up and people descending. We would say “Hi!” I would asked them, “How was it, did you reach the summit?” Most of them would say, “It was cold so we didn’t stay long on the summit, Good luck!”
I often wonder what they meant. Being kind and supportive, they said what they need to say and stop there. The rest was up to us to imagine. There was a couple, the man said, “I kept telling her, one step at a time.” We met two ladies and I asked for muscle cream and she gave me the whole tube, such good souls. Bless them! That helped ease my husband’s leg!
There were people who live up there and you can tell by the way they walked swiftly up and down. Our guide was so strong. He was often on the phone with one hand and the other with our large bag. Most of the time ahead of us, waiting.
By the time we reached 2,700M, the guide took a look at us and said, “I think you may want to consider moving back down to reach the gate when you can still catch the daylight. The gate close at 4pm but I can call them & request for them to wait.” He then led us to take a look at the very rocky vertical ascend that helped us quickly decide there and then that we have to turn back! So you can imagine how the three of us looked like? Very tired after 8 hours of climbing. I was surprised his cellphone was working so well at that height. He helped us carry our bag filled with jacket, a change of clothes to change at Laban Rata stop over. We were supposed to reach there - a base camp to recuperate for a few hours before we were to start climbing at 2:30am to catch the sunrise at the summit. That was the plan.
My husband suggested that my daughter & I could go ahead and he descend. I dont know whether I was happy or disappointed. The summit is 4,095.2M. I was tired too, but his aching thigh could not take the vertical climb at that point. We are sensible people. My daughter was tired but her muscles are strong. The guide would not let us split. No one walk without a guide. We go up as a family, we come down as a family. Coming down means using a different set of muscles! Not any easier. We were so glad we had the bamboo sticks to assist our descend.
So much for now. Will continue another day. Got to sleep you know:)
Well, well! I slept that long? Today is June 23 Friday. My two teenage girls & my niece are bugging me to play ‘Monopoly’ with them. Will I get to finish my blog?
This South African lady whom I met sometime in May this year through coaching activities said she enjoyed my blog and I love her sense of humor. She said, you wrote this climbing up the mountain thing and as I was reading, I noticed I dont know where is this place, and then you wrote about your feeling in such a way about not completing the mountain and a subtle way of putting it when your husband could not make it. Then you finished by saying you got to sleep. She was expecting more! She is so funny. Yah, I realised I took a long time to get back to blog.
Ok, a little introduction about Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, East Malaysia. I was told is one of the most beautiful and underdeveloped resort. I can see hotels being built and construction work on. Sipadan island is one of the islands off Sabah. The most sought after diving spots. Kinabalu City is certainly not a shopping paradise. A resort and diving paradise. Crystal clear water and unspoilt corals. Of course, unfortunately we could not enjoy that! Scroll down to find out why.
As we descend we used different sets of muscles and that was not easy too. I was glad to walk back as we approached the gate, the gatekeeper was alone waiting for us.
The sky got darker and we hopped into a van, drove through the winding greenery and back to the Kinabalu Park Restaurant. What a relief!
That was what I thought! We did not book a room in Kinabalu Park for that nite! We were supposed to stay in Laban Rata. As there was only one restaurant in Kinabalu Park, the idea of walking anywhere does not appeal to us. There are very nice lodges on the hill slopes around the Kinabalu Park. Fortunately, there is a room available on the same floor of the Kinabalu Park Restaurant. It doesn’t matter how much it cost, we were so grateful that we dont have to walk! We took it without hesitation and disregard the cost. Thanks to my husband’s generosity! Then we realised the master bedroom is one floor above the living and TV room. It was a suite. My daughter was hungry and tired and she felt sick. Fortunately, after dinner she recovered. Both my whole legs’ muscles aches were creeping up and lifting up my leg began to feel very heavy. Then my husband had to tell me, “Tomorrow would be worst!” Oh, not looking forward to it. After dinner we quickly showered and struggled upstairs, not wanting to come down anymore until tomorrow morning.
The initial plan to go snorkelling was gone. Can’t even lift up my leg above six inches to walk up a few steps! Slow motion, yes.
On our way down to Kinabalu city, we had a different guide and a driver all to ourselves. He shared a great insight and fortunately I wrote it down. When you ascend, oxygen goes to your weakest part of your body, and when your husband’s thigh started to ache, oxygen goes to his thigh muscles and not enough to the brain, therefore, you cannot breath properly as you ascend to higher altitude. The preparation for you is to go to the gym to use the ’step up’ machine.
No preparation means the lung and leg muscles were affected. Sounds logical to me, something new to learn.
Topics: Life Adventure |