Malaysia « Kevinlouie.com

Malaysia

December 21 - January 11 2006
This day was coming sooner or later. The day I finally get to meet Phebe’s parents! When I arrived at the airport in KL, I could tell right away that my trusty hand towel was going to be my best friend during my time there. It was hot, humid, and very sticky. It had been several years since I was back in Asia so I was not used to the heat. I’m not complaining though, at least it beats a month back home in Canada with the chilly winters! I had the opportunity to explore Malaysia and even travel to Borneo where I hiked up the highest mountain in SE Asia - Mt. Kinabalu at 4095m! It was about a 2 day hike as I went with Phebe’s brother Amos. Now, I was in great shape having done lots of hiking in the past but it’s so different hiking in such a high altitude. After a full day of hiking we got to the halfway point at Laban Rata. I was so beat and oxygen deprived. It was also colder than normal so all I wanted to do was get in a nice warm blanket and sleep through the night. The next morning we had to wake up early around 4am to hike up to the top of the mountain for the sunrise. It was no easy task however. The stairs to the leading to the top were steeper than ever. Plus the fact it was super cold and with little breakfast didn’t help me out at all. When I got to the top, it was so cold and windy that I hid behind a big rock face for about 45 minutes until everybody else from the pack came up. The sunrise was amazing and it was just what I needed to warm me up a bit.

Phebe and I enjoying our hotpot dinner