Asia, 3rd day. 30th July 2009. Zoo and local people

7:30 in the morning came really soon. After arranging a scuba diving day with Gon (our new CSfer friend and also diving instructor)we got ready for the diving day starting at 8:15 in our place when Gon came to pick us up.The day was really raiby and it did not seem it was changing into better conditions,so the people from the diving company adviced us to do it on Sunday instead, when the weather could be better and we'd see something more down in the water.
Without alternative plan we didn't know what to do. We waited on board with Gon and the captain. As it was still raining, the captain proposed to go toSabah's zoo.
He didn't speak proper English, but Gon was translator in between us.
So, as the zoo seemed to be the best (and only) alternative to dive, we accepted, we took our cameras and Gon drove us to the zoo,kind of more than 15 mins by car from Kota Kinabalu.
I know many of you are saying why we are going to the zoo when we have Sabakan or Selangakan, with a very rich natural wildlife, and it is true, we have no excuse possible,but it was really unexpected and we preferred to go somewhere than to lose one day doing nothing.
By the way, going to those natural paradises I told you would take more than 6 hours which we really hadn't.
Finally, in the zoo,with not so many people, we bought the ticket for RM20, while for Malaysian people was RM10.
As written, not so many people were around, so it was almost everything clear to see the animals in a good way.
Orang-utan, Malaysian tiger, crocodiles and many other species of monkeys were there.
After zoo with the captain, Gon and Alex, we went to a little town. A very Malaysian place with a lot of places to eat for a good price. I took rice with fish and curry, actually really good.

I really felt into the Malaysian society and it was one of the best experiences in there at the moment. People was nice and kind, always with a smile prepared for you.

The next step of the day was a daily market where you could buy everything needed for eating. Lots of vegetables, fruits and agricultural products.

One of the things that astonished me were the silk worms and squirrels for eating.

The first ones were alive and moving, really disgusting for a European taste like mine. I guess I would need more time to get used to it...

In the next "shop" we bought some bamboo, onions and tuna for frying it as dinner.

1kg tuna=RM12 (2.5€)

Really cheap and really good quality!

Before put ourselves towards home, we stopped in Captain's home, where his wife and many children were around, without so much, but everything they need to be happy...

They seemed to like us since they followed us while leaving by car until we left the town. I have to say that those children really inspired me and I'll keep a really good memory from them! Terimah Kasi! (Thanks in Malay)

No much time later were we in Kuni's place, having a bath in the swimming pool, relaxing just before of having (finally) a shower, to prepare the bamboo curry, some tuna and rice.

Next day Mt. Kinabalu was expecting us, so better sleep...

While writing these lines laying in bed, the Tibetan music was sounding and Alex was already Knocked out...

So good night and I hope you liked it.

Asia 2nd day. Kota Kinabalu arrival

Yes, after the good Asian dinner, we tried to sleep on the floor of the airport and we also failed to do so.Maybe because it was afternoon for our bodies.After some messages to the family and friends through free WIFI connection in the airport, we decided to eat something regarding at our senseless non sleeping on the pure floor of the airport.It was 4am and the airport seemed so alive at that time.
Not so much more time we had to do in KLIA LCCT until our flight at 6:50 was taking off.Walk around, buying some water and sweets and chat abit are some examples of what we've doneto get some benefit of this useless period of time...
Before departing to KK, there was a big storm and it was raining like hell!The storm was much better from the inside with our new tasty juices we bought.
I was really lucky with my bamboo one, but Alex wasn't with a different one which was really awful...
Since we were really tired and the plane to KK was our last step to reach our CS friend Kuni, the idea of sleeping was more than accepted!What a surprise when all the Asian people fell asleep before us, even before the taking off, and even without jet lag!

Once arrived to Kota Kinabalu, in Borneo island,we were thinking that after more than 2 days of travelling we were done.But buses weren't so often, taxis were kind of expensive and our language skills on the island were not enough to act like local people...Luckily, to women saw us a bit lost asking for a lift to a bus driver who was with an organised trip.They offered us a lift to the centre and we accepted without hesitation.

They were working for an agency (tropicalholidaysparadise.com) and they seemed reliable enough to accept the invitation. (Mum, don't worry, I don't accept every proposition I have ;))They drove us to our friend's job, giving us some advices and also a good chat.Thanks for that!
Once with Kuni, our Japanese CouchSurfing.org host in Kota Kinabalu Grand Ville, he took us home, prepared our bed and introduced 2 other couchsurfers from Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and our beloved Poland, more concretely Warsaw.

Afterwards we'd seen ourselves with power enough to go to the centre and sightsee a bit, without expecting that our bodieswould not fight against jet lag for much longer...
We ate closeby Kuni's house for RM5 (1eur=4.6RM aprox.) and started to sightseeing the Mosque where we had to cover our knees abnd wash hands and feet,the Sikh temple, where we had to cover our head as the guy told us.They were 2 of the most important places to visit in KK along with the Sabah museum where our bodies said stop after walk inside...

We would have loved to reach the centre, but with such a sun an tireness, we stopped in the first market we found.We bought some shower utilities, some food for the "tortilla de patata" and breakfasts, two hats and a Malaysian SIM card to use it with my mobile phone.
No more time to waste since we wanted to rest before our meeting in Kuni's place with Gon,another CS friend and also scuba divering instructor.

Coming back home, a heavy rain cought us and we had to make some stops to preserve ourselves dry...After all this tiring day (starting at 3am in Kuala Lumpur International Airport)we had a great Japanese-Malaysian-Polish-Canadian-Spanish dinner.Another CSfer from Canada, was living also in Kuni's place and he cooked some Indian food.We did our speciality "Tortilla de patata" and there was some rice made by Kuni (Rice couldn left inand Asian house!)
After some chat ans some shots of a special local drink, the bed was calling us really loudly.And here I am, laying in bed writing these lines. In the meantime Alex tries to sleep after writing his summary of the day.
My eyes are really heavy and my body prays for some sleep.
Good night to everyone!

P.S. We had no shower during the whole day. A problem with the water pipes allowed us to have a very sticky skin.

Written after dinner laying in bed
30th July 2009
Kota Kinabalu 00:30

Asia, 1st day Asturias-London-Kuala Lumpur

After a great sleeping recovering from 3 days in the SU Oviedo I woka up at 9am before the filght at 15:00 to London Stansted.
I packed and ate before the long trip and my grandfather picked me up at home at 13:00and he brought me to the Asturias airport.
Alex arrived at the same time as me and we started queing.The flight London was nothing special and everything was expected.
The arrival was at 15:50 local time and our next flight to Kuala Lumpur was at 1:25, so, as you all know, we had to wait in the airportuntil that time.Patience, some food prepared by my mother, some ice cream and some reading were our weapons to kill the long period of timethat was among us and the next flight to the Southeast Asia.
The plane which was about to welcome us, was completely different talking about dimension.It was an Airbus 330-300 with 4 engines and 3 rows of people. (The rows in the sides were with 2 rows and the one in the middle was with 4)
This was actually a tough flight.11 since we took offand 6 of them were for sleeping
We had just 2 sandwiches left and no water.Being on a plane it seems normal that we could buy some water and food to the cabin crew, but they told us that we needed Ameriacan dollars, Sterlings or Ringgits from Malaysia if we'd like to put some food in our starving mouths...So, no water, food or anything similar during 11 hours of flight.It was great!
But finally we arrived to KL (like they say) at 20:45, always local time, completely at night and with 29 degrees C and a horrible humidity.We withdrawed some money and we looked for a place to drink and eat.While going through the airport we saw some people in couples getting off from a bus (seems normal), but they were with handcuffs.
We finally got a place where we ate chicken, fryied egg followed by ice creams (2 in my case), bedore going to find a place to sleep in the airport, waiting for our next flight at 6:50 to Kota Kinabalu,where our CS friend was was waiting for us.
Written after dinner and before to sleep in the dinner place.
23:00
28th July 2009
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (Low Cost Carrier Terminal)

Malaysia, Singapore and Thaliand

Yes, now I'm in the Southeastern part of Asia.
I'll try to keep you updated at the same time I'm writting a diary that will remind me all the things that I'm living right now in this part of the world, where when for you is day for me is night, for you is cold (maybe) for me is hot and for you is normal summer for me is not.

I'll write every day in my notebook, not knowing if I'll be able to have a laptop and publish it in here, but I'll　try it as much as I can...

Well, no more introduction and let's start the story of my furthest trip until the moment...