Team Hyper Gila - Mt Kinabalu 29 Apr - 2 May

Day 1 - 29 Apr

Michelle, Soi Fung, Shih Ming, Saya, Dr Ray and yours truly were the final group departing for Sabah around 11am. The other two groups, twenty in all left on earlier flights. Half were already busy shopping in Kota Kinabalu and half still crusing in the sky. Reaching Kota Kinabalu airport at half past one on a beautiful sunny afternoon, my heart pounded faster as we drew closer to the four thousand ninety five metres high mountain. I’m sure the rest were equally excited as well. After a light lunch and grocery shopping, the journey to Mesilau was slightly less than two hours.

Before talking about the drive towards Kundasang, let me mumble a wee bit on lunch. I had a vegetarian murtabak. Ring any bell? It’s either vegetarian or the meat pieces were in microscopic sizes. Quite delicious actually, except for the chilli sauce flooding over it. My drink was slightly different from the usual as well. Zam Zam Cola! Produced somewhere in Batu Caves, never seen it in supermarkets and found in Sabah. Guess this cola is targeted out of the Klang valley, don’t you think? Zam Zam Ala Ka Zam!!!!

In Peninsula Malaysia, we see billboards after billboards of advertisements along highways and trunk roads but along the way to Kinabalu Park, we passed by signboards after signboards of churches by the roadside. Indeed the people there were blessed. Alleluia! Names of Kadazans or Dusuns may have bin or binti in them but majority of them are Christians.

We pit stopped at Pekan Nabalu for photographs and at the same time admired kids having the utmost fun by just clinging on a tree branch. Gymnasts in the making!
There's no need of amusement centres, computer games, PS2 or 3. Besides, Olympics do not have medals for those, am I right?

Final stop was by the roadside just before turning into Jalan Kundasang Kauluan – Cinta Mata Mesilou. Air fresher, cooler and obviously the mountain seemed larger. Mesilau Resort, our “base” camp at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu was where we headed. “Big daddy” Tony has arranged the more challenging Mesilau summit trail for THG.

Reaching late in the afternoon, the six of us unloaded our backpacks, checked in, met up with the rest of Team Hyper Gila, refreshed ourselves and gathered at the resort restaurant where a fabulous steamboat was waiting to the noisy tummies of twenty six.

Temperature was hovering around 13 degrees. Crisp & cold, what a perfect night it was. Sad to say, the chill did not have not many hanging around to gaze stars in clear skies. Everyone hustled back to their warm dorms right after dinner.

Lights off 10pm after packing the necessary for our climb the next day.

Day 2 coming up...soon....