Caution - winding road for 565km (Jan. 12/09 - Kota Kinabalu, Borneo, Malaysia)

I have no idea how we managed the bus ride to Semporna the other day in the dark without barfing - even in the daylight today we were both getting queasy! At least we were prepared for the turbo A/C this time, but even with fleece shirts and long pants, we still froze. Literally the entire drive west from Semporna to Ranau (over 300km) skirted land that had been stripped of its natural rainforest and replanted with sprawling oil palm plantations. It was deceiving actually, because with a quick glance it looks like nice lush green hills, but then you realize the monotany of only one type of tree, all the same height, all planted in tight rows, all devoid of wildlife. It was a bit upsetting to see what our demand for certain products (like anything that uses palm oil) can do to our planet.

As we neared Ranau, the curvy road became even moreso, heading uphill and eventually past a magnificent view of Mount Kinabalu, the huge pinnacle-topped mountain that towers out of the low surrounding hills to claim the title as highest peak in Southeast Asia. The road followed a ridge past its west side and then headed steeply down to the ocean towards Kota Kinabalu. The bus driver had us a bit worried a few times as he plouged into sharp corners at speeds that seemed a little too fast for a fully loaded bus. But here we are, comfy in a downtown hostel after wandering the seaside night market for a dinner of grilled chicken, fresh melon, and some sort of mysterious fried Phillipino thing that was dripping with grease but tasted damn good. We spent some time online booking flights to Cambodia, which gives us a couple days of downtime here before we embark on the next leg of our trip: Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor.