A fortnight ago I visited my blog and read few of my posting and I was amazed of what I wrote because it seem that I was not the one who wrote it. Really some of what I shared was as if new to me and I have to think hard to remember it. Was it that age is catching up with me? I decided then that I will start to write something here and share with you of the things that I thought worth sharing.
I visited South Korea in Spring and I was sick for a week with bout of fever, coughing and gout due to too much seafood after coming back from the trip. It was due to the climate change because it was still cold in Korea with rain especially in Jeju Island. I should pick summer time when visiting countries with four seasons because it was the same case when visiting Europe during cold season. These few trips I had the opportunity to visit few places where I tried to visit places of interest locally where I heard it is a nice place but the only places that I didn't had the opportunity to visit during my working life as it does not cover the areas that we worked on.
I missed travelling domestically by road as when I was working, I used to travel all over Sabah for my work. I had been to all the major town and districts in the east coast and interior of Sabah for the duration of my working life.
I was arranging for a trip with a friend to Kundasang and Ranau after the earthquake but it was postponed twice due to unforseen circumtances. Past two weeks ago we did manage to go to those places and it was a one day travelling and we decided to used the Kota Kinabalu-Ranau-Tambunan- Kota Kinabalu road. We started our journey at 9.00 in the morning and reached home aroung 4.30 in the evening. It was a straight foward trip as we stopped only for lunch and a visit to the Desa Cattle farm at Kundasang and stopped at Tambunan to buy local appetizers and cultured honey.
Pekan Nabalu
I was driving up to Pekan Nabalu from Kota Kinabalu and it was a very smooth drive with not so many vehicles.
Me : We stopped for a while okay .. I need to go to the toilet.
Friend : Okay, I want to buy some Bananas too.
After easing myself we bought fruits at the stall at Pekan Nabalu. We had decided to visit the Desa cattle farm as I wasn’t able to visit it all this while and only saw the beautiful pictures I saw taken by some friends who visited the farm.
Me : Since we are going to Desa cattle farm it is better that you drive as you know the place.
Friend : No problem.
It was almost noon when we reached Kundasang and since we took some fruits on our way to Kundasang we decided to stopped at a hotel owned by a former federal minister to eat some noodles only. I was telling my friend that the chilli paste provided by the hotel restaurant was mixed with a herbal plant called ‘tuhau’ and I really like the taste and asked for the chilli paste for take away. The view from the hotel was spectacular as you can see almost the whole town of Kundasang. During a very clear sky I am sure mount Kinabalu could be seen magnificiently but alas the damage made by the earthquake were visible on few areas of the mountain face. It will take years for it to restore its previous glory and splendour.
Desa Cattle Farm.
Me : Are you sure that it is the right road to Desa Cattle farm?
Friend : It was a long time ago that I made a trip to the farm.
Me : We are lost since you said the farm is not far from the road. Better ask the local people here.
We made a u-turn and asked the local people and we really missed the signboard to the farm. We missed it by a few Kilometers and what the heck as the view there was very nice and beautiful so it was alright. I usually teased my friend about his mistake but not this time.
Entrance fee of RM5.00 per person was paid at the main gate of the farm. There was no signboard to which building to go but since we saw cars parked we assume to be the place to visit. There was no visible signboard for the visitors to know what places of interest to visit when you are on the farm. The only place to go was the shop where you buy the drinks which I presume were some of the product produced by the farm.
If the farm is open to the public with entrance fee, at least there should be some sort of information centre for the visitors to asked about the farm, maybe asking for the time they perform the milking of the cattle up to the process of storing the processed milk. I was really very keen to visit the farm after seeing pictures of the farm posted by visitors on the media but disapointed that no audio and video briefing about the farm other than the beautiful scenery of the farm.
We took some pictures on the farm proceeded to Ranau town and since we were taking the longer road to Penampang, we didn’t stopped at Ranau town as it was aroung 2.00 pm in the afternoon.
Tambunan
The road from Ranau to Tambunan was good and there was not much vehicles and with good music we were playing, in no time we were in Tambunan. We didn’t stopped at Tambunan time as it’s about few Kilometers from the roundabout that will lead us back to Penampang. We stopped at the popular stall near the main road which is popular with traditional delicacies and kampung vegetables. There was not many pickled tuhau on sale except for some honey, fruits and vegetables.
Me : Inan, kenapa tidak banyak dijual sudah sini.
Inan : Susah sudah mau cari makan ... tiada urang mau beli ... tiada kereta ikut ini jalan sudah.
Eversince the Kimanis – Keningau road was open few years back the number of vehicles plying the road was reduced greatly and the business of the stall operators was effected.
We reached Penampang at around 4.30 pm and had decided that our next visit locally would be Lawas in Sarawak.
